Merry Days...
Tuesday 11th May 2004,
On Sunday the band supported the second Marbury Merry Day. Our intrepid reporter Brian Mottershead was there.... Ok, I know that I promised glorious sunshine whenever the band appeared in public, but at least it was drier for Day 2 of the Marbury Merry Days than it had been the day before! Apparently it had rained all day on the Saturday, but the Chester Band’s presence at least deterred any further precipitation! Have you ever been to Marbury? I hadn’t before last weekend, but what a lovely village it is! The showground was set in a large field next to picturesque Marbury Mere, with the whole scene being overlooked by the village church. There were all sorts of displays and stalls to enjoy, and the whole day had a wonderful countryside feel to it. The Band’s contribution started with a shuffle into the main arena (to call it a march would be a gross exaggeration), made all the more difficult by the damp conditions underfoot. After playing a selection of marches (whilst stationary!) we shuffled off again, making way for a fantastic display by the local dog-training club. At this point, half the Band made for the tea-tent, whilst the other half wandered down to the pub for some light refreshment. Les Platt recounted a story of how, as a young child, he had sat outside the same pub drinking lemonade, whilst his parents were inside. On his latest visit he was also sat outside, but I don’t think it was lemonade he was drinking! Our second performance of the day was outside the church, where Derek’s choice of music soon had a small but appreciative audience enjoying our rendition of pieces such as L’il Darlin’ and Singin’ In The Rain. Thankfully, sunshine is not a pre-requisite for the Chester Beer Festival, being held this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Chester Rugby Club. However, a good singing voice is required, and if you pop along on any of the afore-mentioned evenings, you’ll undoubtedly be able to join in with some well-known songs, as performed by the one-and-only City of Chester Band. See you there! Brian.Mottershead@chesterbrass.co.uk