On the 14th July the Band made its summer visit to the Fairford Leys district of Aylesbury to play at the Fairford Leys Summer Fayre. After the drenchings of recent weeks the weather was much kinder, it did rain a little as the band was setting up on the bandstand, but it soon stopped and brightened up. Netting and spikes fitted under the roof of the bandstand helped to discourage the pigeons who were a hazard in previous years, but instead a children’s entertainer set up in front of the bandstand provided a hazard of a different kind. Amplified through the PA loudspeakers next to the bandstand he was encouraging the children to scream and holler as loud as they could, and being children they were only too eager to oblige, between them making enough noise to threaten our hearing!
Other than that the day was almost routine. Claire Lawrence conducted the Band in a mixture of music suitable for a fête, the band played well, there were no disasters, and we did our best to add to the atmosphere of the occasion.
This was the last engagement before the summer lull, but in between holidays we must get ready for our next big event, the Vale Park Proms on 1st September.