Rouen Review
What a superb trip!
The EYB double decker made an early start from Enderby on Saturday July 5th - too early in fact, and at least one player had to catch the coach up at Lutterworth!! The rest of the journey proved relaxed, and included a welcome stop at the Pidou Wine cash and carry in Calais - thus allowing the significant contingent of supporting parents to stock up on "refreshments" for the forthcoming few days. Upon arrival in Rouen the Youth Band were dropped off at their accommodation - a boarding school close to the river, and not far from the historic centre of Rouen. The parents moved onto their Hotels while the Band members settled in and gratefully accepted the evening meal that our hosts provided for us. After a couple of hours of socialising a short walk to the packed quayside enabled us all to enjoy the late night firework display. Absolutely spectacular!!

Sunday July 6th was our performance day. After breakfast the Band was taken to the quayside to set the stage - and what a stage it was….. No flimsy gazebo for us - we were performing on a huge "rock star stage" with amplification to match. Back stage there was a fridge packed full of food and drinks in case the pressure of performing resulted in some bad cases of malnutrition. All this free food - and no Phil Murphy to take advantage! Every section of the Band was miked up - including several mikes dedicated to just the Drum Kit, and an individual mike actually attached to the bells of the two Basses. Emma and Luke were left under no illusion that every mistake would be hugely amplified. No need to worry though, as the pair of them played superbly throughout the day, as of course did the rest of the Band.

Our three separate hour long performances were really well received by the large audience that were thronging along the quayside. They were most forgiving of my appalling attempts at French, and a large number stayed and listened to the whole programme, despite there being no seats for them to sit on. In my opinion the Band really did play well - three hours of playing is a long stint, and many adult bands would have struggled to sustain the standard we achieved that afternoon. Thanks to the soloists - Vicky Day, Liz Day, and Spencer Hague, and thanks to the guest (mostly ex) players (Phil Sturdy, Claire Hounsome, Meg Roberts, Vicky Stanley, Alli Smith and Emma Hunt) who covered for our own players unable to join the trip. I also had the privilege of being interviewed for a French TV Channel following our second performance - they asked me about the Band, and also about my impressions of the Armada - I was of course suitably fulsome in my praise! An elderly French lady also accosted me and was eager to let me know how good the Band was - and that she was connected / related in some way to Mark Bousie - the conductor of our contest rivals, Sellers Youth. It is indeed a small world! Sunday evening was again an opportunity for the Band members to sample the atmosphere of the quayside. Many of the youngsters spent the evening amongst the fairground atmosphere of the Armada, and once again enjoyed the firework display. Others of us walked into Rouen, and were particularly awestruck by the sound and light projection show on the front of the beautiful Rouen cathedral.

Monday was a free day, and Rouen is a lovely place to spend a day, especially when you would normally be at work. The old and historic centre of Rouen contains a wealth of interesting and historic buildings - and of course lots of shops, so there really was plenty for us all to do. I personally particularly enjoyed looking round the Cathedral, visiting the Joan of Arc church in the old Market place, a trip on the tourist road train, and - best of all - a visit to the building that houses the "Grande Horloge" - Rouen's famous and iconic clock above the main thoroughfare. In the evening, our generous French hosts treated the so called "responsible adults" to a superb meal at a restaurant in the old Market place, after which we met up with the rest of the Band at the Cathedral for another look at the magnificent "Son et Lumiere" show. A late night followed, complete with an interesting version of Hide and Seek, EYB style; strangely enough this coincided with Bedtime. Apparently 1a.m. was considered unreasonably early for bed!!!

Tuesday was travelling home day. Another appreciated trip to Pidou to stock up on wine and beer was unfortunately followed by a frustratingly long wait on the tarmac at Calais - our ferry was cancelled, and then delayed. Even the one we got on then could not berth at Dover. The adults consoled themselves with an extra drink at the bar, whilst the youngsters stuffed themselves silly on a mixture of Chips and Toblerones. We arrived home around 8.00pm having enjoyed ourselves immensely. The Band were excellent ambassadors for the UK - well mannered, organised, and (best of all) we sounded brilliant! Thanks to all the players for making the trip so enjoyable. Thanks to all the parents for their support, and thanks to Jayne for her hard work behind the scenes over many months to ensure the trip ran smoothly. Can't wait for the next one now! .

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