Category Archives: Amovate Events

THE SUMMER BALL — AN IMPORTANT UPDATE

An important update on arrangements for the Summer Ball being held in the Marquee at the Vale da Telha Hotel on Saturday July 21st….

Since our original post we have been delighted—and more than a little overwhelmed—by the response from the community up here.

After an original print run of 100 tickets when they first went on sale on June 2 we had to print further tickets on two occasions, such was the demand.

We have now had to decide, after discussions with Bruno, the hotel owner, and a careful scrutiny of the Marquee (taking measurements etc) that we must limit the number of tickets to 220 for the comfort of those attending!

And that means some people may be disappointed if they don’t move quickly, as we are now almost sold out down to the last dozen or so.

From the outset we have had people ringing and e-mailing from abroad, asking us to reserve tickets, such is the interest in this “posh” do, which it is hoped will become the annual social highlight of the year on Vale da Telha.

Although the original plan was for the evening to begin at 7.30pm we decided at a meeting with Bruno on Wednesday that the three bars he is providing will open from 6.30pm so people can get there earlier, if they wish, and settle in.

The independent caterers will open the cold buffet at 7.30pm so, again, we can complete the serving of food etc., in time for the music and dancing to begin at a reasonable time.

There will be three bars and drinks are pre-paid; two or three of Bruno’s staff  from whom the pre-payment vouchers can be purchased, will be circulating amongst the guests.

You can buy enough not just for your next round of drinks, but for several rounds, so you don’t need to keep going back to buy more vouchers each time you want to buy your drinks, the prices of which Bruno assures us will be kept to Vale da Telha levels.

Incidentally, you should bring with you, hang onto and not lose your tickets as these will be needed first for admission and then to access the buffet.

AN APPEAL FROM THE ORGANISERS: Sharon and Chris, who ran a successful catering business in the UK before retiring to Vale da Telha, will be providing the catering for the Summer Ball.

But they need some additional refrigerators to store the food just prior to the night of the Ball.

We have managed to source three or four but they do require more. So we would ask if any of you has an empty fridge doing nothing in your house, garage or shed that we could borrow for a few days from approx. Wednesday July 18th to the following Sunday or Monday, could you let us know.

You can contact us by e-mail at info@amovate.com and we will arrange collection and return.

Alternatively if you see any of the following committee members on your travels around and about just tap them on the shoulder and utter the magical words: “Pssst—wanna borrow a fridge?”

Peter Johnson, Ian Bedford, John Bergstrom-Potter, Sue Bedford, Maria Franca, Ken Cragg, Dave Ogborn, Rick Hursthouse, Gunnar Hermansson, Steve Carmichael or Matt D’Arcy.

Summer Ball July 2012

Area surrounding the Marquee

Vale da Telha will in July host a new headline event which it is hoped will become the area’s most sought-after annual social function, the highlight of the community calendar.

The Summer Ball, or Gala de Verao, will take place in the elegant marquee at the poolside of the Vale da Telha Hotel on Saturday July 21st, from 7.30pm until late.

As you can see from the surrounding photographs the setting is colourful and spacious, a perfect venue for what should be a sophisticated summer evening.

The event has grown from a suggestion from one of the lady residents on Vale da Telha.

She and her friends missed, she said, the opportunity to enjoy a quality evening out for which they could dress in their finest frocks and dance in stylish surroundings.

Amovate’s committee took this suggestion on board as part of their Amovate in the Community project to support local businesses—holding events not in the Old Schoolhouse, but on the premises of those businesses.

Bruno at the Hotel was delighted when we approached him with a request to view the facilities provided by his Moorish-style marquee—and even more delighted when we proposed to him that we should stage the Summer Ball there.

Inside the Marquee

A specialist caterer will prepare and present the cold buffet and Bruno will provide the bar facilities inside the marquee, promising to keep prices broadly representative of the prices residents are used to paying in the bars around Vale da Telha.

Guests will have the opportunity to sit at tables around the dance floor, but also to wander outside and relax in the seating provided on the decking surrounding the appealing pool area.

 

Another view inside the Marquee

The intention is that this should grow into an annual event, so of course, the more support we get from the local community, from residents of all nationalities, the more likely it is that we can get such a momentum going.

The music for dancing on the 21stwill be provided by the New Orleans Jazz Band, whose details you can find below. They will be supported by Vale da Telha’s own Luis Pinto who has proved popular at the Music Festival as well as at the Piranha and the Vale da Telha restaurant.

Luis Pinto

The ticket price is just €10 per head, which includes the cold buffet, and you can obtain your tickets from any of the Amovate Committee members whose names you will find listed below.

You can also pop into the Amovate office at the Old School House each Tuesday afternoon from 2-4pm and Friday from 4-6pm and buy them from the committee member on duty.

We do stress that the dress code for the Summer Ball is smart-casual, with the ladies elegant in their frocks, the men stylishly dressed in trousers and shirts—no shorts or jeans please!

So, let’s all make the effort to parade at our poshest on this one night of the year at least!

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE FOLLOWING COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Peter Johnson, Ian Bedford, Sue Bedford, Ken Cragg, Rick Hursthouse, John Bergstrom-Potter, Maria Franca, Dave Ogborn, Matt D’Arcy.

New Orleans Jazz Band

THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ BAND

The New Orleans Jazz Band was formed in 1998 by a group of international jazz musicians, all now living in the Algarve.

With musicians from England, Scotland, Holland, and Portugal, they quickly became established as the premiere group playing Dixieland and New Orleans style jazz music from the 1920’s in the area.

In 1999 the band was first featured at the Loule International Jazz Festival followed by a concert tour taking in all the major cities of Portugal, culminating at the prestigious Lisboa concert hall “Cultergest”.

Since then the band has quickly become the busiest band on the Algarve playing music for listening and dancing throughout the region. The band is regularly featured at Festivals, whether parading around the streets as part of the Lagos Jazz Festival or at Vilamoura Marina to promote the “Boat Show”. They can also be heard at the “Arte Viva” summer festival at Museu do Trajo, Sao Bras de Alportel.

International jazz musicians visiting the Algarve, are regularly featured with the band and in 2004 Mr. Acker Bilk, whose hit tune “Stranger on the Shore” can be heard as canned music in hotel lounges worldwide, toured with the band on his first visit to Portugal.

The current line-up is Dave Lawson (clarinet/saxophones), John Ballinger (trombone/vocals), Paul Mitchell-Davidson (guitar/banjo), Han Wezanaar (clarinet/baritone saxophone), and Tony Scriven (drums/leader/vocals).

Continuing the New Orleans tradition of playing a mixture of Blues, Stomps, Marches, Spirituals and Ragtime numbers, the band guarantees the listeners/dancers an evening of excitement and nostalgia.