Geoff Weller – Coley

Hello Ken
How good to hear from you ,I hope you are well.It seems a very long time ago that we played together in Spring Gardens,with Derek.Am I right in thinking that you were taught by George at Ashmead before joining the Band.I can remember us playing several Quartet Competitions and coming Fourth in the National Juniors at Leicester I think.I know I was second cornet with Derek playing 1st and you Euphonium,Can you remember who the fourth player was.Was it George ….. ?Trombone .
Its good to hear you are still involved with music.I had a surprise for my seventieth birthday last year,my children bought me a cornet,so I have been having a blow now and then.Still not very good.Ken, it was a pleasure to hear you play,as I said before you could make it sing,just beautiful It was very sad to hear about Derek of course,I attended a memorial concert by Jo,s Spring Garden Band,It was very good and good to see that they are still playing,Jo puts in a lot of work to keep them running.I also was able to give Jo some pictures of Derek and myself not long after we joined the band.It was also good to meet Dereks wife and family who attended the concert.
When I think about it I don’t know how we fitted it all in ,what with practice,competitions ,London Parks,Forbury,the Prom,as well as Elm Park,Corpus Christie Procession from the Abbey I think,oh and also those freezing cold Remembrance services at the Forbury and Christmas Carols around Whitley.
I can also remember when we first changed uniforms from the old Guards uniform to the Blazers and Flannels.I was telling someone how my Dad used to make fun of me with my rather large peaked cap which was packed with cardboard in an attempt to fit us younger players,Happy Days.
Well Ken I must go now
I hope to hear from you soon
Regards
Geoff Weller