Description

Jazz Friday is a full-sized Big Band of around 25 musicians. Our music ranges through Swing, Soul, Blues, Funk and Latin Jazz. We've played at street markets, festivals, church events, park bandstands, fetes and private functions. We are continually updating our repertoire with exciting new charts.

Following a casual "wouldn't-it-be-nice-to-form-a-band" conversation between John Oglethorpe and Ian Davies, John acted immediately. He recruited Nathan King as a Musical Director and hired a hall in Rodborough. Ian found some players and the band had its first rehearsal in February 2009.

The band later moved its rehearsal room to Brookthorpe Village Hall. Nathan left us after four years of sterling work and Dave Smith took up the reins as Musical Director.

The original aims of the band - "to have fun" and to "play well", are still adhered to. Jazz Friday now has over twenty members, ranging from 'young hot-shots' 'to late-bloomers' and meets on Friday nights - Well, 'Jazz Friday' should, shouldn't it?

Jazz Friday rehearse most Fridays, from 19:30 until 21:30, at Brookthorpe Village Hall, midway between Gloucester and Stroud.

Description

Stratford Park is a 56 acre park located just outside the centre of Stroud, with a great range of facilities to suit all kinds of recreation.

As well as the Bandstand, the park includes a leisure centre (including an outdoor pool and tennis courts), museum, play area, skate park, lawn bowling green, children's nursery, miniature railway, arboretum/woodland, lake, and free parking.

Stratford Park has a large and varied children's play area for children between 4-11 years. Set on the large grass area at the rear of the centre, the area has climbing frames, slides, swings, runways, activity frames and springers. The play area is complimented with seating for adults and children, which makes the area ideal for family picnics. The area is managed in accordance with the European play safety guidelines and is maintained by the on-site ground staff.

The park has one of the finest collection of mature trees in the area and rivals the nearby Westonbirt Arboretum.

In April 1935 the Stratford Park estate, including the grounds and mansion house was purchased by the then Stroud Urban District Council (one of the predecessors of Stroud District Council).

The bowling green and tennis courts were developed first, followed by the outdoor pool (lido) in 1937. The first head groundsman took up residence in the mansion house (now the Museum in the Park which opened in 2001).

In 1975 the Leisure Centre building was opened within the grounds of the park to provide a whole new range of leisure provisions for the people of Stroud.

Stratford Park,

Stroud,

Gloucestershire,

England,

GL5 4AJ.