On Saturday 5th September 2009 Crawley Happy Times had the privilege of attending Bar Med in the High Street Crawley to watch London Soul perform. And what a performance it was. Drawing in a huge crowd London Soul rocked the evening with some fantastic cover versions.
Lead singer Kevin Chipol of London Soul
London Soul, a multi-award winning dynamic 12-piece soul, rock and pop band have played every major venue and have been established at the top of their trade for many years.
Comprising of a full brass section and female backing singers, London Soul play an excellent dancing repertoire guaranteed to keep you dancing all night. Featuring classic songs by The Commitments, Blues Brothers, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Ricky Martin and Robbie Williams to name a small few. The huge crowd attending Bar Med to watch London Soul perform thoroughly enjoyed the music, dancing the night away.
Most of the band are originally from Crawley. Kimberley, vocalist told us it was great performing in Crawley as they can have their friends and family come down to watch them. Some of the band are from London.
The Door Staff Bar Med
Bar Med came alive with the sound London Soul. With stunning vocals and brass instruments combined, made a sound that is truly unique and extremely entertaining. Sam, Manager of Bar Med told us it was wonderful to have London Soul perform at the venue. Sam went on to tell us they are being proactive in drawing good talent to Bar Med in Crawley, for the entertainment of the community. For further performance details, please visit their website. Bar Med is a fantastic venue compromising of a dance floor, stage and two bars with friendly efficient staff. A great venue for any band to perform.
London Soul, Bandstand, Crawley town centre
London Soul also performed during the day on the bandstand, in the town centre. Many shoppers stopped to listen and watch them in action. It’s great to see the bandstand being used on a weekly basis for the purpose of having such performances as London Soul. They were a great hit!
The technical team of London Soul
We look forward to keeping up-to-date with London Soul’s progress and would like to thank Kimberley and the rest of the band for inviting us down to experience such a great performance. We have no doubt this vibrant bunch of musicians and singers who make up London Soul will be very successful.
For all pictures please visit our facebook page here.
Award Winning 12-Piece Party Band London Soul will be bringing the house down at Bar Med, Crawley, with their classic mix of soul, rock, disco and funk.
Great looking Vocalists
With stunning vocalists and musicians from London’s West End, they are not to be missed!
If you cannot make the evening, but would love to see the band, they are also playing Crawley Band Stand on the 5th of September at 12PM to 2:30PM. Come along and support them!
Who, Where, When: London Soul – Bar Med, Crawley (100 High St), Saturday 5th September, 7.30PM. Drinks only £1.75 until 11PM!
A repertoire guaranteed to keep your wedding and function guests on their feet all night, featuring classic songs by
From brass to class
The Commitments, Blues Brothers, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Ricky Martin and Robbie Williams to name but a few. Formed in 1997, London Soul are one of the most respected show bands having performed at major venues all across the globe, including international award ceremonies, major global corporation functions and media covered celebrity events and weddings.
Playing timeless songs from every era right up to modern-day classics, London Soul caters for every age group and popular music genre as the hits keep coming all night.
London Soul’s Official Website is www.London-Soul.com but they can also be found on Facebook if you want to become a fan and find out what London Soul are up to!
More into Big Band Music, Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack? Looking to book a Function Band? London Soul also provide ‘London Swing’ (www.London-Swing.com). London Swing are inspired by the music from classic swing and jazz artists such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Sammy Davies Jr., alongside more modern artists such as Michael Bublé: all artists who reflect on a magic era, but with a modern twist.
Always pulling in a huge crowd
London Swing brings a touch of class to any event, while paying tribute to these timeless artists and songs. A truly unique band, playing unforgettable versions of all the classic songs, London Swing brings Las Vegas swing across the Atlantic and back through time to remember a golden age.
Rave reviews of performances include those published in ‘The Stage’: international entertainment newspaper;
“This 12-piece band blew a storm to start the second half. How rewarding to see so many talented young people playing real instruments. Superbly attired and exceptional visually, the four vocalists featured a great span of songs.. phenomenal stuff.”…
Crawley Happy Times at The Annual Crawley Irish Festival
On Sunday, 30th August 2009, flags came out, outfits were donned, jigs were performed and music was played.
Where did this all happen? At the 14th annual Crawley Irish Festival, held on Southgate playing fields. This festival was supported by the Irish Government, through the Dion fund, Crawley Borough Council, West Sussex County Council and the Crawley Town Centre Partnership with additional sponsorship from the Murphy Group and O’Connor Utilites Limited.
The weather was slightly breezy on the day but this did not deter the hundreds of people who attended! Crawley Happy Times had the honour of a stand at the event. We set up and proudly awaited any interest in our posters and pens.
The Lions Club Mascot
The day was full of entertainment and Irish dancers, showing off their talents, from 3 different stages strategically set about the field. There were various other stands, all raising money for the next Irish Festival in 2010. There were some of the usual faces; you know, the ones who always help out and raise money for great causes, and, of course some new fundraisers too. We had the pleasure of seeing the Worshipful the Mayor Brenda Burgess, her lovely husband and we also met John Nolan, Chairman of the Celtic and Irish Cultural Society, who will be speaking to Crawley Happy Times in the near future to update us on the money raised. As soon as he has recovered from arranging this amazing event, that is!
On the Dome Stage the entertainment was relentless: The Olive Stones opened the musical interlude and were swiftly followed by Martin Ruddy, Kathy Durkin, Reelstrings and last, but not least, Shawn Cuddy. On the Trad stage we were treated to a great array of Irish music by Brogue, Flying Toads, Dun The Veil, Siansa and Crannog. The last stage; the Irish Dancing Stage, was the venue for the Irish dance competition. The beautiful children vying for the top prize were either part of the O’Brien School of Dancing or the Andromeda Edmonds School of Dancing. The dancers were immaculately presented and moved like angels. Pictures to follow.
Gordon Skeggs looked after the main stage, including the sound and lighting. Gordon now has a big, red coach which tours on roadshows, promotions, festivals and various other events. The name of Gordon’s company, Just Unique is very apt as so is Gordon!
Gordon Skeggs with his bus
Obviously, at an Irish Festival, there had to be a beer tent. Drinkers weren’t disappointed: Guinness and various other lagers were on tap. After all, a festival is not a festival without a beer tent!
People brought picnics and blankets (some even brought their own chairs) and sat on the field enjoying the music. There were plenty of activities to keep the children happy, including two bouncy castles and a mini fun fair. The local constabulary were on hand, keeping a watchful eye on the day, although, thankfully, their arresting presence was deterrance enough.
The St. John Ambulance crew were also on hand to help with any injuries, which were, thankfully, minimal.
Volunteers for the day
If you have never been to the Crawley Irish Festival in the past 14 years then, we recommend you put this date in your diary for next year.
It occurs on the same August Bank Holiday Sunday, every year. Not only is it a wonderful day for the whole family, it is also a chance to meet up with friends for nibbles and a drink or two.
We very much look forward to attending next year and hope John enjoyed it enough to want to do it all over again.
Our thanks go to John Nolan for the stand, Linda Silence of Visions Photography for taking some great pictures on our behalf and to all those who came to our stand in support of Crawley Happy Times. Oh and a special thank you to Madeleine Mills representing The Lions Club, who let us borrow some ballons for our stand.
On Saturday we joined The Connoisseurs at The White Knight in Pound Hill for their charity fundraiser day. The sun shone, the music played, the food was eaten and the charity fund went up and up.
Getting the kids involved
The Beautiful Fuzzilicious Fresh
We had the pleasure of speaking to the guys who put so much effort into making the day a great success and they told us they felt there were not enough opportunities for youngsters to participate in fundraising. In light of this, they put this day together in a way they felt would attract the younger side of the community. They certainly got it right! You can hear more from the guys in the interview at the bottom of the page.
Females get funky
It really was a wonderful day. From 14:00 onwards, each DJ took it in turns to play their selected preference of music, ranging from happy house to heavy drum and bass. First up we had the pleasure of the beautiful Fuzzilicious Fresh. A local female DJ, who told us that, to be any good, you must know your music and what your audience will want to hear. Fuzzilicious Fresh played some brilliant garage tunes for us.
Cherry… fly?
Next up, we were honoured with another female DJ who goes by the name of Cherry Fly. Cherry Fly wore an amazing black & purple outfit and blasted out some great house tunes. She told us she feels that a good education is a great asset to have, even when DJing: Cherry Fly went to college to advance her music knowledge along with her mixing skills and would encourage others to do the same.
The wonderful Cherry Fly
Filling our tums
Meanwhile, the hot dogs and burgers were flying off the grill. Dave Winbolt was the ‘chef’ for the day, assisted intermittently by Scott ‘Ronson’ Clarke. Dave created some delectable food at a reasonable cost, with all proceeds going to the nominated charity of the day, St Catherine’s Hospice.
Dave Winbolt & Scott 'Ronson' Clarke
Baby steps to dance diva?
My burger was cooked to perfection: I thoroughly enjoyed it! Everyone seemed to be having a whale of a time; one particular lad stood on the steps ‘cutting’ some moves to the tunes, especially as he could only have been about eighteen months old!
Cut Swifty mixing it up
Keefos on the decks
Dan Gee bangin' out the beats
Vibrant duo Del Santiago & Pierre Monnoit
Cut Swifty was the next DJ to entertain the ever growing crowd of supporters. Followed by Keefos, Dan Gee, Del Santiago & Pierre Monnoit (Multiplayerz), then last, but not least Marcus Lee, this was a night to remember.
The White Knight: Management
Marcus Lee making his mark
In amongst the revellers, running around keeping everyone happy and the place clean and tidy, were landlord and landlady of the White Knight, Bridgette and John. They have supported this event from the start and were honoured to have it held in the White Knight.
The White Knight public house is a splendid place to hold this type of event due to the space and atmosphere of the building. There are pool tables, darts and large flat screen TVs for the sports enthusiasts and a neat dance floor, with a stage for the DJs which also includes a convenient communal area around the dance floor which is great for private parties. We found the toilets were consistently clean and tidy and the service prompt and friendly. Bridgette and John told us all about their involvement- they told us it was a brilliant way to raise money for such a worthy cause, and they look forward to hosting other similar events in the future. A highly recommended location, in our humble opinion. For more information on the White Knight and its management, please watch the interview below.
So.. how much £££ did they make?
Always service with a smile
The White Knight, Pound Hill, Crawley
As the day drew to an end, the donation buckets started to fill up with donations from those jingling any change in pockets. We are pleased to announce the total amount raised for St Catherine’s Hospice came to a whopping £470! Dan told us that they hope this is the first of many fund raising events; we think they may be on to a winner and hope to be invited to the next one. Well done!
P.S. I believe Dan is already planning part two… watch this space….!
On the 15th August, Dan Gillingham and friends are holding a charity dance night in aid of St Catherine’s Hospice.
Dan ‘Gee’ Gillingham, a local DJ, is using his talents to raise money for the local St Catherine’s Hospice, who care for those who are very ill. Dan said “This is our charity launch event being held at The White Knight. Hopefully this is the first of many more charity events in Crawley over the next few months and years. Myself & Marcus Lee, along with our close friend Ronson (all DJs) wanted to start an event in Crawley for all the people that enjoy hearing us play. So we thought the ideal way would be to combine this with raising money for charity.”
We asked Dan why he’d chosen St Catherine’s Hospice; “We chose St Catherine’s Hospice because it is a charity very close to my heart due to a family member spending time there before they passed away. This is an amazing place with amazing staff and it is dependent on the public raising funds to stay operational. So we got together with some of our DJ friends, who are all local to Crawley, and arranged to throw a wicked day/night event, with some serious music and, of course, to raise as much money as possible! The White Knight Public House and all the DJs (inclusive of all equipment) have all donated their time and services free of charge, so it makes it easier to donate all proceeds to the charity”.
We spoke to Bridget Brant of the White Knight, who said “We completely support this event. St Catherine’s Hospice is very close to our hearts as we also lost a member of our family three years ago and could not have coped without their support and assistance.”
Debbie Plentie, PR & Communications Executive at St Catherine’s Hospice, said: “”We have heard about this event and it’s fantastic that Dan and his friends are using their musical skills to support us in this way. We need to raise £4.7 million through voluntary income each year and we’re really grateful to our community for supporting us through activities like this, because every penny counts.”
Crawley Happy Times Online think this is a wonderful and inventive way to raise money for such a fantastic local charity. We look forward to seeing you at the event, where we will be interviewing the DJs and, of course, those who support the event by attending.
On Thursday 23rd July, Crawley Happy Times attended an awards ceremony at Oriel Youth Wing, with the expectation of a brief award-giving event, then home early for a cup of cocoa. How wrong were we!? On arrival, the youth wing was busting with excited children, proud parents and various youth workers. We were greeted by Jo Bell and Michaela Homewood, both youth workers. Jo and Michaela look after the youth wing and had obviously put a lot of effort and time into making the evening such a wonderful event. With 388 members of the youth wing, they are always very busy.
As the evening began, two young presenters, Kolbi Hayes and Stuart Bayliss, came on to the stage to welcome us all to this evening and to introduce the presenters. First up, we were treated to a fantastic slide show, put together by Callum Vitler (accompanied by music from Queen and Bob Sinclair), giving everyone in the room an insight into what the children had been up to during the year, with some wonderful clips of adventure holidays and day trips. They had been to London, Thorpe Park, Lodge Hill and Southwater Country Park to
Councillor Henry Smith speaking to the audience
name but a few, involving themselves in activities like basketball, dancing, football, paintball, first aid training days and many other activities, providing discipline, exercise and by the looks of it, plenty of fun! It really was a joy to watch the children of Oriel youth wing being so supportive, considerate and polite to one another. And, of course, they were being educated in so many different ways.
Next we were introduced to Henry Smith, Councillor for Maidenbower, who told us his last visit to the youth wing was back in June 2006. Henry congratulated the children and helpers on their achievements and then went on to compliment everyone involved in keeping the youth wing’s operation so successful; wishing them continuous success for the future. Henry awarded the Outstanding Contribution Award to Callum Vitler. We recommend keeping an eye on this young man. Something tells us he may be destined for great things!
Debbie Green then took the stage to present Darren Hollis with the Wishfish Inspirational Award. Another name to keep an eye on!
Next we had what can only be described as a masterful rendition of Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal’, performed by young Charlie Mott. Charlie must have put an awful lot of practice and effort into this performance. We filmed it for you to enjoy too. Well done, Charlie.
Steve Hemmings volunteers his time to help with the music side of the youth wing and we had the pleasure of some examples from his ‘pupils’ showing off what they had learned under Steve’s guidance. In fact, the support from various adults/parents just clarifies: the more we help and support our children, the further they can go.
The words team work, respect, unity, helpfulness and many more great words came to mind throughout the evening. Especially when older teenagers, Jessi Gasson and Karl McCaughan demonstrated what they had achieved with 5 younger members: in just 6 weeks they had become spectacular dancers.
The names of these dancers are: Charlotte Mortlock, Sophie Nulty, Blaize Szantos, Chloe Martin and Louise Brooks. It was a brilliant demonstration of unity and teamwork and pretty good dancing!
It was a real feel good evening which we are extremely glad to have been part of. The youth of
More certificates being presented
Crawley do not always get a good writeup, but let me reassure you, the young children we met on Thursday were articulate, polite, considerate, positive, educated and well-presented.
On the subject of support, Sergeant Ben Websdale and Police Community Support Officer Lucy Hailes proudly attended, admiring the achievements of the children and the efforts of others, even joining in the festivities at the after-party.
Crawley Happy Times would like to thank Jo and Michaela and all the supporters and children for a wonderful evening. Special thanks go to Margaret, Michaela’s Mum, for the delicious spread she put on which was enjoyed by all, including myself
Members receive their First Aid certificates
We look forward to reporting on the awards of 2010!
Full list of award winners: -
TROPHIES/CERTIFICATES/THANKS LIST
YOUNG PEOPLE
YOUTH FORUM
Matt Sykes – Certificate
Josh Park – Certificate
Kieran Slater – Certificate
Sam Allen – Certificate
Jack Arnell – Certificate
Ed Brooks – Certificate
James Thompson – Certificate
Callum Vitler – Certificate
Kolbi Hayes – Certificate
JUNIOR VOLUNTEERS
Stuart Bayliss – Thanks
Callum Vitler – Thanks
Kolbi Hayes – Thanks
Calum Macleod – Thanks
John Currie – Thanks
Darren Hollis – Thanks
Satheesan Nagendran – Thanks
MUSIC MENTORING
John Currie – Certificate
Darren Hollis – Certificate
Lauren Meineck – Certificate
Mathieu Clay – Certificate
Tyler Green – Certificate
Tyler Green – Certificate
Sam Trumpeter – Certificate
Faith Butler – Certificate
William Stothart-Mason – Certificate
James Thompson – Certificate
James Hawes – Certificate
PEER MENTORING
Satheesan Nagendran – Certificate
Laura Fagan – Certificate
Stuart Bayliss – Certificate
Chelsea Hardwell – Certificate
Avalon Harris-Trussell – Certificate
Charlotte Pattenden – Certificate
David Fox – Certificate
Calum Macleod – Certificate
Dan Kordowski – Certificate
Faith Butler – Certificate
James Coupar – Certificate
Lee Jeffery – Certificate
Samah Malik – Certificate
Noel Reynolds – Certificate
Liam Tankard – Certificate
Matthew Vincent – Certificate
Stephen Whittingham – Certificate
James Thompson – Certificate
DANCERS
Karl McCaughan – Voucher as thanks
Jessie Gasson – Voucher as thanks
Chloe Martin – Certificate
Sophie Nulty – Certificate
Blaize Szantos – Certificate
Louise Brooks – Certificate
Charlotte Mortlock – Certificate
Charlie Mott – Certificate
TROPHIES
Outstanding Contribution Award – Callum Vitler
Wishfish Inspirational Award – Darren Hollis
ASDAN
Darren Hollis – Certificate
Callum Vitler – Certificate
Darren Hollis – Certificate
Charlotte Pattenden – Certificate
Avalon Harris-Trussell – Certificate
Stuart Bayliss – Certificate
Calum Macleod – Certificate
Satheesan Nagendran – Certificate
FIRST AID
Misty Harris-Trussell – Certificate
Chelsea Hardwell – Certificate
Callum Vitler – Certificate
Avalon Harris-Trussell – Certificate
Charlotte Pattenden – Certificate
D OF E SERVICE AWARD
Lauren Meineck – Certificate
John Currie – Certificate
A demonstration on the drumsJo Bell speaks of her pride for the members and the youth wing
Stuart Bayliss playing Ludovico Einaudi's Nefeli
Sgt Ben Websdale trying to catch up with the talent in the room
Saturday evening, myself and a couple of the Crawley Happy Times crew popped down the Half Moon for a few drinks and to see The Analysir mix it up on the decks. As the night went on, The Analysir belted out some great tunes, some old, some new. There were some old faces there too and we enjoyed a great night of toe tapping, body-grooving beats.
The Analysir, AKA Merv Thorne, has been DJ-ing for over twenty years and does a lot of work with the youth of today in Crawley, helping them find their path in the music industry. Merv’s ambition would be to get a little place in Crawley town centre where he can hold ‘Open DJ’ nights, which I think would be a great asset to the town: the community will be able to share others’ knowledge and have a great night at the same time!
Merv explained to me that his friend, local lad Chris (Lil Chris), would be mixing it up later on in the evening, with some light house and garage tunes. Well, let me tell you, Lil Chris was well worth the wait!
My knowledge of DJs may not be completely universal, but I would definitely say Lil Chris has a brilliant future in the world of music and DJing. I guess he has had a great tutor in The Analysir (who he promptly ‘bigs up’ in his interview). Great set Lil Chris!
If you missed Saturday night, then I would suggest keeping an eye out on Facebook or on here for the next event featuring The Analysir.
We spoke to the bar staff at The Half Moon (Toni Green and Chloe Riche) who told us they loved working behind the bar and enjoyed the atmosphere, specially when The Analysir was in the house!
The Half Moon has a nice atmosphere and reasonable costs for drinks. I can personally recommend their BBQ Chicken Pizza.
The Man, The Music, The Legend: The End Of An Era.
Everyone here at The Crawley Happy Times was saddened to hear of the death of Michael Jackson, but today we’d like to celebrate his life.
The Legacy
Michael (August 29, 1958 – June 25th, 2009) debuted on the music scene as a member of the of the Jackson 5 (band together 1966-1990) who sang and danced their way to the top of the charts with ‘ABC’, ‘I Want You Back’, ‘The Love You Save’ and ‘I’ll Be There’.
The Jackson 5 went down in music history as the first music act to top the American charts with all four of their first major singles.
Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael further found success with Top 5 hits like ‘Mama’s Pearl’, ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ and ‘Dancing Machine’.
Michael began his solo career in 1971 whilst still a member of the Jackson 5. Now recognised as the ‘King of Pop’, Michael’s legacy is a testament to his musical genius.
Jackson (affectionately known as MJ) has many accolades to his name, most notably the fact that four of his solo albums (‘Off The Wall‘, ‘Bad‘, ‘Dangerous‘ & ‘HIStory’) are best-selling albums. His 1982 album, ‘Thriller‘, is the best-selling record of all time!
MJ revolutionised the music industry with his compelling music videos, exhibiting an artist without peer.
The End Of An Era
Until June 25th, 2009, few of us fully appreciated how his music touched us and provided a soundtrack to our lives. Whilst younger readers may only know of the controversy surrounding him in more recent times, everyone here at The Crawley Happy Times hope that the news of his death and the subsequent radio airplay of his massive back catalogue will bring more awareness of his genius, and influence the next generation of singers, songwriters and dancers for many years to come.
What are your memories of MJ’s music? Do you associate a specific time or place with a favourite song or album? For this writer, 2001′s ‘You Rock My World‘ (No. 2 in the UK Charts) elicits nostalgia for the first flush of love.
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