Saturday, May 13, 2006
From sunny Spain...
I was playing in England during the 1980's with the Limehouse Jazz Band. John Howlett led the band and played trombone, Roy Pellett was a frequent 'visitor' and they always reminisced very fondly about their days in Switzerland (which sounds as though it was much more agreeable than later - in Sofia!). My wife Pam knew Jimmy Garforth very well (she lived in Plymouth at that time - late '70s - and spent some time in the Rod Mason circle of the day) and there are several others who we can't call to mind at the moment who seem to have settled well in the "land of the cuckoo-clock"! No offence meant to the Swiss- it's probably a more agreeable term than "land of the Gnomes" anyway! and apart from cheese we don't know too much about the country, ignorant lot that we are!
We live on the Costa Blanca, some 10 miles inland from Denia - the port on the 'bump' that sticks out on the map about halfway down the east side of Spain. We actually look out towards the Balearics, and enjoy (or otherwise) similar weather to the islands. There's a daily ferry service from Denia to Palma, but it takes a whole day, and is very expensive.
The Picture shows Val attempting to gain possession of Ted Brown's (ex Unity Stompers, IoW) instrument - the caption to which was, I think, "let go or I'll break your ******* neck!" or thereabouts!
Keep on plonkin'........
John Westwood.
