The carpets down

We have had a slight delay in the lower studio which will soon be getting a new name along with it’s new carpet and bar

I hope  there are lots of great nights and days to come.

Art at the Blakehay

Well some how we managed to get not only the actors company play but the art exhibition and the RAFA band concert on despite the builders still active in the Blakehay. The Upper studio is a great room for an art display and we had ten local artists all exhibiting as part of the Arts Festival. The RAFA concert Band also linked in with the Arts Festival and we  had a day of film with a lecture on pin hole photography and films by Weston Film Society.

RAFA CONCERT BAND

ART EXHIBITION

Refurbishment update

The Refurbishment is now well under way. Over the first few weeks we have had the noise and the dust with tons of soil being taken out to form what will eventually be the ladies toilets. The picture shows part of the rebuilding which was required to support the seats in the auditorium. The beam used to be in the gents toilets which will eventually be the ladies.  

Refurbishment

 We must apologise to the people who have been trying to get in touch with us. As most of you know we only open mornings but the builders have taken over the whole building and have not been able to let any one on site as currently it is a building site. Also we have at various times lost the phone and the internet but please keep trying to get through we do want to hear from you. E-mail us on blakehay@btconnect.com. The building may not be completely finished in time for the Actors Co next production “Still Life” by Noel Coward but we not be disappointing our regulars so as they say the show will go on.

Refurbishment

The Blakehay is getting its long-awaited face lift. Starting Monday we are having the roof sorted and new toilets. Also a new bar area in the lower studio and maybe a bit more If we have any money left. Over the next few weeks I will try to blog about the new works and slip in one or to older photo’s so we don’t forget.

Hot Community Show

Well done to all the Weston-super-Mare Town Council staff on duty this weekend it was a hot one and the Annual Community show held on the Beach Lawns in Weston was a great success. I could only stay a little while as we had a matinée and an evening show at the Blakehay. But everything looked good our stall was super.

The Blakehay give us your e-mail stall

  The community stage was  going strong entertaining the crowd.

Weddings

The hard working guys of the ground staff play an important part not only throughout the weekend but in the days leading up to the event. Seen here practising there formation dancing for later that evening.

This way init

Bob Built still alive

Bob built safe

I’m sorry holidays, meetings and well lots of work has left a big gap in the blog. This week-end the Town Council has street fest on the beach lawns. The weather is set fair and some great music lined up well at least one as my son Johnny Edgar is on stage at 11.30am a bit early especially as I’ll be dropping him off. well all this leaves us a bit thin on the ground so it’s good that we have an addition to the staff in the shape of January, that’s actually her name, January has just finished at Uni and is working for 13 weeks at the Blakehay. So what has this to do with Bob Built well absolutely nothing!

Bob whoever he is, built a set, a box set which for the uninitiated is scenery that usually forms a front room with a window and a door or two. Now the set is well-built and was used at the play house for some years, I performed in a Pantomime at the Play House with Barry McGuigan and remember standing at the side of the stage, waiting to go on, with the Bob built sign right in front of me. The set moved on to Weston college. I know it was used for several shows eventually being used as part of the pantomime set. A set in which my son performed during his time on the performing arts course. Eventually due to lack of space it was decided to throw the Bob Built set out. Pete Tyler (the college techy) could not however bring himself to trash such a well-built set so he asked If we had anywhere to store it at the Blakehay, which we didn’t, but fortunately we had some space in a garage which we rent for storage. We stored it, and used it for the Blakehay actors Co production of Steel Magnolias. The garage became so full that the set, now in need of new canvas, though the wood is still fine, was again in danger, well we cleared out the garage and ditched the remnants of several past shows but Bob Built lives on. Bob, whoever you are, your set built-in the 1969, was it the summer of 69?, is still in tact. If anyone out there would like to donate the canvas I’ll recover the set and who knows how much longer it could go on for.

Three Peaks Challenge

I have just agreed to help a friend Jason Smith by driving the support vehicle for his teams attempt on the three peaks.

The challenge involves climbing  Ben Nevis, Scarfell Pike and Snowdon all in  twenty four hours. It involves ten hour driving not to mention the drive up to Scotland and the drive back from Snowdon.

Please help by visiting Jasons web and donating whatever you can. 

http://www.justgiving.com/CHALLENGEJASON

Weston-super-Mare College

God Spell Weston-super-Mare College

Working at the Blakehay is, to say the least, different. This week for example the College have been rehearsing for this Friday and Saturday’s production of God Spell. Tons of extra lighting and sound gear has been set up and this afternoon they were into their third run through, very professional !

I’ve noticed over the years that students come in waves one year geat dancers the next great singers, I think it’s the turn of the singers this year, this is not to say this lot can’t dance but the singing is excellent.

Lighting desk blank

The lighting board

I returned from holiday last Monday and this week has just flown by. It seems like none stop meetings, in fact fitting in the work bit is becoming a bit of a problem.

Tomorrow Saturday 27 February we have Julie Felix at the Blakehay and I will be popping into the theatre first thing just to make sure that everything is OK. We have had a steady stream of ticket sales during the last week but I’m still hoping for a good walk up.

Technology is all around us and I don’t know if anybody else has noticed this but I keep having to re-learn things. Two months ago Pete Magor the technician across the road at the Play House showed me how to work our new lighting desk, well when I say taught me how work the desk, he managed to eventually pass on a bit of basic information. Today having not touched the desk since then I stared down at all the various buttons and knobs and was struggling to remember how to do much more than turn it on. It was a good job that Paula turned up to remind me we had to go to the cash and carry in order to re-stock the bar or I might still be staring at the desk.

Sunny Weston

You have to keep on top of this blogging lark, my last entry is a comment on the snow which we had just after Christmas and as I write this the sun is shinning. OK it’s only February but already the days are getting longer. Last week the Blakehay Actors Company presented another of their midweek one act play offerings and the three offerings which went under the title “Food for Thought” was excellent, well attended and the Thursday night audience in particular was buzzing.

We have a mixture of talented amateur’s semi-pro and professional actors in the Blakehay Company and Robert Iles who has been with the Company since its inception wrote one of the plays “South Harrow” a mixture of gentle humour and pathos. Originally broadcast on radio this was the first live presentation. Robert and the Company should be proud of such an excellent piece of work.

The sun is still shi

House keeper

ning is this why we call it Sunny Weston-super-Mare?

We still have all the usual visitors this week the College are in and out each day and we have had several people pop in to book seats, mainly for the Julie Felix Concert at the end of the month, or inquire about booking a room. Somehow it seems quieter, could it be that Paula, who used to be our cleaner, but has now got the new posh title of Housekeeper, is on holiday? I hope she has had a good one because we have a busy few weeks ahead.