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Family Events
Spafest Family Fun Weekend - A feast of entertainment on the Pantiles
It must be many years since the Pantiles has been such a buzz, hundreds of people, from toddlers to grandparents flocked to the Pantiles this weekend for the EDF Energy Spafest’s family weekender.
A host of family and community entertainment took place throughout Pantiles on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th July from 12pm until 10pm both days, and the weather did not disappoint!
People were enjoying the event so much that by midnight on Saturday the Pantiles was still alive with laughter and chat – no one was ready to go home.
Those who made the trip to the Pantiles this weekend were greeted like royalty as ‘18th Century Royal Footmen’ gave a proper comedy welcome and stunning first impression. They amused the crowds with witty verbal banter, comedy magic, improvisation and physical humour
Face painting, giant balloon making and swash-buckling pirate shows ‘Shiver me timbers’ entertained the children as live music moved from stage to stage.
Compere for both days was Paul Dunton, with a ‘Jules Hollandesque’ jacket and style he ran from the Zapata’s stage to the Pantiles Bandstand introducing some of the regions finest acoustic bands.
Paul Dunton, a singer-songwriter himself said ‘It is great to see so many people come out and support local talent, Tunbridge Wells has some fantastic musicians – what Spafest is doing in the town is so positive”.
The Corn Exchange and Fish market stages were jigging with over 40 morris dancers from across the southeast including ‘Loose Women’, ‘Rampant Rooster Morris’ from Dorking, the ‘Kettlebridge Clogs’ and our own ‘Royal Borough Morris’ who reformed especially for the weekend. Live folk included performances from Blackthorn and Thingamajig on Saturday and Ruckus and All Jigged Out on Sunday.
Zapata’s saw their busiest weekend for years as the stage on Union Square hosted contemporary, rock and Latin guitar sounds from Collin Neil, Alfie Noakes with Ian Knapp and Sweetheart on Saturday and the Anthony Vicary Trio, Blusombra and the Leanie Kaleido Trio on Sunday.
The Mid Sussex Brass Band gave a laid back start to Sunday afternoon followed by the Paul Dunton Trio, then into the evening the music heated up on the Bandstand at 8pm with Sound Sanctuary, then it was back over to the Zapatas stage for Jake and Toby Boyle and after two encores this most enjoyable of weekends came to a close.
Spafest Festival Director Ian Bowden said, “It has been such a incredible weekend, the atmosphere vibrant, the quality of music superb and the audiences fantastic. We are delighted to have been able to reach out into the heart of the community and give musicians a platform to perform to a wider audience”.
The Corn Exchange, Hobgoblin Music, Allianz Cornhill and Buss Murton Solicitors kindly sponsored the Pantiles Family Weekend.
