24 December 2005

Top West End theatre producer to manage popular music venue

Keith Murray is to take over as general manager of Blackheath Halls. Keith co-produced the George and Ira Gershwin centenary celebrations at The Royal Albert Hall and The London Palladium, plus theatre productions Spike starring Richard Briers, Sitting Pretty with Maureen Lipman, and Only A Matter of Time by Alan Plater. Until recently he was deputy chief executive of the International Festival of Musical Theatre in Cardiff and is vice- chairman of The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts. The halls, which opened in 1895, were bought by Trinity College of Music in 2003.


Former council leader will quit

FORMER council leader Chris Maines has announced he is to quit Bromley borough. The top Liberal Democrat, who was the leader of Bromley Council from 1998 to 2001, is moving to Blackheath where he intends to stand in next May's council elections.
Cllr Maines said: "I don't think it's a Labour stronghold, it's just waiting for a Liberal Democrat councillor.

"Bromley's very formal. We say prayers and bow to the mayor. Lewisham is not like this. And in Bromley, councillors work very hard to attend meetings. In Lewisham there is a huge absenteeism rate."

He says the issues of safer streets, anti-social behaviour and cleaner streets, will still be prominent.