Eurostar in Kent - the Garden of England

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ASHFORD (KENT) KEYBOARD & ORGAN CLUB

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Venue:

Our venue

    .

British Rail Social Association Hall, BEAVER ROAD, Ashford, Kent, almost adjacent to the multi-storey car park for the Eurostar Station. It is also within easy walking distance of Ashford Main line Station.  


Usual meeting day:

First Wednesday each month

   

Free parking
Licensed Bar
Tea and Coffee available during the interval
Raffle

 

Start time:

7.30 pm (preamble at 7.00 pm)

Subscription rate:

£5.00

Members' admission:

£4.00

Occasionally an increase will be necessary for a special artiste

Visitors:

£5.00

Contact name:

Ron (Secretary)

Friendly atmosphere - visitors are always welcome.  Members from other Clubs will be admitted at member price if proof of membership is shown

 

Tel:

01233 631196

Alternative contact:

  Ann ... 01233 620449

E-mail:
(please copy and paste)

  ronald.sharp@ntlworld.com
or ann@marriott9043.fsnet.co.uk

.


 

Ashford was the Market Town of Kent set in the Garden of England and within easy reach of the White Cliffs of Dover and The Leas, Folkestone's rather elegant cliff top gardens.  Since the development of the International Station and the Eurostar Trains, there is a strong Continental flavour to the town, with regular French Markets in the town centre.  Ashford has the largest UK Designer Retail Shopping Outlet which comprises 180 shops.

Within a short drive there are some of Kent's biggest tourist attractions - Leeds, Dover, Deal, Walmer, Bodiam, Scotney and Sissinghurst Castles; Howletts and Port Lympne Zoo Parks and the historic City of Canterbury with its beautiful Cathedral.


A short summary of our Club activities during 2006 will be detailed shortly ... find out what we got up to in 2004 ...

  • We had our Annual Dinner on 28th April at the Folkestone Bowls Club.  A large number attended.  We had an impromptu concert in the bar afterwards on a member's Tyros.  Four of us took some music to play - it rounded off the evening nicely.
  • We had an outing to Bletchley Park in June - very interesting but very tiring!
  • Again we took a coach load to the Lyme Bay Festival in October. 

CONCERTS FOR 2008

January 30th

Speical Jazz Night

February 6th

Chris Rendell

March 5th

Michael Wooldridge

April 2nd

Chiho Sunomoto

April 30th

Club Night

May 7th

Brian Hazleby

June 4th

Nicholas Martin

July 2nd

Tim Flint

July 30th

Club Night

August 4th

Elizabeth Harrison

September 3rd

Chris Powell

October 1st

Ian House

October 29th

AGM Followed by Club Night

November 5th

Claire Greig

December 3rd

CHRISTMAS PARTY

 

Getting ready for a concert

Getting ready for a concert

 

We are in the process of arranging the following:-

Annual Dinner again in the Spring - date to be arranged

We may have another Amateur Day at the Singing Hills Golf Club where there are two Wurlitzers, on which some of us are brave enough to have a go!

We may arrange another Coach Party trip to the Lyme Bay Festival in October, if enough are interested

 

 


The Club was formed in 1983 by Frank Miller and has grown from strength to strength. He and his committees over the years have created a friendly club giving a warm welcome to artistes, new members and visitors.

Until the end of October 2003 Frank and his wife, Olive, worked tirelessly for the club. Both have been committee members and Frank has held various offices on the committee including Membership Secretary, Treasurer and Chairman. He also produced the Club Newsletter until August of 2003.  It was early in the 2003 season that they decided to retire. Frank has not been too well over the last few winters and now in his 80s he really does deserve a well-earned rest.

At the A.G.M. Frank handed over the reins to Bill Wilkins the new chairman. Later in the evening he and Olive were presented with Silver Photo Frames containing photographs of their two young grandchildren. They have also been given Life-Membership and Frank was made a Joint President with Vic Day, another founder member.

4th December 2005 ... We are sorry to announce that Frank Miller passed away peacefully, at home in his armchair, on Saturday.  He had a heart operation many years ago but kept chugging along -  although he was looking very frail at the last meeting just a few days before.
 

 

Frank and Olive receiving retirement gift

 

Frank and Olive displaying their retirement gifts

Frank and Olive being presented with their retirement gift

hills

Members at the Singing Hills Golf Club Wurlitzer

A few of our members at the Wurlitzer installed at the Singing Hills Golf Club, Sussex

Members gathering and listening to preamble  

View of our hall from the side at the stage end

Gathering and listening to the preamble. View towards the stage. In the foreground retiring Chairman Frank Miller (Rt) talking to incoming Chairman Bill Wilkins

 

The hall – from the side at the stage end

Typical scenes in our venue at the British Rail Social Association Hall

 


 

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