Chapter 21

Garry joined her as she was standing there.

“Good morning, my love.”

“Good morning to you, my husband. You needed your sleep this morning.”

“I did. How was the church organ?”

“Good, it had a lovely tone. I was able to follow the mass, with the help of a young lad to tell me when to stop playing.”

They stood and watched as the last of the laps were taken. Willow thought that it was a very loud sport. When the car came into the pits, a group of men started putting seating out on the main straight and the grassed area between it and the pit lane.

“Did you play at a similar place with your last tour?”

“No. This is a lot different to anything I’ve seen. I wonder how far along the straight the seats will be used.”

“Quite a way, if those guys setting up big screens are doing it so those further along can see us. There’s a space on the straight which could be where the cameras are set up. I’d guessed that it would be twenty thousand, but now I will take a guess at thirty thousand. I expect, that when we get here, tomorrow, there’ll be big banks of speakers off to each side.”

They rested in the afternoon, and all had an early night. Next morning, there was another media session, this time with reporters who had arrived to see the show. After lunch, they were taken out to the speedway to do a sound check. Willow had been right. The big screens stretched to the end of pit lane, in both directions, along with banks of speakers.

When they went up on stage, they could see the cameras flanking the mixing tent on the straight. They put buds in and played a couple of songs for the mixer. When they got the OK, they left the buds by their instruments and went back to the hotel, joining the wives for lunch.

That afternoon, they were given the stage gear. Seeing where they were playing, it wasn’t a surprise to be given a race suit, each. The boys were all bold colours and Willow was in pink. The tops had logos of the track sponsors, and ‘Toxic Rocks Charlotte’ across the back. Willow was happy that they weren’t asked to play with crash helmets on.

Resplendent in the outfits, with new driving boots on, they were all taken back to the speedway, where they had dinner with the promoter and the sponsors in a well-equipped dining area overlooking the track. This would be where the wives would watch the show after they had finished dinner at the hotel.

At seven, after the wives had arrived, the band were led to a tunnel that brought them up behind the pits, and then they went up to the stage, standing behind the bank of amps. They could hear the crowd as they stood, and then the track announcer welcomed everyone to the speedway and to give a big Charlotte welcome to one of the world’s best groups ‘Toxic Rocks!’

They came out from behind the amps to a big roar from the crowd. The guitarists went to strap the guitars on, the drummer sat at his kit, Mac went towards the microphone at the front of the stage and Willow stood at the keyboard. They were all putting their buds in as Mac called out to the audience, hoping that they would enjoy the entertainment, and then they were into the first song. Of course, a lot of applause was for the hits, but there was more for the new material than Willow had expected for a first hearing. They finished at half past ten, and waved to the crowd, who wanted more. Of course they had more, the top three hits with the added organ. When the finished for the second time and the stage lights went out as the track lights came up, they left the stage with smiles on their faces.

They went back under the track and the departing audience, to join the wives in the dining room, where there was a lot of talk and laughter. They stayed together, as a group of ten, as others spoke to them, and then left to go back to the hotel, leaving the others to party. When the two stretches got to the hotel, they all went up to their floor and had a hugfest before going to their rooms.

The next day, Rufus left them to fly to New York, and the band spent time in the local TV station, being interviewed, with a lot of questions about the new sound and the addition of an organ. Mac got a bit testy after the third time they were asked ‘why?’.

“Look. We’ve been playing for years. This year we were thinking of making another album and retiring. Then, Willow came along and asked us if we would be part of a charity show. During our set, she played organ that sounded so good that we decided to carry on for a few more years, as long as she joined us on stage. I ask you, was it good, or was it crap?”

The interviewer quickly agreed that it was good, so Mac looked him in the eyes.

“Case closed, now, would you like to talk about something else?”

That evening was a repeat of the previous one. Dinner with sponsors, a three-and-a-half-hour show, some time at the party, and then back to the hotel for bed. The only difference was the new driving suits in different colours, with Willow looking good in red.

On the Wednesday, they checked out and were taken to the airport and the plane. It took a little while to get loaded up and ready to go, but they took off and were in Atlanta later that day. There, it was another round of media and answering the same questions before they were driven to the Hilton Atlanta South. They had the rest of the day as a break and went to The Mecedes-Benz Stadium the next day to do the sound check.

This was more like the football stadiums in England, with them set up at one end. The stage gear offered was mainly denim and check shirts with boots. The meals with the sponsors were in function rooms and it was all a bit more up-market. They played three shows there, with the last on the Saturday evening, All shows were sold out and all the audiences were happy with what they heard.

On Sunday, they were in the air again, landing in New Orleans. They played the Monday and Tuesday evening and were in Memphis on Wednesday to play the Thursday, Friday and Saturday. By this time, things had become second nature, and they were playing better. Willow was getting to sing more, especially the new material, and the reviews they saw were positive in their praise of the band’s new sound.

Willow had taken her laptop with her, with a power cable and adaptor. It was on that Sunday morning that she had an email from Wendy, to tell her that her father had been confirmed as the Secretary Of State for Business and Trade, a huge honour for a first-term member as it is a Cabinet position. They were living in the apartment for a lot of the time and were being invited to a lot of parties. Willow replied with her congratulations. Later, that day, they landed in Oklahoma City for two shows on the Monday and Tuesday.

From Oklahoma, they went to Phoenix for two shows and had the Saturday off, flying to Los Angeles for three shows from Sunday to Tuesday. Wednesday, they flew to San Francisco for shows on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

That Saturday evening, they were two hours into the show and had just finished a number, when Joe, the drummer, stood and rushed off stage, his hand to his mouth. Mac looked at the others and Willow made a quick decision.

“When I was younger, I put out an album of Carpenters covers, and then an original album called ‘Journey into Womanhood’ That album had two songs that became hits across Europe, this is one of them.”

She started playing the intro to ‘Finding a friend’ and, as she was singing, the guitarists joined her with gentle backing. Mac went and sat at the drums and picked up the sticks. They played that song, and ‘Her Day’ to a shocked but interested audience. Joe came back on stage and stood behind Mac. When they finished the song, Mac stood and went back to his microphone as Joe sat again. He didn’t look the best, but he managed to get through the rest of the show.

The reviews were positive. The fact that Willow had a complete package of her own hits wasn’t lost on the writers. Mac praised her for her quick thinking. The problem was that Joe’s stomach problem wasn’t over, and he was ordered to take a few days off and given pills to help him recover.

The band played Portland without him. On the flight there, and the following morning, they sorted out some extra songs from Willow’s albums that Mac could play drums on. He had started his musical career as a drummer and could hold his own. That night, when they went on stage, he sat at the drum kit and pulled the microphone towards him.

“Friends, I am sorry to tell you that Joe, our drummer, fell ill in San Francisco. So, tonight, we had to channel our inner ‘Genesis’ and I’ll sing from the drum seat. It may not be so interesting, but, at my age, every chance to sit down is welcome. We will start tonight with a few of our new organist’s back catalogue and then move into the music that you had really come to listen to. Take it away, Willow.”

They started with the two of them doing ‘Finding a friend’ as a duet, then led into ‘Her day’, before getting into some of the songs they had recorded with her singing the main parts, and then moving into more Rocks songs, with both Mac and Garry singing. By the time they finished, they had won over the crowd, who had been shown far more versatility from the band than had been seen before.

The following evening was the same, and they left Portland, happy that they had done their best. The wives were full of praise for them pulling the rabbit out of the hat and saving the tour. Joe rejoined them in Chicago and Detroit, but was unable to play in Cincinnati and Washington, spending that time in hospital. He was pumped full of pain killers and took the stage for the four shows in New York but flew home from there with his wife. Toxic Rocks went on stage without him for the last four shows in Boston. By that time, news of the totally new sound had circulated, and the fans were keen to experience the new, laid-back rockers that had dominated the airwaves with loud, brash music. The reviews for the new shows were full of praise for the depth of their musicianship.

They left Boston on the Friday, happy that they had completed the tour, despite the circumstances. They didn’t know what Joe’s problem was, only that it could be serious. On the flight, Mac came and sat next to Willow.

“A good job you were on board, lass. Any other time we would have called for a replacement drummer or cancelled the tour. Not only did we complete all the shows, but my wife has a folder full of positive reviews from every venue. Where did you get the quick thinking?”

“Playing piano, in the local club, on a Saturday night and doing drinking songs. You learn to change direction with the feedback from the audience. I was thirteen at that time, and I’ve learned to follow my instincts. You’re a pretty good drummer, yourself.”

“That was my early days, in a blues band. It was a similar situation when the singer was held up in traffic and I opened the set from the drum stool. I doubt that we’ll see Joe back in the band. His wife told me that the hospital in Washington suspected stomach cancer, but he will be getting the full treatment in London. We’ll find out, for sure, in a few weeks. If we tour again, it’s good to know that the three of us can share the vocals, if I stay behind the drums. It’s far too late in our careers to get another drummer.”

Rufus was at the airport when they landed, along with a whole battalion of reporters and TV crews. They held a press conference in one of the arrival halls, currently being unused. The bulk of the questions were about how they managed to save the tour, and also what was wrong with Joe. For the second, all they could say was that they didn’t know, but for the first, Mac gave a long answer about how pure musicianship and experience had helped them through, along with the charity tour that they had performed in before leaving for America.

“Those nine venues gave us a new appreciation of quieter, but equally as impressive, music. The band accompanied other singers on stage for the first time in years and played over three hours a night inside an orchestra. On top of that, we had Willow on stage, with her back catalogue of hits that hadn’t been heard in America. Garry has a great voice, and we’ve decided that if we tour again, he will be doing a lot more singing. I do know that our last shows, in Boston, were recorded by the radio station there, so there should be a chance to listen to what we produced on the night.”

Rufus announced that there were negotiations under way for Toxic Rocks to go back to America to promote upcoming albums. When they were allowed to leave, they collected their bags. Willow was delighted to see her parents waiting for them. She rushed over to give them hugs, followed by Garry.

“Thank you for meeting us, The Right Honourable Daddy.”

“Just Daddy is good, poppet. How are you, son, after ten weeks with my daughter?”

“Somewhat numb, Dad. She saved our bacon, and we had a different show to what was planned.”

“I heard that. She does have a habit of taking over, doesn’t she?”

“We were all glad that she did.”

“I’ve got a government car outside, with a driver. Do you want to come to the apartment for a few days, so we can all catch up?”

“We’d love to.”

They said cheerio to the rest of the band and the wives, having a hugfest before leaving the terminal with her parents, Wendy with her arm over her daughter’s shoulders, while the men took charge of the baggage. The car was loaded, and they were taken to the apartment, where the driver helped take the bags up to their landing.

Ashley had to leave them to go to his office in Whitehall, and it left Wendy to take them down to the restaurant for a meal. They were joined by the other two couples, but Willow and Garry were unable to get far into the evening, pleading tiredness and going up to their apartment and bed, knowing that there would be no reporters waiting for them at breakfast.

The next day, they got an Uber to take them to Marlow, where they checked that everything was as they left it, if a bit dusty. They unloaded their bags, and repacked them with fresh clothes for a week, picked up Willow’s phone and charger, and took Garry’s car back into London. They spent the week learning about the whirlwind that had engulfed Ashley after the poll was declared, with Wendy telling them that his inner stability was now front and centre in his workdays, and that he had become quite a popular figure in the government.

“We’re having lunch in the house dining room, tomorrow. All the others want to meet our talented couple. Dress well in the morning.”

That lunch was a procession of government members, opposition members, and invited peers, including Chris. It was pleasant, but tiring, and they were happy to leave. It did allow Willow to see her father in the surroundings that she had imagined he would fit. And fit them he did, with cheerful words from both sides of the house. It appeared that most of the firebrands that had dogged politics for too many years had been swept aside in the last election.

Willow spent a whole afternoon with her phone, catching up on the messages that had been left while she’d been away. Many were well-wishes, which didn’t need replies, one was an invitation to the wedding of Vivienne Armstrong and Ken Stroll, on the second Saturday of October, in the St. Martins-in-the-Fields church, with a request that Willow stand beside her. That led to a phone call and a long conversation. Two days later, the girls met in a café and discussed things. Willow showed Viv the pictures that Gina had sent of her marriage, as well as another, sent the week before, with her showing a slight baby bump.

In the last week of September, the couple left the apartment to go to Marlow, spending a few days adding things to the house and properly setting up the office. They had an email from Rufus, to tell them that their tour money had been deposited, and also that Joe would be lucky to see the next year.

They checked the GWR account to see that it had grown by thirty-five million, making sure that their future, whatever happened, was well funded. They sent an email to Joe, to tell him that he was a great guy, and that they would be there for him and his wife.

They also had an email from Clive, asking them to meet him in the office that Friday. They acknowledged that and carried on making the Marlow house their home. On the Friday, Willow drove them in her car to the office. Inside, they were met by a smiling Clive and Jill, now sporting an engagement ring. The girls hugged and then they had the meeting. While they had been away, the two VivWillow albums had passed Gold Record sales, the new Toxic Rocks album had shot past Platinum, boosted by sales in America. On top of that, the DVD from the Coventry show had also passed Gold level. Clive had managed to obtain a copy of the recording from Boston, but it wasn’t good enough to be issued as a double album. However, he had been in touch with the other Rocks and had arranged a recording session in the Abbey Road studio, later in the year, to record that show, properly, with video, to release as a DVD. Also, the album that Willow had recorded with the Rocks had been issued as ‘Toxic Rocks, featuring Willow Rose’, and had sold well enough, both here and in the US, to have also gone to Platinum.

“We won’t give you any awards until the big party at the Dorchester, in December. It will be the biggest that we’ve ever held, with all of the Blue Coat Orchestra getting individual awards for the show DVD. I believe that we’ll have a government minister on hand to make the awards. I’ve spoken to your father, and he said that it would be the third best day of his life, after his marriage and his election to the hallowed ranks of government.”

They had a laugh.

“On a more serious note. I’ve spoken to Rufus, and he tells me that the Rocks will not do any more big tours. Maybe four to six weeks maximum. That fits in with your university time, Willow, as they can be in the summer break, and you won’t miss anything. Mac tells me that the last shows in Boston told him to slow down, and that the quieter Rocks could do a couple of years before they retire for good. He wants to skip America, if possible, and do a couple of farewell tours in this country and Europe. Now, after the session in Abbey Road, Jill and I are getting married, and she would like you to be a bridesmaid, Willow.”

The two girls hugged, and then Willow hugged Clive.

“You don’t work very quickly, do you, Clive? I could see the two of you together back when we were first in Abbey Road.”

“It did take a while, I admit, but there was a lot to do, and we have been living together for over six months. If we get your session out of the way, we both have enough holidays for a good honeymoon, and then we have the big party to arrange and your DVD to issue after Xavier has worked his magic with it. That lad is going to tower over his profession by the time he’s thirty.”

“The only ones that I’ve seen to be better are the new batch being trained, at the school, by Sarah. She’s got a far better handle on the programs than he had. That show had them helping the sound and vision, and the lad who did the pyrotechnics already has a job.”

“We saw what Sarah was doing in the studio and sent Xavier there for extra tuition. He’s done wonders with Abbey Road, once he talked Harold into going along with it. You’ll see when you go to record the DVD. I spoke to that Barry and Lucas at a show during summer, they were both fully employed on staging.”

The girls discussed dresses and arrangements. They would both be at Viv’s wedding, so would finalise things there. The Randall’s went back home to settle down again. In the first week of October, Willow had a call to see Terry at the Royal Holloway. She drove herself there, following the GPS but already knowing the turns.

When she parked and went in, he shook her hand and welcomed her to the new course, with the last full week of November being the week that they will be shown all the facilities, given their course overview, and the invoice to pay for the first year. She asked about the summer break and was given the dates that they would have off, although there was likely to be a project to do.

“I can do what I did with the other course. I may be on a short tour with Toxic Rocks for a couple of summers, and I’ll take my laptop with me to work on things in the quiet times.”

“Yes, I saw that you were in America with them. I wondered if you had decided to miss the course and just carry on with your musical career.”

“My plans remain the same, Terry. I want to get that degree, so that I can manage my life later on. I have a new address for your files, by the way. We have a house in Marlow, and I drove myself here in half an hour.”

“After the familiarisation week, there will be another two weeks to the second Friday in December, with you all introduced to the first-year subjects. We tend to lose about ten percent of the applicants at that time, and we have a full-fee refund available. After that, it’s into it in the second week of January. Here’s your study pack, it’s in the name of Willow Randall, and we’ll see you at the end of November.”

She left him the new address and then drove home. It felt like home, now. Rising Lane had been good, and still was good for her parents when they were able to be there. Garry had been down to Bourton and cleaned out the wardrobes and drawers, bringing everything back. They went down again to tidy the place up, load up the small appliances and a couple of paintings he had bought, and met with an estate agent to list the house for sale. For Garry, it was the last vestige of his time as a loner, and he had no qualms about selling it.

Back in Marlow, Willow and Vivienne got together and planned the wedding day, with Willow booking the salon for them and the two of them visiting the shop where they had bought the dresses for Willow’s wedding. Juliette was making her own arrangements in Coventry.

The next day, Willow and Jill got together and went back to the dress shop for outfits for her wedding, much to the delight of the shop owner. Willow booked them into the salon for the Friday before that wedding, hoping that they would have finished the recording session by then.

It was going to be a busy month.

Marianne Gregory © 2025