Town pays tribute to stalwart of Melksham’s music scene

Members of the community have shared memories of a key figure in Melksham, Tom Sangster, who died on 21st March at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

Tom was a music promoter for many years and was acting chairman of Party in the Park, where he helped organise the popular annual music event. He will also be remembered for his involvement in Melksham’s Royal British Legion (RBL) branch.

Melksham Royal British Legion

Tom was treasurer of Melksham’s RBL branch for many years. Fellow RBL member, Cathy Smith said, “Tom was a lovely guy, he was a big, big member of the branch. He was always there and will be extremely missed by all of us.”

Melksham RBL branch president, Trevor Paterson said, “Since I became involved with the Melksham Branch Poppy Appeal in 2008, Tom had been great in running the store collections and delivering the poppy boxes and tins to the various stores and businesses in the town. He will be sadly missed by us and the whole town.”

Tom’s involvement in the local music and entertainment scene also spanned many years. Mark Stansby, current chairman of Party in the Park, and Martin Dimery, a member of the Sgt. Pepper’s Only Dart Board Band and the The Unravelling Wilburys, have both shared their memories of Tom’s enthusiasm for promoting music acts and his legacy.

Party in the Park 

Mark Stansby said, “I was first introduced to Tom in the late 90s by a mutual friend whilst enjoying an end of the working week pint at the Kings Arms Hotel.  We soon became good friends sharing common interests in live music and football, despite us supporting the two rival teams from Manchester! It was not long before our Friday evening meet ups became routine, taking in many local music events and pub gigs.

“Whilst working in London, Tom had seen many of the great bands from the ‘60s and ‘70s perform live and it was great to hear him reminisce with such enthusiasm about the concerts he had attended during those heady days.

“For many years, Tom helped to promote a local Beatles tribute group and I was fortunate to travel with him and the band on a few of their tours, enjoying gigs at The Cavern Club in Liverpool and on a ferryboat in Glasgow to name just two. Great times!

“It was in 2002 that Tom first asked me to volunteer at Party in the Park and I joined the organising committee a year later. Like most voluntary groups, helpers have come and gone over the years, and indeed Tom took a couple of years out for himself during the noughties, before re-joining the team, to source the bands and manage the stage. Tom became chairman soon after, and under his stewardship, the event saw record attendances.  As the event grew in popularity (and our operating costs soared) Tom more than anyone recognised the need to run the event in a professional and business-like manner.

“In more recent times, Tom had taken a step back from organising the music, but he remained a key member of the team, as our treasurer. Tom was a great character; a true friend and he will be dearly missed.”

Local music scene

Martin Dimery – a member of two local bands, Sgt. Pepper’s Only Dart Board Band and the The Unravelling Wilburys – said, “Tom Sangster was a great stalwart of the music scene in Melksham. I was first contacted by him in the late 1990s, if memory serves me correctly. Tom was producing gigs at the Avon Club in Melksham and wanted to present Sgt. Pepper’s Only Dart Board Band, the Beatles tribute act with whom I performed as a poor man’s John Lennon. Tom’s enthusiasm was very persuasive and the gig led on to a series of events in almost every music pub or club in Melksham, as well as the Party in the Park, which he produced for many years. Many people may not realise how influential Tom was in the cultural life of the town.

“The more Sgt. Pepper and co. got to know Tom, the more we realised we needed someone of his enthusiasm and organisational skills to help extend our bookings. Tom quickly got us sorted out with a website, designed by his friend Colin Harrison, also of Melksham. This proved a great marketing tool and many shows emerged from it…far too many to recall. The most extraordinary of offers came in 2007, when Tom received a message through the website from a company in Montgomery, Alabama. They wanted us to perform at the local Shakespeare theatre as part of a Beatles-themed event. Barely able to believe our luck, Tom quickly responded and, within months, he and his wife Rita accompanied the band on the trip of a lifetime. We were treated with incredible hospitality, well accommodated, and chauffeured around in a stretch limo. It turned out the organiser mistakenly thought we were from Liverpool. We didn’t let on…

“Tom accompanied us on many tours. I remember happy times in Germany and Poland, and throughout the UK. Trips to Cornwall and Liverpool were all the more memorable for Tom’s flawless organisation.

“In 2014, we decided to disband Sgt. Pepper’s Only Dart Board Band, having had a very good run. The fact was, we had started to look more like the Beatles’ dads, than rock gods. In 2016, the remaining Pepper line up decided to start a new project- The Unravelling Wilburys. This was a tongue-in-cheek re-invention of the famous ‘80s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, formed by George Harrison and Jeff Lynne with Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan.

“Unable to give too much time to the administration of building up a new act, we decided to formally ask Tom to be our manager. Thanks to his hard work and persistence, we began to tour to a significant number of theatres and arts centres throughout the country. Quite quickly we began to draw audiences that surpassed those of Sgt. Pepper.

“Time and health issues saw Tom retire from managing the Unravelling Wilburys a couple of years ago. His influence goes on however, as many of the venues we continue to play were originally booked by him.

“Tom became a great friend. A man of decency, honour and integrity. I knew I could rely on him. He always kept his word. These are rare virtues not only in show business, but in life. Our condolences go out to Rita, who got dragged along to see us more times than was really reasonable. We know he’ll be greatly missed by his daughter Rachel, son Ben and the grandchildren. He will also be missed by many in Melksham. Some people receive OBEs for doing less for their communities, but for Tom, it was a labour of love. He was first and foremost an ardent music fan.

Memorial event?

“There ought to be a memorial event dedicated to Tom Sangster in Melksham. How about naming a new band competition after him? If you asked Tom to do it, he’d get straight onto it. Now it’s someone else’s turn. He’ll be greatly missed.”