Guys,

I was recently invited to present a technical seminar on textile technology
topics for members of a relatively new association of professional dry cleaners
based in Perth, Western Australia, for whom I do regular technical consultancy
work (my day job!).

The association funded my return trip (from Brisbane, Queensland) and also paid
for some accommodation. My wife lesley and I have very pleasant memories of a
five week stay in Perth over Christmas/New Year for the 1999-2000 Australian
Jazz Convention held there and we also have very good friends involved in the
local tradtional jazz community there, so we decided to turn the trip into a two
week short holiday stay.

Whilst there, we visited the W.A. Jazz Club at its newer Yokine Bowling Club
headquarters in Perth and we had the pleasure of seeing fellow TGR member, Lynn
Nicholls' excellent jazz band,the Stevedores Jazz Band. Lynn is a very highly
proficient tenor banjo player and she even brought her Soares'y high end
electric/acoustic cutaway archtop tenor guitar, which she had kindly purchased
from me last year, and used it very tastefully for a very nice slower number
played by the band. All the best to you, Lynn, it was great seeing you play in
Perth.

Further on the subject of tenor guitars, we also saw one of Perth's premier
traditional jazz bands, the Corner House Jazz Band (with whom I once had the
pleasure of sityting in on washboard in 1999!), play gigs at both its two
regular wekly venues, one at its own Jazz Cellar in Perth and twice at the
Railway Hotel, North Fremantle. While at the Railway Hotel for one gig, my good
friend and the band's excellent tenor banjo player, Rod Evans, also played his
very nice looking vintage Regal tenor guitar, retro-fitted with a pick up for a
great bluesy number.

The textiles seminar went very well and we had a great professional and personal
time in Perth.

Cheers,

Steve