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Re: re:"iffy band" - replacing players.

To: <brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: re:"iffy band" - replacing players.
From: "David Williams" <JDW@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 10:52:28 -0000
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Happy New Year John.  I can tell you a similar tale of over FIFTY years ago
!  A well-known seaside resort here in Wales hit on the bright idea just
after the last war of producing an instant band to bring fame and
fortune...and bring in the tourists in their thousands (no package holidays
then).   A conductor from a championship band was hired and given a nice job
on the council, and soloists from the top bands of the day recruited...and
given jobs and, I believe, housed.   Soon the band was walloping all the
opposition in the area,and  won the Grand Shield at Belle Vue.   The band
became regular broadcasters on the BBC (Music While You Work, etc.)  They
were certainly a great success.   But then these men left and went back to
Fodens, etc.  or even to become conductors of championship bands.    And the
local bandsmen were left to start again.      It had always intrigued me as
to what had happened, and about 25 years later  after plying their former
conductor with tots of scotch I plucked up the nerve to ask him "what the
hell caused the loss of
that band ?"    "Ten bob David, he replied."   It turned out that his
imported musicians (most employed by the council) demanded a pay rise for
playing in the band of Ten Shillings a week  (or our Fifty pence).......and
the council turned them down.  So they left.   Happily the band is still
going quite successfully now.   And football enthusiasts might recall
something similar when John Toshack (of Liverpool F.C.) some years ago went
as manager to lowly Swansea in the fourth division......signed up a lot of
his old team mates from Liverpool nearing retirement and famously took them
to the top of the First division.    Makes you think....does'nt it ?
All the best.   Dave.


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