KENNETH WILLIAM MATCHETT O.B.E. Born 24th August 1920 at St Barnabus Cottage, Penny Lane, Liverpool. to Alice (nee Clayton) wife of William Charles (Billy) Matchett . (Music Hall Comedian) Christened St Barnabus Church, Penny Lane. Birth announcement read ;- 'A good singer but a poor patterer'. 1923 - 1928 4 Ingleton Rd. 1925 Attended Morrison Infants school, Greenbank Rd. 1928 - 1938 507 Mather Avenue, Springwood L.pool 18 1928 - 1932 Attended Springwood Infants School. Chorister All Hallows Church Springwood . 1930 Took piano lessons. Failed first exam. Gave up. 1932 - 1936 Attended Holt High School. To relief of Headmaster and teachers and with their blessing left school before sitting SCE. During school years frequently toured with Father as his 'dresser', and during the summer and pantomime seasons would get a job in the theatres where he was appearing. First pay 1927 (5/- pw) at the Alexander Theatre Birmingham pantomime as call boy. Often worked at night at Pavilion Theatre Lodge Lane L.pool. Became proficient as a stage hand, flies man.electricians mate working board, limelights, stage prompt and and props lad. 1934 Recorded with Sandy Powell and father - 'Sandy joins the Short Shirts' Fee £5.0.0. 1936 Offered a trainee management job at Royalty Theatre, Chester, but discovered first job Monday mornings was to bicycle around the town with a large pot of glue, and a long handled brush to stick up posters. Also would be required to wear a cap and uniform (which were much too big) to take tickets and keep the peace in the gallery. Wages would not cover transport from L.pool daily and 'digs' were too expensive, but provided a good excuse to decline offer ! 1936 - 1937 Junior dogsbody Flemings Opticians Lord St. L.pool. 5/-d pwk (25p) 1937 - 1938 Trainee salesman J E Jarvis & Co Hairdressers sundriesmen 7/6d pw (37.5pw) 1937 Applied for Short Service Commission RAF. Failed entrance exam. Hobbies:- Cycling, fell walking, rock climbing. 1938 Father purchased and moved to newly built 165 Booker Avenue, Allerton, L/pool 1938 - 1939 Clerk, Rootes Shadow Factory, Speke. (Making Blenheim Bombers 25/- pw) August 1938 Purchased for £5.0.0d (father loaned £3.0.0) from Harry Bioletti, son of barber mentioned in Beatle song 'Penny Lane', first motorcar ; a Gordon England coach built, fabric covered, 1929 Austin Seven saloon, 5th Sept.1939 Volunteered for flying duty Royal Air Force. (Sold car for war effort scrap - 30/-) Sept 1939 RAF Padgate, basic training. Oct. 1939 posted to RAF Pembrey on guard duties. Feb. 1940 Posted (despite protests) to RAF Uxbridge on Police training course. Apr. 1940 Posted to Air Ministry Unit London to form first RAF Provost Corps unit (5 Group) charged with security and intelligence work Metropolitan area. Promoted through ranks from AC2 to F/Sgt. Headquarters billets in Grosvenor Square bombed twice. June 1943 Selected for Aircrew training. 7th July 1943 After 6 weeks courting, married by special licence at Caxton Hall Registry Office, Westminster, London born Constance Dorothy Bryan, (Stevie) Private ATS Signal Corps. London AA Command. Aug. 1943 As an aircrew cadet posted to Newquay, Cornwall. No.7 Initial Training Wing. Oct. 1943 No.2 EFTS RAF Perdswell Hall, Worcester. Soloed in DH82 Tiger Moth. Nov. 1943 - Apr. 1944 Languishing in RAF Heaton Park, Manchester. Then train to Greenock to Apr. 1944 sail on RMS Queen Mary to New York, USA; rail train to Toronto, Canada, then three day train journey via Chicago to Terrell Airfield, Texas (30 miles East of Dallas) for Pilot training at No1 British Flying Training School. This was one of five such schools set up in conjunction with USA government which were staffed by a small RAF administrative/instruction staff for ground subjects but the flying instructors were American, mostly retired ex US Army/ Navy flyers. An RAF curriculum was taught. Three courses were run simultaneously. Discipline was maintained through a Cadet command structure. Middle course provided cadet NCO's and the senior course cadet officers. On senior course appointed Cadet Wing Commander C.O. Primary flying training on Stearman 17a biplanes, followed by avanced training on all metal low wing monoplane Northrop AT6a Texan. (called Harvard in UK) 25th July 1944 Received cable, first son Bryan Kenneth born. Dec. 1944 Awarded Pilots wings and commissioned Pilot Officer. Returned to UK on RMS Mauretania arriving Liverpool Pier Head Xmas eve. Apr. 1945 Converted to twin engined Airspeed Oxford at No. 6 (P) AFU Little Rissington Gloucestershire. Retained for test flying following maintenance. Sept. 1945 Promoted Flying Officer. Posted to 271 Squadron, Transport Command RAF Odiham flying Dakota DC3s. In October squadron moved to RAF Broadwell. The war having ended, the main work was as an ambulance recovering and returning sick and wounded and ex prisoners of war from Europe, Africa, and India. The squadron boasted the only VC of Transport Command. awarded posthumously at Arnhem. 15th Dec. 1945 Demobilised. Feb. 1946 Trainee Life Assurance Inspector, Gresham Life. Boring! Resigned. Converted 16 Bromley Ave. Greenbank Park, purchased by father, into two flats. and moved in. Other occupied by sister Audrey and husband Jack Underwood. Aug. 1946 Trained as salesman with Thos. Hedley soap manufacturers. This was during petrol and soap rationing. Car mileage was restricted, which meant walking with large suitcase heavy with samples around a designated Dock road area North Liverpool. Had a supplier for extra petrol coupons, but confused returns to management which enquired how a Ford 10 achieved an 86 mpg average. Following a bump in the car in a snow storm taking family to a pantomime, decided, as all soap products could only be supplied on ration coupons, that the nightly counting of thousands of soap coupons, and allocating precious unrationed candles was not worth the aggro and resigned before being pushed. Jan. 1947 Appointed Assistant Sales Manager of Peter Lunt also soap and polish makers. Aug, 1948 Mother drew attention to an ad in the L.pool Daily Post for a Concerts Manager to the Liverpool Philharmonic Society. Resigned from the soap world and was engaged by the society as Concerts Manager primarliy to promote an idea first suggested by Sir Malcolm Sargent, to popularise symphony concerts in an endeavour to retain the audiences developed during the War as, unlike prewar, when only seasonal subscription concerts for Society members were given, the orchestra was now in full time salaried employment and an income to support that had to be developed. The Arts Council of Great Britain was only in its infancy and grants in aid from that source and local authorities were in short supply. A situation that has existed to date. The series was successfully developed and became known as the Merseyside Industrial Concert scheme. Similar schemes followed by the other major regional orchestras and the London Philharmonic. Regional concert tours, and concert series in other towns were also developed. 15th Dec. 1948 Second son William John born. Aug. 1952 Appointed General Manager and Secretary of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra which was in difficulties with the Musicians Union and the City Council concerning grants in aid. Re-organised administration, settled with M U, auditioned with Principal Conductor Rudolf Schwarz all musicians making changes where necessary , persuaded Board to increase string strength, planned and booked the next two years seasons with different programme/concert patterns and arranged more concerts outside Birmingham. Meanwhile , and as one of the founding members of the Orchestral Employers Association (now called the Association of British Orchestras) negotiated in London with the Musicians Union, BBC, and Opera Houses, to establish a first time national standard contract for orchestral musicians. Mar. 1953 Resigned following a major disagreement with the Chairman concerning administrative responsibilities. In his book 'Crescendo' published in 1995 and written to mark the 75th anniversary of the CBSO, Beresford King-Smith writes "Matchett's detailed reports were never brought to the Committee, (by the chairman) but all his major recommendations were adopted over the following couple of years. It was a discreditable episode, and in the long run it was Birmingham's loss, for Matchett went on to become the long serving, shrewd and highly respected General Manager of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, seeing it safely through some of its darkest and most difficult days." On expiry of contract returned with family to Liverpool. Remainder of year, except for some a few months employment as a biscuit salesman was unemployed. Feb. 1954 Engaged as Touring and Business Manager by the Carl Rosa opera company on recommendation of the Arts Council for Spring tour of provinces and Glasgow. June 1954 Engaged as consultant by the Winter Gardens Society, Bournemouth which was an amateur concertgoers support club for the Municipal Orchestra which had been given notice as the Council had refused to accept an MU claim to place the musicians on the new national standard contract which would have the effect of raising wages but reducing contract hours.The brief was to ascertain the possibility of maintaining an orchestra in Bournemouth to replace the sacked municipal orchestra of fiftyfour musicians. The assessment and recommendations were to be also considered by the Arts Council. On basis of a preliminary report the Society guarranteed players wages to fulfil cancelled summer season. Sept. 1954 Final Bournemouth report and findings accepted. Rejected an offer from Yorkshire Symhony Orchestra and declined offer of appointment as Deputy General Manager Royal Festival Hall, London. Moved family to Bournemouth. Oct. 1954 Having negotiated local authority and Arts Council grants; formed the Western Orchestral Society Ltd, convened the first Board of Management and was engaged as General Administrator to form the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra of seventysix contracted musicians with Charles Groves as conductor. In 1955 following the Arts Council's decision to close all regional offices, formed with Cyril Wood (an ex Arts Council director) The South West Arts Association; the first of many to be developed nationally which became known as Regional Arts Associations jointly financed by Local Authorities and Government. Hobbies :- Sailing. Oct.1959 Third son Richard Paul born. Successfully promoted Society membership and functions and many series of concerts throughout the South and West regions. Arranged recording contracts, radio, television broadcasts as well as performing in national festivals, London appearances and for the first time for the Bournemouth Orchestra, appearances abroad including the first British orchestra to tour behind the Iron Curtain. Accompanied the Bolshoi Ballet, appeared at the Bath and Edinburgh Festivals, and regularly accompanied the Welsh National and Glyndebourne Operas. To succeed Groves, appointed Constantin Silvestri, and following his death, Pavo Berglund as principal conductors thereby establishing an international reputation for quality of performance. To fulfil the concert needs of smaller towns and venues, and in particular educational concerts, formed the Bournemouth Sinfonietta. Employed108 musicians. For a number of years instigated a Young Conductors Competition sponsored first by the Gulbenkian Foundation and later by Players cigarettes. Awarded three year apprenticeship conductor contracts to, among others - Nicholas Braithwaite, Kenneth Montgomery, James Loughran and Simon Rattle. During the years trained in orchestral management whilst members of staff :- Arthur Baker - appointed General Manager CBSO, Barry Hall - Head of BBC Third programme publicity, Barry Illiffe - Director British Council, David Blenkinsop - International Festival Artistic Director, Perth Australia. Throughout these years the Bournemouth Council had been a reluctant financial partner in the exercise and was increasingly placing restrictions on the orchestra's rehearsals and performances in its Winter Gardens thereby adding to the stress which sadly is the norm for all managers of subsidised orchestras in the UK. Persuaded Poole Council to redesign proposed Arts Centre to make provision for a concert hall with a stage to accommodate a 200 voice choir and full orchestra together with rehearsal facilities and an administrative block. This is now the 'home' of the Society and orchestra. Nov. 1974 Before building was completed, resigned for helth reasons. . 14th June 1975 In Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Second's Birthday Honours list, appointed for services to music 'an Ordinary Officer of the Civil Division of Our said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' ; presented by Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace in the presence of wife and two sons. (William had emigrated to Australia) Elected Honary Member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians for 'public service to the art of music or kindred arts and sciences' Following a conversation with Anthony Earl of Shaftesbury, spent summer studying fish farming with a view to entering into a financial partnership and developing a trout farm on his Wimborne St Giles Dorset Estate. Sept. 1975 With help of wife and two employees, designed, built, developed and managed on the site of a disused dairy farm at Brockington on the banks of the Dorset River Allen what became a very successful trout farm for the purpose of breeding Brown and Rainbow trout for restocking rivers, trout lakes etc. Founding member of the British Trout Association. Lived on site in Riverside Cottage. During tenure engaged an analyst and computer programmer and developed a 24 hours computer controlled water monitoring/alarm and feeding programme which was taken up by BP food products. Aug.1990 Finally retired purchased a house and moved to live in Poole. 23rd Jan. 1997 Triple coronary by-pass. Hobbies :- Gardening, driving, country pub lunches, and struggling to master the computer.