Christmas 9

Happy Christmas everyone.

I have been trying to get the killer shot today, which is Grandad playing Guitar Hero on the Nintendo Wii.

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.

Christmas 3

Does anyone else irrationally dislike the colour of Des O'Connors jumper on the latest Tescos advert?

Christmas 2

The tat has begun its Christmas creep across our house.

Christmas 1

This is my cornet. We bought it more than 20 years ago now, and Heather reminds me that it almost bankrupt us when we bought it. Its a bit battered and bruised these days but its out of its box from today for Christmas playing.
I thought I would start Christmas blogs knowing that we have a busy schedule which includes several highlights:

• Telly on ITV Christmas Eve from Alder Hey Childrens hospital.
• BBC Radio Merseyside
• Before the Premiership match, Everton v Chelsea on the 22nd December
• A couple of Christmas Carol concerts.

But it has started today with Sainsburys Knotty Ash

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 #16 - 21st December: Christmas party

This is a made up story. Any similarity with persons living or dead is entirely co-incidental.


You can learn a lot about good management just by observing the people you work with . You can learn how to be a good manager and you can learn how not to be a good manager.

Today I observed our team leaders breaking the first rule of good management.


Last night was the team "Christmas do". I couldn't make it but by all accounts they "had a good time".

As today was our last day at work before Christmas and the college was closing at 13:00, we were looking forward to an easy day and an early finish. Just a departmental meeting at 11:00 to go to.



But at 9:45 I received a rather sheepish call from J who'd stayed over at S's house. They'd just woken up and realised they should be at work. Having only gone to bed at 5:30 they were both a bit worse for wear and certainly not up to driving.

Of course I went to pick them up.

Now they weren't just a bit tipsy - they were both still drunk and I had trouble keeping the pair of them in the car.

I did worry for their careers.

Back at work we thought the meeting would be a quick do, wishing us a happy Christmas and off we go. So we weren't expecting the guest speaker or the full-on PowerPoint presentation.

We knew we were in for a good time when she started by telling us she was going to talk about a subject that we didn't need to know about and possibly would never need to do anything about. Things really got going when she told us that she hadn't designed the PowerPoint presentation herself and and it was a bit dull - but she did promise to be as quick as possible.

As the meeting wore on I looked round at the people who didn't look too well after a long night, who were badly hung-over or still quite drunk, and wondered why we where there.

Thankfully after an hour they let us go. But not before at least two people had serious giggling fits and were asked if they needed to leave the room.

Inspired be the team meeting (or was it the team party) one of my colleagues decided the best way to impress a young lady he rather admired, was to lower Santa from our first floor window past her window on the floor below.

Sadly, in his excitement he made a serious error and lowered it instead past the window of the Health and Safety manager. She was not too chuffed.

If you look carefully you can see her arm as she opens the window to shout "take him away".

Meanwhile, back to the first rule of management.

Never plan a boring meeting the morning after a staff party.

Advent #15 - 19th December: Christmas food

I've just watched Hester Blumenthal perfect Christmas Dinner. He went to such incredible lengths to make his meal. He used gold, frankincense and myrrh as ingredients in his first course. Well actually he couldn't use myrrh because it's so bitter so he used it as a spoon (if he was any sort of chef he would have made something out of it:)).

He made reindeer ice cream (he couldn't bring himself to serve Rudolf). He had a fragrance made specially which reminded him of his grandads living room?! He fed some "happy" geese some special food to make it taste just right.

The visitors to his meal, really appreciated his efforts they seemed really amazed at what he had done. Although it did seem a bit over the top. I mean how exciting can it be to eat Christmas decorations.

To celebrate a had a Fair Trade Chocolate Biscuit and coffee.

Advent #14 - 18th December: Christmas advice

I took the day off work last Friday because Matthew wasn't feeling too good. So I was watching a bit of morning television when an item came on about men who don't know what to buy for their wives. At last I thought some help from daytime television.



But it appears that Selfridges are offering a service to blokes who are not sure what underwear to buy their wifes. They obviously help them choose tasteful stuff and the right size. One shop assistant was interviewed. Apparently, a gent came into the store and when he was asked about the possible size of his wife he was able to show the assistant a picture of his wife on the phone in the buff.



Today as my advent picture I have included......
























A picture of a Nativity scene at my mum and dads house.



What??

Advent #13 - 17th December: Step Santa

I have some catching up to do on the Christmas Advent because of a busy weekend. so, here is a picture of the stairs in our house with a Santa on each step.

The one near the top played an annoying tune everytime you stood on the step, so that got switched off.

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 #11 - 13th December: Part of Christmas

A day without Carolling or rehearsals, so my plan is to do some college work (as I need to hand in an essay next Tuesday) and I am away all weekend.

So I thought I would just write this before I start,

oh and I need to check on the Internet for a report on Everton's win against West Ham last night.

And Heather will be home soon so I need to make her some tea ....


I wonder whats on telly tonight?





The Christmas Radio Times (essential part of Christmas) - we only ever get the special two week edition.

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 #7 - 10th December: Decorations

In response to Heather challenge to find "over the top" outside Christmas decorations, I was able to snap this picture on the way home today.

This one score highly in several ways. It has a sleigh and reindeers and a inflatable Father Christams (Can't tell what the small things are over the windows).