The Dark Blues Picnic June 2010

Following another hugely successful Dark Blues Picnic at the Herts Showground on Saturday night when we had over 600 guests attending our annual event we raised over £4,000 through our raffle for Grove House Hospice in St Albans which was a wonderful achievement.




Please forward me details of next years Dark Blues picnic so I can host another table. Great success this year, thanks and Well Done!

Nicola waters

Great fun as always. Well done. We are hoping to host at least two tables next year.
Thanks
Rachel Heaphy

Dear All just wanted to say a big thank you again for organising another
fabulous evening. We all really enjoyed it as always. Thank you also for
the position of our table, just brilliant. We were up dancing all night.
Already looking forward to 2011!!

Regards Kate


Dear Nigel, Fiona and Team

Just a quick note to say thank you so much for a fabulous evening on Saturday, we had a great time - I have never been before, but definitely will be back next year. Please let me know the date so I can organise a bigger table !

The band (as expected) was first class - the best night out I've had in a long time.

Huge thanks for placing us in the marquee with the dance floor - just made the night totally perfect.

Hope you can manage to have some well earned rest this week

Thanks very much again

Ali


Alex

This was the first time that my wife Dee and I attended this event and would like to congratulate you and your committee on a very well run event.

We were guests of the Dubowitz's and certainly hope to attend again.

Best wishes

Alastair

A very happy family wedding 27th March 2010

This was a truly lovely country wedding at the bride's home in Hurstpierpoint in a marquee where everything had been chosen with great care and the theming was all a little bit different. The colour scheme was blue and yellow and had a rustic feeling with checked table cloths and barrels and haybales scattered around the marquee. The Dark Blues started the dancing with Queen's 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' and then kept the dance floor full until the fireworks. The bride and groom then left on the back of a tractor, but with The Dark Blues still keeping the party in full swing the happy couple changed their minds and came back to join in the fun until the small hours!

The Children's Trust Ball - 20th March 2010

A huge amount of money was raised for this worthy charity of in excess of £100,000 which was a fantastic achievement and the organisers were truly delighted. Celebrity guests included Phil Tuffnell, Salley Kettle, Ed Stewart, Jimmy White, John Virgo, Sophie Kinsella, Chris Cowdrey and Guy Portelli.

Following the auction when Charlie Ross did a tremendous job of encouraging the guests to bid for the fantastic prizes that were on offer The Dark Blues performed wellinto the small hours.

Spring Weddings

You can always tell when spring is on the way with the start of the wedding season and the band have played at some lovely weddings just recently. There was a lovely one at the Sculpture Gallery at Woburn Abbey

Katie and Paul wanted continuous music throughout the day so as well as The Dark Blues playing for them we provided a DJ as well. The couple's first dance was to Louis Armstrong's 'All The Time in the World' and then the rest of the guests joined them and kept the dance floor full until midnight.

The Children's Trust 25th Anniversary Ball - Saturday 20th March 2010

Throughout the last 25 years, The Children's Trust has worked hard to become the leading charity in the UK, providing specialist care, therapy and education to children with multiple disabilities and brain injury and support to their families. This means the children can lead as full lives as possible no matter how serious their disability.

They are celebrating the wonderful achievement of 25 years by holding a ball at The Dorchester on Saturday 20th March 2010 with a magnificent 3 course dinner rounded off with an auction and then dancing to The Dark Blues. Tickets are £125 or £1500 for a table of 12 and include the champagne reception, dinner with wine and live entertainment. To buy tickets please click here or email specialevents@thechildrenstrust.org.uk or call Zoe on 01737 365016

Crystal Ball Thursday 10th December

This is the second year that the band have played at The Crystal Ball in Oman and what an amazing event this was! We received this email from their Publicity Co-ordinator today:

Dear Nigel

My thanks to you and your fellow band members for teh great musical entertainment you provided us with at the Crystal Ball here in Oman last night. Everywhere I went in the amphitheatre, our guests were raving about you (at least those who weren't showing their appreciation of your music by dancing). Thank you also for your comments which I have included in our Press Release which went out this morning.

Again, many thanks to you all

Audrey Peebles

Publicity Co-ordinator, Women's Guild in Oman

Macmillan - In Their Shoes Ball 19th November 2009

The Dark Blues played at the Macmillan Ball on Thursday 19th November at the Intercontinental Hotel in London and it was a huge success. We received this lovely email from Peter Belchamber the Chairman of the Ball this morning:-

Dear Nigel

We very much appreciate the spirit, the verve and energy that you and The Dark Blues brought to the Macmillan Ball. You played and peformed great dance music for an immensely impressive amount of time, with unflagging energy and professionalism. You were a wonderfully rhythmic dance band and we are hugely grateful to you.

With our most grateful thanks and good wishes.

Peter

The Periwinkle Ball 3rd October 2009 at The Grosvenor House

The 2009 Lymphoma Association Ball was held at The Grosvenor House, Park Lane on 3rd October and a great time was had by all.

Over 200 guests enjoyed a delicious three-course dinner and then sang along to surprise entertainers ‘Waiters on Call’. The Dark Blues took over for dancing following dinner and everyone danced until 1.30 in the moring. DBM also organised the casino which was very popular and together with the auction and raffle helped raise over £12,000 for the charity.

Help The Hospices Ball 24th September at Banqueting House

Help the Hospices held their 25th Anniversary Ball at the prestigious Banqueting House on th 24th September when they raised a fantastic £35,000 through the raffle and auction as well as the casino which we supplied.

Guests were welcomed by a champagne reception in the candle lit undercroft at Banqueting House, then proceeded upstairs to the grand hall where they were presented with a four course meal, wine and selection of beers. Following the auction The Dark Blues played for dancing well into the night. Help the Hospices were also delighted that the evening had been sponsored by Carlsberg who provided all the drinks and MMC who secured the fantastic venue of Banqueting House.

Charity Balls a speciality for The Dark Blues

The Dark Blues have always been a popular choice for charity balls up and down the country. The fact that the band is so well known and respected invariably helps to increase ticket sales for the charity. This year is no exception and they will be playing at a number of prestigious charity events in the coming months.

September 24th sees the band playing for Help the Hospices at The Banqueting House. On October 3rd there is the Periwinkle Ball for the Lymphoma Association at Grosvenor House, and on October 17th for Riding for the Disabled at Whipsnade Zoo. The Dark Blues are delighted to be playing again for the Macmillan ‘In Their Shoes’ Annual Ball on the 19th November at the Intercontinental, and at the Mistletoe Ball for Cancer Research at the Dorchester on December 4th. Another great treat for the band is returning to play at the Crystal Ball for the Women’s Guild in Oman at the Shangri-La Hotel in Muscat. They flew to Oman in 2008 for the ball, and return by popular demand on 10th December 2009.