Geoff, a fervent royalist, composed a march for the Queen Mother by humming into tape recorders, and keeping time on pots and pans As a lifelong royalist, Geoff Wood was puzzled by why the Queen Mother didn't have a march of her own. He can't play any instruments or read music but he decided to compose something for her nevertheless. "I thought it was about time our sporting and compassionate Queen Mother had her own march". He bought two cheap tape recorders, hummed bits and pieces and put snatches down on the first tape recorder, and then scrapped what wasn't worthwhile, and put the bits that were worthwhile on the other tape recorder, eventually building up the finished march. His wife Gladys helped a lot, having been an ex gold-star ballroom dancer. She took part in the marching rehearsals Geoff had in his kitchen, which gave him a sense of rhythm, along with the pots and pans he banged.
He sent it off to the Royal Military School of Music in Twickenham, where it was, perhaps surprisingly, transformed into a professional recording. Geoff received a copy in the post. "I think it showed a sense of human compassion, if not a good sense of fun". It had been recorded by the Military School Band, and Geoff sent a copy to Clarence House immediately.
Geoff eventually received a letter from the Queen Mother's Private Secretary, to say that she liked the march very much, and would he mind re-titling it the Royal Birthday March? He considered the request long and hard for about one nanosecond before agreeing. The march has been performed on several royal occasions, and on the Queen Mother's 100th birthday it was played in Buckingham Palace by the Band of the Coldstream Guards. Geoff has recently begun work "in a meandering way" on composing a tune for the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
