Hey!

My husband and I live in SF and we have been wanting to take one of the AL
BOWLLY
TOURS for some time.....I wonder if anyone in this group has ever gone on the
walks/
tours?

If so DO TELL!!!!!!!

~confetta

Here is the INFO:

Social Events
http://www.memorylane.org.uk/the_memory_lane_party_night.htm

Memory Lane hosts Party Nights in Central London for socialising and
entertainment and
Guided Walks around the West End of London to identify the places where the
dance bands
used to play and to locate the places associated with Al Bowlly. Details of all
these events
are at these links.

The Memory Lane Walks:
http://www.memorylane.org.uk/the_memory_lane_party_night.htm#The%20Memory%
20Lane%20Walks

The Memory Lane Party Night:
http://www.memorylane.org.uk/the_memory_lane_party_night.htm#The%20Memory%
20Lane%20Party%20Night

Our next event

"Al Bowlly's London" will take place on 14th April 2007. So make a note in your
diary and
look out for further details in Memory Lane magazine and on this web page later
this year.
The Memory Lane Walks

Memory Lane offers three walks:

A Walk Through The Dance Band Days - Strand to Mayfair
A Walk Through The Dance Band Days - Strand to Soho
Al Bowlly's London
The walks, described below, take place in the Spring, start at 11.00am and are a
gentle
stroll which will take around 2 hours. Longer if the group stops for a drink
en-route. The
cost of joining a walk is just £5.00. The Walks take place regardless of the
weather. But if
the success of previous Memory Lane walks is repeated, it will be a lovely
spring day in the
convivial company of fellow enthusiasts.

A Walk Through the Dance Band Days

The May Fair HotelÉ.The Embassy ClubÉ.QuaglinosÉ.HatchettesÉ..The CiroÕs
ClubÉ..The Kit Cat ClubÉ.The Monseigneur Restaurant. Just the names of these
venues
conjure up a nostalgic image of London in the 1930s where you could see, listen
to and
dance to Harry Roy, Ambrose, Lew Stone, Charlie Kunz and others in the "Premiere
League"
of dance bands. Or you may have seen these names on 78 rpm record labels and
wondered where exactly they were and whether, in fact, any of them still exist.
If so, here
is your opportunity to find out. In fact, there will be a few surprises en
route.

Ray Pallett hosts two guided "dance band" walks around the West End of London
to view
the locations where the dance bands played. Each Walk takes in around 20
locations, (over
30 are covered by both walks) during which Ray recalls the bands which played at
the
different establishments together with anecdotes and narrative.

Strand to Mayfair Walk In addition to the locations already mentioned, this
walk also
includes the CafŽ Anglais, Casani Club, CafŽ de Paris, Berkeley Hotel,
Devonshire House,
New Princes, Hotel Cecil, Romanos, the Savoy and the Waldorf Hotel.

Strand to Soho Walk This walk covers many of the West End locations just
mentioned but
also takes in The Ambassadors Club, Fischer's Restaurant, Bag of Nails, Murray's
Club,
Archer Street, the Bat Club and the Astoria Ballroom.

Al Bowlly's London

This walk takes in many of the places mentioned above with special mention of
those
where Al appeared such as the Monseigneur Restaurant and the Savoy Hotel.
However, this
walk takes in additional places such as the flats where he lived, the Register
Office where
he married. En route, we also identify a number of places associated with the
dance bands.
We reach Dukes Court, the building housing the flat in which he died. From
there, the
group may either take the train to Hanwell to visit the cemetery where his mass
grave is to
be found, or the beautiful Greek Orthodox Cathedral where his memorial service
was held
or the Abbey Roads Studios where he made so may wonderful records. Ray provides
a
narrative in his own inimitable way linking the locations to the Al Bowlly
story.

Top of page

The Memory Lane Party Night

The Memory Lane Party Night is promoted by Bert Wilcox and normally held in the
Autumn
in the West End of London.

The Memory Lane Party Night typically have had many musicians and singers
entertaining
us plus other celebrities from the world of radio, TV, films, etc. If you have
been to any of
the previous Party Nights you will know what to expect. I look forward to
welcoming you
and your guests to our next event.

There is the "Memory Lane Table" and a raffle plus the opportunity to meet
celebrities and
others who share your musical interest as well as those associated with Memory
Lane.
Bring your camera, camcorder and dancing shoes as we enjoy our musical heritage.

Details of the next Party Night will be placed on this page as soon as it has
been arranged.
In the meantime further information can be obtained:

Bert Wilcox,
1099A Finchley Road, Golders Green,
London, NW11 0QB. Tel (020) 8 455 6620.


--- In albowlly@yahoogroups.com, "Kate" <katiespitfire@...> wrote:
>
> Hello all,
> I seem to remember someone offering walks around London pointing out
> sites of interest like the former Cafe de Paris and ending at the Site
> of Al's grave.
> Do these happen regularly?
> Kate
>