Alphons Eder on Amazon

As I Told you before,  my Great grandfather Alphons Eder went to Brazil in 1859 now he has gone up the Amazon !!

My book about his life is now available as a paperback on Amazon
 www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1500285617

Alphons spent most of his life in the mid 19th century -in the East End of London as a street musician playing in a German Band.

Before that he had made the long journey, for those days, from Slovenia to England and then spent just short of three years on board HMS Ganges on its voyage to British Columbia and back as the flagship of the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Squadron of the Royal Navy. During the journey they went to Brazil and sailed around Cape Horn- high adventure in any century.

A life divided into three separate phases which could be regarded as three different lives.

Acker Bilk takes five

Have anly just noticed that Acker Bilk has decided to call it a day from performing.  Am very sad about that as I had hoped that we would have had the chance to see him on stage  one more time before he came to this decision.

Acker is 85 and entitled to give up the hectic life that is the lot of the performing musician, we have seen him several times both here and in Australia and it was always a memorable experience, particularly in those joint gigs with the late Kenny Ball.

Hope that Acker has a long a restful retirement.


Don't know who owns the cartoon above but hope that they don't mind us using it as that is Acker