1955

General Gordon is preparing for another trip. Bing Thom can’t believe he is actually going to England with the band.

Arthur is short five lead players; he calls Howard in Victoria and Fred in New Westminster. It doesn’t take long for them to send him what he needs. Arnie comes on board from New West. Donny, Earle and Dennis join from Victoria. Arthur is nervous. Who wouldn’t be?

Donny goes up to first class to hear the ship’s dance band. He goes and gets his trumpet when they say they are going to have a jam session. Does Mr. D have good reason to be nervous? He thinks everyone is down in bed getting a good night sleep for the early morning rehearsal. Donny’s grade 8 band teacher had him playing jazz right from the time he put the horn in his mouth. Out of the blue, Mr. D appears and his horn miraculously winds up back in its case. They are all back down sleeping within moments.

At a park’s concert a little girl insults Delamont when she asks for a stricter tempo in a talent show. He takes offence and speeds up the tempo as sparks fly everywhere!

The boys go over to the Winter Gardens to see the Ted Heath Band. They get an open invitation to come back stage whenever their paths cross. Several members of the Heath band heard their performance at the Palace Theatre and were greatly impressed. On their second week of engagements at the Palace, Art is blown away by Bobby Pratt, their lead trumpet. After a six hour dance, he is still playing screamers. He has to sit five feet behind the rest in recording sessions. Jimmy Coombes thinks that’s where his hearing problems started. Art is in seventh heaven. There might even be romance in the air.

Another band appears The Basil and Ivor Kirchen Band. One of their members asks Donny to sit in on a blues solo.

Arthur receives a letter from Harold Fielding. He is a little afraid to read the letter as concert attendance has been down lately. He wants to cancel their contract because he is losing five hundred pounds a day. Arthur doesn’t want to go home so he asks the boys and they don’t want to go home either. He tells them they will have to play only in parks from here on and saves the day.

The tour ends after four months and twenty days. British vaudeville ends that summer as well. Due to an extremely warm summer, people were staying home and watching something new, TV. What this means to a whole way of life takes a while to sink in. Arthur comprehends immediately. Many theatres are soon torn down to make way for expensive housing developments. Back at General Gordon Arthur ponders the bands future. The boys revel on the success of the trip and tell others about the vaudeville fiasco.

Gordon tells Arthur to let him know if he needs any help. They agree to work together on the next trip. But another disaster is looming.

Quotes from Ambassadors of Empire Season three, Episode 3:

“Your Kitsilano Boys’ Band is known all over the British Isles. We expected a great deal and we were not disappointed.”

“It’s Arthur Delamont calling from the Kitsilano Boys’Band. I need a good trumpet player for my tour of England this summer. Are you interested?”

“I didn’t know what to do.” Arnie Chycoski

“What are you doing down there. I want you to play first.”

“Gosh darn it all anyway.”

“The Kitsilano Boys’ Band is the best in Canada! I wonder if you people realize what a really good band you have here in Vancouver,” Mr. Salter continued, “I have travelled across Canada listening to bands from Nova Scotia westward and I haven’t heard anything that compares to the quality of this playing.” He went on to comment on the ‘fine preparation and polish of the performance.’ Intonation, he said, was impeccable and there was ‘unanimity, both expressively and tonally. Vancouver is very lucky to have someone like him in its midst, someone who obviously is doing such fine work training these bands. Their performances are a tribute to the amount of work he’s put in.”

“If I ever have a son, I am going to make sure he plays in that band.”

“He should play drums.”

“You’ll never play the trumpet.”

“This guy in here wants to talk to you.” Roy Reynolds

“Bill Sara was devastated when so many boys left to play in Arthur’s band.”

“Why don’t you come down to the Airforce Reserve Band?”

“I wouldn’t have done it that way.”

“Norma drowned on the Athenia.”

“Harry was called on any time they needed a clarinet player that sounded like Benny Goodman.” Earl Hobson

“Take it easy Bobby you don’t have to work so hard.”

“Oh, let’s have some fun.”

“Where’s Bobby?’ “First take.”

“No, I’ve got to go back to Canada. I’m still in school and have to finish grade 10.” Donny Clarke