Markhouse Drama Club ‘re-opens’ after a 40 Year break – to the Month!!!!!!
If you were on the contact list when the CMMF came into being, you may recall some comment about it probably just running for about a year or so – and that the ideas for the performing arts projects with young people would be comfortably planned, done and dusted within this time frame!
This has clearly proven to have been a somewhat over optimistic view as all the above happened at a ‘more leisurely pace’ – with, in fact, what at this time looks to be our final project now almost ready to start – just on 4 years after our first one in August 2013!
However, our views at that time were much more accurate in regard to the range and quality of the projects that we wanted the CMMF to support, as these have proven to be everything we had hoped for. Importantly, all the projects that have been funded have fully met the aim of enabling the young people involved to enjoy and learn from the same sort of experiences that we had in our earlier years under Mr M’s enthusiastic and ‘thoughtful’ guidance. The latter being a trait perhaps no better shown than in this recently found photograph of him at his desk – in ‘Producer’ mode!
So – I think that we can quite confidently say ‘job done’ – with the unexpected bonus of having, along the way, found another, longer term, means of marking our time together through the launch of the new MDC Website last November.
Developing the website has, in fact, been almost the sole focus of attention over the past 15 months and so, with the intention to continue this into the future and with the last Performing Arts Project about to start, it was felt that now was the right time to ‘wind up’ the CMMF – at least in terms of its existence as a distinct organisation.
This was duly completed at our recent meeting, with the CMMF’s ‘residual work’ incorporated into a newly formed ‘Markhouse Drama Club’ – with the latter, unlike the original that closed exactly 40 years ago to the month, definitely being a ‘non- performing’ version!
Whilst the ‘new’ MDC has been specifically formed to manage and develop the website, it will also continue to maintain the links between former members and, of course, sort out whatever remains to be ‘sorted out’ for the Final Re-Union later this year!
A Final CMMF Report & Accounts will be distributed in due course, with the latter showing the remaining part of the original funds having been transferred to, and ‘reserved’ within, the new MDC Bank Account. The reason for this is that Jennifer and Alec wanted the residual funds to be used by the MDC and, ‘we’ in turn felt, at least at this stage, that these should be reserved for their original purposes. In this respect we hope an opportunity will arise at some point in the future to fund another project – as we do have enough money left to nicely round up the total number to 10!
‘MDC – And All That’
In terms of the future, the ‘ex CMMF Steering Group’ has rubbed the ‘Magic Lamp’ and metamorphosed itself into a MDC Committee – with Peter taking on the role of Treasurer, June as Social Secretary and John as ‘the Webmaster’. I think that the latter is the official term which, in a nutshell, means that if and when the website has a hiccup, (as it did a week or so ago!) or there is a need to do something complicated with the ‘gubbings’ etc, then John has to do the resulting ‘techy’ stuff – strange no one else volunteered for this role!
Norma and Denis are, of course, still fully involved and I am going to continue looking after the general admin as Secretary – BUT – if anyone fancies coming along to a meeting to share their ideas about the website and its future, then get in touch via the Contacts Page – we will all be really pleased to see you – although be warned – Rule 34.Section 2 of the new ‘Constitution’ defines that the last one along’ buys the first round – or the sarnies!
Website News
Now on http://www.markhousedramaclub.com
And so to the website – which is now on the revised ‘address’ noted above – not much of a change but just make sure you don’t put an ‘s’ after http – as in the original address!
See this Month’s Website Additions on the ‘NEWS’ Page
And finally!
An ‘Appeal’ – but not for money – well at least not yet – on this occasion just for more ‘entries’ for the member’s ‘Memories Page’ – to accompany the one that I intend to write for the next issue!
I thought I would slip in my underlined ‘commitment’ based on a theory that if I do what I’m asking others to do, it might just nudge a few quills out of the inkwell and start some nostalgic scribbling amongst former members – nudge nudge!
Anyhow – just leave me a note on the Contact Page if you ‘might’ be persuadable or, alternatively, a phone number and I’ll gladly give you a buzz to chat through some ‘memoirs’ – and then write it up (at no cost!) – and even give you the chance to approve the draft before exposing the agreed version to the world!
And – really finally – whilst on the subject of the Memories Page – and specifically in relation to this picture that was posted when the website was launched last November. As no one managed to send in a postcard in response to the question of what ‘Mr M’ put in these tins and what they were used for, I thought that I ought to now confirm the answer – which is ‘concrete’ and ‘stage weights’ respectively!
I have to say that I was surprised that no one came up with the answer as I suspect that a good many former members, like myself, regularly tripped over the ‘******’ things at some time!
It seemed to me that every scenery flat had its own personal Concrete Hack Tin. Personally I always thought that we should have used skyhooks!