Nerja, where we went today, isn’t really our cup of tea but it’s home to some fantastic cave scenery that is well worth a look:

Yet more astounding vistas on what’s been a trip full of extraordinary sights. Some of the forms reminded me of some of the architectural feats I’ve seen in the last couple of days too.

And then it was on to Motril, where the BYCB were giving their final of the five concerts of this tour. They’ve played in formal auditoria and open air venues, such as the spectacular Antequera the other night, but it’s great that they also choose small squares in the middle of residential areas that are often quite run down.

In Granada on Tuesday night the band played to a packed concert hall of 1,000 people but today the audience of local people started floating in as Big Phat Brass, the excellent BYMT ensemble whose members also play in BYCB, kicked off proceedings. Tonight, as in Sicily last year, it was heartwarming to see tiny children inspired by the teenagers in front of them. The look in the eyes as they lit up at the music was unmistakeable: it was exactly the same look of my Boywonder then two years old, when he saw them perform at the then Glades in Bromley nearly 17 years ago, that made him want to be a trumpeter.

One of the reasons for the existence of the BYMT is to reach out and promote music of a high standard to less well off children like this and the band members are truly ambassadors for Bromley and the very best of British youth. I feel so incredibly proud of all of them.

They consistently win band prizes including Music for Youth and the World Music Festival at Kerkrade, they were invited to play in this year’s Granada Festival alongside ensembles such as the National Ballet Orchestra of Paris and the Vienna Staatsoper orchestra. The band were on television twice in the past week and fêted by their hosts in Spain.

And yet Bromley Council is happy to bask in their reflected glory whilst at the same time making plans to withdraw their remaining support (£150,000) from April next year. The following year they will lose the lease on the Music School. It’s lovely that other people around Europe appreciate our hardworking, self-disclined, talented children. It’s such a pity that their own Council cannot see this asset for what it is. They should be ashamed of themselves.

This being the last time that the Year 13 leavers will play with the band, there were a few high jinx this evening. The flutes dissolved in giggles at one point and our own Adam Richardson, former desk mate of the Boywonder and now off to study Theoretical Physics at university, saw fit to take a selfie in the middle of a solo section with Dan his Principal Trumpet. Trumpet boys will be trumpet boys!

The band are off to the Alhambra Palace tomorrow. It will be an eye opener for many of those who have never travelled before and those who have. I hope they’ve enjoyed their tour.

I’ll finish tonight’s post with some footage we took at the Antequera concert, the BYCB playing Granada.