A reflection, a thank-you, and an early Christmas Greeting

[TheMusicMan]

Well - a big hello to you all,

I remember this time last year, and its few preceeding weeks very well indeed! I had scribbled down what I thought was an intresting and attention attracting note, and was frantically entering this message in all your website guestbooks, your visitor pages and the internet newsgroups - desperately trying to seek out visitors to my new www site. There was absolutely no way then that I would have thought that what we have today would have been possible. Alas I was wrong.

We... no... you... have built what I consider to be a totally unique and amazing online community. Maybe many of us knew each other before tMP, but I am equally certain that many of us didn't. Introductions have been made, friendships have been formed, and I even remember reading about a tMP romance blossoming somewhere! I have met some fantastic people during our 1st year - both virtually online and actually in person. It seems word of tMP has travelled far and wide. We have famous tMP'ers and some not so famous tMP'ers, budding writers and authours, hillarious posts, rude posts, friends from across the oceans... NZ, USA, Canada, Australila, all over Europe, and who can forget Singapore Northern Lass eh. We have mickey takers, composers, great players, publishers, those who are serious... and those who are not. We have Dentists, Teachers, IT Guru's and Teckies, and a load of other trades & professions. What I'm saying rather badly here, is that we have people on tMP from everywhere, and it's fab that this is so.

For my sins, I guess I can be both accused of... and found guilty of many things: keeping many of you up late at night burning the midnight-oil, getting some folks told off in work, playing GOD by banning our wonderful Uncle N.... but I do know one thing, and that is that I am truley grateful to all of you for your help, support and encouragement in making tMP become... within its first year... simply the best brass discussion forum on the web. I have received so many mesasges of encouragement and support for tMP in letters, e-mails and PM's - thanks to everyone for your kind words.

You have a wonderful team of Moderators who have helped in this process and who simply do a fantastic job... and to whom I owe so much. I just couldn't do it on my own. You all know my policy on keeping tMP a family friendly site - well it is these folks who ensure it is kept this way with a lot of time and effort on their part. This time is given freely, and they undertake what on times, is a very difficult job. I would like to publicly thank Roger, Rachel, Ian, Neal, Peter and Dyl for the dedication and loyalty shown to tMP. Thanks folks... They have each made a tremendous contribution to tMP, making sure our rules and guidelines are adhered to. Maybe now is a suitable time to remind ourselves of tMP forum rules - they are regularly updated to reflect our online experiences.

I'm hoping that this is not too early, but as well as saying thank you to you all, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone here a wonderful time during the upcoming festive season and to wish you all a great christmas doing whatever it is that you enjoy doing.

Here's to you all for what we achieved during our 1st year, and for what we'll achieve in our 2nd... cheers... :guiness

John :tup

Now get into the Christmas spirit and get some santa hats on those avatars...

 

[The Cornet King]

Fabulous speech John!!

I'm sure i speak for everyone when i say a HUGE thank you to yourself for taking all of the time to create this brilliant site. It truly is a marvellous site...brill to be on...and its great to chat to such a wide variety of banders. (even if we are all addicted and have no spare time anymore!!)

Thank You John...all the best Christmas greetings to yourself and all fellow tMPers. Cheers to all the great Mods for all the work they do...and to all for being such a cool community of people.

Here's to another year.

Cheers John...Without you it just wouldn't have been possible!

 

[Big Twigge]

Arhhhh John, you big softie!! Is a fabulous site and you should be very proud.

But you should also feel guilty...I blame you for failing my exams and therefore being kicked out of uni, which in turn has made me spend much more time on here (evil plan to conquor the world is working)!!
(only joking, am much happier as a result of dropping out )

Now get into the Christmas spirit and get some santa hats on those avatars...

Would love to...but don't know how :cry: , i allow anyone to put said hat on Mr cementmixer.

 

[geordiecolin]

Challenge for the Twist perhaps?????

Thanks John for all you have done to make tMp what it is. Only 1 banned user in a year is pretty impressive and can only illustrate the friendly and approachable atmosphere of tMp. Many thanks to all the mods and perhaps most importantly all the members!!!

Here's to more massive phone bills, hotel bars @ 3am, lack of free time, drunken hazes, cold toes/hands, 13th places @ Scouthead, eggs at Delph, nights in manchester in the rain and more general fun!!!

 

[Okiedokie of Oz]

To all the wondeful bandies on this here site.

Thanks for making me feel welcome here in my first few months. I agree with everyone - TMM hs made a wonderful site, and we are priviledged to be able to access it and the wealth of data in contains.

Thank you to you all for the wonderful insights you have shared with me. Sometimes we all can get a little on the high and mighty, and it'll take one tiny comment from one person for us to see the light.

Finally....

thanks for giving me something to do this holidays!!!!!! (Yes that would explain why I am here 20 hours a day 6 days a week, wouldn't it?)

Cheers, guys. Merry Christmas.

 

[Seedhouse]

Hear hear tMM, you've got a great site now, that you should be very proud of. All of the work that you've put in has really paid off, and tMP continues to flourish to be one of the greatest sites on the net :wink:

Wishing everyone on tMP a merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year- plenty of time for some more posting! :twisted:

 

[Dave Payn]

Thank you John for putting your 'baby' into action, along with the moderators who keep us all in check AND join in the fun as well! I've only been on these boards just over two months but I feel I've made some friends already even if I haven't met them yet! (hey! a tMP social darn sarf wouldn't go amiss!)

And in return, a very Merry Christmas to you and all tMP users and a happy, prosperous and brass (and percussion!) filled 2004.

 

[twigglet]

:cry: its all so lovely! :cry:

haha, no really, what a year..... Thanks to tMP personally I have been on a tour to luxembourg, played many a times with dyl's band, been on Test the Nation and also done the Children in Need thingy as well as making some great friends.

here's to plenty more years to come

:lol:

 

[Okiedokie of Oz]

Well Thanks to tMP, I've:

* spent a lot of time on the computer
* Spent a lot of time on the computer
and....
*Spent some more time on the computer!

 

[Naomi McFadyen]

:cry: that was... :cry: absolutly... :cry: :cry: beautiful! :cry: :cry: :cry:

hehe, seriously, thanks John for giving me something "productive" to do on the internet... I'm well and truely addicted to this site... and have never been so paranoid about my spelling in all my life!

;-)

 

[Highams]

Wonderful stuff, everyone should be proud, and it's great fun too !

www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk

 

[super_sop]

cant really say any more than wats been said above.

ive had loads of fun, met loads of great people, played for and with bands i never would have thought i could have. ive started playing again a lot more seriously, and had loads of hints and tips off new friends to help my playing and confidence. None of this would have been possible if it wasnt for tMM and all the mods and all the other great tmp'ers out there.

oh and seem to have the most famouse fly's in the BB world!!!

Merry christmas, and a hpappy peacfull new year to everybody.

 

[bigmamabadger]

It's all too beautifu-u-ul!

It's not often we get serious in this bit, but it's kinda cute when we do.
I'd like to say huge and somewhat inarticulate thanks to you John.
I hadn't played for 10 years and until Jessop-Smythe (lovely ickle bruvver Poddle) told me about tMP I thought I'd never play again. tMP gave me the inspiration to go out there and find a band and annoy them until they let me play. I found Barnton Silver Band and am loving being part of the whole Band thing again, politics and all!

Merry Stuffed and Drunken Yule to you all.
Soppy Badger :wink:

 

[stephen2001]

Being not being able to play with Brass Bands @ Uni, tMP has kept the spirit of banding alive in me and it gave me the chance this year to experience Whit Friday for the first (and by no means) the last time.
It has also been a welcome distraction at times from coursework, but they say it's no bad thing to have the odd break doing something different!

Cheers to all the backroom staff for keeping it such a fun and happy place to while away an afternoon!

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year to you all!

 

[cornetgirl]

Ooooh what a nice little speech John!

I'm so glad I found tMP - not only do I now spend ridiculous amounts of time on the computer, but thanks to tMP I've had music published (plug plug!), realised I'm not the only person in the world who wonders where Straightmute gets his wild 'n' wacky contest shirts from :wink:, discovered that the banding world loves I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue as much as I do, sampled a supersop special sandwich and frozen to death while attracting crowds! It's also been an honour to be tMP's first ever Principal Cornet at Whit Friday and soloist at CiN, and I've really enjoyed meeting loads of people I'd probably never have met otherwise, as well as renewing old friendships.

Let's make next year bigger and better (and I promise not to kill off too many tMPers!!!)

Rach x

 

[groovy]

Thank you so much for creating tmp John, and to the mods too, you are all brilliant! 8) I've had a lot of fun posting on here, reading what you guys have to say and even learning how to improve my playing. Plus I've made some online buddys which is cool. Yay for next year, and the year after....

 

[Moy]

Thanks for an excellent site and have a Verry Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Sorry I couldn't manage the Santa hat so changed my photo instead. :wink:

 

[bagpuss]

To echo what has already been said, a great big thankyou to John for creating this site and to all the mods for keeping it on the straight and narrow. Who would have thought that within a year we could have had a thriving discussion forum, a great shop and a thriving social life!!!!! :lol:

Keep up the good work everyone and keep up the good posts everyone else!!! All the best for Christmas and the new year, don't do anything I wouldn't (lists on the back of a small postage stamp) and I hope to see and/or speak to more of you next year than I did this year!!!!


Puss

 

[Aidan]

Ditto la la Merry Christmas

Soppy Badger :wink:

(beurgh)

 

[Jo Elson]

Yeah cheers John. Merry Christmas everyone. I wonder if anyone will be on here on Christmas day-I'm sure some of you will get withdrawal symptoms at some point in the day. :bounce