‘The Fogies’ and how to innovate in your silver haired years For Peter, who is six years older than I, at the unmentionable 69’th hole and ‘retired’, whatever that means, sitting down here in rural Italy is not a good option One needs to keep busy in the twilight times too. Wine and women are not particularly good for you either, well ok, in strict moderation then. So, on retiring to sunnier climes, Peter joined the local choir and was quickly promoted to Choirmaster. Your Church NEEDS YOU you see, even here in Italy. Reading Training Zone’s recent stuff, I am a groupie I suppose, I was suddenly attracted by this headline; ‘Innovation - an essential recession survival skill’ Survival, thought I, that’s right, that’s what I need to do. Survive. It’s Mary who needs ME. Mary is six, the product of a beautiful relationship with beautiful Martha, 20 years my Junior, in Lagos Nigeria, where I was working for multi-nationals in the latter part of my career. And then it struck me again, be ‘innovative.’ , they are right these people. You have been looking for something to do for yonks. So examine your talents, what are they? List them! So I dredged the cv out of the dusty back draw of the 10 year old laptop, and looked at the Business skills cv. ‘Yes you can’ they told me,’ yes, but where’s the industrial sector here in this beautiful part of Etruria? There ain’t none matey! My mind quickly drifted towards how Peter keeps himself busy and, Jumpin Jack Flash - inspiration and innovation all at the same time. Music. O sole mio I thought, and immediately dusted off the splendid and very loud Takamine EN20C electro/acoustic guitar AND an octave mandolin from the Musicalia company in Sicily. I got really excited then, Italians love mandolins. You, I said to meself, you play average guitar, in the years of some of your follies you were a musician, of sorts, played in ‘The Westerners’, Peterborough’s superstars group, AND you were support band for people like the Stones, Manfred Mann, that epoc, you’ll perhaps remember, those of a certain vintage. You’ve got street cred too boy! I quickly called Peter, we met our several glasses of wine and we shook hands on the new deal which is sure to make us neither rich nor famous. But it’ll buy the next couple of bottles wine me dears. The Fogies were born! I have brought you all carefully along the critical path of phase I of this project. Now Phase II Launch and marketing ‘The Fogies’ Now I reckoned that we needed an ‘EVENT’ and a ‘PLATFORM’, maybe my marketing terminology is not quite current shall we say, but I am sure you know what I mean. Here in lovely flower bedecked Vetralla, where the best olive oil comes from they all say, there is a week long event in June. Hordes pour in to this small town on these lovely summer evenings and old Etruscan cellars are opened up and become Taverns for the evening and are generally frolicked in quite a lot . It’s called "FIORI ALLA FINESTRA E CENE IN CANTINA", see here… and see you here soon maybe? ‘http://www.ontuscia.it/notiziaEng.asp?id=5974 And there was to be music in the piazzas too. I applied for a gig slot and made a brief presentation, my sales speel is not too good in Italian but it WORKED. We did one hour slots last Friday/Saturday evening, acoustic guitar and voices, doing our own favourites, mine was Hey Jude, the 100 deep crowd listened, while eating their supper in beautiful little piazza del Vicolo del sole, and said it was all great. (Italians are very very kind to old men, particularly very silly English ones like me) The Fogies just may be appearing somewhere near you soon, we’re busy planning a tour and a kind relative, Dr Pedràig Kinnell, has agreed to manage the band, the blog is here…where? http://dick-vetrina.blogspot.com/ Or just drop me a note c/- The Fogies Via del Paradiso 42,Vetralla VT01019 Italia If you have been reading this, then thank you. ‘Rock on old Tommies’ and ‘ viva les Fogies’ I hear you say!