The Spa Hotel

I had a major ‘deja vu’ feeling as I drove into the car park of the Spa Hotel. I used to be the resident pianist in the restaurant here for many years; this was before  starting my career as a professional pianist. You could say that I did my apprenticeship at the Spa Hotel, and I have many fond memories of the place.

I was booked for today’s wedding well over twelve months ago and I was required for the ceremony, reception drinks and wedding breakfast. There were going to be over thirty children at this wedding, which was a little bit scary to say the least, as it only takes about two badly behaved ones to absolutely trash a wedding. Children frequently treat the area around the piano as a playground and this usually makes my job very difficult. As it happened, they were extremely well behaved and I hardly noticed that they were there. Children often get a bad press these days and when it really comes down to it, it is only a minority that spoil things for the rest of us; giving kids a bad name. let’s face it, we were were all kids once and I think that in many ways  (and I’m sure most of the people who know me will agrree with me on this)  I am still a child a heart. Many thanks to Donna for booking me for this event.

Tweet This Post

Sutton Bonnington Hall

Yesterday I had a great day in Leicestershire. I spent the day at a lovely venue in the tranquil village of Sutton Bonnington near Lougborough and the weather was gorgeous. I arrived at the venue really early and I unloaded all my gear before going for a walk through the village. I was due to play for the drinks reception and the wedding breakfast; so I had a bit of time to kill.

Eventualy I went back to Sutton Bonnington Hall and set up my digital piano in the garden for the drinks reception while the ceremony was still going on inside. Finally everyone came outside and enjoyed the sunshine and drinks that were available. The guests seemed to be in a good  mood  and the general ambience was that of people having a good time.

The reception drinks came to an end and we all went inside for the wedding breakfast. The staff were great and really looked after me throughout the day; giving me drinks, snacks and generaly making me feel welcome. I eventually finished when the speeches started and started packing everything up for my journey home. Sutton Bonington is a lovely peaceful village and I had a great day here. I hope that I’ll come back here again soon. Many thanks to Steph for booking me for her big day.

Tweet This Post

View of the sky from the Brands Hatch Thistle Hotel.

Today I played for a wedding at the Brands Hatch Thistle Hotel. This was my first visit to the hotel and I didn’t realise that it had been built so near to the race track. As a visitor you can hear the constant high pitched hum of the engines coming from the track as soon as you step out of the building. There is no wonder that the entire hotel has become a shrine to British motor racing.

I took my digital piano just in case the hotel’s piano wasn’t up to scratch; luckily it was OK. The bride  expressed a deep interest in piano music right from the outset, and I later found out that she plays the piano herself . All the tables were named after motorbike manufacturers, so I presumed that the groom  was a motorbike racing enthusiast. I’d like to thank Ross and Michelle for hiring me to play the piano at their wedding . The entire event went really well and I managed to get back home in time to go to the pub. Way-hay!

Tweet This Post

The Broadway Sign

Once again the jazz and swing night went really well. It was so busy when we arrived that we had great difficulty finding somewhere to park. We had to drive around until we eventually spotted a car leaving, and we then very quickly took the vacant space.

Sheila was in excellent form and sang like an angel. She has a great feel for the great jazz standards and sings them exceptionally well. Our audience were very attentive and we played a few requests which were very well received. We now seem to have a regular crowd that come in to see us every month and they sometimes get a little bit annoyed if people talk while we are performing. Generally the atmosphere is very relaxed and I hope that our music is conducive to conversation.

Tweet This Post

Long Eared Owl at Parham Park

My brow was burning as I tussled through the rough field with my digital piano on my sack trolley and my rucksack on my back. I knew that today was going to be a real scorcher , and once again I felt a little bit overdressed in my black Nehru suit. When I play at these HD Fairs, I can’t help but notice, that I never see anyone else in a suit; they obviously have more sense. Somehow, I just don’t think that it would look quite right if I sat at the piano in shorts, wellies and a ‘T’ shirt. Eventually I arrived at the mock white grand piano in the food pavilion and placed my digital piano in the space where the proper grand piano keyboard should be. On close inspection it is obvious to anyone that it isn’t a real piano but, I must say, it does look convincing at a distance. All this, hopefully, gives everyone the impression that they are having afternoon tea at ‘The Ritz’.

Today was going to be a little bit different from the usual HD Fairs in that I was going to alternate sets with Brighton Brass. They were led by Matthew Hackett who was a really easy going and friendly guy. He was very agreeable as we worked out our timetable for the day. Brighton Brass turned out to be fantastic and would be a great addition to any outdoor event. They played with great gusto and looked as if they were enjoying every minute of it. You can visit their website at www.brightonbrass.co.uk. The day in general had a nice feel to it and everyone seemed to have a great time in the sunshine. It did, however, keep clouding over but fortunately this never lasted for very long.

Tweet This Post

Flower at Pines Calyx

Yesterday was quite a busy day but fortunately there wasn’t too much traveling. The first event of the day was a staff party for Norfolk Line at Pines Calyx, Near Dover and this was with Sheila Daniels on vocals and Dave Trigwell on drums. We set up all our equipment under a gazebo, erected for us by the organisers, and then gazed at the wonderful view of the gardens.  The grounds are especially beautiful and we performed in lovely warm sunshine. The venue is quite unique in that it uses innovative low carbon technology to create the ultimate sustainable green venue (see www.pinescalyx.co.uk/). The organisers were very friendly and really looked after us throughout the afternoon. We were certainly well fed and watered during which seemed to make Dave Trigwells day.

By the time Sheila and I arrived at the second venue it was starting to get just a little cooler and turned into a nice balmy evening. The evening event was a birthday party at Stanstead Village Hall, quite near to Brands Hatch, and the line-up consisted of just me on piano and Sheila. Dave Trigwell had gone straight home from Pines Calyx and and missed out on the food and drink that was made available to us at this evening do. The host was a very friendly man who put a lot of effort into making people feel at home. Everyone seemed to enjoy the music and weren’t afraid to dance and let their hair down. Both Sheila and I enjoyed ourselves and I hope that this came over in the music.

Tweet This Post

Marquees at Parham Park

Today I played for the HD Live Crafts Show & Food Fair at Parham Park in Pulborough, West Sussex. It turned out to be a really sunny day and quite a lot of people were complaining about it being ‘humid’. I thought that it was a lovely day  and I can only think that the word humid must mean: fantastic, lovely or wonderful ; not air that contains a lot of water, as I once thought.

The day went well and I had many requests and gave away lots of business cards. The fair goes on all through the weekend but it will be Steve Ashworth taking my place tomorrow. Steve is a superb pianist and you can find out more about him at www.myspace.com/stephenashworth . I’ll be back to Parham Park on Sunday.

Tweet This Post

Ramada Hemel Hempstead

Last I night I played for a dinner party held by Probus at the Ramada Hotel in Hemel Hempstead. Probus are an organisation for semi-retired and retired business people. The evening went well and they were a lovely audience, being very easy to please from the outset. 

The staff were excellent and very friendly, unlike some of the staff at the more prestigious London venues. The manager who was co-ordinating this event was especially helpful and her entire evening seemed to be focused on the fact that I should eat something at some point. Every time I stopped playing she would come and ask me whether now was a good time; in the end I succumbed and I wasn’t dissapointed. 

A lot of people see the Ramada Hotels as being corporate and a little bit boring. This particular hotel made a good impression on me and it was the staff that made this particular event work. At the end of the day I think that it is the staff who give a hotel it’s true identity and character; without the right staff an hotel is nothing. 

Many thanks to Iain for booking me for this event.

Tweet This Post

Although I’m a country boy at heart, I couldn’t help but be overawed by the modern development at Canary Wharf. The intricate use of glass, metal rods and steel cables was so impressive; and the sheer scale of the buildings just made the people on the street seem miniscule and insignificant by comparison. In a funny sort of way Canary Wharf seemed quite beautiful; but then again, the sun was shining. I probably wouldn’t have got the same impression had it been  a dreary, grey January afternoon.

I was here to play the piano for a wedding with Sheila Daniels on vocals and Mike Porter-Ward on bass. Sheila and I were the first to arrived at the Plateau, which was on the fourth floor of Canada Place, and we were able to set up all our equipment straight away. The Plateau is a beautiful light filled restaurant with a futuristic decor and stunning views over the roof tops of Canary Wharf. We now had a couple of hours to kill, so we had a nice walk around Canary Wharf in the afternoon sun, before having a drink in a bar a the water’s edge. We then made our way back to the venue, where there was a smiling Mike Porter-Ward already set up and raring to go.

Sheila always looks a little nervous and vulnerable before a performance, but all this soon dissapears as soon as she sings the first few notes of the opening number. From then on it is a performance from an artist who is in full command of her singing and her audience (not forgetting the command she has over us musicians!). Lots of people danced and the whole event was a real success. Many thanks to Sheila for booking me for this event.

Tweet This Post

The First Dance

 The train was a direct one from Coventry to Basingstoke and Coventry Train Station was only a stones throw away from the Hylands Hotel, where I had just stayed the night. I boarded the train and it simply roared through the countryside arriving in Basingstoke much sooner than I expected. I phoned Steve on my mobile and patiently waited outside Basingstoke station with my trolley, digital piano and back pack; the sun was shining and I felt a little bit overdressed in my black suit. 

About twenty minutes elapsed before Steve Conway’s smiling face appeared. He had very kindly offered to give me a lift to Aldermaston Manor where we were about to perform for a wedding. I was performing with Steve on vocals and Mike Porter-Ward on bass, but first of all, I had to play solo piano through dinner. 

I really enjoy events where I have both the opportunity to play solo and also to play in an ensemble; variety is the spice of life after all. I had to set up and play in a room adjacent to the diners and then adjust the volume so that they could hear the music. This wasn’t an ideal set up but there just wasn’t any room for me in the dining room. 

Aldermaston Manor

After doing my solo stint I then had to set up in the room that had just been used for the wedding breakfast. Steve and Mike had been hanging around waiting for the meal to finish so that they could also set up. The evening set off to a good start and Steve was full of enthusiasm as usual; in fact he was so excited and enthusiastic, that he forgot my name when he introduced the band members. Mike was also on good form, cracking jokes and telling us funny stories during our breaks. All in all we all had an enjoyable evening, and I’m looking forward to the next time we get together. 

Tweet This Post

Coventry Hilton

Tweet This Post

View of Scarborough

This morning both Sheila and I both felt a bit jaded, after our exciting evening aboard the ‘Royal Scotsman’; so we decided to have a nice walk around Scarborough to clear the cobwebs away. The weather was still very dull to start with, but gradually the morning did get better.

We eventually set off on our journey home. We got as far as Derbyshire before we heard that there was a really bad traffic jam on the M1 just below the turn off to Northampton around junction 14. In an attempt to avoid this, and to have a break from driving, we came off the M1. We imagined that if we took a break it would give the traffic jam a chance to clear. We visited a pub called the Olde Sun Inn,  Nether Heyford (off junction 16 of the  M1)  and it is one of my favourite watering holes when I am in the Northampton area. It is a lovely pub with lots of flowers outside; and loads of brass ornaments and memorabilia inside.

The Olde Sun Inn, Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire

Having had a break, we set off once again, feeling refreshed and ready for the rest of the journey. Our plan to avoid the traffic jam did not work and we spent a very long time on the M1 with the handbrake on.

I eventually got home by about 9:30pm and I was glad to get out of the car.

Tweet This Post

The Royal Scotsman

Last night looked as if it was going to be very gloomy night indeed. The rain splattered on the car windscreen, and the sky looked as if the sun would never shine again, as we slowly pulled into the railway station car park, in Scarborough. We gazed at the rain. 

I was with jazz vocalist Sheila Daniels and we were about to entertain the guests on board ‘The Royal Scotsman’ train. The rain slowed down for a few minutes and we managed to venture out of the car. We scuttled onto the platform just in time to see the impressive Royal Scotsman come into the station at 8:00pm precisely. We weren’t actually performing until 10:30pm but, like real anoraks, we wanted to watch the train come in. I couldn’t help but wonder what sort of evening we had ahead of us; I had never performed on a train before and the weather didn’t exactly fill our hearts with joy. 

We eventualy boarded the train at about 9:00pm and we were both taken aback by the shere splendour of the observation carriage. The interior of the train was magnificent and suprisingly roomy. The decor was plush and lavish, and if you let your imagination go for just a second, you could imagine that you were on the set from an episode of ‘Poirot’. 

We imagined that we would be short of room but we managed to set up easily in the available space; the guests even managed to dance! There were only about thirty five guests but I must say thast they were a quality audience and they gave us their undivided attention throughout. It became a very intimate performance with people engaging in conversation and asking for requests. They were a real friendly bunch and were extremely appreciative – they even told us that we had been the highlight of their trip. We were only booked until 11:30pm but we ended up getting carried away and didn’t finish until 12:00am. We had a fantastic evening and really enjoyed ourselves in spite of a very bleak journey into Scarborough.  I hope that we have the opportunity to perform many more times on the Royal Scotsman. If you would like to learn more about the Royal Scotsman then why not visit http://www.orient-express.com/ or  http://www.royalscotsman.com/. 

We stayed the night in Scarborough at the Bradley Court Hotel. It was quite an old fashioned hotel in many ways, but it had real charm and was extremely good value for money. You can visit their website at  www.bradleycourthotel.co.uk/.

Tweet This Post

Main Entrance

This morning I had an early morning call from the groom of todays wedding. He was panicking because he had just heard that the guitarist, who he had hired for the ceremony, couldn’t make it. So he was just checking that I was definitely going to be there to play for the wedding breakfast. I quickly put his mind at rest, and reassured him that I would be there approximately two hours before my start, time to set up. Weddings are such stressful things to organise, and there is always the worry that people will let you down at the last minute.

The wedding was at The Elvetham, Nr Fleet, Hampshire and I arrived to set up around 2pm. I’ve played at the Elvetham a few times in the past, and I’ve always been treated well; today was no exception. I played right through the meal and finished around 6:30pm. The guests were very appreciative, and frequently applauded througout the meal. They were also quite a jolly bunch, so it only seemed right to play some of my more lively stuff, rather than the usual mellow dinner music.

I’d like to thank Roland and Gemma for booking me for their special day.

Tweet This Post

View From The Piano

Today I played the piano at Seckford Hall Hotel in Woodbridge; this was my first visit to this stunning venue and I hope that it won’t be the last. We had fantastic weather, and I played outside for the reception drinks, before coming inside for the wedding breakfast. The staff at the hotel very kindly placed a  big parasol over me and the piano; this protected all my equipment from the intense sun.

I came inside  at about 3.45pm and played in the minstrells gallery above all the diners in the Great Hall. Being high up in the gallery enabled me to get a nice spread of sound throughout the room. Sometimes, I have to set up right next to a table of guests, and I have to be continually aware that I may be too loud  for the people near to me, but not loud enough for the people at the other side of the room. I usually watch the body language of the people who are nearest to me, and if I notice them trying to lean across the table to get their message across, then I am too loud. They should be able to talk freely across the table whilst sitting back in their seats. Much can be learnt from closing watching the body language of the guests. I also usually ask the people on the table nearest to me, to let me know at  any point if the music is too loud for them.

All in all it was a really nice wedding and the guests seemed to have a great time. I had quite a few requested songs to play during the day, and everyone was appreciative.

Many thanks to Leanne for booking me for her wedding.

Tweet This Post