Risca Male Choir Tour to Leeds 2024 – Ladies Go Touring Up North
Wednesday 10 July to Sunday 14 July 2024
After the successful RMC tour to Chester in May 2023, the ladies followed the choir as they ventured further North to Leeds in 2024. Tomos Bennett-Gwyn (former MD) generously covering the role in Matthew Harrison’s absence and Jeslyn Asir accompanied the choir on his first tour with RMC.
Day 1 – Wednesday 10 July
The Choir and partners set off on the coach with driver Dwayne at the wheel, from HQ, Risca, (collecting a few stragglers from the train station in Newport) on a gloomy July morning heading for Leeds. Following a comfort break at Strensham Services we enjoyed an excellent meal at Bromsgrove Golf Centre. The sun had decided to come out and all was well for our final leg up to West Yorkshire.
On arriving at our destination we could see the hotel but poor Dwayne had to negotiate a narrow maze of streets to actually get to it! After seamlessly checking-in to our room at the Holiday Inn Express, we freshened up and groups of choristers and their entourage headed for their preferred watering holes. We didn’t go very far - in fact a short walk took us to the “Fox and Newt”. Our Chairman, Paul Phillips, had done his homework prior to the tour and located this little gem - perfect for those staggering back to the hotel after a few drinks. Others braved the journey to Wetherspoons near the train station in the centre of Leeds.
Due to the EURO 2024 semi-final football game between England and the Netherlands being televised live, the small bar at the “Fox and Newt” was already filling up with eager fans awaiting the start of the game and expectations were high. We found our way to the function room on the first floor with plenty of tables and a mini cinema arrangement with a big screen TV. Brilliant! What would make it even better? Well - five yards away a pizza takeaway, which delivered directly to the pub (landlord happy with the arrangement). Absolutely perfect! 16 members on the RMC tour settled in for the evening and were joined by a further 7 patrons of the pub who had ventured upstairs. Those lucky 7 got to share our pizzas as well as our company! The only downside – we had to go downstairs to the bar to refresh our drinks. England won 2-1 (Ollie Watkins goal in stoppage time) The room was buzzing – we won’t mention the final! More drinks please landlord!!!
Day 2 – Thursday 11 July
This was a free day to discover some of the delights of West Yorkshire. The majority of the group opted to visit York and headed for the Minster, where we secured a group booking before breaking into smaller groups to appreciate the magnificent cathedral. Others opted to visit the train museum.
The Cathedral was a masterpiece of stained glass windows and breathtaking architecture, although clearly it has suffered its trials and tribulations. Details of the aftermath of the fire 40 years ago were depicted in panels outlining the events and the resulting devastation. But like a Phoenix it rose from the ashes and the stages of the restoration and ongoing conservation work to this fragile building were also movingly shared with the public. My favourite photograph showed one firefighter, exhausted after the battle with the destructive force of the fire. Tired as he was and covered with soot, he stood by the remains of the cathedral enjoying a cup of tea provided by one of the volunteers. Also impressive was the list of organists dating back to 1481 (John Austan) and the current list finishing with RobertJames Sharpe (2008 - ).
After lunch at the “Golden Lion”, we indulged in some gooey dessert before venturing down the medieval street known as the “Shambles” that reminded me of Diagon Alley in the “Harry Potter” films. Every little shop we entered was full of unique and delightful treats. I half expected to bump in to Hagrid or the Weasley twins as we ambled along the narrow thoroughfare.
To try and see as much as we could of York we took a tour of the city on an open-top bus with Mike and Sue, Paul and Lyn, Cheryl and Phil and Kevin and Judith. We all agreed that was the best way to see what York had to offer.
Pleasantly tired, we returned to the hotel for several nightcaps.
Day 3 – Friday 12 July
Taking advantage of a free morning to relax we enjoy a leisurely walk around the hotel and discovered the studio, where “Emmerdale” is filmed. Security cameras seemed to follow our every move.
Then down to business …
The choristers dressed in their blazers and greys all ascended the coach as we meandered our way to Featherstone Rugby League Club enjoying some beautiful scenery on route. Whilst the choristers took advantage of a final rehearsal with Featherstone MVC, the ladies settled down with a couple of drinks and chatted with the locals. Fred, one of the Featherstone MVC, joined our table and recounted tales of Rob Burrow and his exploits. Undoubtedly Rob was a formidable player in his youth, despite his diminutive size and well-liked by his team mates and supporters. Fred, who was in his 80s, had been with the choir for 29 years and was looking forward to the concert. His family would be attending and he was particularly proud of his grand-daughter who had just finished school and was going on to study the performing arts. The ladies of Featherstone MVC were very welcoming and had prepared a splendid buffet.
The concert took place in a packed St Giles Church in Pontefract. Tomos arrived brimming with confidence. He took charge of the performance and we had a wonderful view from the gallery above. Featherstone MVC started the proceedings followed by Risca Male Choir in the second half. Tomos also conducted 2 pieces with both choirs. During the second half of the concert I stayed downstairs as the sale of CDs was hectic. I could see the audience’s reaction and they loved every moment – culminating with the two choirs singing You’ll never Walk Alone (with the audience invited to join in) and Gwahoddiad.
A total of over £4,000 was raised from the concert – all of which was donated to the MND Association.
Day 4 – Saturday 13 July
A free morning resulted in 6 of us braving the walk into the centre of Leeds to look around the shopping area and the indoor Market housed in an impressive building - the oldest of its kind in Europe. We visited the old Marks and Spencer stall in the market but unfortunately the stall could only accommodate 2 customers. So we went across to the new M&S for a refreshing drink (non-alcoholic as this was another red day!). Certainly a place to visit for a long weekend. Back to the hotel using the local bus service ready to depart for Skipton at 3.00pm.
Skipton was equally impressive with its quaint little shops and outdoor market. The journey through the beautiful Yorkshire countryside was relaxing. Skipton itself was picturesque, with lovely, quaint little shops and places to eat and drink. The people were very friendly. In one of the shops the assistant asked about the choir and the concert. She would have attended but family commitments prevented her doing so. However, she reached for her purse there and then and made a donation to the charity supported by Shipton Rotary Club. From the evening’s fund raising, £2,000 went to ‘Mary’s Kitchen’.
The concert was a tapestry of performances from the choir and the winners of the Young Musician’ competition organised by the Rotary Club. There were fantastic performances from all participants. The accomplished youngsters certainly demonstrated that they were destined for a bright future in the world of music.
After the concert we enjoyed a few drinks in the hotel to celebrate a job well done!!
Day 5 - Sunday 14 July
A very tired group gathered on the coach for the journey back to South Wales – stopping only for another visit to the Bromsgrove Golf Centre for a delicious Sunday lunch.
Job done!
Finally, many thanks to Alan Davis, who organised the tour and took care of all the arrangements; and also Robin Grayson (concert secretary) who made all the arrangements for the two concerts.
Although now just a mere memory, the tour to Leeds still evokes a feeling of good times with a group of friends that make up the RMC family and sharing another success. The locals were all friendly and made us feel very welcome. The choir performed brilliantly at both concerts, as was evident by the warm and appreciative reception received from the audiences they entertained. Jeslyn played beautifully, but the real star was Tomos – stepping in at the eleventh hour and leading the guys to some of their most memorable performances. They certainly left their mark on the hearts of their audiences in Yorkshire. I salute you all gentlemen.
Olga Tutton
August 2024
