h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So I've been in Bristol and London - as any friends who know me on other social media already know as I've been living my life pretty much in public

It starts way back in 1979 when our music teacher left school one year into our 2 year o-levels. I was in the o-level music group and struggling (laziness, I simply didn't learn to read on the bass clef, or learn key signatures or whatever and just coasted by on the theory. On the history and set works I was very very good)

So in came the new Director of Music, an enthusiastic young man fresh from getting the highest whatevers at the Royal college of music and from teaching at the St Paul's Junior school. The first thing that I noticed about him was that he was wildly enthusiastic about music and teaching, and that he had (still has) the most beautiful piano playing hands. I was forecast an E for music (and that would have been pushing it) which is a fail, but Mr Browne was simply put, the best teacher in the universe and one of the best things in my school years.

I got a B and a kiss on the cheek and the role of Canon in the school orchestra's performance of the 1812 Overture as a reward.

So... 36 years later he is retiring. The school does an annual spring concert at St Georges, Bristol, and this year's was his last. Alongside a piano concerto, there was to be a performance of JS Bach's Wachet Auf! - which was one of our set works. Mr Browne's love and enthusiasm for JS Bach knows no bounds, and he has completely infected me with it.

So, although I declined to join the choir for this, I did get tickets and turned up in Bristol on Saturday. It's a strange thing for me. I hated being at boarding school and haven't been back (for a school thing) with the exception of a brief appearance at the 10 year reunion since. So it was a Big Thing for me.

I took the National Express from T2 at Heathrow directly to Bristol - brilliant stuff and I will only ever use the National Express to get from Heathrow to anywhere from now on. The first afternoon in Bristol I walked around, Park Street, Clifton and Broadmead. I had to buy some flat black shoes because I only had winter boots with me, so I got a lovely pair of black leather brogues from Clarks. Yes, back in Bristol with flat, black, Clarks lace-ups. Full circle, then.

I also walked past the recruiting office where I joined up all those years ago.

In the evening I had dinner with 2 old maids (haha - the school is called The Red Maids' School - note the apostrophe) and looked at some photographs and had a good laugh at shared memories.

I was staying at the Premier Inn on King Street which was beautifully central, and near The Old Duke, a pub I had frequented in my youth, and St Nicholas Market, which is even better than Borough Market in London. (because it doesn't just sell food)

And the Premier Inn beds and fluffy quilts really are as good as they promise in their adverts.

On the Sunday I walked over to look at the SS Great Britain, which I'm ashamed to say I had never visited. I also had a look at the Matthew which is a replica of the ship that John Cabot used for his voyage to Newfoundland.

After the SS Great Britain i had a cup of tea, then used the passenger ferry to cross to the other side, and walked up to St George's in Clifton. As I got closer I could see the Cabot tower and it started to get a bit weird for me again. I was really excited about seeing old friends, hearing the music and meeting one or two teachers. On the other hand it is a really difficult thing for me to confront how I feel about school.

But there I was, suddenly, asking a woman at the entrance if I could go in. Turned out she's the new headmistress and she is lovely. So I had some wine with a few of the old maids who were going to sing, and play in the orchestra and the next thing I know we were taking our places.

During the interval I had a chat with some other people outside that I didn't know - and as happened fairly often that day, after a minute or two they got a particular look in their eye followed by "oh, you were a boarder" as if a penny had dropped.

I didn't realise, at the time, that most of what went on outside of school hours completely passed them by.

Then came Wachet Auf! and of course the audience participated in the final Chorale. Twice. Which left me blubbing, to be honest, because it's a beautiful piece of music and all the rest.

After that I met up with my friends again, managed to speak to a couple of my old teachers (I was expelled then reinstated in the UVIth, so I wasn't sure how they would be, but they were lovely) and a good chat with Stephen Browne who is still fantastically enthusiastic, and a lovely person.

Then I went with one of my friends for a few G'n'Ts and a gossip, then back to my hotel to pack and get ready for my trip to London.

Wachet Auf: (not the one we saw, I recorded it but only audio)
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=js+bach+wachet+auf%21

The concert programme:
http://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/whats-on/st-georges-hall/sun-8-mar-red-maids-spring-concert-24186

The SS Great Britain:
http://www.ssgreatbritain.org/

The Matthew:
http://www.matthew.co.uk/

You are correct: That truly *is* a beautiful piece! Like most of old Johann Sebastian's w*rk. I'm listening to it now

But as for the Matthew: "...the English ship that discovered North America in 1497..."?
Surely they must mean "rediscovered"

yes - well, all that "discovering" of America stuff I take with a pinch of salt. It's all dependent on which history you're reading, isn't it?

As for Bach - the chorale on Wachet Auf! is just indescribably beautiful.

You are correct again. Since the vikings met native americans there obviously have been people discovering the americas long before said vikings

Royal College of Music... St Paul's School... I think you had Gustav Holst for a music teacher Sho