My mother's first memories of the RFH date back to 1953, when she came down specially from Yorkshire to visit her aunt. They were shown round by a very enthusiastic lift attendant , who explained what was going on at each level. My parents returned to live in London, where my mother had been born and brought up and, after the arrival of my brother and me, she began to go to concerts every week or so. In 1969 my mother took me and my best friend to "The Nutcracker". I can remember every detail of that night - the neon lights as we approached from the Hayward Gallery, my bright red woollen cape, the box of Milk Tray we ate during the interval, and the story of the Nutcraker, which I found thrilling ... but didn't understand!!!