Band
Trip 2002 Epernay, France 
Dougal's
Diary
Firstly,
why Epernay. Well, a few years ago, Mike Gray our Musical Director
arranged the Grieg Piano Concerto for Brass Band and Piano. The
soloist when it was first performed was Richard Dumbrill. His parents
are Richard and Suzanne Dumbrill who met during the war when Richard
parachuted into France with the SAS. Until his retirement, Richard
was the British Consul for Epernay and the surrounding area. Roger
Clements our Chairman and Trip-Organiser extraodinaire wrote to
Suzanne about the possibility of us going to France for this year's
trip. Suzanne put Roger in touch with Philippe Gintzburger, the
Minister of Culture for Epernay and the surrounding regions, and
an ex professional Tuba player. He organises an annual Summer Music
Festival in Epernay and invited us to take part.
So here's
how we got on. piccies
Friday
23rd August 2002
We start out bright
and early at the crack of dawn and complete the usual Krypton Factor
mental challenge of fitting luggage and instruments in the coach
in record time. Off on the open road to Calais watching Shrek on
the way. Very calm crossing and a fast trip to Epernay. We arrive
by early afternoon.
Our first hurdle is parking
the coach outside the Hotel Ibis. The management have thoughtfully
put no parking signs outside the Hotel, which the locals have fastidiously
ignored. Once parked cars have been shifted we unload and check
in. Suzanne comes to meet us at the Hotel
We have a free afternoon
to explore the delights of the town, the Capital of Champagne Region.
The town is very pretty and we take time to explore les Places and
places of interest before returning to the Hotel to dress and head
out for our first night in Epernay.
Most of the group congregate
at a restaurant near to where we will be playing tomorrow and take
over the downstairs. Mostly food is ordered successfully. Adam (percussion)
orders Steak Tartine, little realising it's uncooked state, but
manfully polishes the lot off (all except the raw egg).
After bars are explored
and beers drunk we retire to bed to prepare for the new day.
Saturday
24th August 2002
After breakfast we are
met by Suzanne and together head off in the coach to the Mercier
Champagne House for a tour of the cellars which she has kindly and
generously arranged for us. Well we try to head out, but the locals
have again parked around the coach and we are stuck in. Pappy our
driver manoeuvres the coach as though it is little more than a Renault
5 but still there is no way down the tight one way street, even
with four of our party off the coach directing matters. Un gendarme
gets involved and allows us to drive the wrong way back up the one-way
street. Our foot soldiers head into the teeth of the traffic on
the main road to stop the traffic. Half way there though un autre
Gendarme tells us that it's illegal to drive the wrong way up a
one-way street and demands we turn back despite our protestations.
We then get directed across the pedestrianised square which supposedly
we cannot cross as the coach is too heavy(!) but the route now designated
as our way is blocked by bollards. Whilst we are pondering the situation
we are told by a helpful lady that we cannot park where the coach
has stopped. No kidding! Eventually we managed to extricate ourselves
and make the Mercier House a mere 45 minutes after we set out (you
can walk it in 10!).
The tour is fantastic. The house is enormous with miles of cellars
stretching underneath Epernay, containing millions of bottles of
Champagne (more than even the Band could drink on a good night!).
After an informative film, we descend to the cellars by way of two
glass-fronted lifts that take us past a montage of scenes about
the history of the House (the Barrel built for the Great Exhibition
of 1900 that won second prize only to the Eiffel Tower, the Balloon
Trips over Paris etc) that we have just been told about in the film.
We manage to lose two of our party at this point over a misunderstanding
over the lift sounds (it only happens on our trips).
Then into a laser driven train "No photos to the front"
through the cellars, while our guide explains about the process
of producing Champagne. It's a fascinating and very informative
tour and we all learn something from it. At the end of the tour
we are treated to a tasting of the end product and let loose in
the shop.
We go our separate ways
back to the hotel and after a free afternoon of exploring we meet
back at the coach to drive to the site of our first concert at Le
Place Mendes-France.
This is the most organised
trip the Band has ever been on. The percussion is there and the
chairs and sound system in place a good half an hour before we are
due to play. We have an extremely good crowd and the program is
received extremely well.
Click
here to see the Saturday's programme
After the concert has finished, the whole Band is treated to a smashing
meal by Philippe Gintzburger at a riverside Restaurant. A fantastic
meal to top off a very successful concert.
Sunday
25th August 2002
The day dawns brightly
and after breakfast we are away in the coach for the second of our
concerts, at the HÔtel de Ville. The
site is beautiful with the Town Hall Building behind us and the
formal gardens in front.
Again we are blessed by good organisation and the chairs and sound
equipment are waiting for us. We set up in good time and play a
very enjoyable and well-received second concert.
Click
here to see Sunday's programme
We are all quite sad
that the playing part of the weekend is now over.
Philippe has arranged a formal Civic Reception in the Town Hall
Building. After speeches, Roger Clements, the Band Chairman presents
Philippe with a plaque from Crystal Palace Band with Epernay 2002
painted on the front of it. We drink Champagne and make toasts to
newfound friends and Philippe invites the Band back to play in the
Music Festival in 2004 and we eagerly accept.
After lunch we have another trip, again organised by Suzanne, to
an independent Champagne producer.
Although on a smaller scale the trip is possibly more enjoyable
and the countryside surrounding the house spectacular.
The owners have planted vines as they would have been planted in
Mediaeval times and also show us how the vines now have to be planted
and talk us through how they are tended and hand-picked according
to the very strict regulations that champagne producers now have
to adhere to.
They have also planted a beautiful vegetable garden and we spend
a happy half hour discussing various vegetables.
Click
here for the Spot the Difference Competition.
A dog in next door's
garden barks excitedly at us, and we wonder whether it is a relative
of the one that bit Stanley yestyerday.We tour the cellars, housing
10,000 bottles of Champagne that are turned daily by the owner -
by hand. We are also given a demonstration of the sediment collection
and corking process. It is absolutely fascinating. After another
tasting we queue up to purchase supplies to take back home.
We then return to the Hotel to mooch around for the afternoon.
We head out in the evening
for our final night's entertainment. We dine at various restaurants
around the town and eventually congregate in the yellow umbrellared
café for the rest of the evening. Basil produces his accordian
and cornet and we take turns seranading the locals. It may be the
lateness of the hour, or the amount of alcohol drunk, but none the
less several soloists blame their standard of playing on Basil's
cornet. Our excuses though are blown out of the water by Kevin our
guest Soprano player who manages to out play us all, and put his
solo up the octave to boot. We
drink into the early hours in the Hotel Bar before staggering bedwards.
Monday
26th August 2002
Our last
morning, and some of us are up with earlier larks than others. After
breakfast we pack the coach for the final time including our copious
amounts of fizzy stuff. Suzanne comes to wave us off and we bid
her fond farewells with promises to return in two years time. Then
one last bit of Pappy driving magic round the tight one-way system
and we are on the open road heading back to Calais for the ferry
home.
The journey
to Claias is quiet with one brief comfort stop. We spend a happy
hour going round a hypermarket in Calais purchasing yet more alcohol
and all important potato mashers, before boarding the ferry. It's
another smooth crossing spent for the most part in the bar, the
gin and tonics are large in these parts.
Back
on the coach for a fairly raucus song-filled journey home, arriving
back at St John's Penge at 10.30pm.
We unpack
for the last time and go our separate ways home.
I personally
think this was one of the most successful trips ever, certainly
the best that I have been on and on behalf of all of us, would like
to thank the following people:-
Suzanne
and Richard Dumbrill
Philippe
Gintzburger
Everyone in Epernay involved
in the organisation of the concerts
Roger Clements - once again you've surpassed yourself
Mike Gray for organising
the music
Pappy for his excellent
driving
All our guest players
The family members
and supporters
and last but ny
no means least, Dom Perignon
Dougal
- September 2002
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