International Festival of the Sea - Portsmouth - July 2nd, 2005

Hello Richard,

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The 2005 International Festival of the Sea - IFOS - has been running in Pompey for the last four days. Evolved from Navy Days, as we knew it, it has become quite an event and this year was particularly impressive following on from the Trafalgar 200 Fleet Review earlier in the week. As well as visiting warships from around the world many 'Tallships' were alongside, dressed overall and open to the public.

Not the point of this, though, I thought you might like to know the guys and gals are still rocking it out bigger and better than we ever did.

The highspot of the day was a two hour concert by 'The Royal Band' - Pompey's Finest! Directed by Lt Col Chris Davis they treated us punters with a slick, imaginative and brilliantly played programme of music. Some great solos and stirring percussion.

It took this event, after thirteen years in retirement, to make me face an awful truth. I always thought I was an OK euphonium player (and said so to my friends and family) until I heard Musician Boyce play the tune and variations on Rule Britannia. I now realise I was actually crap!(?)

Main Entry: absurdity
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: ridiculousness
Synonyms: applesauce, bull, crap, craziness, farce, flapdoodle, folly, foolishness, hot air, idiocy, illogicality, illogicalness, improbability, inanity, incongruity, insanity, irrationality, jazz, jive, ludicrousness, ridiculousness, senselessness, silliness, stupidity, unreasonableness
Antonyms: reasonableness, sense
Source: Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.1.1)
Copyright © 2005 by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

[Editor: Our readers should know that you were a capable, dependable and interested performer with great talent]

The guy stood there, casual as you like, and whacked off something like 800 plus notes in three minutes and then, during his well deserved applause, took a bow while looking slightly embarrassed at his reception. Cracking! You had to be there.

My wife asked me, "Did you ever play that?"

"No."

Life is good today and I feel as though a huge weight has been lifted from my conscience!

Regards,