Dear Editor,
Meier Travel's Tommy Hunter Tour on Sunday, April 17 began like all our other coach tours with a passenger pick-up at the Barrhead IGA. This trip was to see Tommy Hunter’s farewell concert at the Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton. We had to hire two buses for the passengers who bought tickets to see the man who so many of us grew up with. The first bus, with 52 passengers and tour guide Dan Simoneau on board, left directly for Edmonton. The second bus had 17 passengers form Barrhead and myself as tour guide. After several stops, we settled in for the remainder of what we thought would be an uneventful drive to the city.
About 10 minutes south of Legal there was a horrendous bang, like a cannon going off, the bus started shaking and Al our driver began wrestling with the steering wheel trying to control the bus as he slowed it to a stop at the side of the road. We had just experienced a front-tire blowout traveling at 100 km/h.
I got in touch with the manager of the bus company an he said he would meet Dan's bus at the Jube and send the driver back to get us as soon as he unloaded.
And so, back at the bus we waited and waited on the side of the road. Thirty minutes turned into an hour, an hour turned into 90 minutes. Finally the other bus arrived.
We arrived at 3:20 p.m. just in time for intermission. The biggest surprise of all came just as the second half of the Tommy Hunter show began. A very thoughtful, considerate person by the name of Dan Simoneau had, at intermission, quickly written a note to Tommy Hunter and sent it backstage explaining what had happened to our group.
Well, not only did Tommy Hunter welcome us, he announced that the band would do a reprise of the entire first half of the show. He also introduced the band members and repeated a few of his 'corny jokes' again. "This is for the gang from Barrhead. You other people have heard these before, but laugh anyway," he joked.
What a wonderful thing to do. It was such a small thing, something he could have skipped over, but took the time because he cared. He truly deserves his entertainment title of Canada's Country Gentleman.
Thanks to Dan for making it all happen. Perhaps he should be awarded the title of Barrhead’s Country Gentleman.
Brian Key
Meier International Travel
