Northern Daily Leader letters to the editor: Monday June 24, 2019

It has been an incredible and very rewarding journey, and along the way I have met many thousands of people from all walks of life, each with their own unique take on life.

It was good to finally have the Royal Commission into the financial sector and shine the spotlight on the wrongdoings, and hopefully people's trust will be restored.

The parliamentary inquiries into the life insurance and franchise industries also found failings and these are being addressed so everyday Australians will not be disadvantaged in the future.

To me the rewarding times were helping farming families in their battles with the banks, or assisting people who were being unfairly treated by insurance companies or government departments.

Some of the outcomes were positive, some were not, but I always tried.

I am pleased that Perin Davey from southern NSW has won a Senate seat to replace me.

Thank you to my wife Nancy for her unstinting support, to my staff who were with me for the whole 11 years, and to one and all - thank you and goodbye.

John Williams, Senator for New South Wales

All the hard work and dedication has really paid off for Tamworth's 2340 Big Band. Recently at Tamworth's Capitol Theatre on the 2nd of June at the 'Swingin on Sunday concert'. The band opened with a selection of well known jazz standards from the swing era and featured various soloists including 83 year old lead trumpeter Ron Hartmann. Him and his son Graham played with my Glenn Miller styled Johnny Muller Big Band between 1977 and 1985. The resident singers with the band Kate Armstrong and Brad Gill were most impressive with their rendition of old jazz numbers made popular by Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra etc.

Special guest was internationally acclaimed vocaliste Emma Pask who for many years has sung with world famous Jazz Trumpeter James Morrison and his orchestra.

The class showed with her entire performance with excellent backing from the 2340 Big Band conducted by pianist Tim Godden. The audience loved every minute of it and there were lots of cheering and clapping with shouts for more! more! at the conclusion of her spot. I caught up with Emma after the concert and she spoke in glowing terms of the quality of the backing she received from the 2340 Big Band.

I totally agreed with Emma when she said Tim's piano backing and solos were of such a high standard he would be most welcome to play in any bands or orchestras throughout Australia. I'm sure there would be many jazz fans in the audience like myself who would be eagerly awaiting the next performance of Tamworth's 2340 Big Band.

John Muller O.A.M. Tamworth

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