North Staffs Organ and Keyboard Club

Venue:	The Old Mill, Sherbourne Close, Newstead Trading Estate, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent (opposite Hem Heath Colliery)
Usual meeting day:	First Tuesday in month - Concert Night Third Tuesday in month - Open Night
Start time:	8.00 pm
Subscription rate:	Ł5.00 single ... Ł9.00 dual
Members' admission:	Ł3.00	Open nights all 50p Special Nights all Ł1.00
Visitors:	Ł4.00	Open nights all 50p Special Nights all Ł1.00
Contact name:	Tony Lawton
Tel:	01782-858907 or 07831 844985
E-mail:	t.lawton@btinternet.com

The North Staffs Organ & Keyboard Club (formerly The North Staffs Electronic Organ & Keyboard Club) was formed in 1969 by a group of electronic organ enthusiasts, whose interest was, as is now, listening to and watching some of the top organists in the U.K.

Concert nights are held on the first Tuesday of each month, starting at 8pm, featuring a top professional organist. We aim to give a balance of type of player, i.e. modern electronic/theatre/middle of-the- road etc. and a variety of makes of organ, to cover a wide range of musical tastes from month to month.

On the third Tuesday of each month, we hold an 'Open Night', again starting at 8 pm, when our own members and guests entertain us, playing the Club's own organ, or bringing their own. The Club owns a Yamaha EL-90 as a good all round organ catering for all tastes.

We give full encouragement to beginners and experienced players alike, whether playing a simple piece of music, or a complicated arrangement. We also, from time to time, ask a local organ dealer to give a demonstration of the latest instruments, or a talk about an organ-related subject.

Our hard working committee at North Staffs

Our hard working Committee

The Open Nights provide a warm social evening, when fellow 'Organ Nuts' can get together to talk about their favourite subject, and make new friends.

New members and guests are made very welcome, and quickly become 'one of the family'.

The people of North Staffordshire are noted for their warmth and friendliness.

The Old Mill

A Little Give and Take ...

We are now the proud owners of a video projector, screen and camera and are able to project a close up of concert organists hands in action. It is a far better alternative to the stage mirrors that many organists use. This was made possible due to a successful application to 'Awards For All' (lottery funding). This, along with our stage lighting and effects, has made an incredible improvement to our members' enjoyment, and visiting artistes have been very impressed by the professional way in which we stage our concert nights. We are also able to connect a laptop computer to the projector for presentations, advertising and are finding more and more ways to use our new equipment

. View showing projector screen and closeup view of player's hands on keyboard

For the past few years we have run charity fund-raising events. In 2003 we held a 'Playathon' where a selection of members played keyboards in ASDA for twelve hours. We raised over Ł2,500 for BBC Children in Need. In December 2004 we ran a similar event at Tesco where we raised a fantastic Ł3,800 for the Douglas MacMillan Hospice

Our concerts for 2008
8th January	Byron Jones
5th February	Jon Smith
4th March	Chris Powell
1st April	The Longhawn Trio
6th May	Pete Shaw
3rd June	David Thomas
1st July	Dave Smith
5th August	Helen Hall
2nd September	Penny Weedon
7th October	John Bowdler
4th November	Sarah Foley
2nd December	Alastair Kiernan