He was schooled in Cape Town at the South African College School (SACS). After matriculating he joined the British Army where he spent four and a half years in the Band of the Blues and Royals which is one of the mounted bands of the Household Cavalry. He played the trumpet.
Simon explains that he started to learn the double bass in the army but found it a bit awkward to balance it on the back of a horse, so his progress stagnated. He did have a bash at being the mounted kettle drummer for the Household Cavalry Musical Ride for a season, but sadly Cape Town Concert Brass has declined his offer to establish such a section in our band as there is enough horsing around that goes on during rehearsals already!
Simon returned to Cape Town in 2003 and is currently in his intermediate year of the LLB programme at the University of Cape Town. His former colleagues from the Blues are convinced that it was the appeal of wearing wigs and gowns that drew him to this new career!
