I left Auckland with a 5 hour drive ahead of me… but really 6 hours as I had a detour to Tauranga to pick up a vintage bass drum I bought on TradeMe (pick up only!)

When I got there & inevitably explained why I wanted it, the guy mentioned he had an old euphonium he was meaning to get rid of…

how much?

$75

sold!

When he dug it out, in its wooden case, it was indeed fairly beaten up…
I can’t play brass at all… but I managed to get a note out of it
(or something involving notes… & tortured elephants maybe?)

As I handed him the extra cash, I had one thought on my mind….