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Today I made a big decision. At 83 I have decided to learn the piano. I have the background knowledge, I know notation, I can read notes on the ledger lines. I think that scales, and finger technique, are the most important things to learn at the moment. I will talk to both our daughters, both...

Many thanks for that Big Gee. I will pass the information to the guys that edit the history of the Premier Drum Company. Eddie.

Big Bee: 1990 was way after my departure in 1978, to join an American percussion company The demise of Premier began in 1980 when the Company went bankrupt. In spite of many take overs, the Company has all but disappeared, with a small company now owning the brand name, with a small unit in...

Big Gee: From 1973-78, I worked for the Premier Drum Company as Manager, in Promotions, Drum Clinics, Export Sales. It would be interesting to know who your contacts were, possibly Phil Middleton, or Pat Clarkson, via Raymond Della Porta.. Of course, I can offer you the full history of the...

Thank you Maurice, Yes, correctly used, and not abused, computer communication is wonderful. To share some our musical experiences, and knowledge has been exciting, with hopefully more to come. The BHF website has been extremely useful because I have tracked down old friends that I knew at...

Even in my old age, or more likely, because of my old age, I was never a modern computer enthusiast. I say modern, because I was using computers in 1952! Albeit that they were huge monstrosities that took up a whole room. In my old age, I had, more or less, given up my career in the music...

For the adults, it was an horrendous period, and they were well aware of the terrible disasters that were unfolding in the world, but for me, my young friends, and possibly most children living on this island, in a weird sort of way, almost every day, good and bad, and there were terrible days...

Had to watch where you were treading, with the pools of water, and horse manure. A little like the 'horse country' lane that we live in. Eddie

pjmburns: May I thank you for the contact information you gave, that has enabled me to establish the burial details of my grandparents, on my mothers side. It has been interesting to note that they died within two months of each other, January & March 1940, and not two weeks, as I previously...

An unexpected offer, completely out of the blue. Thank you cresser. Left Birmingham some 60 years ago, when I was nearly 24. I am only aware that my grand parents are buried at Brandwood End, possibly together, and I was informed, many years ago, that there was a headstone. The names that I...

Today I have had to pay tribute to two lovely friends, with whom I shared my professional life. Robert Paiste, from the Paiste Cymbal Company, and John Taylor, a top London drummer, and drum teacher. Hardly anyone left from my era, that I worked with. Eddie

During the fifties I was a professional musician, working at the Casino in Birmingham. To earn a bit more ready cash, I would sometimes be called upon to collect insurance premiums for the Prudential Assurance Company. At one point I had undergone some training with the 'Pru', so knew the...

BBC 2, Monday. November 14th 2016. University Challenge. Birmingham played St. Andrews. St. Andrews lost. Eddie

Just having a chat with a British drummer friend, and ex. army man, who has lived in Germany for many years. I was relating my Germany posting from August 1952 to January 1954, when I was demobbed. It was eight months before I had completed my Army course training, at Catterick, and then...

With the Remembrance events still fresh in our mind, last evening, a fellow musician friend, and I were discussing the days when we had to play the National Anthem at the end of the evening dance. As a drummer, I would always have to play the long, sustained drum roll that begins the National...

I watched the Cenotaph service for the 11am Silence. It is always a wonderful tribute to those of have given their lives for our freedom.... For Those Who Served. It was also wonderful to see those that are still serving. Two lovely individuals, both in their nineties, who stood for around a...

Eighty years ago, on November 2nd 1936, the BBC launched its first TV show from Alexandra Palace (Ally Pally). A wonderful programme on BBC4 last evening, recreated that historical event. The first singer on TV was Adele Dixon, who, I seem to remember was a West End theatre singing star. I do...

I have been fortunate to drive many cars, and in various places around the world, but one of the best was in 1970, during a drum clinic tour of South Africa. I was taken by some rich South African guy to the Formula One Kyalami circuit, just outside Johannesburg. I was let loose in a 'souped...

I recall seeing John Cobb's Napier-Railton Special that he broke the world land speed record in, just after WW2. It was, for a while, in the old Birmingham Transport Museum

A website on this Forum, is currently referring to the sad sight of homeless people in our big cities, with the focus, naturally, on Birmingham. The TV media has a show on most days of the week called Homes Under The Hammer. The programme illustrates, quite clearly, the mental approach, the...