For a long time now, I've been intending to do a special feature or two on the piano teachers I had while growing up. On the front page of uxbridge.middx.net I've asked for anyone who remembers Phyllis Matthews (my first piano teacher) to get in touch, and at last.... someone has

I had lessons from Mrs Matthews, who lived at 2, Hows Road in Uxbridge, from the age of 6. She held an annual concert involving all her pupils too, somewhere in Uxbridge. We've got some pictures of that, as well as pictures of me and one of my bothers with Mrs Matthews at her piano (with her dog!)

Hope to write more about her when I have some time.

Mrs Matthews was my first piano teacher. I wanted to learn to play 'cos my brother Colin was learning. He is 6 years older than me and could play beautifully - much, much better than I ever could (I have forgotten most of what I learnt - could really only play by learning the notes) Colin can play by ear.

Told my Mum about this forum and topic - that only thing she came up with was:

"I don't know if this would be interesting enough, but almost the first thing she (Mrs Matthews) said to Colin was:-
"Do you want to play the piano or does your Mother want you to?"


I think my brother DID want to play and his still enjoys music although he has Parkinson disease so is not as active as he would like.

Looked up my certificates - I started in 1968 and finished in 1971 (by Mrs Matthews).

Was entered into the London Borough of Hounslow Music and Drama Festival and Brent Music and Dance Festival..... didn't do too badly.

Anyone remember the piece "Two Sad Hands"?

Will look up more information ....

'Til then.

Viv

Oh, the memories come flooding back now!!

I was DESPERATE to learn to play the piano, as we had one in our house. My dad took me to the piano teacher, we went in and she told him to bring me back when I was 6. I was SO cross. I told dad she obviously didn't like me.

Anyway, went back when I was six. Started with the Smallwood's Piano Tutor and a little book called Sugar and Spice. There was a tune in that book I think called Wee Willie Winkie or something. I played it in assembly (in the infants of course) at Grange Park, and afterwards the caretaker (Mr Skates I think he was called, he looked like Andy Capp and always had a dead roll up hanging from his mouth) came up to me in the playground and gave me a Polo as a reward.

Anyway, back to Mrs Matthews. Yes.... the festivals!! I have certificates from festivals in Hounslow and Brentford & Isleworth. I shall scan some in and stick them in the albums.

At the annual concerts, Mrs Matthews would put the certifcates in brown envelopes and hand them out, and was always threatening me with having to put newspapers into my brown envelope if I didn't buck my ideas up.

More later....

That picture is all her pupils lined up at the end of the concert singing "Look for the Silver Lining".

I'm in the blue jumper, my bro Andrew is to the right of me in the same kind of jumper, different colours.

See a much bigger version in our albums.

Would love to know what hall in Uxbridge we were in. Judging by the scenery behind us, it was used for am-drams!

I remember taking part in a choir concert in Uxbridge. It was in a hall with a stage and think it was somewhere behind the shops near the tube station. I had a look today, but there are new buildings there in the area I was thinking of so maybe it has been pulled down.

They are good pictures of the concert and must have been a happy memory for Mrs Matthews.

Where is Hows Road, Jon?

Josh,

The concerts were held in Bailey Hall, Christ Church, Uxbridge.

Also, it does look as if I am the girl on the left-hand side. Mum wasn't quite sure as she was looking at the ears!!!

Super pictures - thanks alot for sharing them.

Viv

That's interesting Marian, that fits exactly with my hazy recollections of where we emerged after the concernts!

So Viv, do you mean you are the first girl on the left? And does that fit with where Bailey Hall was, and are we right in thinking it no longer exists?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&bav ... CB8Q8gEwAA

I was going there exactly at the time when Uxbridge was being demolished and rebuilt, and the Uxbridge Road in Hillingdon widened.

Thanks for locating How's Road on the map, Jon. I didn't really know that area very well although I vaguely remember Whitehall School.

I am wondering how your parents heard about Mrs Matthews being that she lived in Uxbridge and you were in Hayes?

I don't know, will have to see if dad remembers. I would imagine probably an ad in one of the local papers.