Back in the day a Mark 1 Ford Escort could get from Cardiff to Edinburgh in 5 hours. Now, the trip to the Spring Festival takes longer than a flight from Heathrow to Las Vegas. Friday rehearsal is at the band room, before setting off, as you never know what unearthly hour you will arrive. […]
After a long coach ride to London, rehearsal and a dubious Persian restaurant I camped down for the night ready for the contest. My bass trombone ‘roomie’ announced he was as tired as ten adjudicators and was asleep before you could say Handle in the band. Just as I entered the land of nod it […]
It is the first time for 21 years that I have been in a band that has qualified for London and as I cast my mind back two things jump out. Playing in the Royal Albert Hall and hotels. The latter still gives me nightmares. I have been to many contests where a hotel is […]
Ravensburg is a stunning town in southern Germany, almost on the borders of Switzerland and Austria, and I had the privilege of playing at the Ravensburg Rutenfest Music Festival in July 1997 with Cwmaman Band on a twin town exchange. The hospitality was out of this world – it was a joy to be there with such fantastic […]
Sadly, due to the affluent society we live in, there is an abundance of cars and the traditional band coach to nearly every contest is reserved for long haul only. Sadly because it gave members of the band, supporters and committee the chance to talk and interact for more than the duration of a rehearsal […]