Music in Nork Park Sunday 20 July 2008

MITP 2008 catering is going up-market with a very reasonably-priced Hog-Roast, so bring your appetites with you.  Vegetarians will have a special menu too, along with a popular Children's Choice for our smaller visitors, thus keeping everyone happy.
	Our licensed bar will again be serving Bucks Fizz, just right for a hot summer's day, and plenty of well-iced lager and beer, while the tea tent will have its usual splendid selection of cakes and soft drinks as well as teas and coffees. All last year's entertainers will be joining us again, so the young ones can watch Punch and Judy having their perennial marital disputes, then have their faces painted. while the older children can indulge in pottery painting.  And don't forget that super new Nork Park Playground for under-14s. Music this year will begin with those old favourites, the Epsom & Ewell Silver Band, the children of Warren Mead will showcase their singing talents to you, and well-known guitarist Nils Solberg will be back with his jazz-inspired trio.
Other artists include a jazz band and last year's popular Seven-T band, who will play us out after the Grand Raffle is drawn at 5pm. See you there!"

Music in the Park 2007

We residents of Epsom and Banstead showed how indomitable we are at our annual event Music in Nork Park. Sitting in our picnic chairs listening to the Nils Solberg Trio in the style of Stefan Grappeli, the heavens opened and with thunder and lightning there was an absolute deluge of rain. We simply put up our umbrellas or stood in the handful of gazebos and tents while the band played on.

When the rain stopped we simply put our umbrellas down and continued to sit there gently drying out for the rest of the afternoon. The steaming barbecue continued to serve bangers and beef burgers while the bands alternated to traditional jazz from the Saratoga Six and then swing like Glen Miller from the Swing is King Orchestra. Earlier in the afternoon we heard the military music of the Surrey Yeomanry and been delighted by the Epsom Downs Primary School Steel Band.

The event was funded with grants from Surrey County Council and the Reigate and Banstead Arts Council, with the help of sponsorship by local business, Legal and General, the Tudor Group, and the Boogie Lounge, the Epsom night club. These funds enable free admission providing all of us a chance to talk together and strengthen our community.

The organising committee 'Banstead West Music in the Park' under their Chairman, Carol Stead, were delighted at the huge numbers of residents and families who came, despite the forecast, and stayed until the end. The profit, raised for instance by the raffle, advertisers of the programme and the sales tents, will be used to provide additional facilities in the local area. It may be that our Local Community Action Plan (mentioned elsewhere in the Quarterly) will provide useful ideas for a worthwhile project.

Carol would like to take this opportunity to thank the helpers who made the event possible and to invite any resident who would like to help next year to contact her.