Welcome to the site
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About the club and those who run it!
Melksham Rock ‘n Roll was set up in August 2001, when the first dance featured the wonderful Mark Keeleys Good Rockin’ Tonight; since then the club has gone from strength to strength including a visit by the great Marty Wilde in 2003. At Melksham we pride ourselves on offering a night of thoroughly enjoyable dancing to the best live 50’s rock ‘n roll bands. We look to give a variation in the bands that we get to the club; we try to cater for all tastes, so come along and join in the traditional rock ‘n roll, modern jive, lindyhop, strollers, boppers, etc. (all ages and abilities welcome: however children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult). We pride ourselves on being a very approachable and friendly club and look forward to seeing you.
The club operates a membership scheme, but you don't have to be a member to come along. However (!) if you join then you will be entitled to £1 off (unless otherwise stated) each member's ticket. Joining is easy - just click on the form below to obtain a PDF copy of the membership form, print it out and bring it with you to the next dance or send it to the address on the form along with your money, (pay your membership as you enter the club for that dance and you will get your £1 off for that dance as well). Your card will then either be ready for you at the next dance or will be posted to you by our Membership Secretary.
The people who will meet and greet you are:
Click on a photo or scroll down for more detail about each of us idiots, and what we actually do for the club (!):
Role: Chairman / Bookings / Anything
I am a bus driver by profession and take a very keen interest in the local community by being a Town Councillor. I am also an active member of Melksham Comedy Club, a local amateur dramatics group and, when I get the time, I play Lead/Rhythm guitar with local 60's R & B covers band Fog. (Better known as Five Old Gits!)
Unfortunately I missed the 50's, getting into music in the early 60's and moving through The Beatle/Stones era to the 'Blues Boom' of the late 60's and then on into Heavy Rock. During the late 60's/early 70's I played Lead Guitar with Rock/Blues Band AGAR and our career culminated with a couple of gigs at the legendary Granary Club in Bristol. In 1984 I had another try at the music business by opening a mobile recording studio called THE BAKU MOBILE. Unfortunately, this was very short lived but we did some interesting work for the BBC including recording Prefab Sprout at the famous Hacienda Club in Manchester.
However, Rock 'n' Roll had always been in the back of my mind as i'd bought stuff by Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley and Elvis very early on and when I met my wife Carol, a life long Elvis and Rock 'n' Roll fan, in 1978, my interest was re-ignited but, in 1980, along came our son Robin and life was put on hold for a while. But, some years later, we started going to local gigs and joined Yesterday Once More and it was then I discovered just how much good Rock 'n' Roll there was out there and that we weren't getting any of it locally. It took until last year (2000) before I made the decision to organise the first gig. I booked Mark Keeley in the middle of the summer when everyone said it was the wrong time of year, but 200 people showed up and the feedback received since has encouraged me to carry on, hence this Website. Unfortunately, it was too late to organise any gigs for the rest of the year, so I had to look to 2002 and I decided to start from scratch in February, with Jive Street. A great band to start off the year. At this point Rich joined me
Claim to fame: Carol's Uncle Wally was a porter at St Martin's Hospital in Bath at the time of Eddie Cochran's death and always maintained he wheeled his body down to the mortuary.
Please support the gigs and we'll keep the music live.
Mail to: Geoff Mitcham, 33 Crescent Road, Melksham, Wilts SN12 7EU
e-mail to: geoff@melkshamrockandroll.co.uk
Phones: 01225 706463
07779 330042
Role: Web-site admin / Treasurer / Ensuring adequate alcohol intake
I now work for a food analytical company based in Leatherhead in Surrey of all places so am a bit of a jetset rock 'n roller at the moment - jetting from Surrey to Melksham to get to the dances! In my spare time (the little that I get!) I enjoy doing (although now reduced to watching) amateur dramatics with Melksham Comedy Club, going Horse Racing. I have always had an interest in rock and roll music as well, but got very hooked when I was involved with a rock and roll show put on by Melksham Comedy Club. At that point I decided to start to learn rock and roll dancing in Oxford, where I was living at the time. A few years later I moved back to Melksham and started to learn the jive dance Ceroc. With my interest growing in dancing and the music I went along to several rock and roll weekends with Geoff and Carol and got hooked. Once while at Brean in March 2002, I went the whole hog and bought myself the drape coat and brothel creepers you can see me wearing below!! I am now totally hooked and am delighted to be able to join with Geoff in bringing Rock 'n Roll to Melksham and Wiltshire.
Lets keep rockin!
E-Mail to: rich@melkshamrockandroll.co.uk
Phones: 01306 640414 / 01225 702109
Role: Membership Secretary (and with hubby - Richard - probably the clubs biggest Elvis fans!
E-Mail to: carolb@melkshamrockandroll.co.uk
Phone: 01225 706012
Role: Resident DJ
E-Mail to: cockneyrebel@melkshamrockandroll.co.uk
Role: Front of House / Door
E-Mail to: anne@melkshamrockandroll.co.uk
Phone: 01225 702109
This site is dedicated to the memory of:
Pauline Scott who was our membership secretary from 2002. She lost her fight with cancer in May 2004 - she will always be in our minds.
John Johnstone who was our fantastic doorman, who died unexpectedly from a heart attack inDecember 2007. He will always be in our thoughts as we enter the hall, and may his memory live on with Richard and Anne.
Pauline with Marty Wilde John Johnstone
Although we are booked up a fair way in advance - if there are any bands that would like to come and play or, if anyone has a favourite band they would like to see, please contact us.
Clothing and record stalls also welcome!
Contacts for more detail::
Geoff: +44 (0)1225 706463
Rich: +44 (0)1306 640414 / +44(0)7971 547540 / rich@melkshamrockandroll.co.uk
Venue: +44 (0)1225 709887 / www.melkshamassemblyhall.co.uk
"Let's Keep Wiltshire Rocking!!"
© Melksham Rock 'n' Roll, 2002