Musician Vic Newton, who has strong connections with Eastbourne and played in the Ronnie Hancox dance band at the Pier Ballroom for six summer seasons in the 1950s, is still playing the saxophone at the age of 98.
Vic and his wife Sherley have been regular visitors to Eastbourne in recent years, even though they now live in Birmingham.
Another local connection is that the band’s vocalist, was Susan Maughan of ‘Bobby’s Girl’ fame, and she later moved to Eastbourne.
Vic recalls: “Back in 1946, I was in the Royal 10th Hussars regiment stationed in Germany and had enlisted as a musician. However, apart from playing the piano accordion, I had no other musical knowledge.
“I loved the big band’ sound and spent hours in local ballrooms listening to them. I decided to learn the clarinet, because it was small and lightweight to transport. Eventually, after many, many hours of strenuous practice, and asking advice, I was proficient enough to become a member of the military band.
“I then needed another instrument to add to my repertoire and decided the saxophone would be ideal, as it would then enable me to play in the Army dance band. Initially, I used the Army saxophone, took some lessons from a German teacher, and eventually was playing both clarinet and saxophone in the 10th Hussars Dance Band.
“As I approached my demob date in 1950, I knew I would need to purchase my own instrument, but my funds were extremely sparse. There was a music shop in the local town in Germany, and the man who worked there told me he could obtain the saxophone I wanted, a Selmer alto. He was happy to be paid for this instrument with ‘Nescafe coffee’, which was virtually unattainable in Germany at that time. So I asked my mother to send out tins of coffee at various intervals. Gradually, over two years, I built up a good supply and was able to pay for my saxophone.”
It was far from easy, however, and an undercover operation was necessary. Vic explains: “To transfer the coffee from the barracks to the music shop in town was a problem. I enlisted the help of a good friend, who lowered the tins of coffee, which were in a bag, from a third-floor window to the ground. I would wait in the Guard Room, book out, and make my way to the perimeter fence outside the regiment. My friend then went downstairs, picked up the bag of coffee, and threw it over the fence. I picked it up, walked across fields to the local tram stop, boarded the tram into town, dodging local patrols, and head down side streets to the music shop!
“This continued until I had paid off the amount owing for the saxophone, even though the shop owner increased the price by 100 marks!
“So, in 1952, I became the proud owner of a Selmer Alto Saxophone! I still play the same saxophone today. It is now 75 years old and looking as good as new! It has served me extremely well, and I thank my mother and the 10th Hussars for all the pleasure this instrument has brought to me. I only hope that maybe one of my three grandchildren (Hannah, who is very musical, Jack, and Joshua) will look after the instrument, and perhaps even play it when I am no longer able to do so.
“I should add that the clarinet was purchased legitimately in Manchester shortly after my demob in 1952.”
Vic’s wife Sherley says: “Despite the fact Vic suffers arthritis in his fingers, I hear him play the saxophone every evening, and it sounds fine to me.”
