MANILVA,THE BRASS BAND COMPETITION.

Friday 29th August.

In the morning we went down to Sabinillas to the supermarket for the weekend shopping and at the same time we called into the bookshop to exchange some book’s and then we bought Bacon and English Pork sausage’s from the English butchers in Puerto Duquesa.We had a early supper of Cold Boiled Ham,Chorizo Fried Eggs and Chips! before we walked around to Bar Castillo where we had arranged to meet Mano and Anna.The village was already very busy as we waited for the start of the Brass Band Competition,the three bands marched into the village from different directions into the Main street up to the Bandstand which was in front of the old town hall.Each band played four tunes including Pasodoble’s and a modern tune in their programme.Sra. del Valle came on first,then Torremolinos and Manilva last.The very large village crowd was joined by supporters from the other bands seated around the band stand and the whole show was filmed by Manila TV to be shown later.The atmosphere built up as it became time for our band to go on stage,led by the Director of Music,Fernando Antinolo Bueno who is the Head of the School of Music as well as being a champion Clarinet player,they finished their set with the Theme Tune from the Pirates of the Caribbean which was by far the best of the night and it was very clear who the winner’s would be!The audience went wild as they finished and the Mayor came on stage to name the winner!MANILVA!! The picture’s below show’s it as it happened but you have to be here to take in the atmosphere in the village as we sat outside at one’clock in the morning with the young children playing in the street and drinking a toast to the Manilva Brass Band.We were joined by Andy and Anna who we have known for a couple of year’s,they live on the other side of the village and Andy has worked for Mano for over ten years; Andy is also a bit of a computer expert and has helped me in the past and is going to call in and fix my virus problem next week.Anna is a local lady and her family live in the village,so we see her all the time.It was Andy’s birthday at 12’o’clock so we ended up later at his house sat on the patio singing Happy Birthday in the cool night air and feeling no pain!