Peter Burton's daily log, covering Peter's personal interests, e.g. jazz, travel and general grumpiness plus (occasionally) the business of Isomatic and its associate companies.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Fax failure at Park Farm
We spent all of Friday working hard at Boost Energy /Ampair at Park Farm. This was not helped by the Samsung fax machine showing 'Fuser error' and failing to print incoming fax transmissions. On contacting Samsung's help line I was told that this required a service visit. We decided that this was a waste of money so a replacement machine was bought and installed on Saturday morning. Even though it is just a later model of the same machine, it takes different print cartridges so we have to throw away 3 good spares. Such is life in this modern 'throw-away' age.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Magna jazz band with John Howlett
On Thursday evening we went to the
Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, where
Brian White's Magna jazz band performs every week. John Howlett was the guest on trombone, the rest of the band being the 'regulars'. In addition to being one of the finest jazz trombonists around, John has a great gravelly jazz voice, used to good effect on 'Hesitating Blues' as pictured. Our other favourites were 'St Louis Blues' for the full band and Pete's feature of 'Melancholy Baby' in Harry James style.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
BRE Resource 06
For the last two days our colleagues at
Ampair have been exhibiting at
resource 06, the low carbon technology showcase at BRE Watford. This has necessitated us being at Park Farm to handle technical telephone enquiries. I have struggled with some of the questions regarding battery chargers and solar panels, particularly when they are for use on boats !
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Single to three phase converters
We currently have much activity with our range of
single to 3 phase converters. The picture shows one of the technicians testing a Booster A16. It weighs 230 kg, hence the pallet truck.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Apex Jazz Band at the Cricks
On Monday night we saw the Apex Jazz Band at
the Cricketers in Horsell Birch, Woking. The band had two changes, comprising Tony Nutt (cornet), Peter Minett (soprano and alto sax), Clive Burton (trombone), Ian Parry (guitar, banjo), Bert Shipp (bass guitar and vocals) and Dave Beale on drums. Ian is usually on drums but performed well on the strings. In the absence of Terry Twiss on holiday, Bert handled all the vocals in his smooth way. Our favourite number was Peter's feature 'I'm in the market For You'; new to him as well as to us !. A very enjoyable evening.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Phil Brown Swingtet at The Ely
On Sunday evening we saw the Phil Brown Swingtet performing at
The Ely out in the country near Blackwater and Yately. This was our second time at this venue and our first impressions were confirmed; it attracts the younger generation and their children. Some of the young guys were applauding the band's performance, which was encouraging, but the pub emptied out over the evening until only the hard-core fans were left (plus Shirley, who arrived late due to the difficulty of finding the Ely in the dark). All seven of the band were present this time, which adds to the richness of the peformance. My favourite number was my request 'Caravan' by Juan Tizot which the Swingtet performs particularly well.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Gatsby Jazz Band at the Wych Elm
On Saturday evening we went to
The Wych Elm in Elm Road, Kingston Upon Thames, for the monthly performance by the Gatsby Jazz Band. This is a fun band featuring comedians Mike on banjo and Alan Jenkins on trumpet and vocals. Our request for 'It's a Wonderful World' was granted and we had the pleasure of Alan doing his Satchmo voice.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Pavilion Tea Rooms at Eastbourne
Today we went to Eastbourne for the second and last time this year. It is probably the best seaside resort on this rather poorly served south-east coastline.
We had lunch at the excellent
Pavilion Tea rooms (pictured). It has been brought up-to-date recently, e.g. the traditional old-fashioned waitress uniforms have gone, but the food and service is as good as ever. Unfortunately it closes next Saturday for the winter.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Magna Jazz Band with injured drummer
On Thursday evening we went to the
Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, where
Brian White's Magna jazz band performs every week. Pete Towndrow was back on Cornet and trumpet so all the band were back to normal. Our favourite numbers were 'Saratoga Swing' and Alan Dandy's solo 'Echo of Spring'. The picture shows Rex Bennet (drums) flanked by Pete and Brian. Rex had been stung on his right thumb by a wasp and was holding the drumstick or brush between forefinger and middle finger. His skill appeared to be undiminished.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Apple iMac G5 at Boost Energy
In order to draw some circuit diagrams without the limitation of a small screen and distorted views we took our
Apple iMac G5 to the Park Farm premises of
Boost Energy. Once again I was amazed at how I could just plug into the network and get instant internet access with no changes to settings.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Panama Cafe Orchestra at the Cricks
On Monday evening at
the Cricketers in Horsell Birch, Woking, we again saw
The Panama Cafe Orchestra. The sweet restrained cornet of Dave Lowe was joined by the swinging clarinet and alto saxophone of Richard White. The rhythm section comprised Dave Griffiths (banjo/guitar), Chris Houslander (sousaphone) and Chris Lowe (minimal drum kit). We used to complain that this band played the same numbers in the same sequence every time but that has changed. The programme is much more varied and includes several classic Bix Beiderbecke numbers, e.g. 'Singing the Blues' and 'Jazz me Blues'. Dave Griffiths has a beautiful guitar with a fine tone, made by an individual craftsman to his specification.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Urban Gin House Band with Ken Ames
On Sunday evening we went to
The Europa in East Molesey to see the Urban Gin House jazz band. This time it was a quintet (pictured) comprising leader Richard Wilcox (baritone horn), Alan Brock (trumpet), Ken Ames (guitar), Mike Bennett (string bass) and Mike Knipe (drums). The guests from the audience were Roy Stokes and Peter Talent (slide trombones) plus John Shepherd (pocket trumpet). Our favourite number of the evening was 'Tin Roof Blues' with fine trumpet and an original vocal by Alan Brock. Ken Ames guitar playing was as enjoyable as ever.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Tasmin Little & Piers Lane at the Wigmore Hall
On Sunday afternoon we went to
The Wigmore Hall to see
Tasmin Little and
Piers Lane performing works by Brahms and Richard Strauss. Delightful as these were, the Tchaikovsky encore was the highlight for me. The Wigmore Hall is always a delight, not only for the best natural accoustics anywhere but for the fascinatingly diverse audience. One woman arrived in the auditorium carrying a goldfish in a plastic bag full of water. Perhaps it was being taught to enjoy live music !
Phil Brown Swingtet at the Rutland Arms, Catford
On Saturday evening we saw the Phil Brown Swingtet at
The Rutland Arms in Catford, South-east London. Mark Aston was replaced by the excellent Dick Dowthwaite on Tenor sax / Clarinet and Ken Ames (guitar) was missing but the remaining five musicians were the regulars. The standard of the jazz was as good as ever, although we do miss the guitar. Our favourites were:
1) My request for 'Lester Leaps In' with a fine tenor solo by Dick and
2) 'Pennies from Heaven' with just the superb Rhythm section of Andrew Clancy (piano), Mike Bennett (string bass) and David Clancy (drums).
Andrew's piano style is uniquely fascinating; all bent knuckles with the little finger of the right hand tucked away and then suddenly springing to life. The effect is great. Mike, in addition to producing melodic bass solos, is an ace at the Times Crossword !
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Wind tunnels for testing wind generator
After trials of the
Ampair 600 in early August with our small wind tunnel in Cornwall (pictured), I decided to search for a larger tunnel so that the wind turbine could fit right inside it. Almost every site I contacted replied "sorry, ours is too small". Those large enough are very expensive to hire so we plan to undertake tests in the open air; more about this later.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Magna Jazz Band with Chez Chesterman
On Thursday evening we went to the
Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, where
Brian White's Magna jazz band performs every week. Chez Chesterman (pictured) replaced Pete Towndrow on Cornet, the remainder of the band being back to normal. Our favourite numbers were 'Old Man River' featuring Chez with the rhythm section and 'Yellow Dog Blues' with the full band. The picture shows Brian on Clarinet.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Meeting at the Warwick Hilton
Today we went to a business meeting at the
Warwick Hilton. It is many years since I last visited this hotel; I think it was a Post House then. I remembered it as being clearly visible from the main roundabout off the M40. The surrounding trees have grown to the extent that this is no longer true. I drove straight past the site and wasted 40 minutes searching the local area before returning to the right place.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Rance's Rocking Chair Band at the Cricks
On Monday night we saw Rance's Rocking Chair Band at
the Cricketers in Horsell Birch, Woking. The band comprised Dave Rance (trumpet, cornet, mellophone and vocals), Brian Webb (trombone and vocals), John Percival (Clarinet, alto sax, musical saw, flit gun etc. and jokes), Doug Parry (banjo and guitar), John Bartlett (guitar), Roger Sills (bass guitar and sousaphone) and Henri Harrison (drums). This band is well worth seeing for its mix of humour and steady flow of jazz, hardly pausing to draw breath. This was the first time we had seen a mellotron; it certainly makes a beautiful sound. However, my favourite number was 'Clair de Lune' featuring John Bartlett with the rhythm section and no front line.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Urban Gin House Band at the Europa
On Sunday evening we went to
The Europa in East Molesey to see the Urban Gin House jazz band. This time it was a quintet comprising leader Richard Wilcox (baritone horn), Alan Brock (trumpet), Alan Dandy (keyboard), Mike Bennett (string bass) and Mike Knipe (drums). The guests from the audience were Roy Stokes and Peter Talent (slide trombones) plus John Shepherd (pocket trumpet). The picture of John playing does not clearly show how small the instrument is. Our favourite number of the evening was 'Basin Street Blues' with fine trumpet playing by Alan Brock.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
'Driving Lessons' at the Woking Cinema
On Saturday evening we went to the Ambassador cinema in Woking to see
Driving Lessons. This is a UK 'rites-of-passage' film with fine performances from all the cast but particularly Julie Walters. The audience was pitifully small but we enjoyed the film. Christians be warned; the Church is portrayed negatively.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
The King's Head Hotel, Richmond, Yorkshire
On 29 August we stayed at
The King's Head Hotel, Richmond, Yorkshire. Apart from the modern bar, this hotel is very old-fashioned; the blurb says traditional. Examples are no shower in the bathroom, sash windows that one opens at one's peril and very worn carpet on the stairs. The almost empty restaurant was good, although not up to the standard of our previous experiences on the tour. Separate lounge and bar plus tables in the reception area provide plenty of public space that was in high demand during the day. Price was in the middle of the range, i.e. the same as Marshall Meadows, which we preferred. Not a bad hotel but I cannot imagine staying there again.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Magna Jazz Band with Chez Chesterman
On Thursday evening we went to the
Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, where
Brian White's Magna jazz band performs every week. Chez Chesterman (pictured) replaced Pete Towndrow on Cornet, the remainder of the band being back to normal. Highlight was Chez's vocal on 'Got the Heebie-Jeebies'; his fine jazz/blues voice really suiting the number. Alan Dandy's keyboard solo was delightful as always and the (small) audience was reasonably quiet for it.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Marshall Meadows Hotel
On 27 and 28 August we stayed at the
Marshall Meadows hotel just on the English side of the Scottish border, north of Berwick on Tweed. It has just been taken over by new owners so many improvements are anticipated by the staff. Even so, we rated this hotel highly. The room had a view of a field with peacocks and horses, plus the North Sea in the distance. It was well appointed with one facility that other hotels lacked, a small table with two comfortable chairs right by the window; ideal for spreading maps or newspaper. Public rooms comprised a lounge, bar and a split level restaurant, serving excellent food and wine. Price was in the middle of the range, i.e. similar to Riverdale Hall, cheaper than Rampsbeck or Malmaison. I definitely recommend Marshall Meadows as a centre from which to explore Northumberland and the Scottish Border country.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Malmaison Hotel, Leith
On 26 August we crossed the Scottish border at Carter Bar and visited the house of Mary, Queen of Scots. in Jedburgh. We then moved on to Leith, where we had booked the night at Hotel Malmaison, which they like to call the 'Mal'.
Problem 1: it is very difficult to find; we drove back and forth, always missing it.
Problem 2: lunch was a complete rip-off; 30 pounds for two tough beef sandwiches and a glass of wine each.
Problem 3: the bar is very noisy, with modern music and chatter, and there is no alternative lounge area.
Problem 4; restaurant fully booked until 20:30.
The decor was modern depressing, the room was large but had little external light and no view. Dinner was OK but not exceptional for the price and served on bare wood tables. This was the most expensive hotel on our tour yet the standard was way below most of the others. Disappointing and not recommended.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Mike Piggott / Nils Solberg at the Epsom Jazz Club
On Monday night we saw the
Mike Piggott /
Nils Solberg quintet at the
Epsom Jazz club. In addition to the great front line of Violin and Guitar the fantastic rhythm section comprised Jonathan Day on bass, Martin Litton on piano and Rod Brown on drums. They were all so good that the evening passed much too quickly. We were sitting rather close for photography so Martin is missing from the picture. His 'Honky Tonk Train Blues' was great but my favourite was Mike's 'Kiss to Build a Dream On'.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Urban Gin House Band at the Europa
On Sunday evening we went to
The Europa in East Molesey to see the Urban Gin House jazz band. This time it was a quintet comprising leader Richard Wilcox (baritone horn and valve trombone), John Shepherd (trumpet), Ken Ames (guitar), Roger Limb (string bass) and Mike Knipe (drums). The guests from the audience were Roy Stokes, Peter Clancy and Peter Talent (slide trombones). As usual I enjoyed everything from Ken Ames and the Baritone horn added much interest.
I was distracted from noting a favourite number by the antics of a large Scottish Lady who is often present, laying hands on most of the men.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Riverdale Hall, Bellingham
On 25 August, after driving along the route of Hadrian's Wall, we stayed ovenight at
Riverdale Hallin Bellingham, Nothumberland. This is an old house, converted and extended as a hotel, popular with fishermen. The AA Hotel Guide gave it only two stars but one rosette for dinner, a fair assessment in our view. Our room in the old part of the building was in need of renovation although it had the best television we have ever used, a modern Philips flat screen model with unbelievable picture quality. Dinner was very good, with Thai options on the menu, and the staff were very friendly. Price was just above the middle of the range on our tour. On balance we would not stay there again although there is a shortage of good hotels in the area.
Labels: Travel
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Rampsbeck Country House Hotel
On the 24 August we stayed at
Rampsbeck Country House Hotel on the shores of Ullswater in the quieter corner of the Lake District. This hotel was a 'Top 200' in the AA Hotel Guide, with 3 red stars and 3 rosettes for dinner. It certainly lived up to expectations, being easily the best hotel on our tour. Our room was beautifully furnished, with a view across the gardens to the lake and fells. There were four lounges, including the bar, where light meals were served at lunch time. The dining room was large and well-furnished, the food was superb and the service both attentive and friendly. As for price; expensive but not the most we paid on the tour. Bed and breakfast was cheaper than our usual hotel in Guernsey, lunch was reasonably priced and the fine dinner and wine were pricey but less than we paid in Amsterdam. The conclusion is; at Rampsbeck you really do get what you pay for !
Friday, September 01, 2006
Magna Jazz Band with Colin Bray
On Thursday evening we went to the
Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, where
Brian White's Magna jazz band performs every week. Brian White was back but Alan Dandy was missing, substituted by Colin Bray (pictured at the keyboard). I particularly enjoyed 'Moonglow' and 'Blue Turning Grey' but my favourite number was Colin's solo 'I Want to be Around'.
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