Newsletter July 2017

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Anita Dobson
Anita Dobson

Hi Everyone

I am writing my first letter as President of the CAA, how exciting for me!   I think the club is just terrific, and one of the reasons I accepted is because you are all such a happy bunch and I am very proud to be one of you.

My pal, Carol Ball brought me along to try to teach me to Tap Dance!! Hubby popped into watch and we all ended up in the bar having a lovely time.   We ended up listening to a young Flamenco guitarist! Hubby was thrilled.

It is difficult to be around as much as I would like, but I will do my best!   Am off to do bits of work now and then, as we all are, but will see you whenever possible.

Take care of yourselves and keep smiling.

Laugh every day and see you soon.

Love Anita xxxx

 

PLEASE NOTE

 AUGUST CLOSURE

The club will be closed for three weeks this year, owing to extra work being carried out, the Ladies Toilets and Dressing Room will be given a makeover as will the Gents Dressing Room, so it will take a little longer to complete.

We will be closing after business, 11.30 p.m. on Friday 11th August and re-opening on Monday 4th September at 9.30 a.m.

So, the club will be closed from Monday 14th August until Monday 4th September entirely

This is also to enable routine maintenance work, cleaning etc. to be carried out and for Bar and Kitchen staff to take a well-earned holiday. The office staff will however be on hand to answer any telephone enquiries that you may have.

We wish you all happy summer holidays and look forward to seeing you back here refreshed when we re-open.

 

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Kay Carman
Kay Carman

Hello Everyone

I am honoured that the Committee have elected me as your Chairman again. You know I will always work 100% to keep the aims of the club safe and see it progress well into the future. I also welcome our gorgeous new President, Anita Dobson.

This is our 120th year and the events we have had so far have all been a huge success.   The idea is to attract more of you lovely members to come in and support your club. If you have any new ideas please let me know.

It is wonderful to see so many of you supporting the functions, particularly the “C” and Lunchtime Members who have been attending lately. They are happy evenings full of fun and laughter. So far, this year we have had a “Burns Night”, 2 Burlesque nights (both sold out) ABBA Tribute, Elvis Tribute (the club was rocking on these nights!) Afternoon film show and tea. We started a regular monthly Jazz Evening with top class musicians. The Celebratory Ball at the Royal Garden Hotel in March was a huge success.

In the pipeline, we have a “Magic of the Movies” evening with Carol Anne Wells presenting film clips and the well-known music and songs from your favourite movies. Miss Hope Springs will be presenting her “unique” Cabaret Show on Friday 15th September. Blues Brothers Tribute in October and many more. I want the functions to appeal to as many of our members as possible. We are the Club for Acts and Actors so we need the Actors to feel part of this club as well. We are all performers! We must embrace everyone EQUALLY if this great club is to progress for many more years to come. To that end, Hugh Futcher is introducing Play Reading evenings.   To test the water the first one, “Separate Tables” will take place on Thursday 10th August. (See the booking slips)

This year I personally would like to stress our care of our long-standing members, who have helped make the club the success it is! Many are now approaching their 80’s, 90’s and even 100’s!!! Some have mobility problems and cannot attend the club as regularly as they would like. So, the Committee have discussed and agreed that we will offer them 4 return Taxi journeys a year. So that we do not lose touch with them and return some of the love and care that they have given the club over many years that they have been members. Whatever category we are all equal in this club.   It is our 120 years and we must remember why the club was formed and all our ideals.

A new 5-year lease has been signed for one of our office suites with a good increased rental charge and our agents are currently looking for a new tenant for the 4th floor suite.

We are closed for 3 weeks this Summer (closed from 11.30 p.m. Friday 11th August. Re-open Monday 4th September) for complete refurbishment of the Ladies Toilets and Dressing Room and the Gentlemen Artistes Dressing Room plus some re-wiring in the hall.

I hope you all have an enjoyable Summer break and return with renewed vigour to support this wonderful club.

Love to you all      

KAY

OFFICERS AND GENERAL COMMITTEE FOR THE YEAR 2017/2018

The following members have “taken their final curtain” since the last Newsletter. They are: –

John Bull ‘A’  July 2016

Barbara Sumner ‘A’ April 2017

Norma Dunbar ‘A’  June 2017

Bettina Raymond ‘A’  June 2017

NEWS OF MEMBERS IN BRIEF

Paul Arden-Griffith – In addition to his Musical Director commitment to London based Intimate Opera Group this summer, PAG (Paul Arden-Griffith) will also be singing in a charity fund-raising “Midsummer Serenade” concert (17/6/170 in Tadworth alongside David Carter, Sandra Gayer and a host of performers including the Laird Academy of Dance and Drama. Later in the summer he will be returning to Holland to conduct Masterclasses for several choirs and singers in The Hague.   October 7th will see PAG back at the CAA with

Pamela Smith for their final 2017 singers’ Masterclass.   As on previous occasions CAA members are cordially invited to attend this class free of charge.

Kay CarmanKay Carman was thrilled to take part in the 100th Birthday Tribute Show to Dame Vera Lynn at the London Palladium in the presence of H. M. The Queen.   It was a fantastic show. Kay has a busy time coming up in June and July, World War 1 and 11 shows in Dublin, then Trowbridge Wiltshire.

Also, “The Fabulous 50’s Show” in Westcliff and Wood Green. Then “Down Memory Lane” shows at the

Queens Theatre Hornchurch, June 14th, September 6th, October 4th and November 1st (with David Carter).

And mid-November until December 16th with Mickie Driver’s Christmas Show.

Katie Milton – Will be appearing at the Queens Theatre Hornchurch on Wednesday 21st July for a Music Hall Evening.

Shannon Rewcroft – Will be in the National Tour of “Wait Until Dark” with the Original Theatre Company

August to December.   Coming to the Richmond Theatre 5th – 9th September.

Ruth Silvestre – “BEFORE THE SUNFLOWERS” is Ruth Silvestre’s latest book. Beginning with her wartime childhood, it covers her career in West End Theatre and Cabaret as well as the adventures and delights of later life. Available from Amazon or, by arrangement, from the club. Enjoy!

SOCIAL CALENDAR

MONDAY PROGRAMME

The Club for Acts & Actors

Patrons ~ Barry Cryer OBE ~ Dame Judi Dench ~ The RT Hon. Lord Moore

Jack Warner & The CAA

Jack Warner & The CAA...

Bust of Jack Warner OBE
A bust of Jack Warner O.B.E. greets visitors to the club.
Jack Warner is a past President of the club and much revered because he arranged for the mortgage for the club to buy the whole building in 1950.
 
This was a remarkable investment. In doing so he secured the future of the club for ever more.
1950 The Blue Lamp Movie
The Blue Lamp (1950)

Born in 1895, Jack Warner was, for some years, Great Britain’s most popular film star. He is closely associated with the role of PC George Dixon which he played in the 1950 film ‘The Blue Lamp’ and then in the TV series ‘Dixon of Dock Green’ which ran from 1955 to 1976.

His sisters, Elsie and Doris Waters, were also stars of variety. Born in Poplar, he first made his name in music hall and radio and became well-known to cinema audiences following the war with films such as ‘Here Come the Huggetts’.

“it was Dixon on TV that made him a true household name”

Jack Warner OBE as George Dixon
Jack Warner OBE as George Dixon

His film career stretched from 1943 to 1978. But it was Dixon on TV that made him a true household name along with his famous catch phrase ‘Evening All!’

He was an amazing 83 years of age when he finally ‘retired’ as a copper! Jack Warner is a vital part of CAA history and we really owe the ongoing success of the club to him.

In 1950 the lease ran out on the club but as Club President, Jack had the massive foresight to arrange a mortgage through his film mogul friend  J. Arthur Rank to buy the building for £20,000. A considerable sum then, but ensured the club’s future in what turned out to be a remarkable investment as rents from the offices now subsidise the club.

The building is valued today at some £7 million! Jack Warner died in 1981 and is buried at the East London Cemetery.

by Chris Hare

Website Rebuild

Thanks for dropping-by… The C.A.A. website is being re-developed.

Initially much of the website framework and copy is being put in place and tested before the artwork. Then more content and features are due to be added. 

All content works are scheduled for completion before July 24th. So please drop by again soon and see how we’re getting along.

Update: July 19th 2017: The red curtain background was a real issue and still not 100%. This put me a day behind. I hope to make up this time and still hit my target of July 24th. 

Update: July 21st 2017: Almost all content is now in place though some better images are being sourced. This leaves just an intro banner to be built for the home page to declare the initial construction complete.

Other new features will be added over 2017 into 2018. News articles should appear regularly in the sidebar to the right here. Note: This sidebar shows at the bottom if viewing on a mobile phone.

Update: July 24th 2017: We managed to achieve completion by the projected date with all available content included.

Update: August 7th 2017: Following a premium upgrade to a key plugin I’m glad to report that the ‘search’ and ‘categories’ section now display the correct curtain backdrops and the intended copyright notice displays correctly. Later I will try again to feature the “tragi-comedy” masks of the actual CAA stage at the top-centre. This is done on my website for the CAA banner but proving troublesome on this site for the moment.

Of course a website is never really completed because it will expand over time. This website in particular will demonstrate this as input over time from all members will make it’s growth very dynamic over the coming years.

Any comments and suggestions are most welcome via the “Contact Us” Page and the obvious link to me.

Thanks for your patience. Paul.