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Just when everyone was thinking that 1998 was to be a 'stay at home' year, out of the blue came an invitation to participate in a Brass Band Festival in Ommen in the Netherlands.
The coach was booked in no time and off we went again. We soon found that the Dutch idea of a Brass Band is very different from ours - at least, the bands that we met were very different! We would probably describe them as being "Oom-Pah" Bands - very entertaining and quite noisy! There were 36 bands in the festival, Rugeley being the only one from the UK. Over the two days, quite a following built up for the "English Band", probably because our sound was completely different to all the others.
Other bands involved had some wonderful names, for example "Hoetetoeters" (which we thought should be pronounced "hooteetooters")and "De Boellawajoo's". However the one which really appealed to us was "10 Beers 1 Tea" and guess what, the membership comprised 10 males and one female (wonder who the tea was for!) The percussion section of that band can be seen in the picture to the right.
In 1999 we heard from a former member, Alan Brookes, who now lives most of the year in the Mayenne district of North Western France. He had joined a wind band out there, l'Orchestre d'Harmonie de St. Denis de Gastines, and they were keen to make contact with an English band. No problem! The RPSBB spent the August Bank Holiday in St. Denis de Gastines as guests of the French Band. Another memorable weekend. We were wined and dined and wined again, and yes, we did manage to play a couple of times! In fact the session outside the Cafe de Paris in Fougeres must rank as one of the most pleasant venues we have ever played.
We were pleased to welcome the St. Denis Band to Rugeley over the Easter Bank Holiday of 2000. We had a great time showing them around and included a trip to that most English of places, Blackpool. They loved it! The Big One, fish & chips, the lot! The weekend finished off with the visitors playing a concert in the Power Station Clubhouse followed by the inevitable party. Fortunately they brought the wine! The visitors claimed to have won the impromptu international football match on the golden goal rule. We'll have them next time!
More photographs of these escapades can be found on other pages in the site.
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the Grand Finale of the Ommen Festival |
