Stephen Darrington ‘Steve’
Stephen Darrington 'Steve'
1949 - 2024
Passed away at Poole Hospital on 28th June 2024 aged 74 years.
Dearly loved Son, Brother, & Father, who was respected by all his family and friends and will be much sadly missed by all.
Steve’s funeral service will be held at Swanage Royal British Legion on Wednesday 24th July 2024. Arrival from 12.00 noon for a 12.30 pm start.
Following the service there will be a celebration in the Legion to give Steve a good send off!
Please wear bright and colourful clothing.
Service Details
Wednesday, July 24th 2024 - 12:30
FUNERAL LOCATION
Swanage Royal British Legion, 150 High Street, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 2PA
BRANCH
James Smith Funeral DirectorsSwanage
Sending my condolences to all… he will be sadly missed. I am ex Packhorse Case Co
I cannot make it but i would like to say this. A few years ago my wife and i came to Bournemouth for two evening Arts festival events. Looking round for somewhere to go in the daytime my pal said ‘Hey, did you know there’s some sort of Blues Festival on and it’s only a tenner’ and the rest as they say is history. Steve (although i didn’t know it was him then) was on the platform at the Railway Station with the buskers. Seeing the guitarists having trouble hearing the drums at the other end he told this chap near me ‘grab that washboard stand there and play it in time to those drums’
I have no idea who he was but it worked a treat.
I suspect October will be one hell of a party.
I knew Steve from the Nags Head in High Wycombe and played Swanage for the first time in 2002, performing at almost every Swanage Blues after that. We were both musicians who got involved in organising Festivals and I was happy to help him out by running some gigs. With 2 Festivals taking place outside of the traditional holiday season, I don’t think that he was ever given the credit that he deserved for the contribution to Swanage’s economy. Steve and I often phoned each other just for a chat and we saw many things from the same perspective. He was truly to me a ‘kindred spirit’.
Very sad. Steve will be sorely missed. Thoughts are with family and friends.
Cousin in Australia.
Dear Steve, you devoted your life to Music, and to the Swanage Blues Festival, and through your devotion you united so many people, from so many places, who would not have come together if it were not for you. My heartfelt thanks always for the Swanage Blues Festival, for the friendships made there, and the memories that will live on in hearts and minds for a very long time. You cannot be forgotten, you will not be forgotten and you will live on forever in our hearts. Rest easy my friend.
Sending condolences to his family. He will be greatly missed.
Steve, you were an enigma, a musical genius and a perfect gentleman. To have known you was a pleasure and to have been able to provide a venue for your wonderful festivals was a benefit not just to us as a business but to our beautiful town.
I hope you are enjoying the music wherever you are, love and respect to you and all you family xx
What a man what a musician. Use to see him perform with Brewers Droop at the 100 club in London. Bumped into him playing a gig in Corfe and he persuaded me to come to S B F been going ever since.what great times I’ve had all down to him
Rest in peace lovely man
I have been coming to The Blues Festival these last 12years approx. I first saw Steve in Bar 1 or East bar and have been hooked ever since. I was sorry not to have been there but hope it will be televised so I can see proceedings later?
At least it’s a wonderful, sunny day to put him at rest!
God Bless Steve
Chris Trufitt
Fleet, Hants
I have been coming to The Blues Festival these last 12years approx. I first saw Steve in Bar 1 or East bar and have been hooked ever since. I was sorry not to have been there but hope it will be televised so I can see proceedings later?
At least it’s a wonderful, sunny day to put him at rest!
God Bless Steve
Fleet, Hants
Steve was passionate about music. I was a classmate of his at Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, and he was one of the group of musically minded boys who helped to form my lifelong love of music, nurtured later on by the amazing gigs at the Blues Loft, above the Nag’s Head in HW. I was so pleased to have caught up again with Steve later in life doing so much for Swanage and for the blues. An inspirational chap.
So sorry to learn of Steve’s passing, I wasn’t aware until learning of it today when searching for the coming Blues schedule. What a stella guy to have run the festival all these years, I’m not sure Swanage quite appreciates his tremendous efforts over many years, not just to the music scene but hospitality and businesses generally.
Thank you Steve, you will be sorely missed, but what a legacy you have left behind. Rest in peace dear chap.