Tuesday 13 November 2012

For the Love of John

An evening to remember our friend John Edgar Mann


John was a great friend. Here he is in relaxed mood in the 70s. We would often go out to the New Forest or to the sea and John was accepted by our group of younger people. He called us the Witty Nippers and regaled us with his stories of jazz, folk, history, foreign holidays (which were often a disaster) and cinema which he loved. We miss him greatly.

Paul Marsh and Brian Hooper organised an evening of memories and entertainment at the Concorde club. We renewed old acquaintances and listened to some very good music from:








Pete Coe who accompanied himself on bouzouki, melodeon, and banjo and still sang like a gentleman;

















Tim Laycock who used the doppler effect with panache to play one of John's favourite songs, The Bells of St Mary's;
















Martyn Wyndham-Read who sang sublime songs in his quiet laid back style;
















Some excellent New Orleans jazz from the Solent City Jazzmen;











And last, but by no means rehearsed, Gutta Percha's Elastic Band who delighted us with classics such as I'm 'Enery the Eighth I Am (in French of course) and the rightly famous Woolston Ferry with its coming for to carry me home intro.






A truly memorable evening for a truly memorable person - John Edgar Mann.

There are many more pictures from the evening here

Enjoy and leave a message (Use the Anonymous profile in the "Comment as" drop down list)


3 comments:

  1. Chris - Many thanks for a superb record of a wonderful evening. Your photographs capture the evening brilliantly. John's friends will be delighted to see them - those that came along and those all over the world that would have loved to have been there.
    We raised £1420 which was shared equally between Cancer Research UK and Lewy Body Society (a form of dementia which John suffered from).

    Thanks for your support and for this blog.
    Paul Marsh (co-organiser)

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  2. Ah, Greetings from Australia.
    A delight to see this report - and, in the photos, recognise a number of faces from the past.
    I can but echo the observation that there are those of us who would loved to have been there. However, fate did have me in England earlier this year and I was able to attend John's funeral. That occasion did John and his memory proud. Which I am certain this get-together also did.
    As John once signed off a letter to me: Yours marsupially,
    Gordon Mignot

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  3. Excellent pics Chris, I can now feel that I was there! Steve Jordan

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