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Another wonderful musician has died today, American pianist/singer Buddy Greco. I had the pleasure of meeting Buddy a couple of times, and spent one quite funny evening with him. Somewhere on this thread, I believe I have related a Buddy Greco story. Not many left from my era, when the world...

My sister and I were sent, to what was then known as Erdington Cottage Homes, circa 1942. I would have been about ten, and my sister, about six. We were there for around six weeks. It was horrendous, with a lot of bullying by the teachers. One day my sister, who I had not seen for some time...

I totally agree that modern football is money, greed, and even fraud, but it is still sad to see the City of Birmingham with two struggling teams, whilst other U.K. cities appear to get all the accolades, not just on the National stage, but also the International stage. Birmingham deserves...

My apologies, living in North Norfolk I am a little out of touch of what is happening at St.Andrews. Just when I thought they were making a good recovery from a previous Chinese investment, they appear to be once again in freefall, after a new Chinese investment. Such sad times at my beloved...

Maurice. I often wonder about what happened to Tony Oxley. Tony was a fine jazz drummer, and a successful one, albeit at times a little weird with his ideas. Rob Townsend and Brian Bennett I still see occasionally, but most of them have sadly departed to that great rhythm section in the sky...

Musically speaking, life is again getting serious. Photographed, with my daughter, during a Christmas piano lesson. Juliet is ex. Royal Academy of Music, and a superb musician, so I have my own highly qualified teacher....all at no expense. Not that I feel guilty. It cost my wife and I fortune...

Sorry Maurice, I did know about Randy's passing...just forgot to place a tribute on this website. I knew Randy in the late sixties/early seventies, when he was working with the Maynard Ferguson Band, and we were both endorsing Hayman drums. I lost touch with him after he left for the States...

Not my first gig, John. When I was nearly 17, I worked with an accordion player, Stan Husband. A nice jazz player. We did a duo at a country club just outside Brum. He had a motorbike, and sidecar. I was bundled into the side car, with my drums. I still cannot remember how we managed it...

As a friend has just said: Tax evasion seems to pay off. At least Ken Dodd did pay up. More than can be said for some peoo0ple. Always loved Ken Dodd's response: "When Income Tax was introduced it was a penny in the pound..........I thought it still was!" He had the court in fits of laughter...

At last!! A Knighthood for one of our greatest comedians. I worked with 'Doddy' in the sixties. Never the same act two nights running. Arise, Sir "Diddy Doddy". Well deserved, and thanks for all your years of making us laugh, and feel happy. Eddie

I forecast, quite some time ago, in another thread, that the name "NEW STREET" would slowly disappear, and "Grand Central" become the 'norm'. Eddie.

Thanks Maurice. Very sad about all those musicians dying. Alfonso Mouzon has also died, original drummer with Weather Report. Must have been around 70, I guess. Yes, thoroughly enjoying the old 88'er Eddie

Some wonderful Christmas presents, including, at 83 years of age.......a pianoforte tutor book. Life in the old dog yet!! Eddie

This Christmas has seen the passing of two more famous British entertainers, Rick Parfitt and George Michael. Still relatively young, and so sad. Let us all also remember the tragic death of all the not so famous musicians that have been killed in the Russian air disaster, and their grieving...

Just received the sad news of the passing of another old friend....Rick Parfitt, of Status Quo. I was always great pals with the band, and we had some hilarious times together, like the night we all stayed in the same hotel in Sydney, and another time at a very funny wedding. Until now, Quo...

MY CHRISTMAS MESSAGE. (in story form). The Story of Rudolph. A man named Bob May, depressed and broken hearted, stared out of his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night. His four year old daughter, Barbara, sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of...

Yesterday, an old friend, a retired Head of Music, said to me that when she sees what is happening in the world today, she feels unhappy about putting up Christmas decorations. It is difficult not to agree, but my mother taught me differently. On the night of November 22nd 1940, Hitler's...

Eric. I learned to read those tapes without the machine. No doubt your tapes would be in open English, but I had to also read the encoded versions, which I would then either decrypt, or encrypt. Would not be able to remember even one letter these days! Eddie

Phil: I worked in cypher (encoding & decoding messages). It was the follow on to wartime Bletchley work. Thoroughly enjoyed my Royal Signals career. I was a mere secondary school graduate, working with university type boffins, and playing in the camp band. My schooling was also a wooden pen...

Just looking through this thread. I think I can 'top' most of you, unless someone knows better. I first used a keyboard, and a computer, in 1952. Nothing like you know today. The computer was as large as a family bathroom, and the keyboard was very much like an old fashioned typewriter, but it...