It’s been one of the big go-to events on the Isle of Wight social calendar since 2009, but this year’s DECADeANCE event at Cowes Yacht Haven will be extra special for a number of reasons.
The party is scheduled for November 11, and in honour of Remembrance Day, it will pay tribute not just to fallen wartime heroes, but also lost family members and friends – and in keeping with the musical theme, some of the big-name musical legends who have passed away in recent years.
Tony Martin, the prolific fundraiser and Island DJ who launched DECADeANCE as a way of raising funds for the much loved local Mountbatten charity, has named this year’s dress-up theme Icons and Legends. He says it’s a way of “celebrating life and remembering those we have lost, both personally and from the public eye”.
The other factor that will make this year’s event special is that it’s almost certain to take the total raised for Mountbatten since 2009, over the magical £100,000 threshold, as the current grand total stands at £93,000.
However, when adding in Tony’s personal fundraising for the charity – such as the daring sky-dives he’s performed in recent years – the tally already stands at over £102,000.
Tony’s passion for fundraising was inherited from his dad Mick, who at 85, still loves to join the party at DECADeANCE, and who started raising funds for Mountbatten and other charities many years ago.
Tony’s late mother Eileen was cared for by the charity during her final illness until she died in 2001, and he stepped up his fundraising efforts by staging the 2009 DECADeANCE, which was only intended as a one-off event to celebrate his own 30 years of DJ-ing on the Island, playing the music of three decades.
However, the formula proved such a hit with the audience that it became established as a regular event.
For Tony, whose day job is in the serious arena of data protection with the NHS, running the annual party became an enjoyable “stress reliever”.
“Giving people joy and entertainment puts you in a whole different sphere and it’s one that I’ve always loved” he says.
In 2019, his hard work and dedication to fundraising was honoured with an invite to Buckingham Palace garden party – accompanied by his ever-supportive dad, Mick.
Tickets for this year’s extra-special DECADeANCE went on sale on September 1, and it is expected that, as usual, they will sell out quickly – so it’s advisable to pick them up early. They are available from Cowes Yacht Haven, Master of Disguise, Newport, Festival Diner Bar, Ryde and by email on decadeancenight@gmail.com.
It also gives plenty of time to plan the all-important outfit. Whether that’s black tie and ball gown, or a colourful, crazy pop star look – it will be guaranteed to add to the visual and musical feast of this life-affirming event!