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Blogs by John W Townsend
MEMORIES OF HUMPHREY LYTLETON, JAZZ BAND LEADER. 11/21/2009 7:03:32 AM
Rememinising about a friend This coming Wednesday I am going to a charity concert in aid of a local Parkinsons Disease branch, the UK Parkinsons Disease Society. The concert is a show puit on by The Humphrey Lyttleton Band. I used to know bandleader Humphrey Lytleton, had been to his home in London on a few occasions,at the time I worked for the Parkinsons Disease Society, and his wife had Parkinsons. He was a very caring man who loved his wife so dearly. He was always there by her side. i recall on one occasion they had gone on a trip organized by the Parkinsons branch. It was to a place called Hatfield House, a slice of English history. He was pushing his wife in a wheelchair and I offered to take over so he could go and explore the gardens. Later we talked over tea and scones and jam, he told me he was writing a book. Now at the time he had a Radio program, a sort of comical verbal challenge in which he was the chairman. Now through that program many comedians, entertainers and artists had appeared and in conversation with him often 'dropped gems into my ears ' he said. Well he had hoped to write this book and it was to be called 'The Thoughts of Chairman Humph.' and in it he was going to write all those things that many people had told him, amusing things, hillarious stories, and musical stories. After each show he would write them into a notebook, and the radio show ran for 20 years. Sadly his wife died and a year later he died. I often wonder what happened to all those notes.
