Jack Hamilton Broadstairs Folk Week

Subject: Jack Hamilton Broadstairs Folk Week
From: synbyn
Date: 13 Nov 07 - 09:34 AM

Many Catters will know of Jack Hamilton, whose contribution to Broadstairs Folk Week was immense. This info comes from Pam Wells...



...This is just to let you know that I had a sad phone call from Tricia Hamilton on Friday to say that Jack was taken to hospital in the early hours and died around 0800, Friday 9th November 2007.
Tricia thinks he had a heart attack and stroke, plus of course his dementia. He was 88 in July.

The celebration service of Jack Hamilton's life will be held on:
Friday 16th November at 14:30 hours
at St Dunstans Church, West Peckham, near Maidstone, Kent.
There will also be tributes in dance and song at Jack's request afterwards in the village hall.

Jack requested no flowers please, but any donations can be made on the day, or sent in aid of "St Dunstans Church" West Peckham via Tricia, or the Broadstairs Folk Week Office, Pierremont Hall, Broadstairs - see website : http://www.broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk/

....

What is there to add? A very special man.

Subject: RE: Jack Hamilton Broadstairs Folk Week
From: GUEST,Gadaffi
Date: 13 Nov 07 - 11:46 AM

I only knew Jack late in his life, but became quickly aware of the energy he eschewed for the cause of Folk music.

Jack was editor of 'Folk in Kent' for a very long time, and gave me a lot of support and inspiration in my early days living in the county, providing me with an outlet for my first articles on tradition in Kent.

He was also a great enabler. When the Thomas Clark Quire started in 1992, he included them on the programme at one of his Christmas services at West Peckham church - actually singing in the gallery! Somehow, that gave the group the incentive it needed to pull together and perform in front of a public.

He was also a key figure in the early days of the Sidmouth Festival, and spurred on the formation of many a morris dance team, e.g. East Kent morris and the revival of their hooden horse customs.