NEWSLETTER 2014

Band & Bugles

2013 Reunion Report

The 2013 reunion was held, as previous years, at The Winchester Club, Winchester on Saturday 12th October.

The secretary – Dave Timms - made a conscientious effort to arrive at the club before members of the Waterloo Band and reunion members - but to no avail. Members from both parties where inside and outside the club awaiting his arrival.

Making his way into the club, the secretary eventually set himself up with a table near the entrance, opened the books and started to sign-in members and guests - all this before he had had a drink (to try and stave off the tremendous head ache he picked up from the previous evening).

 

The Waterloo Band provided the bulk of musicians, music stand and music, and the annual ‘blow’ got going at approximately 12:45 with Peter Connibear (ex-Depot Bandmaster) taking up the baton. A good selection of music was played this year, which included – Amparita Roca and High On A Hill, plus a few well known Band & Bugle marches. The secretary, keen to participate, ‘had a go’ on the drums and made a right old mess of the march being played. He had no idea what it was or how it went. It even had a 2 x bar drum solo in the middle – at which he decided to take a break. He promises to do better next time - IF permitted..!!

 


Some new faces again turning up for the first time - both from the Bands and the Bugles – but notably was the first reunion for LES HODGSON, who was percussionist with 2 RGJ Band in the late 60’s and 70’s. Les had been living in Gibraltar since leaving the Army in the late 70’s and only returned to the UK in the summer of 2012, when he was finally tracked down and issued with the ‘Order To Attend’.

 



The annual ‘blow’ over, it was then time to draw the raffle. This year there seemed to be an endless supply of prizes, some donated – a big thank you to those that contributed - and the rest sourced by Tony Dowd - who organizes the event.

 

Raffle completed and it was time for lunch. This gave the members an opportunity to soak-up the 3 or 4 hours worth of John Smiths already consumed.

 

Following lunch the secretary normally gives the ‘Annual Sermon’ (a few prepared words), BUT…. a ‘no-name’ person came and borrowed a piece of paper from him earlier in the day, inadvertently borrowing the coveted ‘Words of Wisdom’. All was going so well up to that point. So the ‘Annual Sermon’ never happened, but if it had taken place the secretary would have taken the opportunity to thank a load of people for various efforts and contributions…. etc. etc.

 

Our next reunion will be on Saturday 11th October 2014 - make a note on the fridge

                                                                                                                                                David Timms

                                                                                                                                                Secretary


IN ATTENDANCE

 

1 RGJ – Ox & Bucks

BENTON, Len              BOWEN, John                          BRIGGS, Malcolm        BROCKMAN, John

BUCKLAND, John        CALLAGHAN, Dave                CHESTER, Dave          CHRISTIE, Sam

CLIFFORD, Chris         COWAN, John                         DOWD, Tony                 DOWNTON, Roger

ELLIOTT, Steve           GREY, Don                               GREY, Fred                   HORNE, Doug

MITCHELL, John          MOREY, John                          PEET, Dave                  SLINN, Ray

SUMNER, Mike            THOMPSON, Jack                  TIMMS, Dave                WEARING, Dave

WINDEATT, Jon

TOTAL = 25

  

2 RGJ - KRRC

BUMSTEAD, Tony       BURCH, Dave                          CANNON, Dave           CLARKE, James

CRAVEN, Brian           EAST, George                           GARDNER, Mick          GILES, Keith

GOODWIN, Gary         HINDE, Ian                               HODGSON, Les           KASALOVICK, Filip (Kas)

MARSH, Chris             MARSH, Tim                            MARSHALL, Leigh        McMAHON, Jimmy

MUNNICK, Peter         MURPHY, Michael                   PLATT, Jeff                   SALMON, Laurence

SCARBOROUGH, Dave                                              THROWER, John

TOTAL = 22

  

3 RGJ – RB’s

BAILEY, Terry              CALDWELL, Gorge                CULL, Tim                    DUNNE, Bill

FARRALL, Paul           FREEMANTLE, Kevin            GLEDHILL, Bill             HAMER, Ian

HELM, Bob                  HOOKINGS, Henry                JACKSON, John           LEEMING, Jack

RODGERS, Fred         SANGER, Mike                      SHAW, Ian                    SIMS, Bryan

STOREY, Albert           STRANGE, Roy                     SWANN,Ken                TRESADERN, Michael

TYLER, John               VIGGERS, Brynley                 WEST, Ken                 

TOTAL = 23

  

DEPOT & WATERLOO BAND

ALDRIDGE, Nigel         BETTS, Roger                          CONNIBEAR, Peter      EDWARDS, Jackie

GIBBS, Charles            HOWARD, James                     MANN, Jackie               ROBERTS, Martin

SALSBURY, Racheal    STIMPSON, Matthew               STURDY, Kein            

TOTAL = 11 

GRAND TOTAL OF ATTENDEES = 81    (Not including Wives/Partners/Guests/etc) 

 

APOLOGIES

 

1 RGJ – Ox & Bucks                                 2 RGJ – KRRC3                         RGJ – RB’s                                   

AINGE, Tony                                               AHMET, Mitch                            AMBROSE, Steve

BALL, John                                                 BROWN, John                           ARNEY, Paul

BARKER, Jim (Dogsie)                               CLARKE, Glen                           ATHERTON, Malcolm

BLAKELEY, Dave                                        COOK, Ken                                BAINBRIDGE, Tony

BROWNE,Steve                                          COOK, Keith                              BISHOP, Anthony

CALCUTT, Colin                                          DONALDSON, Don                   CHADWICK, John

CHAPMAN, Steve                                       DOREY, Les                               DIKOMITE, Mike

CHATTERTON, Brian                                  DULSON, Gregory                     DOUGHTY, Edward

CROSS, Dave                                              DUNCAN, Roy                           ELLISON, Terry

DAY, Bob                                                      DUNCAN, Ken                           GOUDIE, Tom

EDWARDS, Paul                                          FLEMING, James                      HARDING, Ian

ETON, Mick                                                  FORMAN, Nick (George)           HAZEL, Dave

EVANS, Ernie                                               HICKS, Robert                           JULL, Grahame

FARNDELL, Brian                                        KENT, Mick                                 NEWMAN, Nick

FLOWER, Ivor                                              LEEMING, Neil                           PASSEL, Peter

FORTY, George                                            LISTER, Peter                            ROBERTS, Larry

GAMBLIN, Ken                                             LYONS, Seamus                        SHAW, Bryan

HALL, Charlie                                               MARTIN, Kevin                           SHEIL, Peter

HENDRA, Colin                                            MASON, Philip                            SHORE, Fred

HOSKING, Peter                                           MORGAN, John                         SMAIJE, Chris

KAVANAGH, Steve                                        NOBLE, Pete                             SMITH, Dean

LAWRENCE, Paul                                         PILGRIM, Alan                           THORNE, Darryl

LITTLE, David                                                SIMMS, Rod                               TRESADERN, Stuart

LONG, Bill                                                      SMITH, Steve                             TRESADERN, Peter

LYNCH, Ian                                                    SMITH, John                               WALLIS, Alan

MEEK, Clifford                                                SPICER, Tom                                       

MONKS, Chris                                                                                                        25

MOULT, Brian                                                        26

NELSON, Paul                         

PEARCE, Jim                           

PENTITH, John                        

POOLE, Steve                        

PRIME, Martin                          

ROACH, Les                                       

ROBINSON, Terry (Robbo)                                                                         OTHERS

SALSBURY, Graham                         

SELLEY, Chris                                                                                             BOARDMAN, Gary

SHEIL, Darryl                                                                                              McCANN, Terry

SHORTHOSE, Alan                                                                                    McELLIGOTT, Ian

SLACK, Andy                                                                                               ROGER-DAVIES, John

STUTT, Bernard                                                                                           SWIFT, Roger

SUGGETT, Gary                                 

WALSH, Pat                                                                                                                5

WILLIAMS, Bob                                  

WILLIAMS, Roger                               

WOLFENDALE, Colin

 

            46                                               TOTAL APOLOGIES = 102

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROGER AND SANDRA DOWNTON’S 3,000 MILE

CAMPERVAN TOUR OF GERMANY

In June 2013, following Germany’s worst floods in 100 years, acres of fields were flooded by the River Aller - and the campsite at Winsen was closed i.e. flooded. The next site was open, and we just got in before the gate closed at 10pm. German campsites are marvelous - clean and orderly, and the toilet blocks have all the mod cons.

It was 29°C on 7thth and 8 June when we explored CELLE where Roger was stationed about 43 years ago towards the end of the sixties.

 

First stop was the old Trenchard Barracks - very nostalgic for Roger. The place has been locked up for a year but is still in tact. We took lots of photos and Roger excitedly pointed out A Company block on the left-hand side where his room was.

 

On the top floor, A Company built a bar in the loft area from bamboo and wood to give it a Caribbean theme. To set it off and give it authenticity, above the bar was a large wicker basket birdcage containing several brightly coloured budgies.

 

The opening night was a great success. Roger’s rock band “The Flunky” played with Roger Lead Guitar, Gordon Belcher Rhythm Guitar, Howard ? Drums and Paul Matthews Vocals, as cheap booze flowed and fags and smoke created that familiar atmosphere of the time. Unfortunately on inspection the next morning, the budgies were found at the bottom of the cage expired - due to passive smoking. God knows what it did to everybody else!

 




Opposite A Company was the block that contained the band accommodation where Roger was during his time with the band. He recalled that prior to a gig, whilst they were waiting on the square to board a coach that was still maneuvering, somebody slid his trombone case behind the back wheel and someone shouted, “Is that your trombone?” as the coached backed over it, to the amusement of all present.



At the end of the road was the Sissi Grill. Roger said originally there was a quick snack (snell imbiss) wagon there. A couple with a son about 9 years’ old used to run it, and it was popular with the troops.




Anyway, Roger curiously went into the new place and I followed. I thought the restaurant looked like an adult playpen in an array of coloured small wooden chairs with lots of model chickens.

 

 

 

 


Whilst ordering his Bratwurst, Roger struck up a conversation, in pigeon German, with the man behind the counter. Yes, it was the very same 9 year old boy, now well grown-up and running the café in place of his parents who had subsequently died.

 



Then it was on to the War Cemetery near the River Aller. It backed on to the M.T. part of the barracks where Roger could see the A.P.C. garages where an unmentionable incident happened i.e. some private cars were stored which unfortunately got squashed under the tracks of an out of control 432. Oops - I wonder how that happened!

 

Celle, like many old towns in Germany, is very well maintained, with 16th century tall terraced pretty houses with shops and outdoor cafes on the ground floor. We walked around the streets and into the 14th century St Mary’s with its artworks. It was Friday and entry to the Museum and Castle was free.

 




 

The Museum had loads of old artifacts and utensils, plus a big old kitchen, and we visited some of the staterooms in the large austere 13th century Castle.

 

 





Then it was back to the pedestrianized streets with rows of outdoor cafes. We settled for an ice cream sundae, chosen from the menu, which had pages of exotic mouth-watering ice cream concoctions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 5pm, close to the Rathaus high on the front of an old building, the glockenspiel played, the box opened, and little statues paraded round in a circle.

 

 

 

 

And finally, the hunt for Alten Cellar Feld where Roger had a new house as married quarters. It’s now very built up and he didn’t recognize his old home.

 

The next day we visited Belsen Cemetery and Documentation Centre, plus the Railway Ramp and Wagon.

 

Next, Roger managed to locate Silbersee - a lake he used to drive to from the camp. (Liaisons with fraulines I daresay!) It’s now a commercial campsite - and the trees are taller!

 


The evening was spent back in Celle at the Trad Jazz Street Festival. Wow, the Germans certainly have fun. The event started promptly at 6pm. Two bands played on bandstands and about four other bands marched around the streets, intermittently stopping to play outside various bars.

 

 

 

 

 

The Rue d’Anvers ‘Foreign Legion’ band were hilarious - their conductor strutted about in a kilt, white spats and pith helmet, whilst the May Day band flirted with girls and encouraged them to limbo-dance under two playing trombones!

 

 

 

 

Leaving Celle, the rest of our tour included:

Hannover’s Herrenhausen Garten

Potsdam’s Sanssoucci and Cecilienhof Palace, Berlin’s many sites, including Hitler’s Bunker, then Dresden’s Frauchenkirche

Gorlitz on the Polish border

Colditz Castle, Bayreuth, Nuremberg and Munich, plus lots of apple strudel.

 

In Nuremberg, we just happened to stumble across the Zeppelin Field, found an open gate and amazingly, with pomp, spectacle and ceremony, we simply walked along across the massive Rally Ground where 200,000 Nazi soldiers marched in the 1930’s!

Then on to the Grand Stand where we stood on the very spot where Hitler delivered his speeches!

 

 




In Munich I happily drank a whole stein of delicious dunkle beer in the Hofbrauhaus, whilst the Bavarian band played and people reveled - a fantastic end to our trip.

 

Sandra Downton – “Prost”

 

 

P.S. Roger was inspired to buy a trombone, and he’s practicing as I write.

 

 

 

 

 

A TAIL by MICK SUMNER

 Ex-Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

 

 

At this time (circa 196O/61), I was a Student Bandmaster and principal percussionist at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall.

The trumpeters had an engagement at Canterbury Cathedral on the occasion of the enthronement of the Archbishop of Canterbury. We left K.H. fairly early in the morning, dressed in “civvies” and carrying our instruments and No 1 dress, stopping for breakfast at a transport cafe as was usual.

The fourteen trumpeters and myself with the Director of Music Lt Colonel David McBain arrived at the cathedral in plenty of time for a rehearsal with the choir and organist. We were met by a man who stopped the coach and asked the Colonel if he could see his pass.

“I haven’t got one” said the colonel.

“Well”, said the man “I can’t let you in”.

“Do you know who we are?” asked the Colonel.

“No, I do not” said the man.

The Colonel replied “I am Lt Colonel McBain, Director of Music of the Royal Military School of Music and senior DOM of the British Army and these are the Kneller Hall Trumpeters”.

“That’s as may be”, said the man, “but without a pass you can’t come in”.

“Is that your final word?” asked the Colonel.

“Yes it is”, said this self important person.

“Right”, said the Colonel, “back on the coach lads we might as well go back to K.H and by the way” he says to this man, “may I have your name?”

“What for” he says.

“Because tomorrow when I receive a letter from Her Majesty as to why the Kneller Hall trumpeters were absent, I will be able to inform her name of the person who refused us entry - Take his name Sgt Major”, which he did.

We climbed back on the coach and the DOM said to the driver, “drive on slowly”

We had gone about fifty yards or so when, we noticed the little shit running after us waving and shouting stop stop.

The driver asked, “Shall I stop?”

“No” said the Colonel, “make him run a bit more”.

We eventually stopped and the colonel said to him, “May I help you?”

The man said, “I have had second thoughts, and I will let you in even without a pass”.

“Are you quite sure?” enquired the colonel,

“Yes” said the man.

So we were shown into this cloakroom where we left our uniforms and went and did the rehearsal. When we came back to change, it was like walking into Aladdin’s Cave. There were dozens of clerical hats and headgear from all over the world. So of course we had to try them on.

At that moment, who should walk in but the DOM. I hope you are not thinking of wearing them later as they won’t match your uniforms.

All in all a very memorable occasion.

 

 

© RGJ BAND 2021