Newspage

25 August 2008

TONY BEST LEISURE LTD.

Tony Best Leisure Ltd. presented it's first country music event in the spring of 1985, with an All-Star Country Music Gala Week at Wallis's Holiday Village, Cayton Bay, Scarborough. This was followed up with three more events that year at Blackpool, Scarborough again and Weston-Super-Mare. Since that time TBL has presented well over 250 successful country music events at numerous venues at home and abroad. 2008 sees us into our 23rd year of operations, with continued successful events around the country. We opened our 2008 programme in March with a very successful All-Star Country Music Gala Week at Sandford Holiday Park, Poole in the lovely Dorset countryside. However, Sandford Park is now under new ownership and we have been unable to reach agreement with the new owners for us to continue presenting events there, so unfortunately our 2008 event will be our last at Sandford Park. We followed up this gala week with our annual Easter Monday to Friday Country Music Mid-Week Break at Warner's superb Gunton Hall Classic Resort in Lowestoft on the Suffolk coast. Our third event of the year was was annual All-Star "Brendan Shine & Friends" Country & Irish Music Weekend at the delightful South Downs Holiday Village, Bracklesham Bay near Chichester on the Sussex coast - always a brilliant weekend. We have just completed our annual Summertime country music weekend in Blackpool featuring the great Raymond Froggatt. The weekend was a huge success and we now look forward to our next event, which is in October when we have another great Country Music Party Weekend at Bracklesham Bay once again starring the unique Raymond Froggatt and a brilliant supporting show. In November, we return to the Norbreck Castle Hotel, Blackpool for our annual pre-Christmas get-together. Leaflets giving full details of these events are available from TBL Ltd. right now. We'd love you to join us for one of these terrific events. You can be sure we'll make you very welcome.

27 July 2008

FAREWELL TO SANDFORD PARK

Tony Best Leisure Ltd. is very disappointed to announce that we shall no longer be presenting events at Sandford Holiday Park in Dorset. After ten years of presenting our very successful Country Music Gala Weeks at this venue, the park has now been taken over by new owners and our type of event does not fit into their future plans, so we have to leave. We would like to thank all our loyal guests who have been with us regularly at Sandford Park for many years. We are actively seeking a replacement venue for a similar self-catering event for our future programme. Watch this space. In the meantime we have arranged special reunion weekend at Bracklesham Bay in Sussex for April 2009, when we have invited many of our most popular artistes and bands from past events at Sandford, to appear over the weekend, which we are offering at a specially reduced price. We'd love you to join us. Full details can be found elsewhere on this website.

28 March 2008

SUPERB EASTER EVENT AT GUNTON HALL

The four hundred Tony Best Leisure guests who attended the company's Easter Monday to Friday country music break at Warner's superb Gunton Hall Holiday and Leisure Resort were greeted on arrival by a covering of snow and intermittent blizzard-like conditions. However, this did not in any way dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd for whatr turned out to be an exceptional country music holiday break at this excellent centre. Gunton Hall offers stunning accommodation and a high class menu of food to satisfy even the heartiest and most discerning appetite. The entertainment programme for the break included KALIBRE, DANE STEVENS, HENRY SMITH'S COUNTRY DREAMS, NICKY JAMES, COUNTRY COMPANY, FRANK McCAFFREY, THE DIESEL COWBOYS and JONNY WILLIAMS, together with TBL's Resident team of JOHN ASTON, KAREN JACKSON'S "DANCE 'N' SMILE" COUNTRY DISCO and of course, TONY BEST, himself. The late night country parties in the Regency Lounge were entertained by TONY HUGHES, EDDIE PEARSON and DEAN AUSTIN. This was an exceptional week's entertainment and the fact that before we left the venue on Friday morning, over 300 of the 400 guests had rebooked for next years event, speaks volumes. See you all there at Easter 2009.

14 March 2008

LAZYACRE 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Shrewsbury's Lazyacre Country Music Club opened its doors on Monday 6th March 1978, so the club has just celebrated 30 great years of country music in concert. The club meets fortnightly with very occasional variations and extra shows, and it has a great following. In 2000, club organisers, Jean and Tony Best produced a 52 page potted history of the club which included on the last couple of pages a list of all the artistes and bands who appeared at the club between 1978 and 2000. They are planning to update this book in the club's 30th year in 2008. This list of artistes and bands is a real nostalgia trip. We still have a few copies of this little book available free to anyone who might find it of interest. Just send a self-addressed envelope with 60p in stamps on it for your copy to "Lazyacre CMC," 233 Lancaster Road, Shrewsbury SY1 3ND. We will also enclose the club's latest newsletter and a leaflet giving the next twelve months' entertainment programme at Lazyacre. If you would just like a copy of the latest newsletter just send a self-addressed envelope with a first or second class stamp on to the same address. The club's 30th Anniversary was marked with two special celebration clubnights on Monday and Tuesday 3rd and 4th March, 2008 featuring the original "Lazyacre Country Roadshow" starring Carole Gordon & Bob Newman and Tony Best with guest appearances by Slim Pickins, Vince Layne, Dave Curtis and Jeff Cliffson. Slim on pedal steel guitar and Graham Walker on lead guitar backed Bob, Carole and Tony for a big jam session in the second half of the show. We also had a number of special guests attending who have been friends of Lazyacre over the years. Two great nights to celebrate this terrific milestone in the history of one of Britain's best country music clubs.

24 September 2007

TONY BEST INDUCTED INTO BRITISH COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME

We are delighted to announce that Tony Best has been honoured by being inducted into the recently formed "British Country Music Hall of Fame." The inductions were held at a special weekend event held at Great Birchwood Country Park near Lytham St Annes in Lancashire over the weekend of 21st to 23rd September 1007. The Hall of Fame, which was the brainchild of Jim Duncan, editor of Cross Country Magazine, is sponsored by that magazine and is to offer recognition to personalities (artistes and others) who have made valuable contributions to country music in Great Britain. The first three inductees (2006) were three legendary artistes who are sadly no longer with us - KEITH MANIFOLD, BEN REES and CAL FORD. This years inductees in addition to Tony Best were - KENNY JOHNSON - founder member of Liverpool's Hillsiders before going on to form his own band, Northwind and later working as a duo and solo. CAMPBELL BAXTER - WAS WITH THAT GREAT BAND, Burnt Ash, before leaving to form Campbell's Country, prominent on the scene for twentyfive years. WEST VIRGINIA - One of Britain's leading country bands for over thirty years. SARAH JORY - In country music for thirty years - since she was eight! One of the top five pedal steel guitarists in the world. Currently touring the world with Irish superstar, Van Morrison. CHRIS JACKSON - Founder and organiser of Britain's largest and most successful outdoor festival of country music, rock & roll, vintage cars, trucks and motorcycles - The Americana Festival. TONY HADLOW - Owner of Great Birchwood Country Park, where he has presented country music several days a week for twenty years. SUE McCARTHY - Editor of Britain's biggest selling country music magazine, Southern Country. Sue is an authority on British country music and a wonderful supporter of the scene. She was unable to attend the ceremony due to health problems which we hope are quickly and successfully resolved. get well soon, Sue.

1 January 2007

TONY BEST CD

TONY BEST WRITES. . . . . . After having retired from touring for some years, I did not expect to be releasing any more CD's. The only times I get to sing a few songs these days are at my Lazyacre Country Music Club in Shrewsbury or sometimes at one of our Tony Best Leisure events around the country. However, it was in response to many requests, we brought out in September 2006, a compilation album of twenty tracks recorded over the years when I was on the road playing the country music clubs and festivals. I have been delighted with the response to the release and it has received some very favourable comments generally. I have been singing country music since 1957, turning professional in 1974 and throughout the 1980's I was doing over 300 one-night-stands a year all over England, Scotland and Wales and abroad in such places as Holland, Portugal, Germany, Spain, Norway, Malta and Tenerife. In 1978, my wife, Jean and I started the Lazyacre Country Music Club in Shrewsbury, and we're delighted to say the club is still going strong (stronger than ever in fact) to this day. I was resident Compere at Pontin's Country Style Festivals for five years in the early 80's, before leaving to form my own company, Tony Best Leisure Ltd., to present country music weeks and weekends all over the UK and abroad. The company is now run by my daughter, Lynne, although I do still attend every event, helping to compere the shows and generally lending a hand when and where it is needed. I still thoroughly enjoy singing a few songs when I get the chance and I'm proud to have been asked to release this CD which contains many of my favourite songs. The album is called - "A Golden Hour of Tony Best." The twenty tracks are..... Old Flames, Everybody' Talkin', Amanda, Try a Little Kindness, To Daddy, Let Me Be There, I Love You Because, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, Maggie, I'm Beginning to Forget You, A Tree in the Meadow, Kelly, Before the Next Teardrop Falls, They Don't Play Rock of Ages on the Jukebox, I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen, Old Scotland Again, Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast, Don't Tell Me Lies, The Answer to Everything. The CD is available at Lazyacre CMC and at all TBL events or by mail order from Tony Best, 233 Lancaster Road, Shrewsbury SY1 3ND. Price £10.00 inc postage and packing.

22 May 2006

KEITH MANIFOLD CD'S

All of us at Tony Best Leisure Ltd. together with all our family, friends and guests were devastated at the sudden death of our dear friend, Keith Manifold. Keith, who was Stage Manager, Compere and Entertainer at all our TBL events all over the UK and abroad, sadly died of a massive heart attack on the morning of Sunday 22nd May 2005. He was 58 years old. As a result of many requests from TBL guests, we have obtained from Keith's wife, Alice, a few of Keith's CD's for sale at our forthcoming TBL events. They can also be obtained by mail order from TBL Ltd. The titles are 1. Sixteen Country Classics £5.00 2. Sixteen Country Greats Volume 1. £5.00 3. Sixteen Country Greats Volume 2. £5.00 4. Sixteen Country Greats Volume 3. £5.00 5. Keith Manifold sings "The Big'O'" £7.50 This is Keith's tribute to Roy Orbison. 6. In This Life £5.00 This is a duet album featuring keith with his daughter Louise. 7. The Westwood Years (Boxed set of 3 CD's) £12.00 This is Keith's first six albums which were released on the Westwood label transferred to three brilliant CD's. Please make any cheques payable to A.Manifold and send your order to Tony Best Leisure Ltd. PO Box 147, Oswestry, Shropshire SY11 4WH.

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