sprite-bulb Info:

sprite-tsc  About the Thames Salsa Cruise

Tickets are now on sale for the Summer Thames Salsa Cruise on Sunday 18th Aug
It's Summertime! Flowers and blossoms galore and with daylight returning, we're really looking forward to the 2nd Salsa cruise of the season, hurrah! Please spread the word. Four hours cruising the Thames, seeing the sights and enjoying the classic salsa sounds of Dj Felicidad

This Spring is the 26th year of the Thames Salsa Cruise! We know what we're doing so join us for a lazy (or not so) beautiful May Spring evening :-) Dance, chat, chill, whatever you wish...
It's on Sunday 18th Aug and tickets are already available from this website. Get them early because we will probably sell out.
Groups (5+) cost £18 and the regular advanced price is £20. (£25 cash on the day)
Group leaders please text me ASAP to set up a discount code ASAP Alastair 07939 012231

We cruise from the Festival Pier Southbank to beyond the Millennial Dome and back. Watch the sunset as you sip a drink on the back deck, then see the River sparkle as the city lights up; all the while listening to some great classic salsa music to entice you back on the dance floor.
Four hours of dancing and fun; what a great way to spend a spring evening!
Departs Festival Pier by the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank at 6.45pm, returning at 10.50pm

sprite-tsc  The Salsa Cruise in brief

  • The Thames Salsa Cruise is a four hour cruise along the river Thames.

  • The next date is Sunday 20th Aug 2023

  • The boat has dancing deck, bar, lounge, quiet and open decks.

  • Departs 6.45pm and Returns 11pm to Festival Pier Southbank SE1 8XZ

  • Tickets are sold online in advance £20 or £18 each for groups of five +

  • On the day of the cruise tickets cost £25 cash (subject to availability)

  • There are no online bookings on the day of the cruise.

Groups text me to set up a discount code ASAP (07939012231 Alastair)

sprite-tsc  Cruise Dates and Times

Next Thames Salsa Cruise Sunday 30th August 2023 - NOW BOOKING


Check in at no later than 6.45pm at Festival Pier on the South Bank by the Royal Festival Hall. Return just before 11pm There are no stops during the cruise.


Dates:


  • Sunday 20th August 2023

We would like to talk to any teachers/groups who would like a specific date.
Call Alastair on call 07939 012231

There are NO online bookings on the day of the cruise.
If it is the day of the cruise before 3pm text 07939 012231 to check availability.

sprite-tsc  Promo Video for Salsa Cruise

The Thames Salsa Cruise (short version)


Filmed on the Spring and Summer cruises of 2009.
Music 'Maestro' by Salsa Celtica
Single click to start.
Double click to visit Youtube.

sprite-tsc  Booking Questions

Cost:
Advance tickets cost £20 in advance and £18 each for groups of five + (see below)
On the day of the cruise tickets cost £25 cash (subject to availability)
There are no online bookings on the day of the cruise.

Tickets:
The Thames Salsa Cruise is a ticketless system.
We issue boarding cards as you arrive at the pier and then direct you to the boat, which means there’s nothing to print or bring.

Group bookings:
Group booking are available for groups of five or more, when booked online.
To make a group booking simply purchase five tickets in one transaction. The system will help you set up your ‘group code word’ so other people can join your group by using the ‘group code word’ and get the group discount, saving you the hassle of collecting money.
For regular groups and salsa clubs I can set up a ‘group code word’ without any purchase. For groups of much larger groups or please call the Streetbeat office.
Groups text me to set up a discount code ASAP

If you have any further questions please call 07939 012231 (office hours only)

sprite-tsc  Getting There

Festival pier in on the South Bank of the river next to the Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall. (for sat-nav SE1 8XZ )
Tube: Use Waterloo Station look for signs to Royal Festival Hall. or use Embankment (Northern line) and walk (10mins) across the Hungerford foot Bridge.

Charing Cross: As you leave the station turn right and look for Villiers Street (pedestrian only) that slopes down to Embankment tube. Villiers Street is also packed with coffee shops and restraints.

Parking: Although there is some parking behind the Royal Festival Hall and on the Embankment (North side of the river) I strongly recommend you allow one hour for successful parking and walking to the pier.

Come early: Enjoy the South Bank. Please note the walking times to the Pier above.

Toilets: There are toilets on the boat. The Public toilets at Royal Festival Hall are free!

View Map

sprite-tsc  Cruise Terms and Conditions

Thames Salsa Cruise Terms and conditions
When booking places on behalf of others, the person booking takes the responsibility for those people receiving the cruise details and terms and conditions.
Places are sold subject to availability and refunds will only be made if the cruise is cancelled by The Streetbeat Salsa Co.
No refund or compensation will be made due to delayed departure or early curtailment of the cruise or for any other reason.
Places purchased may not be resold without permission of The Streetbeat Salsa Co.
Boarding cards will only be issued up to the stated time of departure to those present.
Any places not checked in by the stated time of departure will be deemed null and void.
No food or drink may be brought onto the boat.
The boat operators reserve the right to search anyone boarding the boat.
Anyone may be excluded from boarding if there is any suspicion of alcohol or substance abuse or anyone whose behaviour is deemed undesirable for the cruise.
Anyone excluded from boarding will not be offered a refund or compensation.

sprite-offer Offers:

Gift Voucher Autumn Offer
Salsa Rapido 1-Day Intensive Gift Voucher Offer
From Sept 1st 2024 to End December 2024
Gift Vouchers for couples will be £79 and Singles £49
No offer code required.
Please spread the word!
All vouchers valid on any course date booked within for six months!

sprite-news Events:

No other events to show at the moment, but watch this space :-)

sprite-news News:

Groups wanted for Thames Salsa Cruise 2025
The Thames Salsa Cruise returns in Spring 2025.
At the moment we have a proposed date of 18th May 2025 which will be confirmed before tickets go on sale in Jan 2025.

We wish to invite as many groups of salsa dancers from across the land to come on this iconic event that's been running every year (except lockdown) since 1998! Music is mainly classic salsa with a small dash of bachata etc. presented by DJ Felicidad (The UK's longest running female salsa DJ)
Groups are formed mainly by dancers and teachers who want to add something special to their dancing year.
We never have classes on board as we don't wish to clash with anyone's style or method. It's just a salsa party for lovers of salsa and non dancers wishing to see the sites and enjoy the vibe.
We make it as easy as possible to bring a group.
We think of a group as five or more but if that doesn't happen no problem. We're grateful you've made the effort.
We set up a discount code word for your group so no one has to gather the money and everyone gets a discount.
Tickets will be £20 or less with the group discount and I'll add detail as soon as I have it.
Please message me on 07939012231 Alastair and I'll set a group up for you.
regards Alastair
Blog Another Nightingale Support Group completed
I’ve just finished another six week Mambalsa course at the Nightingale Cancer Support Centre in Enfield and what a lovely group it was.
I was aiming for a gentle introduction to Mambalsa without too much emphasis on the well-being aspects of Psych. Ed. but they came up anyway.
Often the classes would end in a group discussion about recovering from cancer and I have to admit it was great to share those stories and feel a paid up member of that club.
Every group teaches me something about dance and life. This group showed me that like a hummingbird, beauty has no relationship to size. We took the lid off our creativity and relaxed and moved freely within the ethos of Mambalsa dance. I’m being deliberately cryptic but confidentiality prevents me from sharing any detail.
I will take the chance to share the last two tracks we danced as a way to illustrate that Mambalsa is danced to any 4:4 time music:
- Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen - complete with head banging and Zimbabwean Wellington Boot dance! (I’ll just leave that to your imagination)
- Would You Be Loved by Bob Marley - A perfect song to end on.
I’m already missing all my Mambalsa Dancers from the Nightingale and can’t wait for the next group.
Alastair
IT issues affect Autumn bookings
I’d like to offer my sincere apologies to all my clients affected by this.
Some courses have been cancelled including the next Mambalsa Dance Curious event and some courses will be smaller than usual (which is not a bad thing).
All bookings are secure as they are made on the Stripe platform and no data has been lost or breached.

Full explanation:
This Autumn’s bookings have not started well with a host of I.T. problems slowing down and eventually stopping the booking process.
In late August my web host (the company where my websites reside) decided, as part of their preparations to be bought out by a bigger company, to ditch many of their accounts that weren't easy to transfer to their new host. I received a polite email saying streetbeat etc. would be switched off on Sept 12th. Why they had to choose the height of the holiday season to do this is quite beyond me. No doubt I wasn’t the only one, because as hundreds of companies backed up / down loaded or shifted their sites, I noticed that my web pages would often take over two minutes to load. This effectively interrupts the booking process as new visitors lose confidence in the booking process.

I found a new host 34sp.com who offer excellent customer support via telephone which is a rare thing these days. The only drawback was that their minimum version of PHP (effectively the operating system of the host) was PHP 8.1 and my site was PHP 7.4. This meant many of my pages didn’t work and none of my back end worked. It was time to stop whatever I was doing and dive deep into upgrading first my IT skills and then the site!
I know it’s a cliche, but I like the phrase ‘build back better’. This I have done and the new streetbeat and mambalsa sites are near completion. The booking confirmation system is fixed and the connection to the Brevo email platform is up and running.

I’ve learnt a lot through this process such as IT is like a sand dune of ever shifting upgrades and technologies that need to be constantly navigated. I’ve also revisited an old debate of whether to delegate or self code. Assuming a developer was available at short notice, the cost would have been considerable and the time taken arguably longer than self coding.
My I.T. department is slow, under skilled, overwhelmed and unsure of himself, but that’s OK because it’s me. So maybe the best lesson learnt is to be kind to yourself.
By the way, if you’re reading this, it’s working!
Blog Me and Bar Salsa
In my latest blog post "Me and Bar Salsa!" I write about why this long standing venue is very special to me on the eve of my thirtieth wedding anniversary.
There's also a potted history of London's salsa scene.
Me and Bar Salsa!
TripAdviser Certificate of Excellence Awarded to Alastair
Yesterday I received an email from TripAdvisor informing me that I had been awarded a Certificate of Excellence.
I had no idea that there was such a thing but now I've got one I'm a big fan.
It's the chance to thanks to everyone who's taken the time and trouble to say some kind words about my Salsa Rapido 1-Day Intensive course.


Click the image to visit TridAdvisor


Reflection: (You may prefer to read this on the Salsa Rapido Blog)
When I embedded TripAdvisor into my site I was hoping for praise but open to the possibility of harsh and unfair criticism, and in fairness I've received a one star review from someone who wasn't on the course and a two star review from someone who enjoyed the class but didn't enjoy the fajitas at lunch! May I just add that fajitas are not compulsory and anyone can eat wherever they wish. Lunch isn't even part of the deal so bring a packet of crisps in if you wish but don't blame my course if they didn't have your favourite flavour! (I'm so over it now)
Anyway, I overcame my fears and gave it a go, realising that feedback is good and TripAdivsor offers a third party review that's useful for the pubic when booking.
Many months later and I've received mainly five star reviews.
This tells me that:
My presentation is engaging and entertaining.
People are way nicer than I deserve.
Salsa Rapido is a mature enough method to stand comparison to traditional classes.
I'm really good at asking for five star reviews.

On the last point my hobby of stand up comedy led to five shows at the Edinburgh Fringe where at the end of a show we would have a 'bucket speech' to encourage the audience to give a tip (our only source of income)
Cliched line like "Take some change, fold it and put it in the bucket" were common.
One time I got a waif-like act to kneel down holding the bucket while looking as mournful as a Dickensian child.
Another time a showed the audience picture of my cats on my phone and asked "which one should I 'economise' first?" Well it works for charities!
The result was seldom any different. It was the show that counted.
Blog Dance School racially problematic and too gender binary
Dance school says ballet is racially problematic and too gender binary!
I saw this article in the news and throught I'd offer a few thoughts so here's my latest Mambalsa blog blog posts titled: Dance school says ballet is racially problematic and too gender binary

Alastairs Adventures in ChemoLand Blog
I've decided to share my recent experience of cancer in a personal blog.
This may be upsetting for many people and I advise caution as to whether you read on.
First I need to address the question: why blog about cancer on a salsa dance website?
Like so many brands on the salsa scene, behind the Streetbeat/ Rapido/ Mambalsa brand is an individual person, who made the jump from dancer to dance teacher. My treatment will affect every aspect of my life including the Salsa Rapido courses and Mambalsa Project. I may physically change as a result of chemotherapy and when someone asks a question about these changes I'd like to answer in a brief and polite way with an invitation to read my blog to get my personal insight if they wish. In other words cancer affects me but it doesn't define me!

Follow this blog: Use this link to add you email to my blog following list:

The blog is a continuation of my 2022 Brighton Marathon blog hosted on Blogger.

24/01/2024 The Last Post

05/11/2023 Round Five Biddy Beep

18/10/2023 Round Four Round Up

01/10/2023 Round 3/4 Review

30/09/2023 Happy birthday Homewood School

05/08/2023 Round Two Update

26/07/2023 Would You A&E it!

26/07/2023 Labels, Trauma, PTSD and Self-diagnosis

21/07/2023 Sepsis vs Sadler A Week in Hospital

06/07/2023 Icky

02/07/2023 Day Three Sitrep (Situation Report)

26/06/2023 Three days to Chemo C-3

24/06/23 Capitano Chemo
In the run up to treatment starting I find myself getting silly to offset the anxiety.

07/06/2023 Scanaxiety
When the prospect of chemo becomes a reality.

24/03/2023 Who's Lynne and what's she FOMO about?
A catch up post from 2019 to 2023. Probably the best place to start :)
April - August Course Dates for released
I'm delighted to release the Salsa Rapido 1-Day Intensive dates for August to December 2024.
They are almost weekly on Sundays and I strongly recommend you book ASAP to save disappointment.
Notice there's also some Mambalsa workshop dates. Mambalsa is not salsa so please click here for details

Here's a permanent link to the dates page so you can check them at any time:
https://www.streetbeat.co.uk/dates

The i.2.i. Knock the Rust Off is the Salsa Rapido Improvers course.

There may well be a few adjustments to the schedule as 2024 comes into focus.
I haven't confirmed dates out side of London yet!
Blog Wedding Dances
Summer's a great time for a wedding and this wedding was a wonderful fusion of dance styles.

Here's my latest Mambalsa blog blog posts titled: mambalsa-wedding

Blog I ran the Brighton Marathon 2022
Well I did it! I ran the Brighton Marathon 2022
Here's my latest marathon/ lockdown blog posts titled: Alastair's Marathon
If you want to sponsor me here's the link to the charity fundraising page (open until end May 2022): www.justgiving.com/alastairsadler
Salsa Rapido Method has it's own blog at Salsa Rapido Method
and not forgetting Mambalsa at: Mambalsa
Tripadvisor Intensive reviews wanted
I've set up a new section on the site for Tripadvisor reviews of the 1-Day Intensive Course.
If you've been on the course recently and would be kind enough to review it please go to
link
Thanks in advance :-)
For suggestions and suggestions please email me at salsa@streetbeat.co.uk

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