Profile - Naomi & Adrian Brind

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Profile

Naomi & Adrian Brind

I am sure that, like all of us, Naomi and Adrian Brind must have ‘off days’ but by and large they always seem to be happy and smiling! So, on a very hot morning I spent a happy hour with them learning about their life.

Naomi was born in Reigate, one of three sisters. Her father had been an engineer in the Merchant Navy but later became a teacher and her mother was a secretary. They moved to Reading where Naomi went to Henley Grammar School and became very interested in music – Oxfordshire at that time had a number of schemes aimed at encouraging children to sing. The family were great campers, and on one trip to Eire they discovered a lovely old house on a 10‑acre island and bought it on impulse. Father took the opportunity of applying for a teaching job and at the age of 16 Naomi found herself at a convent school in Carlow. The school could not educate her after 17 so she went back to Henley Grammar (living with her grandparents) to do her final year before going to Cullum Teacher Training College at Abingdon.

This was where she met Adrian, who was already a year ahead of her. He had been born in Chippenham and lived in Calne, the oldest of six children he had three brothers and two sisters – all musical. His father was a craftsman carpenter/blacksmith, his mother a nurse. He belonged to the Cubs, Scouts and Venture Scouts which led to a lifelong love of camping. At the age of 12 or 13 he was introduced

to Jazz and fell in love with it, asking if he could learn to play the Double Bass. His school did not have an instrument and he was persuaded to start learning to play the cello as the next best thing. He soon discovered that he was allergic to the resin used on the bow so he turned to the trumpet and saxophone. The whole family had a lot of pleasure in playing as a group and once his voice had broken, Adrian found he had a good singing voice as well. He and a brother joined the local brass band but Jazz was his real love.

So in 1972 the two met up at College where it happened that Adrian’s sister joined at the same time as Naomi and they all became friends. When Adrian qualified, he got a job teaching European studies and Music to 11–16 year olds at Gillott’s School in Henley. Naomi qualified during the 1976 slump and found it difficult to get a teaching job. Her family were in Ireland so she lived once again with her grandparents and then shared a flat with Adrian and some other friends. Eventually she landed a job at Enderby near Leicester in an enormous Primary School and for two years she was Jack of all Trades. As she had a Bronze Life Saving Certificate she was made Swimming Instructor, but covered all classes where necessary. She and Adrian were engaged by this time and got married in Cullum College Chapel in 1979.

Naomi started to look for a job in the Henley area and found a position in the private sector at Rupert House School, a small co‑ed kindergarten/primary school. They lived for the next two years in a small flat owned by the local authority and saved like mad to buy their own house in Reading, which they eventually did in 1981 when Adrian became head of the Careers Department. Jennifer was born in 1982 and Naomi gave up work to be a full‑time mother. During all this time the couple were continuing to make music, Adrian was the conductor of the Henley Town Band and Naomi would fill in on any instrument where needed. They played in bands all over the town.

They then joined The Millstones – named after Frank Mills who had played with The Squadronairres (older readers will remember this very famous swing band). Naomi was stand‑in saxophonist, the children were taken along to band practice and just grew up absorbing music. By this time in 1984 Zoe had arrived.

In 1986 Adrian started to look for more lucrative work to support the growing family and answered an advertisement for the Service Children’s Education Authority recruiting for staff for the school in Dortmund. He took a 3‑year contract teaching music and drama and ended up staying in Germany for 27 years! Far from absorbing German culture and language, Naomi described it as living in Little England. Other British civilians were there working for companies, they all worked together but were very aware of what they could or could not do. In Dortmund Naomi ran the church choir in All Saints Church – a role she now reprises in Melbourn! Laurence was born in 1988 and Charlotte ‘Charlie’ in 1989 two months before the Wall came down

All the political upheavals which followed meant that the Dortmund setup closed‑down in the summer of 1994 but Adrian was still under contract and was offered a job at Joint H.Q in Munchengladbach, Rheindahlen. They teamed up with another music teacher and formed a Trad Jazz Band and Adrian also played in a military/civilian 9‑piece band until 2012. During their time in Germany they took advantage of the tax‑free motoring available to them and travelled widely throughout Europe, but mainly in Germany and the Netherlands, in a very large 8 berth caravan fulfilling their love of camping. Eventually the base closed down and Adrian was offered a redundancy package with two years’ enhancement to bring him up to 40 years in the teaching profession. Jennifer had gone to Anglia Polytechnic in Cambridge in 2001 and they had bought the house in Russet Way for her and although they still have the house in Reading (which had been let all the time they were abroad) they decided to move to Melbourn. When Jenni was living in Russet Way she had sung in the Choir at All Saints so when the Brinds moved into Melbourn they naturally joined the choir and have become well established in the area.

Jenni is now living in Stevenage, Zoe is in Germany working with S.S.A.F.A as a welfare finance officer, Laurence is a captain with the Royal Signals and is at present in Kabul, Charlie studied Drama at Northampton University. She has not been in the best of health recently but is active in the voluntary sector and runs a Youth Group in Chesterfield. Laurence is married with a 2½ year old son Isaac – they are based in Colchester so Naomi & Adrian get to see their grandson quite frequently.

Adrian is an enthusiastic gardener and their garden, though small, is producing tomatoes and lettuces and other vegetables. Naomi is a very keen cook and likes nothing better than to be in the kitchen cooking for the family. She gave me a no fail recipe for a meat loaf (see below). They are both on the support staff at Melbourn Village College and frequently undertake invigilating duties. As well as the church choir, they have been involved in the Bloomsday Festival in the village, play in the Boniface Consort, as a duo (they played in the Community Hall Tenth Anniversary Celebrations recently) and both play with the Opus 17 Swing Band based in Royston.

To go back to my first paragraph, I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that is the underlying thread of music throughout their lives which makes the Brinds such a happy pair. Mavis Howard

Naomi’s No Fail Meat Loaf Set oven to 170 C/ 375 F/ Gas mark 5 500 gr minced beef 1 egg 1 packet of Bread Sauce Herbs (optional) Mix all together and place in a lined oven-proof dish. Place in the oven for approximately 40 minutes until brown on top. This recipe freezes well.

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Autumn at The Hub!

We have something for everyone at The Hub to ease you back into autumn. • FREE top‑ups of tea and coffee when purchased with ‘cake of the day’ Monday to Friday (September only) • Our special ‘Hubby Bear’ kids menu is available every day • Look out for tempting new ‘menu specials’ such as warm and comfy Hunter’s Chicken • Sign up for our seasonal events such as the Spooky

Spectacular and special musical performances! Go onto the Hub website or Facebook page to find out more And, we are always on the lookout for volunteers, we rely on them heavily for everyday support. So, if the kids are back to school, or you have some spare time to help us this autumn, pop in and talk to us, we are open every day Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm or email centremanager@melbournhub.co.uk

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