Birthday Greetings
to Alan Ashton

The following (in random order) sent their best wishes for Alan's 75th birthday on 10th September 2010.

Hi Alan,
As you can see from this page, all the stops have been pulled out to make this a birthday you will remember. What you have done over the years is very much appreciated as you will see from the messages below. Happy birthday from one Virgo to another.
......... Cled Griffin

Dear Alan,
It feels like 'This is Your Life' and Cled is Eamonn Andrews!I Wonder if you remember the first time we met when I was just a teenager, terrified by the grandeur of the Morecambe festival. It is hard to believe that was 25 years ago! But since then, it has been a pleasure getting to know you and great fun meeting up at Morecambe, Sandford Park, The Norbreck, and Herdecke, to mention but a few.
Thanks for keeping in touch and for all your help over the years.
I hope to see you at another event soon as I seem to remember it's your round!
Best wishes for your 75th.............Anthony Lomas

Hi Alan. 75 not out - that's a great score! Thanks for all your hard work on behalf of that much endangered species - the entertainment organist! Andrew Gilbert"

Many congratulations on your 75^th., Alan – unfortunately, that means I must be a bit older as well! A long time since ‘Pedal, Percussion and Pipes’ days on BBC Radio Manchester in the early 70’s, but we had some fun times, didn’t we? I happily remember my visits to the studios to watch you at work and also to contribute from time to time and I’ll always be grateful for your support, in conjunction with the Lancastrian Theatre Organ Trust, during those early days of my own career. Have a great day and perhaps we’ll meet up sometime, somewhere for a good old reminisce.
All the very best.
Nigel Ogden

Have a Happy 75th from Ian & Gerry at MSS. It's been a pleasure working with you over the years.

Ian & Gerry King,

Hi Alan
Just to wish you a very happy birthday. Keep up the good work on your Internet website and in the magazines.
We wish you all the best.
Dennis and Pat Willcocks.

Happy birthday Alan. How nice it would be if we could rewind to the good old days. Best wishes from one ex-op to another.
...Sylvia Griffin

Hi Alan
Best wishes for your 75th Birthday. Thanks for your advice regarding my first recording back in '84.
Regards
Kelvin Eames

Hi Alan
I remember the time when you invited Keyklix back a second time when on stage at the Pontin's Morecombe organ festival in the mid 1980's. Not only that, you arranged for the BBC Organist Entertains to do a live recording of Keyklix for their programme. Thanks for what you have done over the years.
Best wishes for a happy birthday.
>> Ian Griffin <<

"Dear Alan, Your contribution to the organ and keyboard world is well documented, and on your special birthday I would like to convey my best wishes to you and hope that you have a super day, and enjoy many more to come. Let the music play on! Best wishes, Robert New".

Happy birthday Alan. Hope you have a lovely day and enjoy the celebrations. Keep up the good work for the organ world. From John & Sarah Willcocks.

Hi Alan, my congratulations and best wishes for the day and long may you continue to live in good health!. I would like to thank you for all the publicity and help you have given me and many others on Pedal,Percussion & Pipes on Radio Manchester in the '70s. It was a great programme and should have been on National Radio and is still sadly missed.
All the best....... Norman Scott

Happy 75th birthday, Alan! I know you are never idle, always finding new and interesting ways of promoting the organ, and strength to your elbow. But for today I hope you can rest that elbow, put your feet up, and enjoy some conviviality and relaxation with nearest and dearest. Many happy returns! Penny Weedon

" Alan, Congratulations on reaching the BIG 75. It couldn't happen to a nicer fellow!
I've known you for many years now - 27 to be precise - ever since the first days of Turner's (Northampton). Your help in setting up that establishment was crucial to the venue's immense success. I have always appreciated and acknowledged the help and assistance you gave me in those early days of my career. All extremely invaluable to a young man on the organ scene of the early 1980's. I also fondly recollect the time we had out in Florida in 1985 - truly riotous! Our paths crossed again recently when you collaborated with me on the production of my "25 Years at the Kirk" CD recording. Your input into that project was flawless and 100% "organised", as only your work can be.
Have a great day and every success for the future.
Regards as ever - Nicholas Martin."

Happy birthday, Alan! It’s interesting to note that you were born in the same year that Mary Pickford married Douglas Fairbanks, Monopoly went on sale for the first time, and the songs “Cheek to Cheek”, “My Romance” and “Just One of Those Things” were written – a vintage year indeed! Congratulations on your three-quarter century and many happy returns. Best wishes, Simon Gledhill.

Happy Birthday Alan Ashton
It's your seventy fifth today
Greetings sent from Wivenhoe
Hope you have a lovely day

Julia Neil and Angie Diggens

'Happy Birthday Alan - fond memories of all the times you worked with me at the Yamaha Clavinova Festivals when you were compere for us - such a long time ago now! Hoping you have a great day.
Very best wishes.... Janet Dowsett.'

"Dear Alan, just a couple of lines to wish you a very Happy 75th Birthday. It is a pleasure to know such a kind and supportive man in the organ world. Have a wonderful day and many many happy returns!" Alex Payler.

Hi Alan, Happy Birthday you don`t look a day over 74! And still interested in Organs!! Have a great day, Andrew Varley.

"Happy Birthday Alan, I still laugh at the time we all went to Spain in the `80`s"
Cheers.... Brian Hazelby.

'Hello Alan, Heartiest congratulations on your 75th. We go back a long way. Remember those concerts at Ron Curtis's when you used to compere them ? You've been good to me over the years using my material on your radio shows and doing record reviews etc.
May you have many more happy years in the West Country.
Very best wishes,
Trevor Bolshaw'

Hi Alan, Happy Birthday Amigo, hope to see you again soon! Greetings from Dirk Ranzijn.

Hello, Alan. I can't believe that you are 75. Dorothy must be doing a splendid job of looking after you!
Your achievements in festivals, broadcasting, and journalism have made a lasting contribution to the popularity of organ and keyboard music in the UK.
Thanks for all your efforts throughout the years.
Have a very Happy Birthday, and very many more of them
Best regards...... Richard Bower.

Hi Alan
Many congratulations upon your 75th!
Have a wonderful birthday and thanks for all you have done over the years to promote interest in organs, organists and organ music
All the best.........Keith and Helene Beckingham.

"Best Wishes Alan, it doesn't seem like 25 years since we first met in the good old Morecambe days"
Congratulations from David, George and Diane Ingley

"Keep on Rockin! Alan, have a great birthday!
If Music be the food of love... enjoy it....for many more years. Best wishes.........Jean Martyn.

Happy Birthday! We are all indebted to you for your contribution to the organ world. But surely they mean 57 years old? Another typo I'm sure!
Every good wish ----- Paul Roberts

I would like to wish Alan Ashton ALL THE BEST for his 75th Birthday. He has given a lot of musical pleasure to many people, over the years, with his radio programmes. I particularly enjoy listening to his monthly Organ1st Radio internet programme. Here's to many more years Alan and Many Thanks for all your musical efforts.
.....TREVOR BUNCE

Chiho Sunamoto & Jon Smith would like to wish Alan 'A Very Happy 75th Birthday'... and many more of them !

Hi Alan and a very very happy birthday to you! If I was there in person I would be singing Happy Birthday to you; on second thoughts it’s perhaps best I’m not as it might bring the bad weather on! Seriously though Alan I would just like to wish you a super day. I could go on and on about the old days but I won’t and just say have a great and memorable day. Hang on a minute, I will sing this for you, just use your imagination now Alan as I get my old vocals round this song! Are you sitting comfortably, then I will begin:-:
Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Alan, Happy Birthday to yooooooooouuuuuuu!
All the very best Alan from Mike Hall.

Hi Alan … Just a few lines to wish you a very HAPPY 75^TH BIRTHDAY! It has been a great pleasure to have known you for almost thirty years. I first met you at Turner’s Musical Merry Go Round, Northampton in 1983 and, since that time, you have supported me throughout my musical career as much as anybody could have done, and for this I thank you so much. Have a wonderful day Alan and I hope to see you soon.
Kindest Regards. ♫ John Walker ♫

Alan,
Many congratulations on your 75th birthday. I hope you have a wonderful day and may I also take this opportunity to thank-you for all the dedicated work you have done in the organ world over the many years.
Best wishes - Ryan Edwards

Dear Alan,
Together with Andreas and Felix I would like to wish you all the best on your 75th birthday. We are convinced that music kept you so young and will do so in the future!
Thank you for your friendship and your support over so many years. Enjoy your life together with your wonderful wife Dorothy in beautiful Cornwall.
Looking forward to seeing you again
Musically Yours...... Claudia Hirschfeld

Happy Birthday Alan!!
Best wishes for a wonderful day - and for many more birthdays to come.
We share memories of the great days of the organ - when the scene was vibrant, exciting and oh, so very popular. And wasn't it fun being there - right at the centre of it all?
All the best - Glyn
Glyn Madden
Editor - Yamaha Club Magazine

Happy Birthday and best wishes from Claire Greig.

Its difficult to believe that it is 25 years since we became involved with the stage presentation at those early festivals and it has been a real pleasure to keep in touch ever since. In particular. it was great to meet up again in June whilst we were holidaying in South Devon. Congratulations Alan! - Happy Birthday - and here's to many more! Darrell and Jean Lomas.

Congratulations Alan on your 75^th Birthday – I have just had mine in June so you must be catching me up! In fact I am the first organist to get free planning permission for a Zimmer park I started in 1954 at the Plaza Birkenhead - opposite the solo chamber - you couldn’t get closer than that, hence the Metal Tibia gag which stems back to all those years ago.

I have known you since 1970 when you had a programme on BBC Radio Manchester and did a number of broadcasts from Blackpool and Southport Odeon’s and several other places. Thanks to you I made my ‘Around the World’ LP in 1972 – now you are broadcasting around the world on the Internet!.

Remember Tom Burgess the COS Secretary? It was through him I met you. Tom was a real Wurlitzer man and when I asked him did Hammond organs have second touch, he replied by saying they shouldn't have a first touch, and had a good laugh. All priceless memories of a very innocent period in my life - the good old days Best wishes for many more birthdays… Dave Nicholas

And now a response from Alan....

Hi everyone.

Yes indeed...what can I say.

To all of you who congratulated me on obtaining my free TV Licence (that is until the present Government takes it away at the first opportunity in order that I may do my bit to halt the financial debt) may I just say it was a complete surprise, and for that the credit must go to Cled Griffin – himself a Virgo and pioneering Organ Festival Producer.

Yes, the early Festival days were some of the happiest of my memories, and I have the photos to prove it. Certain copies can be obtained and will be sent in a plain brown sealed envelope!

To those who remarked on the Manchester days when I first began broadcasting – yet again they were days when the organ world was buzzing with excitement and competition as new electronic organs were unveiled at the various Trade Fairs, and then ‘road tested’ at the Festivals that were their showcase. Those of you old enough to remember Arthur Askey (not the best of organists but a Bee good variety artist!) …he would have summed it all up in two words ‘Happy Days’

The fact that I am still able to bring you some of those pioneering sounds each month on Organ1st Radio is down to the fact that so many of you made sure that I got copies of your cassettes and LPs. I had to draw the line on wax cylinders because the BBC had long ago got rid of the equipment on which to play them. Today, the outer sleeves and the cases might look a little dog-eared, but the contents are still as fresh as ever, and it is those that I am proud to share with everyone who tunes in each month.

Dorothy joins with me in thanking you all for the Birthday Messages.

In the meantime we are both off for a meal before the increased VAT gets slapped on, and the letter from the Tax Man drops through the letterbox.

Alan.

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Birthday Greetings to Alan Ashton

The following (in random order) sent their best wishes for Alan's 75th birthday on 10th September 2010.

And now a response from Alan....

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Birthday Greetings
to Alan Ashton