Josh Baker's Leaving Book

Post Reply
KeefyM
Michael
Posts: 2130
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:16 pm

Josh Baker's Leaving Book

Post by KeefyM »

** JOSH LEAVING BOOK **

Hello Lovely People, Myself and David Burton are putting together a leaving book for Josh which we hope to handover within the next month or so.

The book will be a comprehensive record of Josh’s time in Billy and already includes the majority of reviews from the Forum and Josh's Facebook Appreciation site as well as Poems and Quotes about Josh from fans, friends, Billy friends, VP production staff and Front of House staff along with many pictures of his time in Billy including West End Live.

We did not give Josh the book on his last night as it wouldn’t have included all the pictures from his final performance and from outside the VP afterwards, and we didn’t ask for messages for the book beforehand as it just causes confusion with messages for Charlotte’s Card.

Therefore, as well as including pictures and many other items from Josh’s final performance and his year in Billy, the book will be your opportunity to thank him for his performances and to wish him good luck for the future and will also be an opportunity for anyone who didn’t get to speak to or say what they wanted to say to Josh on his last night, or indeed wasn't there for his final performance or missed deadlines for the card messages, to have their message included.

So I’m basically after messages for the book from everyone
- brand new messages for the book, or whether you just want to send me your card message, or write an extended version of your card message or contribute a message specifically for the book that you didn't include in Charlotte's Card or Personal Cards etc, or if you want to write something that you wanted to say but forgot to say to Josh on his leaving night, or even if you want to write a poem, funny verse etc for the book.

There is no limit on pages in the book, so the more messages the merrier as I'm sure many of you would like to contribute to what will be a great keepsake for Josh and his family of his time in Billy as it will be a professionally bound hardback book.

If you would like to contribute a message for Josh’s Leaving Book, just send me your message (short or as long as you like) via private message (Inbox/PM) or email me at: keithjamesmillar[at]gmail.com . (Replace [at] with @)

Also, if you want a specific photograph or photographs included with your message, then please send them too via PM or email.

Deadline for messages is Thursday 22nd March 2012 (midnight)
– so 9 days to get those messages in.

Thank you all in advance,

Cheers
Keefy x
User avatar
Brad
George
Posts: 520
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:06 pm
Location: Bathurst. NSW. Australia

Re: Josh Baker's Leaving Book

Post by Brad »

Great idea Keith and David. Don't feel I can contribute as I have never seen the young lad perform but thanks so much for acknowledging such great talent in such a memorable way
Cheers

Brad
KeefyM
Michael
Posts: 2130
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:16 pm

Re: Josh Baker's Leaving Book

Post by KeefyM »

Hello everyone,

just to say a big big thank you to everybody who contributed messages, quotes, poems and photos for Josh’s book, it is very much appreciated and thanks to everyone for their lovely comments about the book whether by PM, email, Facebook message, text or in person, and thank you Brad for your comment above.

The book, (which will be getting finished this week and printed the following week) is looking great with many previously unpublished photos of Josh during his time in Billy which are exclusive to the book, including many from West End Live which have never been seen before.
And of course the book is red and white – the colour of Josh’s Stripey top in Billy.

The book also has many reviews, quotes, good luck and best wishes messages for Josh including from various cast members, crew, previous and current parents and in a testament to how popular Josh was in Billy and how he will be missed, there is even a message from Sindy The Nurse (who seemingly ‘secretly enjoyed’ Josh looking up her skirt and mentions how Kaine is continuing the Josh looking up her skirt legacy and exclusively reveals how she thinks Ryan might ‘have a thing for her’).
Not only that but there is also a message for Josh from….....the Jaffa Cakes in the Biscuit Tin who mention how much of a pleasure it was working with Josh and their delight at been included in the scene after Electricity (and their ongoing battle with the Bread) and they also pay tribute to all their long forgotten ‘colleagues’ who were eaten by Josh and hope that one day they might have a ‘working relationship’ with Adam as he ignores them all and only eats the crumbs in the tin.

Will be bringing copies of the book to the VP at the end of April and during May.

Cheers
Keith
:D
KeefyM
Michael
Posts: 2130
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:16 pm

Re: Josh Baker's Leaving Book

Post by KeefyM »

Hello everyone,

just a quick update on Josh's Book (since it is a bit behind schedule mentioned in previous message).


On 3rd March, Josh played Billy for the last time. Last week on 3rd May, the design and editing of Josh's Book was finally completed.

The Book is 375 pages, plus the front and back hardback covers.

It begins with a Foreward from myself and Dave and is a celebration of Josh's year as Billy with 100 pages of reviews from Josh's debut through to his final night including the infamous reviews from the night David 'The Hoff' Hasselhoff attended the show that started Josh's 'The Bake' nickname and Connor Lawson's 'Kitt' nickname.

It also has my Josh last night review which is exclusive to the book as I didn't post it on Facebook or here on the Forum.
The Book also has many quotes about Josh from fans, family, friends, Billy production staff, parents, cast members and even a few current and ex Billys and Michaels. There are even a few quotes from some of my infamous audience moans, along with many messages and best wishes for Josh including messages from as far flung places as New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia and even Dundee and Leeds, plus plenty more messages from many other Josh fans across the globe as well as from all his many fans in the UK and USA.
In a testament to how popular and loved Josh was, there are even messages from Sindy The Nurse and from the Jaffa Cakes in the Biscuit Tin.

The book also includes a selection of Josh performance boards and even a few Josh Poems and a Josh Song thanks to John Davis and Barry Appleby.
The book has many many photographs of Josh (just over 300 photos), during his time as Billy, some of which are not available in the public domain and are exclusive to the book and have never been seen before, especially from Josh's Last Night and West End Live.

Thanks once again to everybody who contributed messages, photographs, poems and all the other bits and pieces to the book, you were all 'cush', it is very much appreciated by myself and Dave. A very special thanks to James and David for their outstanding photography which has really raised the quality of the photographs in the book. Thank you very much James and David, it is really very much appreciated.

I will be handing over the book(files) to Dave later this week for printing by his company, so those of you who have expressed an interest in obtaining a copy of the book, then please be assured your copy is reserved for you and the book should be ready in a couple of weeks time.

I will keep you all briefed over the next couple of weeks as to when the book is ready. As I said previously, we will be bringing copies of the book to the VP to let everyone see it and hope to do an online/PDF version of the book as well.


Cheers
Keefy
:D
KeefyM
Michael
Posts: 2130
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:16 pm

Re: Josh Baker's Leaving Book

Post by KeefyM »

An update on Josh's Book.

- just to let you all know that it isn't forgotten. And those who ordered a book will get your copy.
All the pages (all 375 pages of each copy of the book are printed), Dave's company - CDS are just awaiting the hard back bound cases to marry with the text pages. Because the book is much thicker than normal (at 375 pages, which is quite a thick book, especially in A4 size), then CDS has to have the hardback covers specially made and it is the busiest time of year for the company manufacturing them.
All being well, the books will be finished by the end of June.

Thanks to Dave and CDS for the update today


Cheers
Keefy
:D
KeefyM
Michael
Posts: 2130
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:16 pm

Re: Josh Baker's Leaving Book

Post by KeefyM »

Hello everyone. Good news, Josh's book is finally complete and published.


Dave, John and I spent a lovely few hours with Josh and his brilliant family on Wednesday evening handing over the books, including a copy for Josh's nan.
After all the time and effort that Dave and I put into designing and printing the book, It was a thrilling moment for us when the book was finally handed over to Josh and his family, and to see how delighted and pleased Josh was with the book.
You had to be there to appreciate the occasion, but it was one of those that Dave and I will remember for a very long time, and it was a great night with the Bakers over a few drinks and talking all things Billy.

It was a pleasure to create the book for Josh as it was the least we could do after all the highly entertaining and fun performances Josh gave us for over a year and also because he is a thoroughly nice lad with an outstanding personality who appreciated all the support from all fans, as do all the current Billy's.
Plans are already underway for books for Adam and Ryan, and no doubt many more books in the future.


For those of you who have ordered a book, I will be sending a message over the weekend to everyone to talk about how Dave and I are going to distribute the books and get them to you & make arrangements to meet up and handover the books.

Dave is on holiday for the next two weeks and I'm working up in Liverpool and Lytham for the next 2 weeks, therefore, we will not be distributing the majority of the books until the beginning of August. However, some people we have already seen at the VP in the last two days have their book or have arranged to get their copy(ies) next week as John also has a few copies of the book to hand out.
But I will message Forum members who have ordered a book to let you know all what is happening with the book and how you can get your copy.


Dave and I would like to send our sincere thanks to everyone who took the time and trouble to contribute photos, messages, poems, picture collages etc for the book. It is very much appreciated. Those who contributed photographs are credited on the inside back cover.


Josh has very kindly signed all 25 copies of the book, so everyone who ordered a book will get a signed copy.


Here is a link to some pictures of the published book.
http://imageshack.us/g/19/josh35.jpg/
(hope it works)


and here is a link to some pictures of the signing session Dave and I organised with Josh and his parents on Wednesday 11th July 2011 in the Stage Door Pub. Pictures taken by, David Burton, John Davis, Keith Millar, Denise & Matt Baker.

http://imageshack.us/g/815/josh21.jpg/
(hope it works as well)


and some individual pictures

Josh with his book
http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/5346/josh21.jpg


Josh with Statler and Waldorf, aka Dave and I, the book creators
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/6951/josh6.jpg


Josh with Me, Dave and John (dancingboy), who's our new executive book assistant ;)
http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/327/josh7f.jpg


Josh with his lovely family
Dad, Mum and little brother Max
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/3756/josh1tw.jpg


Cheers
Keith
:D
User avatar
porschesrule
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 9368
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:02 am
Location: Rhode Island, USA

Re: Josh Baker's Leaving Book

Post by porschesrule »

What a wonderful memoir for Josh and his family, Keith. You guys did an outstanding job with the book. It looks very professional and filled with Billy memories and messages of support from Josh's many fans. Congratulations on a job well done!
Westletonion
Miner
Posts: 414
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 10:46 am
Location: Suffolk Coast

Re: Josh Baker's Leaving Book

Post by Westletonion »

I am sure Josh will treasure this book for all time. A wonderful tribute to such a fine and personable young man. Also a huge achievement by the three of you who clearly worked so hard to put it all together.
Post Reply

Return to “Cast Leavers & Arrivers - London”