Liverpool mourns its friendly tuba

Sandra Roberts has informed us of the death of George Smith, former tuba player of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and one of the great characters of British orchestral life. George, who had retired to Spain, was 88.

Sandra writes: ‘George was a lovely, gentle character. He never owned a TV, rode everywhere by bike/tandem/triplet, staunch vegan, don’t think he even had electricity at his very small place in Irby, and one of his antics included getting him arrested in the Mersey tunnel! That story made national press and television.

‘He retired due to embouchure dystonia and took up piano tuning and spent his years riding around various friends in Europe to tune their pianos while he stayed a few days “in return”.

‘He cycled to Liverpool each summer to ‘Tickle the Ivories’ in Liverpool One and always called in at the Phil to say hello. Then he would turn around to cycle back to Seville.’

Here‘s the story of his arrest.