Nigel Ridgway on music, sailing and the joy of being a baby boomer

Nigel Ridgway tells his story simply and honestly, and with humour and enthusiasm, in A Different Drummer: The Escapades of a Ten-Pound Pom.

The English migrant, who settled in WA, reveals his passion for the sea, his family and his music.

"Those of us fortunate enough to be included in the baby boomer demographic are, to my mind, the luckiest generation to have ever lived on this planet," the former school teacher writes.

"We've had it all ... our music was remarkable; we challenged the establishment of our time; we experimented with drugs, sex and relationships; we had incredible freedom; we always found work; we saw the introduction of amazing technology; we could afford to buy our own homes and, to cap it all off, we had a bloody good time."

Mind you, Ridgway isn't technically a baby boomer (generally babies born after World War II from 1946 until 1961). He was born in late December 1945, but has always considered himself a boomer.

His interest in music in general, and drums in particular, came at about age 13. He listened to Louis Armstrong's All-Stars Band's track Tiger Rag, with "a fantastically fast drumming intro from Barrett Deems" over and over again.

Other drummers to catch his attention were Sandy Nelson and Buddy Rich. He also loved the drummers with Elvis, Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry.

After arriving in Australia, Ridgway scored a gig with The Blue Brass. Later bands included Motivation and Purple Haze.

Readers will love his accounts of some of the goings-on at gigs.

These days he still plays with Perth jazz bands and the cabaret band The Haze Showband.

Music is just a part of Ridgway's story - there's also sailing, his family and his thoughts as the world entered COVID-19 lockdown.

A Different Drummer: The Escapades of a Ten-Pound Pom, by Nigel Ridgway (Linellen Press). For how-to-buy links, click HERE