Mike Hardy's Memories

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By Mike Hardy
6th August 1974

One lunchtime when I used to work for ICL, based in central Manchester, Peter Groves, a colleague of mine and I were browsing in Rare Records - a superb muisic shop next to Kendal Milnes in Deansgate. It was a large shop and as usual, pretty busy. One of the staff suddenly raised his voice and asked if there was anyone in the shop who could play the violin.
After a few minutes when nobody had come forward I sneaked over to the counter and told him that I had played in my youth but not for some considerable time.
"That's no problem, Sir", he said. "We have an elderley lady client who has played the violin for many years but is now unable to get out much and plays at home for her own pleasure. Sadly, her hearing has deteriorated to the point where she can't hear her own playing properly. At her request, we have just fitted an electronic pickup to her instrument and linked it to an amplifier but we can't to test it as none of our staff knows how to play. If you would just play a few notes, we can just make sure that it is working properly".
Feeling that it would be a bit ungracious to refuse, I agreed and placing the violin under my chin, drew the bow across the strings for the first time in many years.
The sound engineer was obviously unfamiliar with the settings needed for this instrument because an appalling cat-strangling shriek rang out around the busy showroom of Rare Records at an estimated 500 decibels. Everyone in the shop shot three feet into the air and then turned to look at me with a horrified look on their face.
I shrank through the carpet like Alice in Wonderland - well I wished I could anyway. Putting the violin down, I crept out of the now silent shop, not to return for many a long day.
I really hope the lady enjoyed playing her violin at home - there had to be a happy ending somewhere!

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Tags: embarrassing moment manchester

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