The Tour - Thursday 31st May

With a busy day ahead, including a modelling assignment, a concert, a little bit of time on the tourist trail, and a trip to Amsterdam, the Band was up bright and early. Before doing anything else, best check on the view from the window.

Yes, it's still there.

We returned to Vollendam for a series of posed photographs - though it has to be said that these aren't your run of the mill pictures.

To start with, it looks like any other changing room for a band, but then ....

What a motley crew.

The final three contestants in the 'Miss Back of a Bus Beauty Pageant'.

Simon, you really need to take those glasses back for a second opinion!

Back Row - Mark, Peter, David, Pete, Stewart, Thomas, Tony, Steve, Jez.

Middle Row - Kathy, Shaun, Alice, Gareth, Alison, John, Erin, James, Simon, Tim.

Front Row - Andy, Paul, Kirsty, Melanie, Julia, Vicki, Neil.

Front - Liam, Emily, Joshua, Paul.

After our hectic photo shoot, we drove to the venue for our lunchtime concert. An area of preserved historical importance in the town of Zaandam. The area called Zaanse Schans, features many old wooden buildings as well as several working windmills.

Approaching Zaanse Schans, and the weather looks like our outdoor performance may be a little damp.

But just in time the sky started to clear, its normally the other way around when the Band starts to warm up!

Shouldn't there be three here?

A rare action shot.

I wonder what the trombonists did to upset the photographer?

After the concert we had time to change and have a wander around the area, and partake in a little light refreshment. First though it was time for Kirsty to unveil the new Fuchsia coloured shirt (and I have dimmed this picture considerably).

And just look at Shaun's face. He can't cope with this colour.

Almost as shocking as Kirsty's shirt, was the rare sight of Alison's legs!

Shame about the sock marks though.

Neil and Alison model the Band's new tropical uniform.

That concert was hard work, we'd better quench our thirst before rushing off and climbing a windmill.

Some of the preserved buildings in Zaanse Schans. One or two of the buildings here have been moved from other areas of the Netherlands and rebuilt within this preservation area.

The Windmill on the left is a Dye Mill known as De Kat (For those readers that don't speak Dutch, it translates as The Cat). This Mill was built in 1959 from the parts of two earlier built windmills. The bottom part was is from De Kat originally an Oil Mill, and the top and interior machinery came from a Dye Mill - De Duinjager (The Dune Hunter). The original mills date from about 1780.

De Kat.

The royal wave.

Inside the Kat, Tony and Mark check out the grinding machinery. Unfortunately they never had any violins handy to check it properly!

Who is this hoping to get to the top of the ladder before the photographer can line up the shot?

We'll give you a clue, its one of these two.

And the winner is....

Catalogue Man.

Remember the old joke about the barrel and corner!

But the view was worth the climb - once these big wooden things got out of the way.

Could this be a tourist?

Tony chatting to some local birds.

Kathy crossing the forerunner to the Humber Bridge.

This ice cream is okay, but ....

.... it will be better with some grass on it!

Never mind the main course, what's for pudding?

A Dutch girl, a windmill, but still no tulips.

Following some time at Zaanse Schans, we travelled back to the hotel for a little rest, some sunbathing, and checked out the view again.

This picture had to be 'adjusted' to protect those readers with a delicate disposition.

And on a sunny afternoon the view was still as impressive as when we first arrived.

The start of our first invasion of Amsterdam, travelling by Bendy Bus. The mature members of the Band - and that could refer to age or behaviour - sat carefully on their seats, whilst ....