Fred
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Hello Bandies and BuglersMy name is Fred. I spent 10 years in the Corps from 1957 to 1967 as an ordinary Marine, not a Musician, but even at my advanced age  I still refer to to the Royal Marines Band as 'The' Band or 'Our' Band and would never listen to any other.
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Hornblower
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Welcome Fred!
Have you had a good look round at all the madness yet? 
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lesbryan
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Welcome fred enjoy  
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Caretaker
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Welcome to the forum Fred. Have a great time and be a regular. Good to have you aboard.
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MrJpig
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Hello Fred, where were you based and have you got any band related stories from days gone by??
Don`t be a stranger & join in the fun!
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Aaron Aardvark
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Heloooooo Fred
welcome to the loony bin. .......have fun
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Fred
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Thank you all for your warm welcome to an ex-ordinary Bootneck with a rifle instead of an instrument! I look forward to participating in your forum.
After passing-out in the Kings Squad I trained as a Signaller and subsequently served in 40 Cdo, HMS Messina and HMS Protector. In the UK I was variously based at Eastney (a lot), Bickleigh and Stonehouse.
I well remember the CO's parades at Eastney and how we used to march behind the Band (led by 'Drummy' Knox and the Adjutant Capt. Higson on his horse) down the Golden Mile, out of the White Gate and along the sea front to South Parade pier and back. Glorious memories, particularly the stirring marches you lads played.
Fred
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Hornblower
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My Dad was a bootneck during the war and he always maintained (long before I joined) that the best they ever marched was when behind 'their' band. 
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Fred
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Absolutely right!
Fred
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RAB
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Hello Fred..Welcome to the Forum from another "middle aged teenager".. ..You left the year I joined mate.. Now that's what you call continuity in the Corps.. Hope you enjoy the fun and games in here..
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Fred
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I know, Rab, I'm ancient but still walk along whistling the old favourites and imagining I'm 'Drummy' Knox!!
Fred
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Aaron Aardvark
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you imagine you are a drummy?? How rare!!! Watch out for low flying sausages mate
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RAB
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| Fred wrote: | | imagining I'm 'Drummy' Knox!! |
I know I've posted this elsewhere a while ago, but for Fred's sake (to save him raking through 20000 posts), at Eastney at that time the Admin Door read "KNOX and WAIHTES"
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Fred
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They used to say that he (Drummy Knox) shaved his head each day with an electric razor! He certainly was one of the (if not the) smartest men I have ever seen - the story was that the Queen thought so to!!
I suppose it is a bit 'Corps P...ed' for me, a mid-sixty year-old, to march along whistling 'Marching Through Georgia' (or 'The Golden Mile' as we used to call it) thinking I'm leading the Band, but I enjoy it and they haven't put me away yet!! 
Fred
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FFoglamp
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You carry on whistling the marches, Fred, and be happy.
Welcome to the forum !!!
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Fred
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Thanks FFoglamp, I will.
Fred
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sticky blue
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Hi Fred - welcome to Bedlam - enjoy
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Fred
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Cheers, Sticks.
Fred
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Co-admin
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Sorry for my belated welcome Fred but I've been away.
I met Geoff Knox a couple of years back at a reunion... what a gem of a bloke. He had some brilliant dits. He looked every bit the Drum Major in his Dinner Suit as well!
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Fred
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Cheers admin@home,
Yes, its sad he's passed away but I'm sure he'll be leading the band on the great parade ground in the sky!
Fred
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sticky blue
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Hey Fred - whereabouts in Sussex do you reside ?
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townsergeant
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A big hello from me Fred.....
HELLO!
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Fred
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Thanks, townsergeant, for your welcome.
I live in Bognor Regis, Malcolm (Sticky).
Fred
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bootybandy
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Welcome Fred. Glad to see you've entered into the Spirit of things......
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geekygirl
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Did you see the parade for the switching on of the sea front lights in Bognor last Sunday? I was playing in the rather small marching band at the back, battling against the noise of all the noisy floats in front, but we had lots of cheers and clapping from the crowds and actually really enjoyed the evening.
There are a few other lurkers on this board also in the band.
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Mr Bass Trombone
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Greetings Fred and welcome to the mad house.  I was at Eastney in 1967 and I must correct you on one point the Drum Major at Eastney during my time there 1966/72 was in fact Colin Bowden not The late Geoff Knox  he was the Drum major at Plymouth. Enjoy the site if you are not mad yet you soon will be.
Adios.
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Fred
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bootybandy, geekygirl and Mr Bass Trombone thank you all very much for you kind welcome to the board.
First of all, geekygirl, unfortunately I did not see the parade in Bognor last Sunday as we were over in Brighton for our grand-daughter's first birthday party. Which band are you in, by the way - is it the Marching Band?
Mr Bass Trombone, I must have got the years wrong here as I was at Eastney so much during my time in the Corps - it was my home from home in the UK; trouble is you always had to do the swimming test in joining routine otherwise it was a great place, if a bit 'Pussers'! Perhaps it was the late fifties, early sixties when Geoff Knox was the D.M. Colin Bowden, I seem to remember, was the Corps Drum Major at Deal when I joined up - didn't he have his picture painted for a pub sign in Deal?
Fred
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Co-admin
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| Fred wrote: | | didn't he have his picture painted for a pub sign in Deal? |
He did indeed. It was for the Drum Major oposite the gates to the officers Mess (Jubilee gates?). The pub is now called the Cambridge arms I think. The Green Beret pub by South Barracks is now called the Green Berry... My, how times have changed!
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Fred
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Looks a bit 'politically correct' to me - particularly the 'beret' to 'berry'!
Fred
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geekygirl
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I was playing in Horndean Band on Sunday and hang out here now and again as I play in HMS Sultan volunteer band. Sounds like you had a lovely excuse to be out of Bognor for the weekend
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Hornblower
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| admin@home wrote: | | Fred wrote: | | didn't he have his picture painted for a pub sign in Deal? |
He did indeed. It was for the Drum Major oposite the gates to the officers Mess (Jubilee gates?). The pub is now called the Cambridge arms I think. The Green Beret pub by South Barracks is now called the Green Berry... My, how times have changed! |
Strange that Deal appears to be getting rid of signs of its heritage! Are there any other indicators that this is the case? 
Green Berry... 
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townsergeant
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| Fred wrote: |
Mr Bass Trombone, I must have got the years wrong here as I was at Eastney so much during my time in the Corps - it was my home from home in the UK; trouble is you always had to do the swimming test in joining routine otherwise it was a great place, if a bit 'Pussers'! Perhaps it was the late fifties, early sixties when Geoff Knox was the D.M. Colin Bowden, I seem to remember, was the Corps Drum Major at Deal when I joined up - didn't he have his picture painted for a pub sign in Deal?
Fred |
Indeed, it was the Drum Major, now called the Cambridge Arms.
The CDM (Corps Drum Major, not Cadburys Dairy Milk!) at Deal for the painting was Charlie Bowden, not Colin.
I knew Colin Bowden, as he was at the Worcester Careers Office from where I was to join up, 36 years ago today!
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sticky blue
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F$&k me  - don't time fly - on the 5th. Sept. 39 years ago I joined up
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Mr Bass Trombone
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Fred,
Sorry again as I said before Charlie Bowden not Colin Bowden(no relation) was the Drum Major at the RMSM in the late 50s and for many years after that.Just for the record Charlie was appointed as senior Drum Major to the Corps at the RMSM in 1952, Colin who at the time of his appointment was an acting Sgt Bugalar became Drum Major in 1958 with some divine intervention from Sir Viv.I am not sure that the late Geoff was ever Drum Major at Eastney I can only remember him at Plymouth,and I joined in Jan 1956.I know silly old B$£%*&*.
As for the pub sign it was Charlie not Colin who was the model for this. When this public house changed its name it was at that time run by an ex RM captain by the name of Tommy Lennon and his wife. Tommy in his day was a very good boxer and became an excellent coach to the Corps. He later became and a well respected one at that a Referee for the ABA. In the old days when dear old Auntie Beeb showed the ABA finals often Tommy would be seen taking charge in the ring.
Next month is bar leaning time looking forward to seeing some of you there till then.
Adios Mi Amigos.
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Fred
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I didn't know there were two Drum Majors called Bowden! 
Have Drum Majors always been Buglers before rising to the dizzy heights? I remember Sgt Lambing (Lamming?) who was a Drill Instructor at the Depot taking (Bootneck) Recruits through training. His ambition was to be a D.M. and he eventually made it in the late sixties. Whether he had been a Junior Bugler who turned over to the Bootnecks I don't know. Does anyone remember him?
By the way, our Kings Badgeman was an ex-Bugler; Ron Blemmings.
Fred
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sticky blue
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Things have changed but back in the old days thing were different - Charlie Bowden was a D.I. before becoming a Drummie - Buglers served with Commando Units and were part of the GD branch, did the GD JCC & SCC's - when I joined up Buglers were issued an SLR as part of their kit, and Wednesdays (I think it was?) after stand easy did rifle drill and weapon training as part of the weekly program - ahhhhhhhh! long time ago
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townsergeant
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| Fred wrote: | I didn't know there were two Drum Majors called Bowden!
Have Drum Majors always been Buglers before rising to the dizzy heights? I remember Sgt Lambing (Lamming?) who was a Drill Instructor at the Depot taking (Bootneck) Recruits through training. His ambition was to be a D.M. and he eventually made it in the late sixties. Whether he had been a Junior Bugler who turned over to the Bootnecks I don't know. Does anyone remember him?
By the way, our Kings Badgeman was an ex-Bugler; Ron Blemmings.
Fred |
I do Fred. Alfie Laming was the Drum Major when I joined Plymouth (Commando Forces Band) in 1973.
He was a King's Badgeman. He wouldn't issue us with the Prince of Wales' Plumes until we learnt the reason why we wore them.... Bloody right and all!
He went on to be a member of the Queen's Bodyguard...
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Fred
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Hence the thin red stripe (welt) on the trousers? Buglers went into battle with ordinary Marines in Crimea, etc, I believe.
Fred
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Fred
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He went on to be a member of the Queen's Bodyguard...
Same as Roger Tyack (RSM).
Fred
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sticky blue
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They very proberbly did Fred - you could say that Buglers were the radio operators of their day - telling the troops what to do via the bugle called played
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RAB
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| Fred wrote: | He went on to be a member of the Queen's Bodyguard...
Same as Roger Tyack (RSM).
Fred |
Tyack..??? Now there's a name I won't forget...He was a real hardy piece of work.. But if I remember correctly he was fond of the Bandies...
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sticky blue
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Tyack - seem to have a distant memory of that name ?
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RAB
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I think you're trying to blot out the memory Tommo..
He was RSM at our passing out parade.. And MacAvoy was the Sergeant Major who marched us on...
We'll have to ask Ffoggers or Hornblower if they can name the march...
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sticky blue
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| RAB(Jock)THOMSON wrote: | I think you're trying to blot out the memory Tommo..
He was RSM at our passing out parade.. And was the Sergeant Major who marched us on...
We'll have to ask Ffoggers or Hornblower if they can name the march... |
another one I'm trying to blot out
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RAB
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..Mr Macavoy went on to own a pub near the railway station in Arbroath...I took great delight in ORDERING a pint from him...
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townsergeant
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| RAB(Jock)THOMSON wrote: | | Fred wrote: | He went on to be a member of the Queen's Bodyguard...
Same as Roger Tyack (RSM).
Fred |
Tyack..??? Now there's a name I won't forget...He was a real hardy piece of work.. But if I remember correctly he was fond of the Bandies... |
Roger Tyack lives in Sandwich, I believe?
He was the Parade Commander at the Dover Patrol Service (J Wing memories?) where I had the pleasure (?) of playing the Last Post & Reveille.
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bootybandy
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Bill,....Was McAvoy the "Mixed Grill" (1st Drill) in Deal in 1971?
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townsergeant
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| bootybandy wrote: | | Bill,....Was McAvoy the "Mixed Grill" (1st Drill) in Deal in 1971? |
99.99% sure he was. 
What a nice man!
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Mr Bass Trombone
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Dont wish to split hairs but Alfie Laming Queens Bodyguard, Roger Tyack Beefeater just subtle difference. Not all Drum Majors came from the Gd or Burgalars branch, the late Jack Dacombe who went on to be the First trombone player to be proff of Trombone prior to Jack the wee man Walter Hargreaves did step in, was the Drum Major at Eastney in the 1930s and he was also a very fine athlete Jack was the Royal Navy champion at the quarter mile distance and he was a member of the 1924 Olympic team.
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bootybandy
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Well done Mick. I did not know about Jack Dacombe being in the Olympic Team. I knew he was a Drum Major prior to being a Trom Prof, but that was indeed a good bit of trivia, if one can use that word where the Olympics are concerned. Thanks matey.....
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