There was a flu epidemic while I was at school in Berkhamsted, so we were all in the dorm all day, and someone had a record of Mack the Knife by Louis Armstrong.  I then bought a £5 trombone.  Formed a jazz band, in which I played trumpet (no one else could) and we did a couple of gigs in front of the whole school in the assembly hall.  Played Canal St Blues, among others.

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College – Chris Etherington (banjo), Bob Ractlyffe (not Ratclyffe, trumpet, became head of Westinghouse in USA), Marek Cropper (piano, girlfriend called Clutterbuck), Dave Bowen (clarinet, with whom I continued to have as a friend).

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Mostly with Ken Wilson (trumpet) for about 20 years.

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Thames Valley Stompers, name changed to Hot Banana Jazz Band.

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Instruments:  cheao £5 trombone at school, Kalison with F-change key (bought in Lima Peru), Conn Director (sold 2014 on Ebay for £120), King 3b (worth £2000 -given to Matthew, son of Jo Colman from Damerham after poor response from Ebay), Valve trombone, metal clarinet, sousaphone, washboard, guitar, ukelele-banjo.

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Sat in several times with Dave Allison clarinet and the Alleycats at the Abercorn in Teddington.

 

Did several gigs at the Waterman centre.  Amber and kids almost certainly were there when I played.

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Visited New Orleans in about 1972.  Went to Preservation Hall.  Lots of showbiz jazz (very good musicianship - Pete Fountain) in bars along Bourbon St.  Bumped in to Jeff, who used to work for Boving.