Summer is the time for village fêtes and garden parties, and it’s a long standing tradition to have a band provide live music for the occasion. Naturally Aylesbury Band gets called upon to play at fêtes every year, and this year was no exception.
Of the two regular events the first was on the spring bank holiday Monday at the village fête in Stone, a village near Aylesbury on the Oxford road. This being England there is no guarantee that the weather will be fine, and this year the sky was overcast and threatened rain. Sure enough, just as we played the first note of the first piece it started to rain. Although we had a tent for shelter it was too small for the whole band and the players at the front began to get wet and had to get under cover. Fortunately the rain didn’t last long and we were able to continue, and mercifully the showers stayed away for the rest of time we were playing.
The second occasion was Fairford Leys Summer Fayre, which takes place every year in Hampden Square, Aylesbury, and this year was on 13th July. The morning had been showery, but by the afternoon it was dry, and the sun even shone from time to time. There is a small bandstand in the square for the Band to use and it’s a bit of a squeeze to get everybody on, but we usually manage. We played two sessions during the afternoon as people thronged among the various stands around the square.
Now it’s time to start preparing for the main event of our year, the Vale Park Proms in Aylesbury in August.