Welcome to Southend Scout and Guide Gang Show's monthly feature 'Catching up with'. Here we will catch up with cast past and present as well as the adult volunteers who make It's a Date and SHINDIGS possible. 

This month we talk with current Southend Gang Show Manager, Lesley Jenkins.  

1. Introduce yourself and tell us what your role within Southend Gang Show is?
   
   Hello, my name is Lesley Jenkins and I am extremely proud to be the show manager for Southend Gang Show (in partnership with Tim Browne). When it was suggested that I might be suitable for this role, I think because I love chatting to people and generally getting to know everyone’s business, I definitely did not believe I could fulfil the role successfully but Tim suggested a partnership and I am so glad he did because I absolutely love being involved at every level of the show.
    
2. When was your first Southend Gang Show and how many shows have you now been a part of?
   
   Trying not to give my age away, my first show was in 1980. I was a cast member for 3 shows and helped backstage in various jobs for a number of years, from choreography to assistant producer. I took a break whilst my daughters were growing up but somehow got coaxed back in when both girls were part of the cast themselves. I am so glad I did and hope to be in my present role for some time yet.
    
3. Best moment being a part of Southend Gang Show?
   
   Meeting my husband, David, during the 1988 show. We have just celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary so there is hope for lots more cast and crew to also meet someone special. Many of my friends from the shows back then are still good friends today.
    
4. What do you get out of being a part of Southend Gang Show and why do you think people should get involved in SHINDIGS 2017?
   
   We are all involved in the show because we want to be, not because we are being forced to do it. There are times that things don’t go to plan and things become a little frantic but the great times far outweigh the bad times and I can’t now imagine Southend Gang Show not being a large part of my life, both for seeing the cast members shine and the many friends I have made.
   
   The same goes for SHINDIGS 2017 – at times the day will be frantic but also hugely enjoyable and fun and at the end of it we will all have got to know some new people and made new friends
    
5. Favourite Southend Gang Show item?
   
   In my first show I loved being in the dance item ‘All Dressed Up’ but that was partly because I had a rather dishy dance partner. I was gutted that I wasn’t picked for ‘The Lady Jives’ and still blame Jacky Goddard to this day for that one!
   In 1988 I was able to use my Latin American and Ballroom dancing skills to put together a Rock and Roll item, which was great fun.
    
6. What have you been up to in the past few months since It’s a Date 2016?
   
   As with many others I was a member of staff at the Essex Jamboree. I was on the Staff helpdesk so got to see many people who I knew from Gang Show. It struck me just how many Southend Gang Show members, past and present, had key roles in helping make the Jamboree such a success
   
   At the moment our jobs on the Gang Show Executive Committee are not too busy so it is a good time to reflect on the past show and look forward to the next. It also means I can focus more on being with my own Guide company in Hadleigh.
    
7. What are you most looking forward to about the next SHINDIGS/It’s a Date?
   
   Because the 2016 show was so successful I guess the stakes are high to produce a fantastic show in a day and start thinking about an even better 2018 show. How exciting to have such a challenge, especially knowing that we have such a great team to achieve it.