THE MUSIC TRADE IN THE COMMUNITY

We are often complimented on the contribution we make to the local community but to be honest it would be hard to live and work in Tewkesbury without becoming involved in the superb community spirit that thrives throughout the town.

The unprecedented floods that wreaked havoc in and around the sleepy market town of Tewkesbury during July 2007 became a matter of national record.

Raging rivers poured over bridges as well as under them. It wasn’t long before Tewkesbury became known as the epicentre of “one of the worst British peacetime disaster in living memory”.

Once the photogenic torrents subsided, the journalists took their leave as the less newsworthy and more mundane work of cleaning up began. Anonymity returned to the town that had had its fifteen soggy minutes!

One of the many properties affected was THE MUSIC TRADE, which over the years had become a meeting point for local musicians who wished to share ideas, meet other musicians and even occasionally buy something!

Over the following months of frustration, as Jon awaited the reopening of his shop, he began talking to friends and customers as they discussed the floods and the after effects thereof.

No one remembers who was first with the idea, but it soon became clear that there were enough writers and musicians in Tewkesbury to produce a cd. Phone calls were made and almost overnight an idea reached critical mass and became a reality.

The liner notes to the CD read as follows...

When the rain started on Friday we all knew it was going to be big, but none of us knew how big. By Saturday there was a surreal silence punctuated by the staccato of helicopters. On Sunday morning those of us who did manage to sleep woke up in disbelief. The water had made pedestrians of us all, so by the evening the Cross had become an impromptu meeting place. Kids played football in the High Street while parents shared a pint on the pavement and sought solace in familiar faces. Someone pointed some loud speakers out of their window and before you knew it we were having a party. Well what else could we do? We stopped and chatted to people we recognised daily, but whose names we didn’t know. The flood did many bad things but it also resurrected our sense of community.         The waters dropped. The film crews moved out and the loss adjusters moved in. The rumours of the fatalities flew around town and the evening news only confirmed what we already knew. The atmosphere changed as those of us who still had lives began the long task of re-building them. This cd was made by the writers and musicians of Tewkesbury. It was recorded, pressed, and the artwork was designed and printed in Tewkesbury. You can only buy it in Tewkesbury, and every penny it makes will go to the Tewkesbury Flood Relief Fund. As the title suggests, it’s only a drop in the ocean, but we hope this music will reflect some of the highs, and lows of those few days that we shared. This record is dedicated with love to the town that we all choose to call our home. Jon Benns. Tewkesbury. September 2007.

The following July, on the anniversary of the floods, we were part of the team which organised “Over The Rainbow” a hugely successful event which intended to “draw a line” under the previous year’s tragedy and to advertise to the world that Tewkesbury was well and truly back in business. Ten thousand people turned up to listen to music, and generally join in with the fun. What a day it was...

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The Annual Charity Borough Mayor's Gala Concert

Every year The Roses Theatre allows the Borough Mayor to use its facilities for a Gala Charity Concert starring local performers. The Music Trade’s Jon Benns is always happy to organise, produce, and compere the show, which has become a regular feature in Tewkesbury’s social calendar.

Local charities are always asking us to contribute to their fund raising events by supplying p a equipment and raffle prizes where required. So if you have an event coming up that needs our help, don’t be afraid to ask. We’ll always help out if we can.