My first memory of the Royal Festival Hall is being taken to see the Festival Ballet in Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker when I was four.   I was taken by my parents with my brother who was seven as a Christmas treat so it would have been in December 58.   Our seats were at the front of the terrace on the aisle and when I sat down I couldn’t see, so naturally I stood up.  Fortunately I was not in anybody’s way so I stood for the whole performance.  So did my brother.  We were both so enthralled that we barely moved and I remember it very clearly still.  I also remember asking my mother to take me down to look at the pit during the interval as I wanted to know where the orchestra was.  I could just see over the wall and spent the whole interval there.  As I am now Concerts Manager with the London Sinfonietta, one of the South Banks resident orchestras, this was clearly prophetic!