Part 3, a 35-year look back – reprinted from July 22, 1988, DCW, Volume 17, Number 8
Harwich/Coventry
Tuesday, June 28 . . . 7:00 AM, the ferry arrived in Harwich. But not before leaving a stray passenger on board. Percussion instructor Steve Weekes decided to catch a few more winks and was finally awakened by the housekeeping crew shortly after the buses had departed for Coventry. Staff members used this as an example for the rest of the corps. All-in-all, the event turned out to be quite a laugh. the most amazing part of this story was that Steve Weekes beat the corps to our housing.
That day the corps spent eight hours rehearsing at their new housing site in Coventry. The scene was an old school that was about to be torn down. The corps was packed tightly into a gym. Rehearsal was relatively close to town, so some neighborhood people stopped in to see the corps practice.
Early in the evening, Civic Reception Coordinator Jane McCauley stopped by to welcome the Scouts and handed out commemorative City of Coventry pens.
Wednesday, June 29 . . . This night, the City of Coventry and the Deputy Lord Mayor supplied the corps with an official warm welcome. After a short tour of Coventry Cathedral and the bombed-out cathedral next to it, the corps crossed the street for a civic reception in a 13th-Century guildhall.
The big joke was that somewhere along the line, the guys got carried away when the bar opened. Alabama slammers, black and white Russians, and upside-down double-whip fizzes were not on the bar menu; as a result, the bar had to be closed until after dinner. Following the welcome, an 18-member brass ensemble played You’ll Never Walk Alone, Salvation is Created, and the ballad from the corps’ 1988 repertoire.
Ditto the scene in Germany for the souvenir crew. This time things had gotten worse, and lost paperwork had put a damper on the entire promotions project. For the next two days, Madison Scouts staff would go around and around with customs officials.
A quick and nearly costly lesson in foreign affairs was the result. Hint: next time you clear customs, it may be a good idea to go through naked and just carry your passport!
Stratford-Upon-Avon
Thursday, June 30 . . . 8:00 AM, all corps members rise for a four-hour rehearsal. In the afternoon, everyone departed for a standstill concert and tour of Warwick Castle. The standstill concert was a special treat for anyone visiting the castle that day. The corps was top-notch and once again received much applause. After the concert, everyone toured the grounds and experienced some of the real history of Europe. The castle was filled with centuries of collectibles.
The free evening in Stratfor-Upon-Avon allowed everyone time to roam the town and see the sights. Once again, the only places open were the local pubs. The group wanted to taste the famous fish and chips during the evening.
Later in the night, some members continued their usual tossing of frisbees and footballs. Everyone joined in whenever something was going on. Perhaps that is why this corps has so much brotherhood and friendship.
Coventry
Friday, July 1 . . . 8:00 AM rise and an eight-hour rehearsal. This day was a typical practice with a few adjustments to the truck and finally a good word from customs officials. The Madison Scouts would finally have souvenirs for the weekend’s two shows. This was a headache many thought might never end.
That evening the corps did a show at Butts Stadium in Coventry. The city had organized an entertainment program with appearances by the Scouts, a brass band ensemble, and a very interesting group of dancing men.
A group of English dancers performed before the Scouts took the field. The group consisted of eight men accompanied by one accordion. Six men danced in a circle, kicking their feet while tapping sticks together.
The Scouts also did a standstill concert, and the crowd went nuts. Standing ovation after standing ovation. The guys felt good about what they were doing. At about 9:00 PM, the corps returned to their housing.
West Bromwich
Saturday, July 2... Enter the Beatles. You remember the Fab Four from Liverpool. The Scouts received about as much attention from the local girls in Coventry. At 6:00 AM, the corps arose for early breakfast and an early departure. At 6:30 AM, about ten screaming middle-school girls showed up for pictures and autographs. The whole scene was right out of Teen or Tiger Beat magazine. We all got a scream out of the whole deal.
The corps arrived at the stadium in West Bromwich at about 9:00 AM for an early rehearsal. As quickly as the corps got into stretching, the stadium had already begun to fill up. This was by no means the first time. Nearly half the stadium was filled when the corps was ready for a quick run-through.
Once again, people could not believe the intensity of the corps. The competition was excellent and had a touching ending with the playing Never Walk en masse with all the British corps. The corps returned to Coventry for their final night.
Coventry/Luton
Sunday, July 3 . . . This time the corps rose at 5:00 AM, and like clockwork, the screaming band of young ladies arrived at 5:30 AM. It was somewhat comparable to a scary rock opera. You would think the Scouts were the backup for Michael Jackson or Bruce Springfield. Once again, the guys gave out autographs, took pictures, and even collected a few goodbye kisses. Sorry girls, the Fab 128 was departing.
At 9:00 AM, the corps arrived at Luton Town Football Stadium for a wet rehearsal. Once again, the stadium quickly filled up with corps admirers. The show was great, but it rained the entire time. Nevertheless, all the corps went on as scheduled. The retreat and clinic were cut short, but everyone still loved the corps. This was the final show of our ’88 European tour. We went out with a bang. After the show, the corps arrived at their housing in Luton to get some sleep.
[Vickers’ note: The drenching rain led to problems getting all the uniforms and equipment dry, preparing to return to the United States. Once final packing began, it was apparent the uniforms would not be dry. When the corps returned to Madison, all the uniforms and equipment remained on the truck for several days. Unfortunately, mold set in, requiring all the uniforms to be dry-cleaned.]
Luton/London
Monday, July 4 . . . At 9:00 AM, the corps departed for a free day in London. After a short Tower of London tour, the corps buses provided a scenic tour of London with a new and informative guide. Around this time, voices began to look forward to being stateside once more. Thoughts and images of the home front went through many minds.
After the tour, everyone was free until 1:00 AM. Some of the guys ran over to the highly-overpriced Hark Rock Café and spent a good deal of dollars on the ever-popular café t-shirt, the trademark of a European vacation.
The percussion line was lucky to experience some of the U.K.’s royalty. While admiring the famous Buckingham Palace, Lady Diana was seen boarding a taxi. Later that evening, some of the guys visited a couple of local shows. “Starlight Express” and “The Phantom of the Opera” were the two shows.
After the shows, we still had about two hours to kill before returning to Luton. Many places were closed for the evening, so we roamed the streets near Victoria Station. This was when we heard the news about the Iran bombing and wondered if we’d get home in one piece. At any rate, our flights would not be delayed. At 1:00 AM, we headed back to Luton for a night’s rest.
[Vickers’ note: The news that a commercial jet had been shot down caused many to speculate that the return to the United States would be delayed since a worldwide shutdown of flights and airports occurred. Thankfully by the next day, things were back to relatively normal, and we could travel to Gatwick Airport and board the flight home.]
Luton/London/Cincinnati/Chicago/Madison
Tuesday, July 5 . . . at 7:00 AM, the corps rose for breakfast and rehearsal. After a short two-hour practice, the corps departed for Gatwick International Airport outside London. Many of us were tired and strung out from the experience. We had a great time, but it was time to catch up on reality.
We boarded the plane and arrived in Chicago at about 9:00 PM. There were six staff people sent ahead on an earlier flight, through Atlanta, with the equipment so it would be ready upon arrival of the corps. The truck and buses were loaded shortly after, and the corps arrived in Madison shortly after 2:00 AM Wednesday.
All-in-all, the tour was an excellent experience. If we leave Europe with no other memory, we will remember the warm reception of our corps. Music is universal, and if you can play music, there is a good chance you’ll be accepted overseas. There was definitely a warming of the heart and soul and a cleansing of the mind. The Madison Scouts’ experience has given us a new way to look at the world and its people.
[Vickers’ note: One plane arrived in Cincinnati, OH, to drop off members of the Pride of Cincinnati Board of Directors, but also to clear customs upon re-entering the United States. A humorous thing happened to Ollie Mae, the corps’ head cook. While customs officials didn’t open every box or equipment case, one they did open contained the leftover Crystal Lite in small plastic bags that hadn’t been used up during the trip. Of course, the corps was momentarily thought to be importing some powdered drug like cocaine. We all laughed when the contents were discovered as the lemonade drink mix. When the corps vehicles pulled into Truax Field in Madison, where everyone’s cars had been left during the duration of the tour, Mayor Joe Sensenbrenner was on-hand to welcome the corps back to town and thank the organization for bringing great recognition and representing the city of Madison so well during the tour.]