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BOOKINGS are now being taken for this year’s Specsavers’ Liberation Tea Dance and Hangar Balls, where TV personality Rob Rinder MBE will make a welcome return to Guernsey to compere for the weekend.
Specsavers founder Dame Mary Perkins says: ‘I’m delighted to welcome back Rob Rinder to host our events. He has proved incredibly popular in previous years, and I know that he has fallen in love with the island and its people and thoroughly enjoys his time here. Rob is passionate about history, especially in connection to WW2, and this gives him an added empathy for evacuees and those who served during the war.’
Brand new for 2024 are mini big band ‘Down for the Count’, who bring the sounds of the Swing Era back to life, with an electrifying show full of incredible energy and musicianship. Since bursting onto the scene at Twinwood Festival in 2013, the band have quickly earned themselves a reputation as one of the hardest swinging bands in the UK, with one of their lead singers being a Channel Islander himself. They are constantly in demand, regularly selling out shows at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, Le Caveau de la Huchette (Paris), The London Jazz Festival and on tours of the UK.
During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, the band released a lockdown EP named ‘Lockdown for the Count’ recorded entirely in isolation, in aid of the mental health charity, Mind. The first single from the EP was described as “awesome!!!” by Michael Bublé.
Down for the Count will be joined by 40’s singing and dancing entertainers and vintage trio The Bluebird Belles and authentic wartime Spiv from South London, Viv the Spiv.
The Liberation Tea Dance, which celebrates the anniversary of the end of the German Occupation, will take place on Friday 10 May at Beau Sejour between 1.30pm and 4pm. Islanders who lived in Guernsey through the Occupation, were evacuated, deported or saw active service, will be treated to a traditional Guernsey afternoon tea and the event promises to be as lively as ever. Islanders are encouraged to come to the event in 40’s clothes, military uniform or traditional Guernsey dress to add a sense of nostalgia to the day.
‘The Tea Dance is always very popular and we’re excited that it’s the time of the year again to start making plans for the event. The dancing and the music are my favourite part of the day and guests will be able to dance and sing along to all the old favourites,’ says Dame Mary.
The afternoon event will be followed by a Hangar Ball on the Friday evening, plus a second identical event on the Saturday evening (11 May). Attendees will be treated to the same line up of entertainers and a hot meal by new caterers, Farmhouse Events.
Tickets for the Hangar Balls go on sale from 8am on Monday 22 January at www.ticketsource.co.uk/specsavershangarball and cost £55 each.
An application form for the Tea Dance can be found in the Guernsey Press newspaper and is also available from Specsavers’ support office at La Villiaze or the St Peter Port store or contact the Specsavers PR team by email amy.obrien2@specsavers.com. Tickets will be posted out nearer the event.
