From September 23rd to October 5th 1935 it was the short Imperial League of Opera season; Beecham, Clarence Raybould and Albert Coates conducted. Clarence Raybould, Sir Adrian Boult's assistant at the BBC, was a very professional and generally good-natured conductor but during his rehearsals of "Bohème" he became increasingly exasperated by Beecham's perpetual back-seat driving from the stalls until he finally put down his baton, turned round and protested: " Sir Thomas, I really must ask you to allow me to conduct the opera in my own way." "But of course, my dear boy, you must do what you like," came the amiable reply. "Just as long as you do it my way." After that we were all, of course, on Clarence Raybould's side. << less