[Dixielandjazz] The world's tiniest banjo

[AAngusallan at aol.com]

Greetings, Pat.  I was with the Dave Mills band in the early 1960s.  We used 
to play the Halfway House in Shoeburyness, right on the sea-front.  Last time 
I visited, around 1985, it had been totally rebuilt and as far as I could see 
its only redeeming feature was a Scottish barman (chauvinist joke - sorry!).  
The Mills band consisted of John 'Kid' Shillito, trumpet, Mike Pointon, 
trombone, self on clarinet, John Langston, banjo, Pete Barton, bass, and Dave Mills 
drums.  Deputising players were Uncle John Renshaw and Bill Cole, bass, Bob 
Dwyer, Pete Dyer, cornet and trombone respectively, and various others whose 
names I have forgotten.  Graham Patterson used to join us from time to time on 
piano, at the Elms Hotel in Leigh On Sea, where (for once) the piano was 
actually in tune.  Cheers - Angus Allan.