I drove the Graeme Bell coach (1952)

[Durium]

GRAEME BELL

My age is 90, I have a fairly good long and short memory and can remember that short 7 day tour like it was yesterday. Thanks for you efforts to link me up with Graeme after so many years. As one gets older we tend to look back at the good old times. It was back in the 50's when I was very fortunate to be asked to drive the great Graeme Bell "Aussie" Jazz Band for a 7 day Tour of the UK.

I wonder if you remember, Graeme, when we stopped in Carlisle and you had visited an army surplus store and purchased a suit of camouflage fatigues and came back to the coach wearing same. Later at a meal stop, you stayed in the coach, took off the cam suit, stuffed it with cushions etc; until it looked like some old tramp, so that when we returned it looked like some stranger had got in the coach, as it had a hat on and even a smokers pipe in it's mouth, at the time very funny to all of us.

Bill Usher ( Canada)

Bill Usher: I drove the Graeme Bell coach (1952)

Keep swinging

Durium

[BillF]

Lovely little item! Ah, the history of British jazz! (sigh)

[carnivore]

'South' by Graeme Bell - one of the first 78s I ever bought. Great memoir from Bill.