Chapter 11

That night, Willow took a little while to drop off to sleep, snapshots of the day in her brain. But sleep she did, and she woke, refreshed, in the early morning. She went to the bathroom, then showered and dressed for school. On the way, the two friends spoke about the strangeness of yesterday, with them hosting the entire orchestra in the studio.

“We’ll need to go in one evening and tidy up”

“If your father can take us, pick me and Mum up on the way. We put the chairs out, so it shouldn’t be too hard to put them away. If we make a bit of room to get the amps and other things into the studio, they can go out into the store.”

Willow rang her father, who was still on his way to work.

“Dad. Can you take Gina, Maisie and me to the studio this evening, please? We need to tidy the mess after the orchestra session.”

“Sure thing, love. Will it take long?”

“Not too long, just moving the band gear in from the store and then stacking all the chairs and tables out there. If we put our vacuum in the back, we can give the floor the once over.”

“All right, I’ll give your mother a call to bring home fish and chips so we can be away by a bit after six. She’ll want to come and there’s room for three in the back seat. Have a good day.”

When they went in, the receptionist told them that the Head wanted a word. They went and knocked on her door and went in when they heard her call.

“Ah! Good morning, you two. I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed yesterday. It was a pleasure being close to so many hard-working students. Too often, I just get to sit and listen to the final performance, not really experiencing the dedication that goes into producing it. That studio of yours is a masterpiece, and I’m sure that it has the biggest space in the local area. We spoke about things on the way back to the school, and we want the two of you to be part of school events while you’re with us. You’re both so good with first year students and impart your knowledge with a quiet assurance that helps them do their best.”

“Thank you, Ma-am. We just did what we can do. These students are all very bright, and having a ready-made band made it so much easier. I know that most of our band will be happy to help in any way we can.”

“When we get the final mix from Xavier, we’re going to get two thousand made to sell through the website, and to give out to all that participated. I was looking at Frank and David working with the vision from the cameras, and the resulting DVD will be on the site as well. We were thinking of paying those three lads an amount to be the audio-visual group in the school while they’re here, with us equipping one of the small rehearsal rooms as a post-production office, instead of the cramped room that they’ve been using. We also hope that they will help train future students in what they know. It will be added to the Music Studies and the first one being taught will be Jim Jamieson, who had had a sudden desire to join the current century.”

“I think that he had his eyes opened when he came to Abbey Road with the band.”

“Now, something completely different. Some of the teachers have remarked about a change in Jacob Epstein’s attitude. What can you tell me?”

“I have the idea that when we played in Berlin, we became more of a hard rock band, and it’s not what he signed on for. He had only played acoustic before we had him play in the orchestra. He also has a new girlfriend, three years older, who is the sister of one of the Hikers, and I think he may be growing up faster than he should. But that’s only conjecture.”

“You’re not a couple any longer?”

“No. He sent me a text to tell me that he wasn’t going to be part of the orchestra, and I spoke to his parents, yesterday, who told me that he wanted to leave the band syndicate that we’ve been paying into. So, I really don’t know what he wants to do any longer.”

“Thank you for that. It helps me to monitor the situation. He can’t leave school early but can apply to leave if he gets private tuition, which he can afford. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

The rest of the day was normal, with the orchestra being given notes for what they had missed the day before. Jacob sat with the boys at lunch. That evening, the Roses had fish and chips, then she and her mother put on jeans and old tops. With the vacuum in the back, they went and picked up Maisie and Gina.

At the site, Willow opened the gate and her father drove in, with the gate shut and locked behind him. Gina opened up the sliding door and turned the lights on in the long shed. They walked through to the workshop and then into the studio, turning everything on. With fresh eyes, the whole place was a mess, after over eighty people having spent all day there.

Willow went and opened the slider and the doors at the end. They made some space in the studio, then moved the amp stacks and speaker stacks into the space with the sack truck. Wendy and Maisie were folding the legs on the tables after wiping them down. Willow and Gina started moving the chairs, while Ashley took the sack truck to bring the tables through the studio. With the five of them, it was about an hour and all the chairs were in the store, along with all the tables. The extra microphones were collected and put on the pallets with the guitar cases, while all the stands and booms joined the tables and chairs.

Maisie was vacuuming the rest area, and Willow went over to the offices, finding a cleaning cupboard with a couple of brooms. She took them back to the studio and the two friends started at the bottom and swept towards the window. They moved the keyboards to be near the pile of amps, and set the two, new, amps to one side. When they were finished, the vacuum was used to gather all the dust and was emptied into a bin bag.

With the vacuum and small amps in the back of the car, the brooms returned to the office, everything turned off and locked up, Ashley backed the car out and Willow locked the gate behind them as they went home.

“Thanks for all your help, I didn’t realise what sort of mess they left.”

“It’s all right, love. It’s a bit like taking care of a second home. It’s been good to have been there, as it is becoming more like a place that is part of us.”

“Hopefully, it will be a part of us for some time.”

Friday, Xavier was told where everything was, and that they had cleaned the studio but hadn’t touched the control room equipment.

“I was planning to take a few cloths and some cleaner with me tonight. The set-up can wait until Jacob tells me what he wants. That was some session on Wednesday, I know that I learned a lot. I had Jim Jamieson over my shoulder the whole time, and he told me, yesterday, that we’re going to get a new post-production room. I suppose that the school has the money after all the sales through the website. I know that they’re getting a cut of the two BBC DVDs and the orchestral double album. He also asked me if I would become a teaching assistant in the processes until I move on. I’ll be leaving when I can, as I might have a job waiting for me with the company that supplied the sound for your tours. Frank and Dave have also been offered jobs.”

“That’s fantastic, Xavier, congratulations.”

“It’s all down to you guys for letting us be part of what you do. The experience of the two tours, and running the desk, have given all of us so much basic knowledge. The sound guy on the tour told me that I had the one attribute that was needed, and that was being unflappable.”

“I know that it was your voice we heard in the buds from Liverpool on. He must have decided that you were up for it by then. I hope to be hearing you again, as we move forward.”

“As a ten-piece, I expect.”

“That’s to become clearer after this weekend, I think.”

On Friday evening, Willow played her keyboard through the new amp, with a lot nicer sound than her old one. She expected that Gina may be doing the same with the other amp. Saturday morning, they had breakfast, put overnight bags in the car, and set off for London. They found the address and some parking in nearby Foley Street. They carried the bags up to the door next to the restaurant and Willow opened it to see a flight of stairs. At the top, there was a landing with a corridor and a sign that read ‘Apartment one and two’.

Another flight of stairs, doubling back on itself halfway, took them to apartments three and four. These were the two that she had the keys of. She opened apartment three and they went in. They all stopped and took it in. It was fully furnished, with modern Scandinavian furniture and a huge TV on the wall. The kitchen was equipped with good cookers and oven. There was a bedroom that looked out over the road junction outside, with a big double bed, fully made up, and an ensuite. Wendy gasped.

“It’s like a hotel suite! I love it.”

There was an odd door in the kitchen, and when Willow opened it, she saw a set of stairs. At the top, she walked into a full master bedroom in the attic, with a view out to the junction, a walk-in robe and an ensuite. There was a sitting room next door. Wendy had followed her there.

“It’s another hotel room. It’s all beautiful. How on earth did you get the lot for the price you paid?”

“It was on the market as a fully leased property, with the ones downstairs sold with hundred-year leases, so, they would have made around a million, each. These two were leased to a company as somewhere for visiting executives. I suspect that the vendor had an idea that the company would have to try and break the lease agreement as the parent company is in big trouble in America. The place was an investment property, so the wrangle of getting the lease money, or taking them to court to vacate, would have been a deciding factor. Luckily, we were able to let the lease lapse without any charge, and the furnishings were left as being written off on their books.”

They went back down the stairs, to find Ashley looking at papers that were on the kitchen table.

“With this being for executives, there is paperwork here for a parking station reserved space, not far away. I’ll get the car and park it there overnight. There’s a card for the payment boom, in their company name. There’s also a menu for the restaurant, with another card in the company name. I suppose that we should go down and tell them about the new ownership.”

“Let’s have a look at the other apartment, first.”

They went next door, to find an identically furnished apartment, in the mirror image, but without the corner window. They had a quick look around, with Ashley going up to check the attic suite. They took all the paperwork from this one, locked up, and went back to the first.

“OK, who wants the upstairs?”

“You can have it, love. It’s too risky for us old folk.”

“I know. It’s just that you’re afraid the bed creaks. Let’s check the kitchen for the breakfast makings. If the restaurant doesn’t do breakfast, we will have to get something in.”

“I’ll move the car first. My phone shows me that it’s not far away, a Q-Park near Harley Street. Just down the road and over Langham Place.”

“Hold on, Langham Place is where the Broadcasting house is. We ate at the Langham when we were here with the band. I didn’t realise that we would be so close. You go and park the car, Dad. There should be another space next to it. If you can find out when the rent’s due, we can pay for another year. Mum and I will be in the restaurant, seeing what we want for lunch, and finding out if these cards have any credit left.

Ashley went off to get the car and find the parking station. He had a smile as he thought of weekends he and his wife could have, here in the big city. Willow could look after herself if she was home. If she was on tour, that was another matter.

With the two apartments locked, Willow and her mother went into the restaurant, breathing in the smell of freshly cooked pizza. They went to the counter, where Willow showed them the two cards.

“Yes, ladies. Are you here for the company? They usually have guys in smart suits staying in the apartments.”

“I’m from WR Holdings. We bought the building last week.”

“Welcome, new landlords. We knew that the place was for sale. How did you get the cards?”

“The tenants have given up the lease, as the parent company is in trouble, so we’ve kept their two apartments for our company.”

“Right. Give me those cards. I’ll see if there’s anything owing on them.”

He came back with a smile.

“The debt on these was cleared last week. If you give me the new address to send invoices, whatever you order will go on your tab, paid monthly. I’ll take the details and there will be new cards for you when you come in next. How many will you want?”

“Can you give us eight, please. I don’t know who else will be staying here at the moment. This is the first chance we’ve had to have a look. Our agent should be getting in touch about where to pay the lease payments.”

“You look familiar, young lady. Have you been on the TV?”

“Only for a couple of interviews, one down the road at Broadcasting House. I’m Willow Rose, and this is my mother, Wendy.”

“Willow Rose! Oh my. Hey! Julia, come and meet our new landlady, your favourite singer.”

The waitress rushed over and was flustered at meeting Willow, but Willow assured her that she was just a normal girl and would be eating here whenever she stayed in town. They were shown a table, telling Julia that Mister Rose was off parking the car. They were brought drinks and the menus. They sat, sipping the drinks and thinking about things, until Ashley came in and sat down.

“I saw that Langham as I walked back. That’s one posh place. This is a handy area, just a walk to Oxford Circus and the tube. I had to go to Mortimer Street to get across Regent Street but walked back through Riding House Street and back up Langham Street. There’s a Victorian style pub down the road, with lead-light windows. This is a great place to stay. What’s happening with the cards?”

“We’ll get a bunch of new ones under WR Holdings, and there’ll be a monthly invoice. That means that you and Mum can have a romantic weekend with all food and accommodation supplied. Did you find out about the parking?”

“I did. I gave them our address to send the invoice when the next year is due in January. Have you ordered?”

“Waiting for you, Dad. Here comes Julia, now.”

They ordered a meal, and her parents had wine. They asked Julia how to get from here to good places to see.

“The guys that used to come to town always wanted to see the Tower of London and the Bridge. To get there, just go a couple of blocks north-east and get on the tube at Goodge Street to Embankment. If you come up there, you can visit the big gallery, but if you take the District line, you get off at Tower Hill. If you’re into history, you can just walk almost due east and you’ll find Bedford Square and the British Museum. That one will take you weeks to see all of it.”

Well filled with the knowledge that they could have breakfast as well, they took the walk to Mortimer Street and then down Tottenham Court Road to Bayley Street, so into Bedford Square with the imposing sight of the British Museum in front of them. On the way, the passed a clothing store and a nail salon; a large cosmetics store, and a breakfast café called Eggslut, which Ashley wanted to try one day.

They spent the afternoon in the museum, seeing the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles, having afternoon tea at the Great Court Restaurant. When they were tired, they walked back to the apartment, to unpack and freshen up. Willow sat on her bed and looked out on the hustle and bustle, so different from Stoneleigh. With all the places she had seen, home was always the quiet haven, but this could run a close second. They had dinner in the restaurant. It was quite noisy, but the food was good. Willow tried some seafood on pasta, and quite liked it.

They went up to the apartment and looked at what was available to watch in the DVD rack. Oddly enough, most were action movies, featuring mafia gangs in smart suits and lots of guns with seemingly endless bullet capacity. They did find one of the Die-Hard franchise that none of them had seen, and the huge screen almost felt like they were at the movies. There were some bottles of wine in the cooler, so her parents had a few glasses while Willow stayed on the cola she had found. After the film, she said goodnight and went up to her suite. There was enough light from the street to cleanse by, and she changed into her nightie and got into the big bed, falling asleep with just one thought, that she needed another Tiger to cuddle.

In the morning, they had a cooked breakfast in the restaurant, then found the tube station and ended up at Tower Hill, joining the throng that were there to see the Tower. Ashley said that he had always wanted to tour the Bridge, so they paid for the Bridge Tour, being shown the huge space that the counterweights filled when the bridge was open, other places, and the walk across the top span with views up and down the river. For Willow, this was the best part of the weekend. A place that isn’t usually open to the public, with views of the Tower on one side, and what used to be the Millennium Dome in the distance on the other. This was the middle of what people imagine when you say Britain. They ate chips from a street vendor, looking over the Thames.

They took the river trip to the Westminster Pier, had a look at Parliament and stood in wonder as the refurbished clock struck four, with Big Ben making their insides vibrate at such a close distance. They got the ferry back to the Embankment and took the tube back to Goodge Street. On the way back to the apartment, they stopped at a restaurant called Gaucho, a steak house which Ashley thought was the best he had eaten, outside of home, of course.

They went to the apartment, freshened up and packed the bags, taking them down to the street. Willow checked through the two apartments and made sure that everything was off, then locking up and joining Wendy to wait for the car. When Ashley arrived, it didn’t take long to load up and get strapped in. GPS helped them leave the city, and they were on their way home.

Willow turned on her phone for the first time in two days and saw that she had a few messages. One was from Xavier, which said ‘JE & bimbo sung folk, but paid well.’ One was from Wilhelm that was short and sharp. ‘J to be paid out, will send email with details. Walked in studio to find them smoking pot. Not happy.’ There was another from Peter. ‘Jacob has advised he is leaving band. Please call to discuss.’ Yet another was from Jill. ‘Launch on show next week. BBC to record. Will need you and a few others to talk.’

As they were cruising on the freeway, she rang Jill.

“Hi Jill, it’s Willow.”

“Yes, thanks for calling. The album and DVD will be in the shops on Monday, and we’ll send some to you by courier. BBC want to record an interview with you next Saturday afternoon. Can you get down here?”

“I have just bought a place within walking distance of Broadcasting House. I can bring another four, if we get my parents to drive both of their cars. I think I’ll be able to get Herb, Nancy, Brent, and Gina. That’s most of the front line plus another girl.”

“That must be some place you have.”

“It’s two apartments, sleeping four in each. With a restaurant on the ground floor.”

“Is there parking?”

“The previous tenants left cards for two parking spaces in a Q-Park, a stone’s throw from the BBC.”

“All right. Email me with the details, you’ll need to be there by lunch.”

“If you want, I’ll book a table for us downstairs, will it be just you, or you and Clive?”

“Make that for the two of us. See you for lunch on Saturday.”

She ended the call and Wendy turned to look at her.

“What’s up, love?”

“Jacob and his girlfriend recorded folk music, and his father walked in to find them smoking pot.”

“That will put the cat among the pigeons.”

“Peter has been told that Jacob has left the band. I’ll need to call him next.”

“And that call?”

“There is to be an interview to launch ‘Greenhouse’ and the ‘Live in Berlin’ DVD next Saturday. If you can drive us, we can all stay in the two apartments on Saturday night. I’ll see if Herb, Nancy and Brent can join us, along with Gina. You can go off and do your own thing or sit in a radio studio to see us interviewed.”

“That will be nice. I like that big bed. We’ll have to get the laundry done after that. I didn’t see a washing machine.”

“I saw a note in the kitchen. There’s a laundry service that the restaurant uses, we just leave the sheets and pillowcases in bags, and they’ll be ready a couple of days later. I’ll call them to ask about the procedure when I book a table for nine.”

She rang Peter.

“Hi. Peter, it’s Willow.”

“What happened, Willow. Jacob is bailing out.”

“We became a true hard rock band in Berlin. The DVD and the latest album will be in the stores Monday, and we have an interview for the BBC on Saturday. Jacob was always a folkie, and the new look doesn’t suit him. It won’t matter with the line-up, as we can rock it without him.”

“So, how do we work it?”

“Draw a line under ‘Greenhouse Varieties’ and the DVD and pay him one eleventh from all album and DVD sales up to then and split it ten ways after that. There may be a problem with an album we did record with him but hasn’t been released yet. We can work that out at the time.”

“All right. As long as the rest of you keep up the good work.”

When they got home, they unloaded the bags and went inside. They changed for bed and sat in the kitchen with hot chocolate. Ashley grinned.

“Well, that was an interesting time away, and we get to do it all again next week. I could learn to like this life.”

“At least we had plenty of walking to get rid of all that rich food, hubby.”

In her room, Willow turned her laptop on. Wilhelm had calculated that Jacob had paid seven hundred thousand into the original syndicate, and there had been no sales that would add a dividend. So, if each of the ten paid him seventy thousand, he would be paid his due. There was over two million in the account at the moment, so he was going to transfer the money from the syndicate account. As far as the bigger syndicate was concerned, he would transfer the other five hundred thousand from the smaller syndicate and give them a free month from any input. It would still leave just over a million in the account without having to worry the new members. Willow replied with her agreement.

Marianne Gregory © 2025