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Message received from Jill Broadgate on 9th Jan 2019

Good morning my mother has asked me to contact you to let you know that my father Noel Broadgate died this morning. My mum Carole is keen that you share this sad news with his jazz friends I will contact you again once we have funeral arrangements.

Thank you and sorry to be the bearer of such sad news,  he will be greatly missed

Jill

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09/01/19 - 

Hi Fred. Thank you for sharing the sad news about Noel Broadgate with me. We go back a long way having shared time at King Edwards VI G.S. in Stafford together - seventy-five years ago! We reconnected through the piano in more recent times, and enjoyed many a laugh at the escapades our music took us into. Noel was highly regarded and will be much missed. Please pass on my condolences to Jill and to Carole.

With sadness - Derek Harrison

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09/01/19 -

Sad news about Noel, I’m sure that many musicians will respectfully mark the occasion of his funeral. My own fond memories of Noel relate to the times I shared the stage with him at ‘Ganders Go South’ in Manchester, during the time that Don Long organised the Jazz at that venue. Noel was a cheerful chappie that gave pleasure to many with his keyboard work and occasional song. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

Regards, Barry Aldous

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10/01/19 -

Barbara and I would be grateful if we might use your tribute page to offer our condolences to Noel's family. We first got to know Noel when the Tame Valley Stompers played at our wedding in 2009 and have always looked forward to subsequent meetings, particularly those at the Beaky after he stopped playing regularly, and will miss him. A lovely guy and superb pianist.

Malcolm & Barbara Bridge

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I don't think I ever met Noel, but he has become very familiar to me over the past twelve years or so through the pages of your website. Needless to say, I send my condolences to his family - The Revd Allan Wilcox.  

Yes Noel was indeed a regular contributor, and many times he passed on his own personal best wishes when he saw it was the birthday of a musician he knew.  Although Noel stopped playing with the Tame Valley Stompers after a carpel tunnel operation as well as a knee operation in 2014, which prevented him driving any distance, along with his wife he still went to listen to and support the band at the Beaky Club, and never lost an opportunity to send me a plug for them. His emails were always witty and I couldn't stop smiling after reading this one - I was playing the grand piano one New Year's Eve in a smart restaurant just south of Manchester. The proposed sequence of events was that I would play Auld Lang Syne on the stroke of midnight, the MC having counted it down, followed by a local Bagpipe Band who would play a couple of numbers, and then the MC would introduce the floor show. However, the Bagpipe Band turned up early, started playing straightaway, and refused to stop. After several interminable numbers, I turned to the MC and told him that since they seemed to have settled in for the night, I was off. He said "That's the way it is when they've only got one gig a year".  - Fred Burnett

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13/01/19 -

So sad to hear of Noel's passing and my deepest sympathy to his family. He was another of those big hearted characters which seem to abound in the jazz world who gave me a helping hand when I took my first steps onto the scene. He was a fine musician who's impish sense of humour shone through in his playing and frequent witticisms. I got to know him through playing at Beaky and whenever we played together he always took the trouble to send a supportive email saying how much he enjoyed it. The pleasure he derived from the music was plain to see when watching him play and I will miss our frequent exchanges of excruciating jokes. Farewell, my friend and thank you for your support - it's a bit tight but I will always wear it.

John Percival

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16/01/19 -

So sorry to hear about Noel’s passing. Noel played with the Merseys a few times and I know he will be missed by many musicians in the north west.

With sympathy

Peter Fryer
Secretary, Merseysippi Jazz Band

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The funeral arrangements for Noel are