Entertainer Tony Page remembers his friend Chris Kift.
Chris Kift, a native of Ilfracombe in North Devon and long time resident of Brighton & Hove, died on March 17 from a massive heart attack.
At the age of 64, Chris had encompassed many careers in his life ranging from publican to theatrical agent and N.H.S. administrator, he attacked all with panache and a powerful Joie de vivre.
When I first met him, he was assistant to the manager of The Cock and Comfort in London where he dealt mainly with the booking of cabaret artistes for the venue.
He moved back home to Bristol and took The Elephant Public House which under his expert guidance soon became THE cabaret venue of the South West.
Chris would always throw his heart and soul into any venture he attempted and you would always find him sitting at the end of his bar, ready to welcome you.
In addition, he took on the area management of Wales and the South West for Rainbow Artistes my own cabaret agency. He would never ask an artiste to appear at any venue unless he had personally vetted it himself.
Ill health began to catch up on him and he was advised to leave The Elephant. He moved to Brighton and took a job as administrator for the National Health Blood Service becoming the area representative.
Again his health deteriorated forcing him to retire completely, but not content with sitting around and resting as his doctors had advised, he became the Don Quixote of the South Coast, embracing the combined windmills of Brighton & Hove City Council, local councillors and MP’s; fighting for tenant’s rights, the disabled and elderly, (he was now confined to an electric wheelchair which he insisted was named Blanche) the LGBT Community and Brighton Pride.
Every year on the first Saturday in August, he could be found mounted on Blanche, rainbow flags flying at the head of the Pride Parade, shaking a huge bucket and cajoling punters to “Give generously…. or I’ll run over yer feet!!”.
Not happy with running Blanche’s batteries down all afternoon on Preston Park, the evening found him on his balcony in St. James’ House helping co-ordinate the Pride Street Party by radio and telephone.
The following day he was always in the front row of the After Pride Charity Cabaret Show supporting the numerous cabaret artistes whom he was proud to call friends.
He will be sorely missed, not only by those organisations he fought for but by hundreds of friends from all over this country, the Canary Islands and Thailand.
Some 80 people crammed the little Chapel at Woodvale and Charles Street for his farewell on April 9 but the true Epitaph was more than 600 posts on Facebook not to mention innumerable tweets and emails from those saddened by his passing.
He was my friend, I shall miss him but there will always be a smile whenever I think of him.
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