Stables Theatre Ltd
The Stables Theatre Ltd carries out the work of the charity Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd including promotion of concerts and education activity at The Stables Theatre, Milton Keynes.
Manoj Gupta
Chairman
At the turn of the millenium Manoj took a sabbatical for 1 year to embark on a world tour, making it half way around the world before running out of time!
Returned to launch a dot com in the field of online dating, a business in it's infancy at the time. The business survived the bursting of the dot com bubble and is still trading today; www.nomorefrogs.com
Pursued Independent Consulting with the premise of ‘Bridging Business & IT’. Worked on client programmes in Munich, Stockholm, Texas and the UK over a 3 year timeframe.
Since getting married and starting a family he has re-oriented to a locally based life, balancing home, work and volunteer commitments. He now offers business and IT assistance to clients in and around Bedfordshire, promotes his wife’s musical career (www.poojamusic.com) and sits on the steering committee of a volunteer project called Fusion (www.allsaintsbedford.co.uk). Fusion engages around 70 children in music making and educational activity and recently won a Queen's award for voluntary service.
He is a Trustee of Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd, Director of The Stables Events Ltd, and The Stables Trading Ltd, which he chairs.
Rod Argent
Director
In 1969, Rod formed "Argent", which was also to achieve international success - notably with the hits "Hold Your Head Up" and "God Gave Rock and Roll To You", and he continued to enjoy a reputation as one of the finest keyboard players of the genre.
After 'Argent' split, Rod appeared as a keyboard player on countless records, with artists as diverse as 'The Who', John Dankworth, Cleo Laine, Colin Blunstone, Gary Moore and Andrew Lloyd Webber. He also wrote and scored much music for television films and major series, as well as producing several million selling albums for other artists, including Tanita Tikaram, Joshua Kadison and Nanci Griffiths. In the late '90s, he recorded a solo piano album of classical repertoire, "Rod Argent - Classically speaking".
In 2000, Rod reunited with Colin Blunstone, original singer with the Zombies, and has since toured extensively all over the world. Their recent premiere of "Odessy and Oracle" (40 years after the recording!) at The Shepherd's Bush Empire received ecstatic 5 star reviews in several national newspapers, including The Guardian, The Times, The Scotsman and The Independent.
He is a Trustee of Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd and a Director of The Stables Theatre Ltd.
Alec Dankworth
Director
He is a Trustee of Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd and a Director of The Stables Theatre Ltd.
Monica Ferguson
Director
She became General Manager of Watersmeet Theatre in Rickmansworth prior to taking up the post of Chief Executive at The Stables in 2003 where she has overseen the financial recovery of the organisation and the building of Stage 2 – an intimate café-bar / performance space designed to showcase emerging artists. She was also the founding Director of IF: Milton Keynes International Festival in 2010. Monica was a founding director of Arts Marketing Warwickshire and helped to establish the London Arts Marketing Project. She has been a director of Youth & Music and is a director of The Stables Theatre Ltd, The Stables Trading Ltd and The Stables Events Ltd.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. She lives with her partner and interests include hill walking, golf, history, theatre and music.
Ian Smith
Director
Ian has spent his whole career in education. He was Director of Music, Head of Expressive Arts and Assistant Headteacher at Wootton Upper School, near Bedford. He was conductor of Bedfordshire County Youth Second Orchestra for 23 years with whom he gave frequent performances at the Edinburgh Festival. His wide-ranging career also includes many radio recordings together with television appearances for BBC and ITV.
This breadth of musical experience and enthusiasm has resulted in Ian being invited to conduct a number of other orchestras, including Milton Keynes City Orchestra and Bedfordshire Symphony Orchestra. As a violinist, he is also leader of the Beverley String Quartet.
Ian, formerly Head of the County Youth Music and Arts Service for Bedfordshire, decided to return to teaching in school. He has been Chairman of the Eastern Orchestral Board and is a Director and former Chairman of the Stables Theatre Ltd. Ian continues to be actively involved in practical music-making throughout the area.
Hazel Coomber
Director
Hazel Coomber has enjoyed a wide experience of roles working in Personnel and Development, mainly within the financial services sector, particularly in recruitment/assessment centres, employment law, the management of change and strategy. She now works in a freelance capacity. She has an MSc in Human Resource Management and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Hazel was a member of the Review Board (quality control) of the Competence Centre London(1998/99), joined the Board of Trestle Theatre Company, based in St Albans in 2000, and served as Chair from 2002 until early 2007. She is currently on the Board of Told By An Idiot, a touring theatre company based in London and a Director of The Stables Theatre Ltd.
Hazel enjoys music in its many forms, theatre and art (and completed a year’s course in the history of art and architecture). She enjoys walking, particularly in Derbyshire. Hazel is interested in education and life-long learning.
Hazel was a member of the Review Board (quality control) of the Competence Centre London(1998/99), joined the Board of Trestle Theatre Company, based in St Albans in 2000, and served as Chair from 2002 until early 2007. She is currently on the Board of Told By An Idiot, a touring theatre company based in London and a Director of The Stables Theatre Ltd.
Hazel enjoys music in its many forms, theatre and art (and completed a year’s course in the history of art and architecture). She enjoys walking, particularly in Derbyshire. Hazel is interested in education and life-long learning.
Graham Inskip
Director
Graham Inskip was born in 1954 in Bedford, is married and has 3 children. After being educated at Bedford School, Graham started his career at the family haulage company, AER Inskip Ltd in 1974, arranging transport and assisting with the running of the warehouses. This was followed by 10 years (1975-1985) at Ralston Purina, an American multi-national food ingredients company, in a variety of roles including accounting, office management and warehouse administration finally setting up a seasoning plant with a new warehouse & computer system in Corby.
In 1985 Graham set up his own contract packing company, Graham Lloyd Ltd, with his brother, of which he is Managing Director. During 1989 Graham also took on the role of Financial Director of AER Inskip Ltd up until its sale in 1994.
Graham has had a life long love of and interest in music with leanings towards folk, rock, world and latterly classical music. He is a Trustee of Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd and a Director of The Stables Theatre Ltd.
In 1985 Graham set up his own contract packing company, Graham Lloyd Ltd, with his brother, of which he is Managing Director. During 1989 Graham also took on the role of Financial Director of AER Inskip Ltd up until its sale in 1994.
Graham has had a life long love of and interest in music with leanings towards folk, rock, world and latterly classical music. He is a Trustee of Wavendon Allmusic Plan Ltd and a Director of The Stables Theatre Ltd.
The Stables Café in2. Click picture above for more information. The new menu is now online for the January 2012 Winter season!
