Well, in the same fashion as last year, Dad & I headed off in the glorious sunshine; Nick Drake was the musical selection this year, which was ideal for such a lovely autumn day! We made good time, & soon found ourselves pulling into a very crowded car park at the ‘Visitation Parish Centre’. The first person I saw as we entered was John Kirby with obligatory phone in hand chatting away! Then Margaret Grant in her usual spot on the door…. We walked in just in time to hear the beginning of Roy’s opening greeting, I love the fact that all the usual faces are present, I said to Harvey, how I love the continuity of it all…each year, no matter what goes on in our lives we all meet up at the same place see all the friends we have made over the years & discuss & listen to the great music of Brian Wilson!
All of a sudden Roy announced the special guest, & on walked Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford, she looked fantastic! So strange to see someone in reality who you have usually only seen on the telly! She took her seat in the centre of the stage, said she was a bit nervous, I’m not the least bit surprised with all of us looking on in disbelief!
What a great speaker, with some great stories to tell, that I know will appear elsewhere in their totality. Suffice it to say she did not, if I dare say it ‘shy away’ from any of the questions (sorry had to drop that pun in) I especially loved the story about the chap who came to tune in the piano, when asked where it was located Marilyn pointed to the sand box in the dinning room, so he took his shoes & socks off & rolled his trousers up & headed over to the piano! What an image oh & of course there was the obligatory Charles Manson question which was dealt with very well indeed!
So the day wore on, Marilyn was soon to be found surrounded by a huge queue, all with their American Spring lp’s to sign, I kept hoping the queue would dissipate as the day wore on, but it didn’t really, but with each new face she greeted she looked as pleased to see them as the previous one! JK was the bodyguard for the day! Seemed to be enjoying that role a bit more than he should have!

John Portoeus was to be found in his usual spot with some great items & Charlie with his usual outstanding DVD selections! I ended up spending a tidy sum on two gold discs that had caught my eye as I entered the room, a surfer girl gold cd & good vibes gold disc, which are now happily hanging up in pride of place! Thanks Paul for the discount!
Eventually it was my turn to meet with Marilyn, she kindly signed all my items…. & chatted & even posed for a photo….. Then resumed her place on the stage to tell us some more amazing stories! What a time she had! I can’t wait for the book!
The other highlight was the showing of the Brian video from 1988, this is a slightly sore point for me, as that would have been my first visit to the convention, but alas it wasn’t meant to be as I wasn’t well enough to come on the day, I have made up for it over the years with many meetings with the great man, but it certainly would have been lovely to have been there for that momentous occasion! It was strange, watching it on the big screen, the room looking just the same now as it had all those years ago it was as if we were caught in a time warp, & it was happening all over again, except this time with another key person standing there watching it with us! Very strange!
We were treated to more unusual videos & more fantastic stories from Marilyn, and then it was all over, a bit later than usual…. Just as I thought that was that………..

Mike asked if I would possibly mind taking Marilyn to the bar downstairs & getting her a well earned beverage……. ‘I think I can manage that’ I replied…. So off we went! To the great little Irish bar downstairs. I asked Marilyn what she would like…. She looked around her surroundings & asked if maybe they would do a ‘cosmopolitan’ I looked around the surroundings then at her & said’ how about a lager! She laughed & agreed so there I was to be found in Greenford, having a beer with Brian Wilson’s first wife…… I do so love the way life has these great shifts of fate!

Cheers guys for yet another GREAT day!!!! Here’s to the next one