The Garden Party in Aid of

GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND

A DAY TO REMEMBER!

The date was Saturday 13th July 2002, and the venue was the garden of Pete and Ade Spindler near Bridgwater in Somerset. They were the couple who puppy-walked my second guide dog, Isaac.

You couldn’t have missed it if you tried! Bunting all along the front of their garden, and literally dozens of cars parked in what is usually a quiet neighbourhood. An entrance fee of £1.00 included a cup of tea and a freshly made scone with jam and cream. With over 100 attending, that got the cash flowing in nicely!

People were strolling around, admiring Pete and Ade’s beautiful garden, happily chatting away, and having cuddles with guide dogs. Meanwhile, my keyboard and I were positioned under a gazebo, right alongside a vine, where I was constantly visited by little insects who seemed keen on jumping on my head and tickling me behind my ears! If you’ve ever tried playing a keyboard with annoying little creatures putting you off – and I don’t mean children – you’ll know it’s not much fun!

I struggled on, well there wasn’t much else I could do, playing a selection of my own compositions. The title of one track, “Times to Remember,” had been given me by Pete and Ade so that I could compose a piece of music especially for the occasion. So of course, I played it numerous times.

With a bring-and-buy stall, and stalls selling books and cakes, a couple of raffles, one which included an autographed book by the gardening TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh, and the sale of some of my home-produced “Times to Remember” CD albums, the afternoon raised £360 for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Click here to listen to the track “Times to Remember”