New Years Eve…

 Good morning Jazzers on this very frosty New Years Eve Day…

This has been a strange year for everyone, and we have lost friends and families have missed out on so many things, but some of us have come through… so we are blessed.

I do just want to put a huge thank you to all NHS staff, care workers, and teachers amongst so many other people who have got so many through this year. Including those in my own family…

Our young children in this country have not known whether they are going to school or home learning, so many have missed out on their young lives not playing outside, as we were able to do, so many families have relied on charity to eat,  Food banks have had queues waiting for hand outs, does it seem possible that we have benefits for people who own mobile phones and smoke and drink?  I still think when this all started we should have had ration books as we had after the war, so some of those greedy people did not clear the supermarkets shelves… I wonder how much stuff is going to be wasted because it is out of date? we of course did not have supermarkets and most of us had to live within our means, so a sad world of credit and greed. People who do not think they should wear masks and keep their distance, those who pass the hand sanitisers thinking it is silly. (like that chap who pushed past me pulling his mask over his nose at the last minute going into the shop that had been under his chin!)

However beside all the nasty things, some people have gone far beyond what we can believe would happen, people have raised so much money for charity…people have been kind to neighbours and shopping has been done for those who dare not go out, deliveries have been made from local shops, amongst so many great people who have got us through to this New Years eve. Those who have used Face Book and kept in touch with people, and Face time has kept most of us sane. Not sure of Zoom ha ha that has been a laugh! Those who walk past my kitchen window and take the time to wave.

Just hope that most people will be sensible tonight and not get the New Year off to a bad start by mixing in crowds, they can do so much harm to the country.

Here is hoping the vaccine will be the answer  I know several people have already had this…

After all that, I know how much so many of our gang are missing the live music, so some giggle photos, one from Neil which made me go through some old photos, so a real mix today of all sorts. Just random from all different years…and hopefully fun…

May the New Year bring us good health happiness and lots of live music, take care dear friends and stay safe.

2 lovely ladies

our Stella

Good heavens that was a long time ago!

obviously late night!

Happy Christmas Jazzers…

 Good morning Jazzers…

This has been a very strange year for so many reasons, and although we have lost a few friends and we have not been able to all gather together to listen to the jazz, we must look forward to the vaccine that may bring us out of this mess we are in at the moment.

I certainly miss you all and even with tier 4 looming on boxing day, I wish you the best of Christmas greetings , may you be able to meet up with loved ones, and if you are lonely please ring or e mail as I am hopefully( I say hopefully as so many things seem to happen with these rules)  going to be here with some of my family, it will make such a change as being alone has been very different this year.

If only the majority instead of the minority had stuck to the rules we would be in a better place, but we will have to live as best we can, knowing we have friends who care, and we will get together with music as soon as allowed.

Alistair has done a great job on line to keep us in touch , as I know a lot of bands and artists have done over the year. We have over 700 who follow him on FB so always someone to chat to. and last night the concert from Castleton Church was so uplifting.

I have dug up a few photos from the past which hopefully you will enjoy. Some blasts from the past everyone much older now …such fun xx

Sending cyber hugs to you all and hope we can meet next year…

Good morning Jazzers…

 Thursday again and here I sit all alone apart from the cat! ha ha I know a lot of you who look in are in the same position, so am sending big cyber hugs to you all, we must keep our spirits up (some of you will be keeping the spirits down) do not overdo the Christmas cheer!!!! What a strange year, we must just keep hoping we find a way out of the Covid so we can all start to live again and get back to the live music.

Sending good wishes to our Tim Densham who has his Birthday today, Chris has sent me a couple of lovely giggle photos so you will enjoy them… also have 3 from Neil that I have been holding onto.

Have been trying to send Christmas cards, started to paint some then realised could not make enough so have bought a few and sent, so if you do not get one I am so sorry, but I do send a very happy Christmas to you all…

Thanks to all those who keep in touch I do miss all of you. Jan sends her best as does Jazz Jan…June and Les…

Want to send  get well to Simon Nelson, he had an operation to have grafts put on his knees that he damaged on a cement floor, he works so hard, but made a mistake that has caused him a lot of pain. Take care Simon, know Julie will be caring for you, keep practising that cornet young man.

To any of you that are not feeling well, we send you a 'get well soon' message.

Sadly I have lost  some friends of late… the old grim reaper has been around, but I am glad none of the lovely people had Covid so that is a blessing, my love to all left behind in these strange times.

Now for some cheer…with some giggle photos…And must say miss you loads Emily thanks for keeping in touch on FB. and that goes for all who do that…

Thursday without Sole Bay again!!!

 Good morning to those Jazzers that still look in on here… I do hope you are all staying safe and well, and like me, are annoyed with some of the crowds who we see on TV thinking they can do as they want while not wearing  masks, with no thought of all the people who have to isolate. Still suppose they may be of a generation, that have seen many benefits over their lives or maybe they have never had to work for a living, otherwise I just cannot believe they can be normal caring people as surely they must realise how serious this is still getting?

Looks like Christmas may be a write off for some family's, and that is so sad. However, we have all got to make the best of things, so I do hope everyone can manage to have a safe and healthy Christmas.  Glad that some of us can be on face time or zoom, that we can  see our loved ones.

I have been lucky with Alistair who has been popping up on face book, with little 1 hour gigs singing to us fans while we can all chat on the side bar, lots of Christmassy songs as well. music seems to help us all keep our spirits up. We also had about 16 or more of us on Face time one evening, thanks to Anne our fan club lady…I was not looking forward as first, as can see myself on the screen and I do not like the look of me nowadays ha ha…I felt a bit naughty as most of them had christmas decorations up!! Must find mine I suppose.

Lovely to hear from some of you, good job we have phones! good to keep in touch.

Sadly have seen that Dixie Mix have had to cancel their December gig…also Simon if you look in, hope the cement burns are getting better, mad boy!!!!

I have not heard from Neil this week with photos, however Jenny and Terry have sent 3 however they will not download at the moment so will ask Terry to redo them as separate  photos.  So watch this space. Also seem to have had on FB some memories from 4 years ago… so will pop them on.

Take care everyone stay safe an keep in touch with loved ones…

OK think I have got these three photos separate now from Terry…

Have received some from Neil just now so will put them on at a later date…

Frosty Cobwebs

 Rather on the chilly side this morning, but the garden looks pretty with the frosty cobwebs…

Hello Jazzers…

 Here we go again yet another Thursday and December as well! What a year this has been …so sad …mostly lonely and miserable for so many. But hopefully the people who check in here to try and keep the music going …I hope that this is helping.

So many people are thinking Christmas has started but it has not done so here just yet, as like to keep it special, no idea if we can manage that though …until we know all the rules to come, but we will look on the bright side and I will include a couple of photos of the Sole Bay from December 2019 when we did not know what was to come to spoil it then…and one of Oscar last Christmas.

Thanks once again to Neil ,who although busy decorating, has spent some time looking through some old photos, and they are lovely, also another great sketch one of the Brandeston Band that Mike Leigh had drawn. Love to you and Sandy …thank you for keeping my spirits up.

Roy Symonds sends love to all, like many of us missing the hugs and the company. June and Les also give me a ring now and then, they look in. Lots of nice phone calls thank you for those…Jan sends her hello as well, looking forward to seeing her for a cuppa soon, has been strange as we have been good and keeping away from people, the old phone bills will be high though!!!

"That was a lovely surprise a phone call from our Sheila Denny, cheered me up bless her, she loves to look on here, so I told her I would send her love to you all."

Better pop these photos on …enjoy… Stay safe and well …miss you all.

Morning Jazzers

 Good morning jazzers…hope all is well with you all, and get well soon if you are feeling ill or low. Such strange times now and not sure what is happening out in the big wide world as seem to be stuck in for so long, and every other word is Covid…and Christmas … anyone else know where this year has gone? but am grateful that I have a garden and friends, as this long haul has taken its toll on me and a lot of you. 

Even started having migraine's again, yesterday could not get through to health centre, which told me to go on line!!!! could not even stand up so that was not good!!!!But  this morning with Jan's help have managed to contact them through a long procedure, and am waiting for a phone call today. A frightening time yesterday trying to contact someone, was feeling so ill  and very worried! just wanted  someone to let me have my tablets for migraine that I used to have…even 111 said they were too busy to answer … the pharmacy could only send me paracetamol…and they did not help… I will make sure if they get me my tablets that I used to take to help…I will never run out of them again.

Enough about my silly woes, am up and about today with lots of aches  and a headache but no migraine.

So, back to music…thanks to Tony Nichols who has been posting videos on FB, and thanks to Neil for sending some photos for today's blog, nice that people are still looking in, if not commenting, I have not been able to look back at photos because of bad heads,  but will find some in the near future, in the meantime as I said… thanks to Neil we have some good giggle photos this week. Love the one of our lovely ladies…although Marian is no longer with us, still good to see her looking so happy.

Stay safe jazzers… Roy Symonds sends his love to all and cyber hugs, will be glad to be able to walk round to see him when this latest lock in has ended.

Thursday again……

 Morning Jazzers… well nice photos from some of you …thank you, so good to know you all look in and keep in touch with the Sole Bay Jazz Band and loads more…I had a nice lot so, as you see have been popping them on as I get them, so hope you do not just look in on a "Thursday"

Nice to hear from some of you as well. Miss you all.

We have to look forward to live music again… hopefully in the not too distant future…

Simon Nelson has a gig booked for December at Southwold, so we hope for him and the band they are allowed for that to go ahead with social distancing of course …

Alistair has his Christmas gigs to be done on face book and zoom, but no audience, just us fans watching on our gadgets!!!!

Something different here from Neil's archive…a sketch of The Brandeston Band …drawn by Mike Leigh…

And some more from Neil…

One from Alan they do look smart. always the yellow duster in shot!

Some more oldies…

 Sorry for the title…Photos not the people!

Thanks Simon for lending me these, they are on FB but I know not everyone does that …so here goes for some more memories…