Northwood Headquarters Volunteer

BandBlue Band Article Spring 2007

Greetings from the very best Volunteer Band in the Royal Navy………based within the M25..!

At the end of the last article we had just completed the annual Remembrance Day Parade and later that week the band were at it again performing for the Warrant Officers and Senior Rates here in Northwood for their Annual Remembrance Dinner. With only 35 people dining and 20 in the band our main problem was keeping the volume down to a level where the diners could still talk. A tweak of the programme and some excellent subtle playing from the band ensured that the evening went well. The following week the band played for a Taranto Night Dinner in the Officers Mess at RAF Northolt. Despite discussions at the recce regarding the lack of space on the balcony and promises that furniture would be removed, I’m sure most other VBI’s will not be surprised to learn that it was still very much in place when we arrived. With no time or ability to remove the furniture we set up around it. This meant that it was an extremely tight squeeze with not all players facing the front and the band resembling a tin of sardines, but despite this the engagement went very well, turning into a mini concert at one point that was extremely well received by all the guests dining.

December saw what has become our annual trip down to Yeovilton to join with HMS Heron Volunteer Band for a Christmas Concert in the Fleet Air Arm Museum. The rehearsal on the Wednesday night went well as did the joint social where it was good to catch up with old friends. The following day Northwood Band did a ‘bomb burst’ to various local towns for a spot of Christmas Shopping before returning that afternoon to the museum to set up. It was whilst setting up that we found out that the Open University had released this years course results; ‘so what’ I hear you exclaim! You see SAC Amy Ross and myself were awaiting our final course results for the completion of our degrees along with Band Sgt Daryl Boatman who was also waiting for his exam result. We raced back to Heron’s Bandroom, flashed up Dave’s computer and one by one logged onto our home page, no pressure! Thankfully we had all passed which meant that Amy and I had finally finished our Bachelor of Science Degrees and Daryl has only one more year of study before completing his Bachelor of Arts. Anyway back to the gig….the concert started at 1930 with over 400 people crammed under the body of Concorde 002 and many other disappointed people on their way home due to the concert being sold out. The band played well and the audience enjoyed what has now become a firm annual event in the museum’s calendar, long may it continue! We would like to thank Bd C/Sgt Dave Wright and HMS Heron Volunteer Band for their kind invitation once again and also Bd Sgt Daryl Boatman and Musn Sophie Maynard for helping!? out the percussion section.

On our return to Northwood the run down into Christmas started in earnest. This included the band playing for a Special Needs Christmas Dinner and accompanying the CO and Padre around the Headquarters playing Christmas Carols. This latter gig raised a few eyebrows especially along the PJHQ Command Corridor when DCJO(Ops) General Wall was persuaded to come out of his office to sing a carol or two and in the various J Divisions located underground in the Northwood Command Centre.

After a well earned Christmas break the band got back to it performing for two Burns Night Suppers here at the Headquarters. On both gigs we were asked to accompany various pipers with no rehearsal, always a pleasure! Both went well with the band picking up many plaudits along the way but worthy of special note was the world premier of the Northwood HQ Clarinet Choir which performed a small interlude at both engagements.

The Northwood News, a bi-monthly publication for headquarters staff and families, has recently undergone a facelift and in our never ending attempt to drum up new players the editorial staff were persuaded to do a feature on the band. The photographer was invited to a rehearsal to take photos for the article and a few words written to accompany them, however when the CO was deciding which photo was to be used as the cover shot he chose a picture of our very own cover girl SAC Mel Overton. Whilst this has not encouraged anybody to come and join the band, Mel has received a number of requests from other publications for her services but she’s not saying which ones!

This period has seen a number of new joiners to the band here in Northwood, Cdr Bug Wrightson (trombone) joined us from HMS Nelson and CPO Dixie Carlin (alto sax) from HMS Heron, their loss is our gain. We also welcomed Maj Ronnie Westerman (cornet) and proving that you can’t keep a good man down we welcomed the return of Chris Heyes (tuba) back from the matrix which is RAF Wyton.

May will see a change of VBI here in Northwood when we will welcome C/Sgt Dave Matthews into the fold. I have had a great time here at the Headquarters both professionally and personally and would like to thank all the members of the band, past and present for their fantastic support and friendship. I will read these articles with great interest in the future because, in my opinion, Northwood HQ is the very best Volunteer Band in the Royal Navy!