Heroes

I noticed the other day that on my old "myspace" page there is a question about heroes, I listed mine as Joseph Paxton and Fran Cotton. I also commented that you won't often see those two names together - I think there might be a brownie point for anyone who already knows who they both are.

Joseph Paxton was one of the great gardeners, his most famous accomplishment being the design of the Crystal Palace and the laying out of it's grounds, just up the road from where I live.

For those of you who don't know this particular part of South East London, the Crystal Palace is now both a major park and the sight of the National Sports Centre. There used to be a motor racing circuit there as well, but they built the stands for the running track over part of the circuit. Every time I went swimming we used to walk past this bust of Paxton. I'm not sure when this went up, but there is a lot of statuary around the park, including the famous Dinosaurs, it has to be said that this is not one of the best pieces on display.

Fran Cotton is a different proposition altogether I have lifted this article from Scrum.com "as an England and British and Irish Lions prop he was ahead of his time in levels of fitness and conditioning, he soon became a legend in the white of England and the red of the Lions. Cotton's international debut came against Scotland in March 1971 and while he was too late to arrive on the international scene to warrant inclusion on the Lions' 1971 tour of New Zealand, he made his mark three years later in South Africa.

Cotton played in all four Tests of the Lions' famous win in South Africa, forming a powerful scrimmaging unit alongside Bobby Windsor and Ian McLauchlan. Cotton, at over six feet tall, was seen by some as too tall for the front-row but he was complemented perfectly by the compact and powerful McLauchlan.

Cotton's versatility was another key string to his bow, with his four caps in 1974 coming on the tighthead side and three against New Zealand in 1977 on the loosehead. In 1977 Cotton was also the subject of one of the sport's most famous pictures, his mud smeared face being captured as a reminder of the terrible weather conditions against the Junior All Blacks.

Cotton's association with the Lions looked to have ended in 1980 when he left the tour early due to a bout of viral pericarditis, originally mis-diagnosed as a heart-attack, but in 1997 he served as the tourist's team manager as they won the series in South Africa.

Following his retirement from playing Cotton set up rugby leisure company Cotton Traders alongside fellow England international Steve Smith."

What this doesn't tell you is that both of these men started from relatively humble backgrounds and rose to the very top of both society and their chosen fields through their own hard work determination and talent. I have a copy of Fran Cotton's autobiography, but like so many sportsman's books it just tells of his playing career, and more or less finishes when he stooped playing. Given that he now heads a major multinational company, has managed a successful Lions' tour and is a leading RFU luminary I await a second volume! - are you reading this Fran?

There is of course a name missing - John Fletcher, if you don't know John Fletcher then you may be reading the wrong blog I will write more on Fletcher and heroes in general, now I need to sleep.

Bank Holiday Monday

Having only just commented that there was not much going on on the music front, I am now going to play at Hever Castle on Bank Holiday Monday with the All Saints Concert Band. I shall be on Bass Trombone so had better do a bit of practise before then.

I like Hever gardens, they are a good selection of parkland and garden with some nice statuary and a great lake, there is also a dahlia border which should look good in late August, I shall try to remember my camera and get you a few shots.

Little to report

Life has been fairly quite (while still busy) with me and Mrs T. Very little is happening on the music front with a bit of a lull now as most bands and orchestras are having a bit of a break until rehearsals start again in September. Croydon Brass Band keeps going through the summer, although at the moment we have nothing in the diary until November. I am hoping to get a concert organised for October but haven't got any dates through yet.

Work is busy, but unexciting, we harvested masses of plums and gooseberries from one garden I look after, the house is unoccupied and there is more fruit than my family can use so this morning we are going to take some up to Church and offer them to anyone who would like some.

BUT the main event of the week has been my daughters birthday, 13!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we took her and a friend out to dinner at Pizza Express on the day, and yesterday I went with her to buy THE present. For months she has been agitating for a new semi acoustic guitar so with the money from Granny etc. we bought one for her birthday. This now makes four instruments in her bedroom, and almost untouched keyboard, a much played and loved electric guitar, and my old bass. This bass resurfaced at a friends house a few months back after not having been used at all for around 20 years, and more like 30 years since I took it anywhere near seriously. My friend refurbished as a bit of a project and returned it to me, however I just can't get back into it, I couldn't even remember which notes the open strings play, so have gracefully accepted defeat and passed it on to the next generation.

Just a quicky!

It has been a busy old time just recently. lots to do on the work front and on the personal front as well. Yesterday - Sunday - my wife and I found that we had no commitments and with our daughter away a full day to ourselves, this is most unusual for us so we thought we would make the most of the day and went down to Wisley, the RHS garden for the day.

As always there was plenty to see and enjoy, this is a shot of one of the long borders

running up the hill.

A personal favorite of mine though is the Alpine house. When ever I go to Wisley, at whatever time of year there is always some exquisite specimens to be enjoyed in the Alpine house. If my number should ever come up and I win the Premium Bonds then one of the luxuries I have promised myself is my own Alpine house. The only trouble would be that then I would have to build my wife a cactus house as well!

I count an Alpine House as a luxury, whereas of course a full set Miraphone Tubas is a necessity

Horsham

On Saturday I played with the All Saints Concert Band, on the Bandstand in Horsham Town Centre. Horsham is a fairly traditional market town in Sussex, and on Saturday, yes there was a market. It is quite unusual to have a bandstand in the middle of town rather than in a park, but it does mean that lots of passers by get entertained, indeed I gather the bandstand is something of an attraction.

Finally a picture of yours truly playing the "New Toy" in anger. Final proof that it does get played for "real"

Being Proper?

It's been good to get back top a couple of days proper gardening this week. With the little bit of rain we have had I have gone back to cutting grass, and there is always weeding to do. After a few days doing a garden construction (see below) and a day on admin stuff actually going out and playing with the plants was a joy.

It's about 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning now, and I'm just getting ready to go down to Horsham in Sussex to play on the bandstand there with the All Saints Concert Band, I hope that there will be some friendly non combatants who will take some pictures for me, so in the mean time, if you have been thanks for reading.

More Proms

Last night (Wednesday) we went to the Proms, wow twice in one season, that's more than I've managed for years.


The work was Mahler's 3rd symphony, for those of you who don't know it this is a monumental work in 6 movements, the first movement alone lasting about 45 minutes. All the performances were first class, but special mention should perhaps go to the Mezzo Soprano Karen Cargill, and off stage trumpet - superb. Off course with a set up like the BBC Scottish Symphony you would expect that.

This is what the Proms website says "Donald Runnicles conducts Mahler's massive Third Symphony, the most rousing and touching of his early efforts to encapsulate the whole world within a single work. Its visions of verdant nature and heavenly love sprang from the composer's intention to give 'the whole of nature a voice'." I think that pretty much covers it.

Of special personal joy, my wife enjoyed the evening - since she is not a hard line classical music fan I was a little worried that this might just be too much for her, but the excellence of the performance and the sheer quality (if eccentric) of the writing shone through and won the day.

Before and after

I have been working on a local small back garden, a friend of mine (a euphonium player) owns the house and has been getting it ready to rent. It needed a garden so I was called in to sort out the mess here are some shots of before during and after.... I trust you can tell which is which

This is what I do!

St James's Park

I love St James's Park, the planting, the lake, the location, and of course the flamingos we all love them, but I love the audience for the bandstand. Of all the bandstands I play on - and that is quite a few - St James's has the most has the most knowledgeable and appreciative audience. I am quite sure that a lot are band music fans and come to the park specifically to hear a band play.

Saturdays gig went well the programme not being to taxing for band or audience but still entertaining enough for both to command attention. This band is superb on the bandstand, it really is their natural habitat. We played pieces like "In a Persian Market" and "Bandolgy" and all the audience enjoyed them selves, - what more could you ask for.

I did take my camera with me, in the hope of getting some shots for the blog, but missed the opportunity. I checked out the bands web site for photos, and there are several that include me, but you can only see the top of my head or the edge of the instrument's bell; hey ho......