John Henry Iles OBE (17 September 1871 – 29 May 1951) was an English entrepreneur, musician and cricketer.[1] He played for Gloucestershire between 1890 and 1891.[2]
 Grave of Iles | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 September 1871 Bristol, England |
| Died | 29 May 1951 (aged 79) Birchington, Kent, England |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Domestic team information | |
| Years | Team |
| 1890–1891 | Gloucestershire |
Source: Cricinfo, 30 March 2014 | |
In 1898, he acquired the British Bandsman magazine, and in 1900, he founded the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.[3]
In 1919 - just before Christmas, Iles purchased the Hall-By-The-Sea in Margate, Kent[4] previously run by Lord George Sanger.[5] He paid £40,000 for the park but spent £500,000 developing his vision of an American style amusement park for Kent which he renamed Dreamland. Almost immediately in 1920 he built the iconic Scenic Railway, now a grade II* listed structure that is still in use and also the oldest rollercoaster in the UK.[6]
He was master of the Worshipful Company of Musicians from 1932–3, and inaugurated the John Henry Iles medal in 1947.[7] He was awarded an OBE in 1947 for services to the brass band movement.[8]
References
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- ^ Russell, Dave. "Iles, (John) Henry". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/48777. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "John Iles". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ "The Greatest Brass Band Entrepreneur of All - The rise and fall of John Henry Iles". 4barsrest. 29 April 2018.
- ^ https://www.dreamlandheritagetrust.org.uk/1920s
- ^ https://www.dreamlandheritagetrust.org.uk/1860s-1910s
- ^ https://www.fairfields.co.uk/fcs/sectors/leisure/dreamland-scenic-railway/
- ^ "The John Henry Iles Medal". The Worshipful Company of Musicians.
- ^ "John Henry Iles". The Worshipful Company of Musicians.
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