BUGLERS TIE

Bronco · BUGLERS TIE

In 1972 when i was a Junior Bugler, John Satchwell the Corps Bugle major said to all of us juniors one morning. " right boys, this is a buglers tie and i want you to buy one and wear it with pride as a member of the buglers branch". One of the Juniors who ( surprise, surprise) never finished training said " i don't have to buy one if i don't have to". 'Satch' glowing with rage and with a clenched fist firmly placed under the poor junior buglers chin said "LOYALTY, THIS IS LOYALTY AND I'M GOING TO HIT YOU WITH THE BUGGER IN A MINUTE". the junior replied, " can i have two Bugle Major".

Dan A

ahhhhhhhh Bronco... about time someone mentioned Satch... What a guy........ in his defence he was loyalty personified to the branch and woe betide anyone who dissed bulgers in his presence, particularly Bandies of any rank....... He is still alive and kicking in Sydney Australia.... and did come over for an Inverted Chevrons Dinner and Buglers Reunion a few years ago before Deal closed. No great performer, conductor ot writer... but an old school character..... and what a run ashore!!!! He was a one time valet to the Duke of Edinburgh at the Palace. Satch a legend in his own lunchtime....... not many SNCO's today have the courage to speak their mind as he did.

Bronco

Quite agree Dan. Let's have more dit's about the man himself. I remember Horseguards rehearsals one year when 'Satch' decided to inspect the Buglers. He said to me "Lane boy, your traces are to long, shorten them". I thought about it and decided it was to much hassle, so i took my drum sling up a notch which obviously lifted the drum higher up. On his next inspection, 'Satch' looked at them and said to me, "thats better boy". On another occassion, Myself, Snake Sessions and some others were in one of the classrooms practicing when 'Satch's' young son ( i think he was around 8-9yrs at the time, and looked just like him )kept annoying us, so one of the buglers gave him a clip around the ear. He went running into his office crying saying " Dad, Dad they smacked me." At this point we thought S**T. we then heard

THWACK, " WELL THERE'S ANOTHER ONE, STOP ANNOYING THE BUGLERS"

glynfreeman

How could anyone forget the infamous question from Noddy Neville - "Are the Buglers playing in unison Bugle Major"?

"No sir - they are all playing the same"

Good old Satch - God bless him

Dan A

God may bless him but he had better not pi$$ him off!!

Co-admin

Satch... what a guy!
We met him in Oz when Dave Dawson sorted us out with a mess beatings at his RSL for "as much beer as the buggers can drink".
One of the dance band happened to think it would be a good idea to offer their services as well and Satch was told. "OK, they can come as well" the man said
We rocked up and did the gig, Dave Dawson told us to get changed and come back over and he introduced us. Satch shook each of us by the hand and thanked us. "There are pitchers of beer over there for you lads and they won't be empty all night, the staff have been told to make sure they aren't". The dance band started playing and one of the musicians came over to ask for some beer for the band.
Satch looked him straight in the eye and said "Here you go bandy, take this up for the bandies to share... make sure it lasts them cos it's the only one I'm buying them. The FREE beer is for my boys and I never asked you to come!"
If you cut him in half he'd have a light infantry bugle running right through him. A real Bugler's Bugler!

Hornblower

A bit like Scotland not supporting England at anything, don't ya think?

I've always got by with people with that sort of attitude actually - it's easy really - don't expect them to be anything other than you would expect them to be.

It's people with high expectations that get disappointed in this life.

Ah, the RMBS - it taught me so much in life.

Satch shouted at me once - hope he remembers the content 'cos I don't.

Why is it that those people that treated me like a child expected me to react as an adult?

(Are you reading this MJ?)

Duh!!!

Bronco

Great Story Deli. this reflects the best CBM the branch ever had ( in my opinion).
On the 1974 Tournament we marched on in a block (as you did ) to Army of the Nile ( no stick drill). During rehearsals in the arena, 'Satch' said " RIGHT BOYS, YOU'LL GET A DOUBLE BASSDRUM BEAT TO OPEN OUT TO TWENTY ACROSS, AT THE END OF THE SECOND TIME BAR ,DOM DIGGY DOM DIGGY DOM, YOU'LL COME TO THE READY TO COMMENCE STICKDRILL, AND THE CROWD WILL THINK BLOODY HELL FIRE WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW". 'Satch' always had a way with words and Dave Clay ( ex Bulger) always loved that story. ( we were there when he said it and rolled up )

Co-admin

Stu, you are indeed right. Some of my best oppos are from the band and also the general corps. I've always paid lip service to the 'them and us' way of doing things and kept it as the banter that it should be.

Satch was a true one of a kind. Wasn't it he who took the phone out to the PDM and say there was a call for him (this was long before cordless phones were even thought of!)?

Hornblower

Actually - I think it was the 'MJ' I refer to above!!

I wasn't there though unfortunately...

I had received a blow to the head in a Chatham band rugby match and been tipped into RNH Hasler to fall in love with Nurse Porter (real name, but I doubt she remembers mine) for a week instead.

Long story short, I didn't go to the Antipodes and I live to regret ever playing the most stupid game (to play, not watch) ever invented.

Drinking ice cold beer and throwing up ice cubes would have been far more fun. (Oh - and getting up MJ's nose, as a bonus, woulda been great too).

Hornblower

One other thing - bulgers are great.

FFoglamp

Oi, Stu !!!!

Whos MJ ?

bootybandy

Could be Stu's bestest oppo......Mick J@n€$

Hornblower

RAB

Hornblower

Naahhhh mate!

Once you get to know me, you'll realise that I'll get a nibble off anyone who likes to take a bite.

I very rarely aim a comment at anyone - I prefer the 'scatter-shot' effect. Throw out a line and see how many you can reel in.

No offence meant or intended.

I'd do the same for a bulger...

(See what I mean about the scatter-shot?)

FFoglamp

Oh. THAT MJ. To be honest, I would never have guessed it, because Mick Jones was very good to me. (weren't you there for the gib trip, Stu ?)

bootybandy

Hornblower

Bri - I was very close to writing Latin because that's what I thought he was using at the time - but it seemed a bit improbable, so I left it at German which I know he speaks fluently.

I'd love to get in touch with Tim again, he was my 1st best man!!

Mark - Trouble with me and MJ was that we went back so far, I think I must have nicked something off him when he was a Corporal. (His dignity and credibility seems favourite)

I don't suppose it helped on one occasion when he walked into the heads whilst I was shaving one morning and said, "I think I'll have a purge on haircuts this morning, you're first Thorn..."

My reply, "Fcuk off prick" was calculated to offend.

I think he thought he could tame me. WRONG!

Actually, I think we parted under reasonable terms - we were both glad to see the back of each other.