Happy New Year!!
Tom was back at some of his favourite restaurants for Christmas Party season, including Vercelli's, La Torre and Marabini's. It's a lovely time of year - nobody needs much persuasion to get into the party spirit! Last month we mentioned Mike Brown of Life on Cartoon Motion Photography. Well, Mike came along to one of Tom's La Torre gigs, and took some great photo's. Take a look at them in Tom's Gallery.
Tom was also performing at Maggie's Christmas Concert in Jesmond. Maggie's do terrific and much needed work at their centre at The Freeman Hospital. The concert raised thousand of pounds, and involved Tom, Graeme Danby, and Valerie Reid, as well last The Newcastle School for Girls Choir. Various regional figures read lessons, and everyone enjoyed the evening. At the end of the concert, Jason Isaacs also sang a few songs whilst everyone had mince pies and wine!
Afterwards Tom received the following messages of thanks:
Hi Tom
I just wanted to say another big thank you for coming and supporting our event on Monday night. Your performance was fantastic and everyone has commented on how much they enjoyed it.
Thank you again for all of your support.
Kelly Knighting-Wykes Centre Fundraising Manager
Tom,
Very many thanks for performing at the Maggie's Christmas Carol Concert last night.
Your performance of 'O Holy Night' was so powerful and hugely enjoyed by everyone. It was extremely kind of you to support Maggie's in this way. An enormous thank you.
Do hope you and your family have a very happy Christmas and an excellent New Year.
Very best wishes for your continued success.
Carolyn Ramsbotham (Concert Committee, Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre)
Dear Tom,
Many, many thanks for all your help with the Maggie's Carol Concert at St George's it was an absolutely fantastic event and we have had the most wonderful feedback from the congregation, supporters and Maggie's Head Office.
The evening was a great success for Maggie's raising in excess of £6,000 with more pledges still to come in, but most importantly created goodwill and awareness for our Centre here in the North East. We very much hope this will become an annual event.
I would like to thank you personally, as Chairman of the Fundraising Board of Maggie's North East and on behalf of the Carol Concert Committee: David Wallace, Michaela Martin and Carolyn Ramsbotham.
Finally, I wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year.
Lorna Moran OBE, Chairman of Fundraising Board of Maggie’s North East
Tom also sang for John and Jill Hudson at Seaham Hall Hotel, just before Christmas. They married on 20th December, for a truly Christmassy wedding. Of course, it's a fabulous venue, and Tom provided the early evening entertainment. John and Jill are a really lovely couple and deserve a very happy future together. Here's what Jill said afterwards:-
“I am so pleased I booked Tom to sing at our wedding. We were not disappointed. From initial meeting, through to the end of his performance, Tom was a delight to work with. He took immediate interest in our day and came to our venue to visit and see the set up before the day, which we were very grateful for. Tom's business has a true family feel, which we love, and fit in perfect with our day which also included our son's christening. I would highly recommend Tom for any event or wedding where you want to wow your guests with strong vocals, fun entertainment and a good range of style. Thanks for everything Tom! Now what party can I plan next where you can sing for us?
Much love" – Mrs J Hudson.
So….Happy New Year to everyone. We hope it is a healthy one for you all. Tom's next public gig is at Vercelli's - aways a great night - and it's on Saturday 10th January. Hope to see you all there!
Update...
Congratulations to Mr & Mrs David Lavarack, in York who recently celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary! They saw Tom performing at Alnwick Garden in May, and asked if he would come and perform at their celebrations at Swallow Hall Golf Club. It just fitted in nicely as Tom was performing the next night in Northampton. They are a wonderful couple, and had many of their friends and family there to help mark what is an amazing milestone. We all wish them all the best for the next 50 years!
The next night, Tom was at The Hilton Northampton, for The Child Growth Foundation's Annual Convention. The charity is very important to Tom and his family - many of you will be aware of Ruth, Tom's Mum, and her recent participation in The Great North Run. Some of you kindly sponsored her, helping to raise a magnificent £1,235 for The CGF. Tom sang at the evening dinner, and when he wasn't singing, provided the music for the dance floor. He made full use of all of his lights, including a a brand new one, and, for the first time had full DMX control of the lights from the sound desk! The room looked superb.
One of the highlights of the evening was seeing Tom, gather all the children on the dance floor, as they provided the choral backing to him singing "Any Dream Will Do". The convention was a huge success - so helpful for so many people. In fact such a success, that it has outgrown the venue and next year will be held at The Hilton, Warwick. Tom has been asked to return and provide the entertainment again!
Finally, Tom has had to cancel two gigs - this Friday at Marabini's, when Pete Brown has agreed to step in, and on Saturday at The Old Storehouse. Tom is having some minor knee surgery this Friday, but he will be back bouncing about again soon! His next public gigs are on Friday 3rd October at Marabini's, Morpeth, and Saturday 4th October at The Old Storehouse. See you there!
What a weekend!
On Saturday, Tom was back at La Torre in Bedlington. The renovations are nearing completion, but this week, only the upstairs restaurant was open. It was full, and made for a more intimate atmosphere. It was a very good night, and Tom even finished off the night by playing a few George Formby classics on the Uke! He will be back there on Saturday 11th October, by which time the new restaurant will be open downstairs!
Yesterday, was The Great North Run. By now, readers will know how important it was for the Wyllie family. Ruth, Tom's Mum - who is celebrating a milestone birthday this year, wanted to complete the run - before it is too late. Having said that, there was a 93 year old war veteran running, so there is time for us all! It was a fantastic day, and Ruth performed superbly well and has raised over £1,100 for The Child Growth Foundation. It's an absolutely superb effort, and our thanks to everyone who donated so generously. We are all extremely proud of her and are looking forward to The Child Growth Convention next weekend! It isn't too late to donate! Ruth put so much effort into her challenge - she would be very, very grateful for any donations! You can donate by visiting her JustGiving page here.
Tom's next public gig is tomorrow night at The Boat Inn, Leaplish, Kielder, and he will be at Alnwick Garden Cafe on Wednesday from 12 Noon until around 2pm. Hope to see you there!
Thick, Fast and The Great North Run
September looks like being even busier, as he brings his Summer season up at Kielder to a close, and has gigs, at Marabini's, La Torre, Alnwick Garden and The Old Storehouse, as well as a number of private gigs, as far afield as York and Northampton.
The gig in Northampton, a week on Sunday, is for The Child Growth Foundation, a charity which ha been very supportive of Tom and his family over the years. This Sunday, Tom's Mum is running in The Great North Run, for the first (and possibly only!) time, and helping to raise much needed funds for this important charity. Yesterday, Anna Foster of Magic Radio Newcastle 1152 interviewed Ruth on air, as Anna highlights some of the less well known charities that hope to benefit from the Great North Run.
We missed the very start when Anna asked Ruth - "This is the first time you have run the Great North Run, but do you think it will be the last?!" you can listen to what followed towards the top of the right hand sidebar on the homepage.
If you feel able and would like to support Ruth in her run, please visit her sponsorship page here. Anything you can donate will be really, really appreciated! Thank you!
Meanwhile, you see Tom performing next at Marabini's tomorrow night - Friday 5th September, and at La Torre on Saturday night - 6th September
The Old Storehouse welcomes Tom back
Thank you to everyone who take the time to give their feedback last night, it's always a pleasure to talk to the audience. Thanks too to those who bought one of Tom's CD's - we hope you enjoy!
Tonight, Tom is singing at La Torre, in Bedlington, and tomorrow he will be up at The Boat Restaurant, up at Kielder. You can next catch Tom at The Old Storehouse on Friday September 19th, from about 8pm.
Back to Leaplish....
You can see Tom next at The Old Storehouse in Amble on Friday 15th August, and he'll be back at The Boat Inn next Sunday 17th August, from 7pm.
Lightning does strike twice
This time, Tom actually arrived to set up, only to find that another singer was already set up, due to a double booking. For anyone planning to see Tom last night, we can only apologise, and assure you that we are working with the management there to make sure this doesn't happen again. We have been assured that Tom's booking for Friday 15th August will go ahead. Meanwhile, you can catch Tom tonight at The Boat Restaurant at Leaplish, Kielder, from 7pm.
Time for a break!
For those of you we have seen over the last couple of weeks, at various venues - thank you for your support and kind comments! Recent gigs have included:
The Old Storehouse, Amble - where Tom is becoming known for the quality and variety of his repertoire. The Old Storehouse recently had £2M spent on upgrading the restaurant, pub, and owners entertainment lounge. It's a beautiful place to be entertained whilst dining on high quality food. Tom has been entertaining both the general public in The Old Storehouse, and the owners in Links - The Owners Entertainment Lounge.
The Boat Inn, Leaplish, Kielder - where Tom has started his Summer season. Still to come, Tom will be singing there on four Sunday evenings in August and four Tuesday evenings in September. So, enjoy the long evenings, and make your way to one of Northumberland's beauty spots, and enjoy the food and entertainment whilst looking out over the fabulous Kielder Water.
Marabini's, Morpeth - where Tom is still entertaining. When he was last there the restaurant was packed out, and as ever, he had people singing along and dancing. Marabini's has long been a favourite venue, and although Tom doesn't go there as often these days, he still has a few gigs booked between now and December.
La Torre, Bedlington - Just last night Tom was back at La Torre, and the restaurant was fully booked. A special shout out goes to Pinot, who used to work at Marabini's and it was a pleasure to see him add to the lovely atmosphere at La Torre. Tom was singer, dancer, children's entertainer and child minder last night, as some of the young customers joined him dancing and doing a conga (well it was a little like the Pied Piper!) round the restaurant. Tom received possibly the biggest round of applause yet for his rendition of Nessun Dorma, which with the final of The World Cup playing tonight was certainly appropriate - even if England didn't get past first base (Hmm getting our sports a bit mixed up there I think!!). Jackie Rayer was kind enough to write today:
"Fantastic night last night. Tom, you have an incredible voice, which makes me melt when you sing classical. Outstanding - look forward to next month!"
All of which finally brings us on to "the break". Tom is taking a well earned holiday, but will be back and raring to go, for a busy August schedule. Take a look at the public gig dates page, to see where and when you can see him perform. His next public gig is at The Alnwick Garden on Wednesday 6th August from 12 Noon.
The Boat Inn Restaurant
Springing Off!
In the coming weeks, Tom is performing at a variety of restaurant venues - some new, some familiar, so Tom will be taking his show to a wider audience during the spring. This Friday, Tom will be singing at Sonero’s in Tynemouth, which quite recently has changed hands. Make your booking now, with David, the manager there, and look forward to a great night out on the coast. The following Friday (11th), Tom will be at Vercelli’s, in Hexham, a beautiful restaurant on Priestpopple, where Louise Brison is your host. That’s sure to be a great night too!
In the coming weeks, Tom will be back at Marabini’s, La Torre in Bedlington, and Alnwick Garden too. He’ll also be returning to The Dyke Neuk, Meldon. He is also delighted to announce that this year he will be performing at The Boat Inn Restaurant, Kielder on New Year’s Eve - a venue which is fast becoming another jewel in Northumberland’s crown.
For dates and times, as always, check out the gig dates page. Keep watching as more dates are added!
August Round-up
The previous post made mention of Tom's performance in Morpeth Market Place on 3rd August, which seemed to go down well. Not only did he get lots of great feedback on the day, but he has subsequently received enquiries about purchasing further copies of "crescendo" and "Il Divino".
Hi we bought "Crecendo" a few weeks ago in the market place Morpeth. A real treat for us to stand and listen to Tom singing! We bought this CD and wish we had bought them both!
- Pat Davidson
We are working on a face lift and re-launch of Tom's website, and very much hope to be able to make his CDs available for purchase online.
On both 10th and 24th August, Tom performed at The Boat Inn at Kielder, entertaining holidaymakers at Leaplish. He sang from all parts of his repertoire and was taking requests. Regulars won't be surprised that Tom ended the night with people up and dancing! They were great nights in a lovely setting. The summer season at Leaplish has drawn to a close, with the end of the school holidays, but Tom hopes to return to the Boat Inn again.
31st August saw Tom back at Marabini's once again! Marabinis is never dull, and there was a great atmosphere. Tom gave an extended set of his classical repertoire, and was in good form.
Tom's family were there celebrating his Dad's birthday, so it was a great opportunity to sing Happy Birthday to his Dad, and put the traditional Sombrero on his head!
Tom's next public performance is on 26th September - back at Marabini's! He'll hope to see you there!
Back at The Boat again...
The Boat (and Tower Knowe) feature in today's Journal, where the announcement was made of Richard Sim's appointment as executive chef at both venues - you can read the article here. The Boat has a future as a high quality gastro-pub to look forward to, and few could boast a more spectacular back drop!
Tom is performing at a couple of private functions this weekend, but you can catch his next public gig at Marabini's in Morpeth on Saturday 20th April from about 8:30pm. They are always great nights at Marabini's, so call them now for a table!!
The Boat Inn
The Boat Inn is situated right on Kielder Water - it's a beautiful spot, and The Boat is not just there for residents of the lodges and caravans in the forest. The food is first class, and the welcome very friendly - it's a lovely place to spend an evening. So why not come along next time Tom is on - Wednesday, 10th April 2013 from 7pm. To reserve a table ring 01434 251000.
Lynn's libations and Laura's lungs….
As you see, Tom himself ended up wearing the birthday hat! Also there was Tom's old swimming coach - Laura Brown, who claims that much of Tom's singing is down to her training. Holding him under water helped to increase his lung capacity!! Thanks Laura!
Tom will be back at Marabini's on Saturday 20th April 2013. Before that though, you can see him at a new venue for Tom - The Boat Inn, Kielder. He will be there on Wednesday 27th March 2013 from 7pm.
Tom Wyllie to sing at The Boat Inn Restaurant
Snow go for Burn's Night
This was a great disappointment for all concerned, but, not wishing to miss out on a rare free saturday night, Tom went to Marabini's for dinner to celebrate his birthday! It was the first time Tom had been just to dine - he normally sings! Still, Natasha Magee, singer for the night, got Tom up to sing. We all had a great night, and our thanks to the wonderful staff there, and of course to Natasha.
You can catch Tom there this Saturday, 2nd February, for another great night's entertainment.