Sally Army Post

At the end of last year I "stepped down" (???) as bandmaster after ten years (I think). So I have got my old cornet out and started to practice a bit (So I don't embarrass myself too much). As soon as I have started playing it has started to fall apart and so has gone for repair.

Hope it comes back OK. And less bent

Christmas 8

I promised some pictures of the band at Goodison Park on Monday so here we are.

If Carlsberg did Christmas Carolling

Last night was my second to last engagement as bandmaster. We went to Goodison Park for the Everton v Chelsea premiership game to play in the executive lounges, before the game on the pitch during the pre-match warm-up and again at half-time on the pitch.

We got insulted by Duncan McKenzie in the Alex Young Suite (made my day). He introduced us as "Take That" (whoever they are and what brass instruments do they play?).

I saw him later when we were on the pitch - he recognised me and gave me a thumbs up sign.

I'll try and get some more pictures from Pete.

Howard (my brother) said if he got a chance he would trip up John Terry with his trombone, make it onto Sky Sport and onto MOTD 2. But he didn't have to, he got sent off before half time (John Terry not Howard).

Missed the incident as we where queuing up waiting to walk onto the pitch.

We all have blue gravel and pitch mud on our shoes, we are all refusing to clean them. My dad has already spread it around his carpet at home.

Christmas 7

Radio Merseyside tonight with a few guys from the band. They told us they needed us from 5.00pm so we all rushed from work to get there on time. Only to be told we would not be on from 6:50. Doh!

Almost there now, only two more caroling engagements a Sunday, then the Everton v Chelsea game on Monday night.

Oh and Christmas eve.

Christmas 6

Its been a busy few days for Liverpool Walton Salvation Army band. ITV telly on Friday, we did BBC last year (The Liverpool Nativity) it's ITV this year. The consensus of opinion amongst bandmen is that BBC look after you better, we had to fight for sandwiches and muffins with the techy guys with ITV. The BBC sorted us out with a cooked meal with celebs. It was cold, dark and a bit miserable, we only had one chance to get thing right even though it wasn't live telly, so we don't really now what it will come out like. I suspect it will sound a bit dodgy. Too cold.
Saturday morning was carolling in Liverpool City Centre. We spent the morning looking for sports stars as Sports Personality was filmed in the Echo Arena, I didn't see one. There was loads of Spanish people around who had come to see Liverpool FC draw with Hull.
Sunday was our "Civic" carol concert. Two performances, good day.

Christmas 5

Tonight we did the ITV recording at Alder Hey childrens hospital for Christmas Eve.

We are all very tired.

Christmas 4

I have spent this morning playing carols outside Morrisons at Ormskirk. I marvelled at the near misses in the car park and the long queues to get out.
Our morning was livened up when the security people chased a young man across the car park when he tried to leave with a full trolley of food without paying. The security guards gave a good chase and I thought they where going to catch him at one point, but he got away.

Note: Always pay for goods at Morrisons you could never beat the security guards to the car, load the car and queue up to leave before they caught up with you.

Annual appeal 4

Another nights collecting, and it finished early as most people seem to go out on Friday night (surprisingly). But I did find myself getting a bit up tight with a couple of people who live in very large houses out of sight from the main road. The first bloke surprised me when he came to the door as I was admiring his lovely Austin Martin DB7 car. He said he didn't do business at the door so I thanked him and left. The next guy at a bigger house came to the door with a napkin and he couldn't possibly give any money because he was eating dinner.
Hay Ho, never mind, nearly finished.

Annual appeal 3

Second day collecting and Ray and I are doing Long Lane. It is an interesting fact how Long Lane has got its name. It's not to do with it's width or even it's height but it's length, it is long. This has a special appeal to door to door collectors as not only is Long Lane long, but it is straight. So when we have finally finished collecting, we have to walk the long length of Long Lane back to the car.
Long lane starts with old houses populated mainly by professional people who get home late, who are not in when I call. And finishes with older retired people who won't open the door because it's too late.
At least the copper jar was given to me near the end of the evening so I didn't have too far to carry. And Gill drove down Long Lane to pick us up, happy days.

Annual appeal 1

Here we are, third week of September, time for Salvation Army Annual Appeal. It's been our first night out collecting today. On the way round it seems traditional that I make up a blog entry. But I have struggled tonight, but Will has posted a motivational video on Youtube, check it out (Hi Ho, it's off to work we go).

I promise to think harder tomorrow.

New Christians

I have just got back from a tea at our church/corps for new Christians. We all had a fabulous evening (thanks Val for the great gammon). I think the hope was that new people to our church would recognise us as ordinary people. Heather and I will be running a Journeys course on Friday evening from next week, so we need to plan for that.

The next time I will meet some of these people will be on Sunday when I will be wearing my uniform. I spent some time explaining that will be the same person even though I will be look odd.

Roots 08 weekend II

Having been on the Roots "behind the scenes" team now for a number of years, I notice a trait within the people who work there. This trait is their single mindedness to achieve the mission of the event, to provide an event which inspires and equips the Salvation Army for spiritual renewal. Everyone works towards this aim.

I want this for my home church/corps in Liverpool. This weekend our songsters are going to Cardiff to sing in their corps, I hope that they recognise a single mindedness in us this weekend, to sing praises to the Lord and to glimpse him through us.

Roots 08 weekend I

Well, Roots 08 has been and gone. And I sit here thinking about all the work that went in, and all the new people I met and the worry etc. (I have run the stewarding team (with Heather) for the last four years). We had more than 70 stewards this year which manned 8 different locations with 21 different time slots more than 650 stewarding events.

I can't think what my highlight was. Overall I think it was a relieve that everything went OK and people where kept save. The Big Top didn't burn down. Nobody pinched half of the resource zone. Everyone worked really hard to make sure it was a success.

I took Tuesday off on holiday and normally I would go back to Southport and see the Big Top in different states of decommissioning. This year I didn't because it was Grandmas funeral at our Salvation Army. We had a good band and almost a full Songsters. A lot of my family came down from Aberdeen to the funeral and it was really great to see them. I wish we could have spent longer together as I have not seen them for some time and some I have not met at all yet.

I must get to Aberdeen soon.

I'll post some pictures when I get them.

DFL

I had the pleasure of being a facilitator at the Army's Design for Life weekend again this weekend. Based on my last experience, in Scotland, I booked the following Monday (today) on holiday to recover.

I left on Friday morning and arrived at Sunbury Court at 3:20. When I got of the train at Sunbury station I wasn't sure what direction to go in, so I phoned Ray for the address and walked to the local library to find a map. The walk takes you past London Irish Rugby ground and some fairly grand suburban houses. During the 25 minutes walk I did wander if DFL was indeed at Sunbury Court and had visions of a late night dash across London to Denmark Hill which is the other venue used near London. When I got there I couldn't find anybody. I was able to get into the building but not a soul was to be found. Eventually I saw a note on one of doors which said "Kevin's Room", I was relieved.

I made many new friends and renewed friends with someone I had not met for many years. I think everybody agreed it was a fantastic weekend and many people made decisions about their futures.

I left for home at 3:10 on Sunday and arrived home at 9:15.

I may blog some more about the weekend when I have considered everything that went on.

So there it went ... Merry Christmas

My Christmas highlights
1. Liverpool Nativity.
Loads of rehearsals for just a few seconds on telly. But, what I enjoyed was the experience of getting the show together. We spent a long time down at the new Liverpool Liner Terminal and got to know some of the production crew quite well. Doing "live" telly was exciting, especially just as the Ferry came into dock, some water washed over the landing stage and immediately froze (it was very cold, probably about -3). We did our live performance on a bid of an ice rink.

2. Carolling at the hall.
We did a lot of carolling mostly in Liverpool or in different supermarkets. But carolling round the hall to invite people for coffee and mince pies was good. And a load of people came back to the church.

3. Christmas night in with Will, Deb and Friends
Enough said.

4. Doctor Who on Christmas Day
Laughing at the Queen in her rollers.

5. New Years Eve Party
Loads of people at our house, including Howard, Helen and the girls. Peter and Howard got far to competitive at the quiz.

6. Neils enrolment as a adherent
Enough said

7. Playing on Murrays Wii with Heather and the boys.

Advent #12 - 17th December: Liverpool Nativity

Well it's all over. Rehearsal ran straight from Carolling on Saturday afternoon through to 7:30 in the evening, then started again for us on Sunday afternoon immediately after the Sunday morning meeting (service). In fact as I arrived to the terminal on Sunday, the ferry with all the cast and crew had just arrived and we were greeted by a panicking floor manager. We all managed to get our kit together and do the rehearsal as soon as we all arrived.

The whole band got together for the last rehearsal on Sunday afternoon on the final run through which was meant to run in real time but didn't quite.

The logistics in running the production where immense, we saw a bit of what went on in the background.

There was a lot of waiting around for "our turn" and the evening turned very cold as darkness came (-3 when we got in Pete's car to go home). We struggled with tuning and we couldn't really hear what was going on with the recording.

At the last minute, just before the ferry came, there was a water leak from some equipment on the landing stage which immediately froze solid just where we where walking through the "thugs". I had thoughts of the band falling over on live telly, and having a bit of a Laurel and Hardy moment. But people where careful and it went OK in the end.

Pictures from Glyn (Thanks mate)










Mark and Geoff marching in to save Mary and Joseph.

Dave, Wally and Kev.






Steph Dave Kev and a bit of Glyn S.

Advent #9 - 12th December : Liverpool Nativity

We had our first 'block through' our scene in the Liverpool Nativity this afternoon. Just five of us went as the rest of the band was at work. Our scene is down at the new Liner Terminal at the Pier Head. Most of the production team where there and so we commandeered them as temporary bandsmen so they could see how things looked.

It seems that we rescue Mary and Joseph from Liverpool Yobs when they get of the ferry.

Geoff Hughes had a go at my cornet, there was much laughing.

Advent #8 - 11th December : Carolling

A night out caroling near our church

I got accused of forgetting Al's coat, so he had to wear his Pa's oversized coat.

Advent #6 - 10th December: Carol Concert

This is catch up from yesterday (too tired last night).

We had our two Carol Concerts yesterday. I suppose its technically the same one done twice. Really good crowd of people turned up for both. It finished with a play by the Sunday School (Kids Alive). Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves.

I was sat behind the piano with Mary (my sister-in-law not the mother of Jesus) and had a poor view but I managed to get a shot of Mary and Joseph singing a duet. I had to look twice at the costume that Joseph was wearing, I am pretty sure that I wore that curtain when I was the second wiseman (But I had a crown with Fruit Gums as jewels).

Advent #4 - 7th December: Can he fix it?

Bob the Builder, along with Roly his Steam Roller, turn up at Sainsburys to 'fix' an unwitting Liverpool Walton Band.