Sole Bay Jazz Band line up…

Morning all just a view of the line up on Thursday the 1st of November… For the Sole Bay Jazz Band who will be playing at The Sports Pavilion…Ditchingham for you all… 

Live music is great so come along and enjoy…

Tim Densham…Clarinet/Saxophone…

Derek Cubitt…Clarinet…Saxophone…

Ray Simmons…Piano…

Alan Cugnoni…Guitar/Banjo…

Craig Hipperson…Drums…

Tony Jullings…String Bass…

Bar…Raffle…

8pm-10.30pm

Foot Warmers Jazz and Blues…

This Sunday the 28th October… at the Beccles Conservative Club.

The Foot Warmers will be playing jazz and blues for you so hope to see a good crowd to come along and support them.

Line up will be…

Peter Pease…Guitar/Vocals…

Barry Langston…Keyboards /Vocals…

John Temple…Saxophone…

Mike Fermor …Clarinet…

Gary Durance …Drums…

Ian Murray…Saxophone/Vocals…

Guest may also come along to play some numbers…

Bar/Raffle/Bar food…

12 noon-3pm

Sole Bay Jazz fun night…

Yet another great night at The Sports Pavilion…Ditchingham with The Sole Bay Jazz Band Five plus one singer simply was fab-u-lous as Craig Revel Horwood would say…those who do not watch Strictly will not know what I am saying ha ha)

It just gelled right from the start, and as the coven table had all their Halloween gear on it made a good fun night of live music, and the laughs between the band were great, so the audience appreciated it as well, the night went so quickly.

Tim…Bill…Alan …Craig…Tony (back again looking so much better) plus our Barry the man in the hat was back and with good mikes he sounded great.

Thanks to Clover and Christine the raffle once again was good and thank you all for digging deep there was a good crowd even though still lots of empty seats.

Tim told the crowd how much everyone had contributed to Ron from the benefit last week and everyone seemed pleased that we could all have helped, I did have some more donations, some from people who were not there the week before and more from Tony's DVD's so another thank you to him.  plus £100 from the coven table and friends to go to Ron from Annie a dear friend who loved the jazz  who passed away  a few weeks ago …instead of flowers for her the family wanted the money to go to Ron, so many thanks for that lovely thought.

Thanks to Kim behind the bar this week…A little word from Emily she is having a great time in Australia.

Hope all those who were unwell will soon recover and get back to the jazz.

A few photos could not resist the black and white one…nice and moody…

Sole Bay Jazz Band line up…

After last weeks great gig with lots of players the numbers have now gone to five… however I am sure we will have a good night at The Sports Pavilion Ditchingham this Thursday the 25th October.

It was so good to see the lovely crowd last week just like it used to be, so hope a nice lot of people can make it this week to support these fine players.

Not sure if Tony Jullings will be well enough, but I am sure he will be there if he can…

Tim Densham…Bill Brewer…

Craig Hipperson…Alan Cugnoni…Tony Jullings.

Bar/Raffle

8pm-10.30pm

October sunshine…

While the dust was showing up on the furniture indoors in the lovely sunshine coming through the windows …  Jan rang and we decided it would be a shame to waste that lovely air! so off we went…

The river side is a lovely walk and always beckons on such a nice day, we were amazed at the amount of people taking advantage of it as well, lots of cruisers still up and down the water lots of waving and helloing (is that a word) to everyone, how lucky are we that this is just down the other side of town…and yes the river looked that blue most of the walk…

The swans were  running on the water and then sliding amazing to watch …The Waveney Stardust Cruiser was still taking folk up the river… Dogs swimming happily…young girl in her canoe…lovely trees…

Thanks Jan great walk, did us the world of good… feet up time now! ha ha

thank you…

This is a copy of the letter that Ron sent to Ray to put on here, will try to get a better copy but at the moment this is the best I can do, my efforts have all gone wrong but thought  you might like to see at least a version of Ron's letter to you all.  Sorry it is so small and dark…

Hi Ron and family, just wanted to tell you the young man Tony Nicholls is the one who actually makes wonderful DVD's and they are really good, he looks in on here but will also thank him personally Thursday night… which after last weeks jazz will be a bit quieter no doubt. Keep fighting xx

Sole Bay Jazz night running total

The Band  would like those who were there on Thursday evening Jazz night with all those wonderful musicians …to  know how much the amount of money was collected that night toward Ron Hockett's fund, I know lots more will come in from those who were not there and some other sources any money collected will be passed on.

How generous you all are every week, but this week, from the raffle …the band …Jon(bar)…DVD's from Tony, and in general those who came and gave me more money, it took some working out but was so thrilled when could give to Ray for Ron the sum up to now was £802. I had to count it a few times as could not believe it. Well done to Christine and Clover you did a fine job of collecting for the raffle from our lovely Sole Bay fans.

So from everyone who donated and may still will… a very big THANK YOU ALL, no doubt we will hear from Ron when he gets the amounts through, in the meantime we wish him good luck, so he can get well and come and play for us again some day.

Letter from Ron Hockett…

I have been asked to put on here the letter to Ray that Ron Hockett wished to be read out at the jazz night, just in case some folk were not able to be there.

Ron with the Sole Bay

This was a little video I did back in Oct 2015, sorry about the noise in the background the reason I always have a moan about people talking loudly while the band plays…And of course my moving about rather a lot at least have got better at videos since then… but a nice rendition, loved hearing Ron with Tim and great playing by all the band.

Wonderful evening of music…

 Ron Hockett good luck with the operation  from all the jazzers at Ditchingham

A great evening of live music for the Jazz night to help the fund for Ron Hockett…

Ron loved being in England and we loved  his playing he always said how much he enjoyed playing with the Sole Bay Jazz Band on a Thursday evening, as you know Ron has to have a lung transplant and is now in the USA and all in all will cost a lot of money. something to be said about our NHS!

Ray has a letter from him that he read out and in due course I will print it on here in case you did not hear Ray reading it.

A good crowd of people many faces had not seen before, and maybe they will come again and join our merry ban of regulars, all to support Ron, and you did it with style…Some of you could not make it but sorry and hope all who were unable to come along because of ill health will soon recover…… you missed a great night.

So thanks to all who played, what a marvellous evening of live music and donating your money to the fund. All the money collected will go to Ron's fund. you all did great, loved your rendition Tim of Ron's favourite. Pianos /Trumpet/2 double Bass/ guitars /trombones/drums/clarinet/saxophones/ Nice to have so much talent in one place…again thank you all.

Tony J our dearest bass player managed to some along and play, thank you Tony you did great although you were not really fit, you are a treasure, hope you got home safe and sound and have a good rest today.

The raffle, well you outdid yourselves so thank you all for being so generous thanks of course to Christine and Clover, who did the raffle, great prizes as well, not enough to go around however all in a good cause. Thanks to Don and Jan for ticket folding…took ages didn't it!!

Thanks Tony for the DVD's lovely amount collected for them.
Thanks to all who donated in many ways all as I have said will be going to Ron's fund. No doubt Ray will let you all know how much was collected altogether next week.

I took some photos… have to apologise for flitting about but wanted to get as many as the band as I could, unlike Fudge who has a very clever phone that can take photos without the flash!  she has a selection on FB.

So here goes…in no particular order…and hope I did not miss anyone!

Jazz night…

This Thursday evening the 18th October at the Sports Pavilion Ditchingham…

The Sole Bay Jazz Band will be playing for our entertainment.

This week all the money given including the band plus  raffle and more will be for the benefit  of Ron Hockett who has to have a lung transplant in America… 

so know you will be generous as you always are.

We have Tim Densham…Dick Mayhew… Ray Simmons…

Alan Cugnoni…Craig Hipperson… 

and hopefully Tony Jullings…

Plus I know a few guests will be appearing at some time!!!

So do hope to see a good crowd coming along to support the band for this  benefit of dear Ron.

8pm-10.30pm

Family …

Yesterday Emma my grandsons wife received her BA Honours Degree in children's care and learning development at Lowestoft St Margarets Church amongst many others who have been working so hard, well done to them all.

So proud to be at her graduation dinner and to meet up with all the family again, after last years wedding… time has flown by…lovely meal  thanks to everyone, so thought would share with my blog diary, although photos not good and did not get everyone at the nice long table packed full… trust me to forget to take photo when it was full of family…as most had gone to get their meals,  ha ha but of course we had ours as you can see.… great family time. Love the new specs Dawnie …I did borrow one from Emma's  photos so that is a bit blurred, but after all that hard work both her and Tom are so proud of one another…as we are of them both.

Jazz at Ditchingham…

Ignore the line up from the last jazz post… it did not turn out quite the same…this week at the Sports Pavilion Ditchingham, we had a great line up in the end…suddenly no drummer, but the gentlemen  that played for us turned the evening into a very different but rather yummy playing and singing time…

We had our Tony Parsons again playing and singing…with him on the front line Martin Eaton who had not played for us before …please come again… you gave us a great bit of entertainment as well as the spectacular singing of Skylark so thank you for that. Ray Simmons decided to sit in the middle instead of the side so that again was different, Mick Betts thanks for coming again Mick great bass playing. and Alan Cugnoni who got the line up altogether. Our Barry the man in black who wears a hat sang really well even without the hat!!! amazing how they all gelled together so well. So thank you all so much.

Lovely to see a good crowd, and once again thank you for digging deep to support the band.

Thanks also to Clover and Christine for doing the raffle and the boys for folding the tickets.

We did have a little confusion when the amp of Ray's played up and we all thought it was the microphones again however Alan has got lovely new mikes so all was well in the end.

My little niggle once again how sad I was that people near us did talk loudly through most of the night, so if you read this please we do like to hear the band, that is why we sit at the front…we all chat but not constantly we love to see you but if you talk please talk softly. It is a social club but when these fine musicians come to entertain us it is not nice for them to be talked over.

Thanks Mia lovely smiles …

Now next week the 18th we have the benefit evening for Ron Hockett, who sadly has to have a huge operation in USA, I know the band has got some good surprises for us for the evening to try and give some help for Ron as of course they have not got our NHS there. So we will wish him well and have a good evening to see what we can do. So put it in your diary's please.

Jazz at Ditchingham…

Not sure of the complete line up at the moment… but this Thursday the 11th October at The Sports Pavilion Ditchingham…

So far…

Tony Parsons…Trombone /Vocals…

Martin Eaton… Saxophone/Vocals…

Ray Simmons…Piano…

Alan Cugnoni…Banjo/Guitar…

Gary Durance…Drums…

? Mike Betts Bass??? as not sure if Tony J well enough yet…

So hope you can come along and enjoy live music…

Bar/Raffle…

8pm-10.30pm

Autumn stroll…

Thanks Jan suggesting lunch… good one at The Wherry Geldeston…

Then a lovely walk down by the riverside…pity the tide was up so could not go far…

A few photos…

Sole Bay Jazz Band…

Last evening at The Sports Pavilion Ditchingham the Sole Bay Jazz Band who were only going to be 5 in the line up ended up with 7 plus a singer how about that for a surprise.

Thanks to Tim…Derek…Ray…Tony P…Alan…Craig…Mick…Barry…

Nice to see a good crowd again to support the musicians…Thank you all for digging deep for the raffle, which helps towards getting the band playing each week.

Thanks to Christine and Clover for doing the raffle and the 'boys' for all the ticket folding.

Happy birthday to Tony Parsons, and last Tuesday to Tony Jullings… get better soon Tony.

Thanks also to Mia for looking after the bar, and helping me as well while our Emily is away…