And finally ...

And finally ... I’d like to thank the very many who helped make Tango Shelter 2019 another huge success.

Funds raised were £1,865.07 in 2019 compared with £1,700.19 in 2018 and £1,429.08 in 2017. The 2019 accounts are here.

Gio Magneto was kind and offered his professional services as a graphic designer and revamped the Tango Shelter poster.

First of course thanks to George McCombe, the Administrator of the Mount Street Jesuit Centre for agreeing to host Tango Shelter 2019 to raise funds for the Farm Street Winter Night Shelter. As explained on the night by the Superior, Fr. Dominic Robinson, this feeds and shelters the homeless in the winter cold in the very room where we celebrated the milonga. And it is indeed cold and wet outside.

Then thanks to David James Bailey and Ann Salmon of Learning Tango for once again running the Nuevo Room and general support and advice. They run the monthly Milonga Abierta in Apsley near Hemel Hempstead. They also run an Annual Summer Festival with the next one on 12 – 14 June 2020 in Hemel Hempstead.

David and Ann also managed the second room and David DJ'd a fine Nuevo set in there. He also supplied and installed the sound systems in both rooms.

Stuart McLenahan provided and installed the special lighting for the event.

I delivered a smooth set of late Golden Age and Romantic Silk Age Tangos on the main hall.

Tuna Acciaioli wonderfully sang two tandas. The first tanda included two bilingual songs including Invierno in the original Spanish and in an English version by me, Warren Edwardes.

This year I wanted to move beyond the usual tango show dance so invited the English National Ballet School to deliver a set of ballets to tango music. They came upto and well exceeded expectations with detailed and carefully crafted choreography turned into superb performances.

It was agreed by all to be a privilege to witness the performances. So thanks to Viviana Durante, Director of Dance at the ENBS for approving the project and being there on the night to oversee the performances; her executive assistant Edward Boudling for putting it all together with me over the months; Andrea Zulian and Stefano Magosso who co-choreographed and performed the first dance; Liudmila Loglisci, who choreographed the second dance, which was performed by Kevin Alsina, Hamish Longley and Gemma Coutts; and Hamish Longley the choreographer of the third dance which was performed by Anton Clarke, Jaden Grey, Natalie Sinsheimer, Gemma Coutts, Larissa Li, Eri Shibata and Jill D'Haene.

Takis Kalogroulis provided CDs for sale.

Julia Franks provided the delicious brownies for sale for the charity. Warren Edwardes , provided La Cumparsita de Oro wine for sale for the charity.

Managing the set-up, take-down, reception and kitchen was a tight team of, Alicia Lofthouse for the third year), Ronan McCole, a non dancing volunteer from Farm Street church, Aseem Bandali, Joseph George, Tina Leong. Plus there were many others who helped to collect and put away the chairs and collect litter. I noticed the always helpful Pepi Sevilla-Cavas but I am sure there were many others.

Chris Ongsiek of image plotter took photographs; David Bailey, Alan HK and I took the videos

And thanks to Bahar Köse for showing off her clothes by Bahar’s Designs.

Then I’d like to thank the Lottery Prize donaters – The Connaught Hotel, Marilyn Harris, Tangomeet, Learning Tango (Ann Salmon and David James Bailey) and Hyde Park Wines for La Cumparsita. (Warren Edwardes)

For details of the prizes see the Tango Shelter webpage

And thanks to all who bought Milonga and Lottery tickets and who made donations to cover the credit card and other minimal expenses and also for publicising the event.

¡Hasta La Pista!

Warren Edwardes