Don's subsequent musical career

Some of the other members of the band of 14AOD went on to perform regularly after the war. But as far as I remember, Don played mainly for his own amusement. I would guess this photo was taken at an office party or similar. The recorders and abundance of percussion instruments shows that this was not a serious musical ensemble. It looks like the guy with glasses to the left at the back is playing a tea chest bass. Interestingly, Don's guitar is seen fitted with a pick-up and that looks like a lead trailing down from where the neck joins the body, so perhaps he was playing electric. This pick-up used to sit in his guitar case, but I do not remember it ever being used. I still have it, but I understand it is not in working order.

The only time I remember Don playing a proper gig was in the early 1960s when we had a visit out of the blue from his cousin Bernard Saward. (Dad's side of the family was not particularly close-knit. We lived in Abbey Wood and Bernard in Eltham, but I only met him twice.) Bernard was a drummer and amongst other things he had played with Humphrey Lyttelton in the early 1950s. He persuaded Don to sit in with him for a session - I think it was at a pub called the Royal Oak - but that was only a one-off. Incidentally, Don and Bernard recorded some acetates in 1938. I shall say more abou them later.