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Three decades ago Deb Moody and a friend went to the Marlborough Wine and Food Festival.
That trip away spawned plans for an annual excursion of fun and festivities for a group which call themselves Girls on Tour.
At the weekend they took part in their 33rd outing wearing Dolly Parton wigs and cowboy hats in honour of the country and western superstar who died in August.
Moody says the group all go by the names of movie stars, singers and TV show characters. They have kept those names since they began touring.
Moody is called Raquel Welch and the friend she went with to the Marlborough Wine and Food Festival all those years ago is called Samantha Fox, a famous British tabloid page 3 girl of the 1980s.
Other names include Meg Ryan, Cameron Diaz, Judi Dench, and Phoebe Buffay from Friends. The names are assigned to each group member on the basis of their personality.
Moody said she and her friend were two young mums who had never been away without their children when they decided to go to the wine and food festival.
The weekend’s festivities started on Friday night with an Oktoberfest and German-themed MasterChef night at Moody’s home in Lincoln.
On Saturday they started at The Famous Grouse Hotel in Lincoln, and then it was on the bus into the city, where they did an Amazing Race-themed event which included stops at Robbie’s Riccarton, Tony’s Teppanyaki, Serve Social for a quiz show.
They ended the central city jaunt at Jolene Bar, which opened in August, named after Parton’s hit song. Then it was back to the Grouse in Lincoln for dinner.
The weekend ended on Sunday with a cocktail and wine tasting day
“By the time we said goodbye on Sunday night, some of the girls said my ribs are breaking from laughter.”
The group was a good support network for each other, Moody said.
“We’ve had mums who have lost children; we’ve had divorcees; we’ve had cancer sufferers; and once a year, we’re always on this weekend; we come together, and we just sit around and chat and laugh and support each other.
“I always wanted it to be fun, where all we did was laugh and love each other and have camaraderie; it was all about that.”
Moody said the their husbands were supportive.
“They really get in and support us and stand back and let us go for it.”