What’s my excuse for the late GORR this month?.....well it’s a good one I can promise you.
I returned from South America , which was a fabulous trip, meeting up with old friends and playing three different concerts, Journey, Best Known Works and the ERE Band Show, (more about them later in this GORR), to find that my computer wouldn’t fire up properly. In fact it wouldn’t fire up at all. After numerous attempts of re-plugging everything, it did try but told me I had serious problems which it would try to repair. I dutifully asked it to, and it dutifully tried, and failed.
I am not good at doing what I am meant to and so nothing was backed up.
In somewhat panic I phoned my great friends at Eurotech and spoke to them tearfully. Like good doctors they told me to keep calm and get the CPU to them, which I did and waited with bated breath for the call as to whether or not it was terminal….which would have been a disaster for me as I am useless at backing up and so my entire life, which is on the computer, would have been lost for ever.
The good news is that it is now back and once I discovered how to plug everything in, I found myself back in the real world of cyberspace!...or wherever computer stuff you can’t see hides itself.

Back to South America and what a fabulous trip. Very hard work with having to do three different shows over three days in Buenos Aires, but well worth it. There were a few 5.30 get ups in the mornings to get to airports for early flights, but apart from Dave hobbling around on crutches with his broken leg and being pushed around in a wheelchair (which was great fun as we left him in the most ridiculous places such as the middle of baggage trolleys at the airport and jammed into corners. Lots of fun …well for the rest of the band and crew anyway!
It is hoped that we will be back again at the end of next year or early 2016 to play other countries in South America and Peru, Columbia, Venezuela and Ecuador have already been mentioned as possibilities.
November has already been a very interesting month and I can now tell of the invitation to Buckingham Palace which took place on the 13th.
It is all concerning the Grand Order of Water Rats who as many of you will know, celebrates its 125th Anniversary this year and I as King Rat was invited, along with all the other Water Rats, to attend a private function at Buckingham Palace, hosted by His Royal Highness Prince Philip, (who is indeed a Companion Royal Water Rat himself), also in the presence of her Majesty The Queen.
As a gift to the Queen & Prince Philip, I was asked by the Water Rats to compose some music especially for the occasion and this I did with the music based around Sandringham House which I know well having visited it on numerous occasions.
The three pieces of the suite were recorded at the Granary as were the string parts with the violin, viola, cello and double bass being performed by members of the Orion Symphony Orchestra.
It was recorded and mixed by Erik Jordan who did a fantastic job and also tremendous thanks must go to Roby Ayling and Mark Wilkinson and the rest of Rob’s team for putting together a special presentation pack to house the CD which I was able to present to Prince Philip on the evening as well as perform one of the tracks with the string quartet.
At the moment, this is the only copy that the Royal Family have, but there will be a limited edition available just prior to Xmas. More details to follow.

On the 16th, I will be attending a blue plaque event organised by the Heritage Foundation for THE WHO. I am always pleased when musicians and bands get the recognition they deserve and so it will be a great pleasure to attend an event which concerns one of my favourite bands of all time.

On the 23rd, it is the Grand Order of Water Rats Ball at the Grosvenor House. This is going to be an amazing night with such great entertainment that money normally couldn’t buy, plus a first class meal, and other ludicrous goings on ….more than 7 hours of fun and frolics!!!
There will be lots of well known faces in attendance which include Sandi Toksvig, Sue Perkins, Jeffrey Holland, Robert Powell, Russ Abbot, Jimmy Tarbuck, John Lodge, Roger de Courcey, Joe Pasquale, Graham Cole, Derek Martin, Steve McFadden, Sir Tim Rice, Roy Wood, Roy Hudd and Ian Lavender to name but a few.
We already have more than eighty tables which is fantastic, but there is still room for last minute ticket buying so if you fancy the best night out you’ll have this year, please log onto the Grand Order of Water Rats website.

On the 25th I will be attending the Pride of Essex Awards which are a wonderful celebration of people who have done great things for others in the county above and beyond the call of duty. I attended last year and was extremely moved by the event and am looking forward to attending this year. More information if you’re interested on the Pride of Essex website.

On the 28th, Adam and myself will be performing a rare one off performance at the Granary, which I’m pleased to say, sold out weeks ago. Ad and I did a short version of the show as a fund raiser for his children’s school which was great fun although I am not sure the headmistress, who was a lovely lady, will be telling any of the stories I told on the night in assembly in the near future!!!

December is busy ….GORR will be on time, that’s a promise!......and the New Year is looking incredibly busy so there’s going to be much to report plus a lot of surprises too, so stay tuned!!!

Cheers,
Rick

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