Jim Mason
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Jersey 1971For many years the Portsmouth Band had a regular visit to Jersey during the first week in September, to play in the bandstand in Howard Davis Park. Two concerts a day and all the rest of the time to enjoy the pleasures of the island. We always did a "request" programme on the final night and ended the week with a full scale performance of "1812" In this we were assisted by the Jersey Sea Scouts with the pyrotechnics, hidden in the shrubbery, supervised on this occasion by Bob Loft, complete with score.
There was quite a strong wind blowing and about half way through, we were completely enveloped in thick smoke from the effects, I could not see much of the band and I am sure that they could not see me! (It did not appear to make any difference!) Towards the end of the overture, I became aware of what appeared to be an enormous Roman Candle burning behind me and I remember thinking that the Sea Cadets had done particularly well.
As we were packing up afterwards, a very irate groundsman came over and shouted at me "Do you realise that your lads have burnt down a very rare tree?"
A voice from the percussion (Jamie?) section replied "Well it is even bloody rarer now"
Happy days!
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