Great days and many great friendships started there. When I arrived at Maida Vale the lady on reception thought I was Bruce Botnick, but no I didn’t pinch his ticket!
Did I tell you that there is a stunning mid-century modern house in our neighborhood that has fallen on hard times? Ms. Birri has a fantasy that it will be purchased by Peter Graves as he looked in the 1970s. We imagine going for walks in the neighborhood, and Peter Graves is in the yard watering the lawn. He is wearing a two-piece cabana outfit, similar to that worn by the 1960 Ken doll. He is holding a garden hose in one hand, and a highball glass with Scotch in the other. Or, as Mr. Phelps prefers, bourbon. We wave to Peter Graves, and he raises his glass to us in a toast.
OT: A close friend who lives in the 'North Of Montana" neighborhood of Santa Monica, California once told me that he was at the local Pavilions supermarket one day (years ago), and saw Mr. Graves slowly pushing a cart through the aisles. The cart was rather fully loaded with bottles of booze...obviously Mr. Graves was planning a party!
Getting back to the original question : I remember the Maida Vale concert best. There must have been an interval, because I recall asking someone for directions to the loo, and finding myself going down some stairs onto a floor that looked like something out of the set of ALIEN. Coming UP the stairs as I descended was Mr Goldsmith, deep in conversation with one of the members of the orchestra.
On reaching the urinals, standing next to me were two other orchestra players, and I could hear one of them saying, in a plummy English voice, "A bit avant-garde for Radio Two listeners, this stuff, don't you think?"