In 1985 I had just left Kent Opera and as a result was rather short of work for the first time in years. Kay and I were on short commons at Lancaster Grove, visiting the open air market for odds and ends as they closed. Luckily at that moment an offer came in from the Bournemouth Sinfonietta to be Chief Conductor for three years. I had been a a guest to this chamber orchestra on and off. They toured into all the small West of England centres which the large Symphony Orchestra couldn’t serve.

I was delighted to be able to work with them regularly. From London I used to park at Waterloo and have a nice tea and bacon/mustard sandwich on the train to Poole. Later I would drive from Inkpen over the hill and down through Romsey; a pleasant drive.

We played Poole, Plymouth, Bodmin, Penzance, all over the West Country (where we now live), and once or twice at the Proms. This was the first modern orchestra that I persuaded to play with Pure Tone, and they got quite used to it. After three years I left this friendly band, having rather bigger fish to fry in America.