Hugh Lloyd Bangs Celebration Samba's Drums

Wednesday, March 28 2007 @ 12:08 PM BST

When Worthing-based band 'Celebration Samba' made plans for their fourth birthday activities they decided they would like a celebrity drummer to join them for the occasion.

Watching the film 'That Girl From Rio' with Hugh Laurie - they spotted another well-known Hugh L. in it - playing the samba drums!

It was of course, Worthing's own Hugh Lloyd MBE ... who accepted their invitation to join them for a celebration play and procession on the seafront, along with several very colourful belly dancers from local group Sahari Zari.

Hugh, who wore a football strip in the film, also donned the strip of his home town club Chester City - complete with bobble hat - to bash away on the drums.

"The film company for 'Rio' sent me for an hour's lesson in London," said Hugh. "I don't know if it did much good! I had plenty of enthusiasm ... but not much else!"

Celebration Samba was set up by Ivan and Janice Mitchell who live at Hayling Rise, Worthing. They got interested after seeing Brighton band Carnival Collective play.

"After that, Ivan joined a band in Shoreham but he was always grumbling nothing was right so I suggested he set up his own band. By then he was qualified to teach - with support from the Revolutionary Arts Group, we advertised in the Herald and got lots of replies and that started us off."

Now Janice, 53, who is a medical herbalist and her husband (56) who works as a cleaner at St Barnabas Hospice in Durrington are looking for new members to join them. "They don't have to play instruments or know anything about samba," said Janice. "We can teach them all that."

And Janice and Ivan are thinking of taking samba to a diversity of people.

"Blind people and short-sighted, for instance. They can easily play to the beat sitting down. And we're thinking of an over 50's group - after all, we don't all take up knitting and wearing bed-shawls once we have reached our half-century!

At present the band rehearse in a studio in Ivy Arch Road, Worthing. "It's soundproof otherwise we could be heard two miles away," said Janice.

Anybody wanting to see Celebration Samba in action should go to the Palm Sunday Parade for St Mary's Church, Goring in Ilex Way on April 1. They will be out in force - along with a real live donkey!

If you would like to join Celebration Samba - there is no age limit - you can call Janice and Ivan on 01903 263183.

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