Slightly dampened spirits at The Walled Garden, Lower Sunbury.

We've had some nice times at the Walled Garden in Sunbury, enjoying the flowers, listening to good music and just basking in the summer sun.

The events are put on by Spelthorne Council but we haven't been for a while now and we realised that the season (like summer) is coming to an end. So we got our chairs together and headed off to Lower Sunbury.

It didn't quite go so well this time;

It rained on us - the umbrellas were out!

And the normally excellent Jake Fryer Trio weren't exactly firing on all four cylinders either. It may not have helped that they were moved from the stage into what seemed like a bus shelter, with acoustics to match.

And every so often the mood was broken by a rather grumpy park keeper throwing chairs onto a trolley.

And the café shut early so we couldn't get anything to eat or drink.

And every so often there was a rather strange sound that Robyn noticed....rather like someone throwing pebbles on the ground.

It came nearer and nearer.....

It turned out that the automated sprinkler system hadn't been turned off for the concert and it activated itself and drenched about a quarter of the audience.

Elderly people, the disabled, their belongings, all scattered by the water. Which was odd, because it was raining and the water really wasn't needed.

We did get an occasional glimpse of the band through the umbrellas;

But generally it felt like we'd outstayed our welcome.

Hopefully the concerts will be back next year.

Neil Harris.
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Saxophony at The Walled Garden, Sunbury.

It's starting to get really hectic and we are beginning to realise how hard it is to organise a wedding in no time at all.

On Sunday Robyn was out and I spent some time trying to get some work done - when I picked her up we realised there was a concert at The Walled Garden, Sunbury and we managed to catch the second half, on the way back home.

The lavender was out;

The roses were in full flower;

And the band were 'Saxophony'; a delicate precise saxophone quartet playing popular tunes in a walled garden.

I'm getting frazzled and stressed out with what we have ahead of us - but for three quarters of an hour I was chilled, listening to undemanding tunes in a beautiful garden.

Then it was back to the struggle and it hasn't even started to get difficult yet!

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com 

Jake Fryer at The Walled Garden; Jazz on a Summer's Day'

It's been a lousy summer; grey skies, rain.

As you can imagine it's been a bit of a blow for me. It's not as though we can get away and I've got an unpleasant autumn to look forward to.

We've spent most of our time struggling over weather forecasts. Then they forecast rain and we stay at home.....then it's fine.

Doh!

On Sunday that's exactly what happened; they forecast rain.

In the morning it did rain but then it got better after lunch.

I couldn't face losing another day and just took a chance and dragged Robyn to Sunbury of all places.

Spelthorne Council puts on summer concerts; by accident we saw a brass band at The Lammas Park back in May.

This one was at 'The Walled Garden' in Lower Sunbury; the last one of the 'Summer'.

I came off the Sunbury Cross roundabout (which I've used all my life) onto a road I never knew was there.

Eventually we found Sunbury park and ended up walking through it haphazardly, carrying our own chairs and with no real hopes of ever finding anything.

Then, I saw a big wall.

Then we heard music!

It was a little trio - John Sargeant on the drums, John Blackwell on electric guitar and Jake Fryer on the saxophone.

I looked him up before we left; Jake plays and composes Jazz in the Bebop style I love. He's played at Ronnie Scott's and around the world.

This time he was playing standards, gently with a tight little trio.

And the sun actually came out!

'Jazz on a Summer's Day' and surrounded by flowers in a walled garden.

How good does it get?

There was even a rose garden;

There was even Bread Pudding and a cappuccino.

 

 

 

It really doesn't get any better than that.

 

Neil Harris

 

(a don't stop till you drop production)

 

Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

 



Shape of things to come; a taste of Boomboxlive 2014.

Saturday night and there was only one place to be - another special night down at the Hobgoblin-

boomboxLive

This was a taster night for the Boombox 2014 festival which explodes on the 21^st June 2014 at Brooklands College in Ashford. It was rammed.

 

These are the people behind it;

 http://www.thesoundhive.com/about

They support and help young bands in Spelthorne and here’s the Boombox festival site itself;

http://boomboxlive.co.uk

As ever Facebook is probably the best way to get to them – you can find that for yourself.

The Hob was heaving – lots of young people and not a few proud parents in the audience.

I was late so only caught the end of the two acoustic duos that started it all off but then you’re going to the festival anyway – you can catch them there?

This is ‘Chasing Cara’;

Playing their own thoughtful stuff (indie with teeth) and ending up with a lively song for Ian Curtis. I nearly used the word nice there – that wouldn’t do, not for Ian.

Here’s their lead.

I was watching them play and thinking back to the bleak, monochrome/beige world of Joy Division where nothing much ever happened…this really is a different time and place.

Helping me snap out of that thought was the shockwave coming from 'Room 4';

And yes, in real life they are all smaller than they look here.
Big sound though. 

A complete rocket powered, duel-exhaust, nitro-fuelled blast of heavy metal. Mainly their own stuff but ending up with Motorhead’s Ace of Spades.

Now those who know me know that metal is never going to be my thing (don't start me off about Lemmy) but if it’s your thing you’d better watch out for this lot.

What really frightens me is that they are going to grow.

Next, no stranger to The Hob are ‘Girl in The Garden’;

 

A sheer wall of sound and as it got louder you can see that I got pushed further and further back by the crowd.

Finally a real treat for me, although they’ve been around quite a while now;

 This is ‘According to You’ and they played a blinder;

 

 

All their own material, lots of energy;

 

Lots of beat and a crowd getting more excited by the minute

 

They are definitely on my list.

If you weren’t there you missed quite a night.

The secret?

It was all put together by people who give a #.

So if you’re teenage you should definitely be putting Boombox in your diary now – it’s going to be quite a day and you get to see bands who are going to be something in the years to come.

If you’re in a local band you need to be contacting the links I’ve posted here – these people can help you.

And the Hob donated the door takings to the festival, isn’t that a nice thing to do?

As I said, people who give a #

For a slideshow and better quality, click on any photo.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact:  neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com