Write a blog they said... keep it up to date.... well 2023 happened!
I'll keep this short and sweet. 2023 was year to reflect upon the fantastic people we have worked with. Here, I'll highlight and indeed name and shame a few....
Jen Mclean. Co-production manager, compadre and all round excellent egg (not just good). To work with this human being is a pleasure. Pure and simple. When Yang needs a yang; when Morecambe needs Wise; when Gin needs... well you get the message. Some projects are only as good as the people you work with, and when the opportunity was obvious, having Jen as an official co-production manager made TSOST 2023 and several other events a real highlight for the year. Resourceful, banter-full, no-nonsense, and tough... that'll boss any event!
Hazel McGrouther. When dealing with the local authority, you could be forgiven for preparing yourself for a hard time... not so in Somerset. Hazel (don't call her Heather), is a top PM, Events co-ordinator and stickler for proper grammar - she'll be having a field day with this blog alone. When asked to join the Coronation Team, Hazel was a joy to work with as were the whole team. Hazel and I were first boots on site and last off. Her attention to detail, support and drive... and much like Jen, her common sense in the face of the non-sensical - you could ask for a better event buddy!
Our Marshals: JC, Cris, Amy, Amanda to name but a few. I have asked them for a lot this year and pleased to be placing them now in paid positions... a must for volunteers. Yes that sentence needs explaining I know, but they were the Team of teams this summer. And to count them among my friends is my privilege.
AKA Dance Theatre... Jen and Joe. If you have to be crammed into a van for several hundred miles, these two humans are as important as Gaffa tape and Kimble guns. A must have!
I was also pleased to provide support for a few new organisations such as HAUS Productions, Bravo Events and SLX to name a few.
A final, poignant note for 2023... KSPS Production Managed the funeral of Barnaby Webber, of Taunton. A service I was privileged and honoured to support for free. Bravo, HAUS, countless others did the same. All of us, would rather we never had to be in that position, and that Barnaby was still with us. Life isn't far. I carry the mantra, be more Barnaby, into 2024. Thank you to all friends and colleagues who joined to assist on this event.
I'll leave this post with a few of my less professional, more favoured images:
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