The Hollies at Cannizaro Park Festival 2007

Torrential rain on Friday 20th July flooded parts of Wimbledon, including
Elys and Sainsbury's. Was the open air concert by the '60s hit pop
group The Hollies planned for sundown, going to be a washout too?

A pint and pub supper with 'the headmaster' and his wife who had very kindly
provided the tickets, gave us all some Dutch courage for walking
through the wet evening to the concert venue at the Cannizaro's Italian Garden SW19. The news was that the lead singer had been travelling on a train
in the floods for 13 hours but that the show would still go on at
night time rather than sundown. There was some incredulity that pop stars
actually used ordinary trains at all but when he arrived at 9pm and the
concert started the wait and the wet were soon forgotten. The dark blue
and black hues of the sky, the glitzy stage lighting, and of course the
music made for a great atmosphere. The Hollies in the 60s apparently
produced more songs than their contempories, the Beatles. Most of
the crowds dancing and swaying to the music in 2007 probably
did to the same music in 1967.

To the great credit of the Hollies,
their, music, songs and singing sounded as good now as they did then. The
open spaces, fresh cool night air and
the earlier hydraulic refreshments, added to the
prevailing spirit of freedom.

My favourite on the night was:

"The road is long, with many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where
But I'm strong, strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

So on we go, his welfare is my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know, he would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

If I'm laden at all, I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart isn't filled with the gladness
Of love, for one another

It's a long, long road, from which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

He's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother."

Thanks head and mrs head for a great night.