Music Was My Heartbeat
Real Footballers Wives – Ann West
Gordon West joined Everton from Blackpool for £27,500 in March 1962, ‘a world record that will never be broken’ according to the press, as the miner’s son from Barnsley became Harry Catterick’s first signing. Athletic, agile determined and composed, West played in goal 399 times for Everton and collected a full complement of medals before leaving the club in 1973. Tempted back out of retirement by Tranmere Rovers in October 1975, he played 17 games in total and provided first-team cover for four years before calling it a day. He appeared three times for England and it would probably have been more but he withdrew from the 1970 World Cup squad for family reasons.
John Tilsiter
SIR – In a free society, we have the option to buy the cheapest, which is often made in China. Many of the less well-off may not have a choice.
William Blake
SIR – Although I am now 74, I was given a Meccano set for Christmas. It is proving to be a most absorbing time-filler, but I was disappointed to find that it was made in China.
Luckily, I still have the spanner from my Fifties childhood set and have convinced myself that this original, proudly stamped Made in England, tightens the nuts with greater authority.
James L Shearer
Black day for pubs
A TALENTED young musician and performer who honed her craft in Colchester is now progressing her career at a revered educational institution. Lottie Anstee first started her foray into the world of music at the age of 15 when she joined the Essex Music Services’ Essex Youth Orchestra. Before long, the 19-year-old, who studied at the Colchester County High School for Girls, was made the flagship ensemble’s principal flute player. The gifted flautist, who is also part of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, is now composing music at the University of Cambridge. She joined the prestigious institution in October 2019 after her skills helped her secure a place at the university’s Churchill College.
ONE woman’s work has helped keep her community going at the Kendal Castle Street Centre through the Covid pandemic. Joanna Watson, 45, from Appleby Road, Kendal, has worked at the centre for the past 15 years and throughout lockdown has been instrumental in ensuring the continuation of activities for clubs, societies, and social groups. As manager of the centre, she is responsible for the booking of voluntary groups and community groups’ using the space. Joanna was nominated by Sarah Davies, on behalf of the Westmorland Youth Orchestra who have benefited greatly from Joanna’s help. Sarah said: I really want to emphasis all that Joanna has done and how much she has helped the orchestra.
Joshua Kosman December 29, 2020Updated: December 30, 2020, 12:12 am
San Francisco Symphony horn player Mark Almond. Photo: Kira Doherty
Many people cultivate a side hustle, an interest outside their main career that can generate extra income, personal satisfaction or both. But it takes a certain amount of foresight or maybe simple good luck for someone to have a sideline in virology when a viral epidemic suddenly breaks out.
Someone, say, like Mark Almond, the San Francisco Symphony’s new associate principal French horn player.
Almond officially started his job at the beginning of September, but because of the coronavirus, chances to actually perform have been scarce. The orchestra’s live concerts are canceled through next summer, leaving only one-off projects such as the recent “Throughline” broadcast.