Christmas Session

Thanks to all who came to the Christmas Session on 23rd - an evening entirely comprising Christmas songs and carols. There was a lovely big audience, in fine voice and festive good humour, and a great collection of musicians who played their hearts out.

No photos, I'm afraid, because nobody brought a camera! 

Special thanks to John Leyland for running the whole show, to the Laver family and the Young family for their special contributions, to Barry for letting us sing his own carol (it'll be in the song-books next year, Barry!), and to Belinda for the mince-pies and nibbles. As John said at the time - let's hope we've started a new tradition. It was such a wonderful way to start Christmas.

Christmas Session this Thursday!

Come along for a festive sing-song from 8 pm at the Coast Inn on Thursday 23rd. Lots of traditional carols, and other seasonal songs and tunes. We're printing songsheets with all the words so everyone can join in. John Leyland is MC for the night, so musicians please contact him in advance, if possible, if you have a party-piece lined up, or speak to him at the beginning of the evening. Mince pies and mulled wine will be available. Should be a great atmosphere - don't expect a Silent Night!

More press coverage

There's a write-up of the Mayor's Session in this month's Mersea Life magazine.

Special thanks are also due to Ralph, proprietor of the Estuary Life group, for his generous donation of one of the top prizes in the Christmas Ceildih raffle.

Christmas Ceilidh pics . . .

. . .  are up on their own special page

(PS if you or anyone you know took pics at the Ceilidh, do please email them to me so I can post them up here - the more the merrier)

Ceilidh thanks

Thanks to everyone who came to the Christmas Ceilidh on Saturday - a resounding success in every way. More than 100 people bought tickets, and were rewarded with a hugely entertaining and enjoyable evening. We made a very respectable profit, too, which will be put towards next year's Regatta Song & Dance event. Feedback from those who attended has been unanimously positive. Shall we do the whole thing again next Christmas??? 

Massive thanks are due to all the musicians - Liz, Ellie Scrivener, Ellie Smith, Tom, Rick, Adrian, John and Greg - who gave their time and talents so willingly and to such brilliant effect. Was there ever such a dynamic ceilidh band in the history of ceilidhs?  And thanks also to those who were missed out of the roll call of gratitude on the night but without whose behind-the-scenes hard work the evening would never have happened - including Victoria, Maria, Hattie, Jessie and Iona; to Leafy and Colin for their festive displays of greetings cards and calendars; and to the local businesses and individuals who very generously donated prizes for the raffle.  Thanks also to the MICA staff, to Kim for the delicious food, and to the Mayor, John May, for drawing the raffle.

Pics here very soon . . . .

Hey! A Ceilidh is a Barn Dance!

Seems a large number of people on Mersea didn't know that!

(As soon as it was explained, they bought tickets.)

So we have written the words 'Barn Dance' in large red letters on the board we've put up on the Strood advertising this Saturday's . . . .

Some tickets still left at the MICA, and I'll bring some along to this Thursday's Session.

Thursday 2.12.10

Despite the bad weather and atrocious road conditions last Thursday, the Coast Inn was pleasantly full, and seven musicians turned up (including Kim, who manfully struggled over to the island from D'arcy) to entertain us. With the Christmas decorations up, snow glinting outside, and a roaring log fire, it all made for a very warm and cosy evening, and the music was as varied as ever and even included some early Christmas carols. Here are some pics by Brian. I still haven't had time to sift through the 45,000 that Iona took, but will soon . . .

Press coverage and other news . . .

Good coverage of the Mayor's Fundraiser in this week's Mersea Courier. There's a full write-up on page 4 (with colour photo featuring Ellie, John and Barry) and then a centre-page double spread of Chrissie's lovely monochrome shots from the evening (and a bit of a 'spot the hand' quiz, but no prizes).

All good publicity for the Session, the Coast Inn and the Mayor's charity fundraising initiative. We also have a new regular slot for the Session on the 'clubs' page, towards the back of the paper, which will give people who don't use the internet an opportunity to read about what's going on each month.

And there's also an ad for the Christmas Ceilidh! Which reminds me!!! Please buy your tickets for this SOON (from the MICA or at the Session this Thursday and next). We really need to sell as many tickets as we can in order to make a profit on this one, so please galvanise your family, friends and neighbours and support this festive community event ('by the community, for the community') if you possibly can. It'll be a very reasonably priced evening out, amongst a friendly crowd, and the perfect antidote to Strictly Come Dancing!

Finally, it's Mersea Lights Up this Friday (3rd Dec) at the MICA at 6.30 pm. Father Christmas will be arriving in his sledge, accompanied by a torchlit procession of children from the school. The Mayor will be switching on the lights. And Greg will be accompanying the community carol singing on his fantastic organ-effect midi accordion (which has to be heard to be believed!). There will be charity stalls, mulled wine and mince pies, too. So do come along and join in.

CHRISTMAS CEILIDH

Get your tickets for the fabulous Christmas Ceilidh now!

If you enjoyed the Regatta Song and Dance  back in the distant warm days of summer, then you'll LOVE Mersea's Christmas Ceilidh on Saturday 11th December.

And if you didn't catch the singing and dancing in Mersea Week, then come along and see what you missed!

The Regatta Ceilidh Band (aka the Session's very own Liz, Greg, Tom, Rick and Adrian) will be providing the foot-stomping music, with John Leyland calling. And Ellie Scrivener will be offering a 'musical interlude' while everyone eats, drinks and gets their breath back for the second half of the evening's dancing.

Ticket price includes a hot supper and mince pies. There will be a bar and a raffle too. And we're hoping that Father Christmas might even put in an appearance. Altogether a festive, fun and family-friendly evening's entertainment at a very reasonable price.

All proceeds will go towards making next year's Regatta Song and Dance even bigger and better, with more singing and more dancing, as well as the popular 18th-century pirates, plus children's activities, stalls for Mersea artists, craftspeople and charities, and nautically-themed sideshows.

Tickets £6 adult, £3 children or £15 family (2+2) include a delicious hot supper and mince pies, are available at the MICA, or from Juliet or Chrissie Westgate.

Please tell your families and friends - and BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT!

Mayor's Fundraiser photos II

Here are photos taken by Chrissie Westgate at the Mayor's Fundraiser. More in Gallery II.

(To order high-quality prints of any of these photos, ring Chrissie on 01206 384315 - what a great Christmas present idea!)

 

Mayor's Fundraiser photos I

Here are photos taken on 11 November by Juliet Young. Lots more in Gallery II .