David Drane is one half of Dreamwave Events. With his best friend and cofounder, Paul Pollard, their East Anglian company specialises in providing sound, lighting and production rentals for the most glamourous of weddings, private parties and charity events. His natural creative mindset provides the company with designs and concepts that keep them ahead of the game. Family life is on the coast with his wife, Hayley and two young daughters, Emily and Charlotte. He talks to Gina Long MBE
What is your connection to East Anglia?
Born and bred and still very much home for me, my family and my business.
What is your East Anglian Heaven ie what do you love most about East Anglia?
I love living on the Suffolk / Essex border with the coastline a stone's throw away. Exploring its beaches and their hidden treasures with my wife and young family is definitely heaven during a long Sunday walk, after a busy week at work.
What is your East Anglian Hell ie what you hate most about living here?
There's nothing that springs to mind. If I was to be really picky I'd have to say it is the good old road network and getting stuck on the A14 and A12 at the wrong time, always seems to mess with the schedule.
What's your favourite East Anglian restaurant?
It has to be Le Talbooth in Dedham. This will always be a special place for Hayley and I as we held our wedding reception there over ten years ago. Any excuse to dine there, with its outstanding menu and exquisite food, always brings the memories flooding back.
What's your favourite way to spend an East Anglian evening?
It's back to the beaches again. I just love the sea air. I enjoy cycling and like nothing more than to be riding along the coast on a summer's evening.
What's your favourite East Anglian landmark?
Spending a lot of time travelling around, the Orwell Bridge always stands out to me as not only a fantastic feat of engineering but a true landmark of our area. The vast size and scale of the bridge was instantly recognisable to me when I glanced out of a plane window on a recent flight back from a business trip to the Netherlands.
What's the best thing that happens in East Anglia every year?
It has to be our annual family visit to the Suffolk Show. It was a tradition for my parents to take my brother and I there each year and I have continued this with my own daughters.
What your specialist Mastermind subject?
With music as a passion and my roots as a DJ entertainer, I'm going to say '90's pop chart hits'.
What is always in your fridge?
Milk & normally three or four different varieties of cheese.
What's your simple philosophy of life?
I look to the words of Thomas Edison in a quote I am inspired by. 'The value of an idea lies in the using of it'.
What's your favourite film?
The Shawshank Redemption
What was your first job?
Working on a local holiday camp as a teenager. I collected glasses in the evenings and manned the tuck shop at the weekends.
What is your most treasured possession?
Family photos both old and new, in albums from years gone by as well the thousands I seem to have on my phone are truly treasured by me.
Who do you admire most?
For business and leadership, it has to be Sir Richard Branson. With my own business, Paul and I have also grown this from humble beginnings and I just have to admire his journey and story of success. It is very inspiring to make you think anything is possible.
What is your biggest indulgence?
Any sort of cake with fresh cream.
What do you like about yourself most?
My ambition and drive.
What's your worst character trait?
I can be quite obsessive when focusing on a task. I guess a positive to come out of this is my attention to detail.
Favourite holiday destination?
New York and its surrounding suburbs. I have extended family there and spent many a holiday there exploring and relaxing.
Best day of your life?
I'm going to group together a few here and having already mentioned my wedding day. I can also include the births of my daughters.
What's your favourite breakfast?
Eggs Benedict with a large cafetière coffee.
What's your favourite tipple?
A nice glass of Malbec.
What's your hidden talent?
I can recite all the words to Sugar Hill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight'.
What's your earliest memory?
Picking runner beans and new potatoes from my parents' vegetable patch.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
Somewhere over the Rainbow - Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole
Tell us something people don't know about you?
As a young boy I was diagnosed with dyslexia. I struggled all throughout school and college with what seemed to be at the time, no real support.
As an adult, I still find this hard on a daily basis but have learnt not to let it hold me back in any way. I have taught myself ways of dealing with this that allow me to not let it get in the way.
What's the worst thing anyone has ever said to you?
"We're out of coffee beans!" being shouted from the office kitchen in utter despair.
Tell us why you live here.
It's where I call home.
What do you want to tell our readers about most?
If you're planning a party, event or wedding please do check us out online at Dreamwave Events. I'm so very proud of our company and the team we have. www dreamwaveevents.co.uk
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