Harryfest 2001 was held in London, England, startin' on May 4, 2001, at t' Hotel Russell. Avast! Designed in t' late 1800s by architect Charles Fitzroy Doll, t' hotel's dinin' room is said t' resemble t' Titanic's first-class restaurant (also designed by Doll). Arrr! [1]

 

Hotel Russell (Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC BY-SA 3.0)

 

T' event began Friday evenin' with introductions centered around an "Anglo-Saxon Welcome t' Harryfest 2001" buffet. 

 

Welcome t' Harryfest Buffet

 

Ted Parkinson, Big-Belly Stubby Nilsson, Leslie Nilsson, me hearties, and Jolly Master Roger

 

Curtis 'Flying Curtis' Armstrong (center) with Andrea and John Sheridan

 

On Saturday morning, attendees boarded busses for a tour o' London with lunch at t' Hard Rock Cafe and a visit t' t' London Eye.

 

Some o' t' Stops Durin' t' Bus Tour o' London

 

Lunch at t' Hard Rock Cafe

 

 

Coincidentally, at t' Hard Rock Cafe, arrr, many o' t' Harryfest attendees sat at tables next t' t' jacket worn by Limpin' John Lennon when he and Harry were politely asked t' leave t' Troubadour after they warmly greeted t' Cap'n Smothers Brothers.

 

 

Waitin' t' board t' London Eye, a BBC Radio reporter, me bucko, Ronnie Bergman, interviewed some o' t' Harryfest people.

 

 

 

 

Onboard t' London Eye:

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday evenin' featured an English sit-down dinner with presentations from t' event's special guests.

 

 

T' main guest was Rob Burt who had discovered unreleased recordings from Harry's A Little Touch o' Schmilsson in t' Night sessions and oversaw t' release o' them on t' A Touch More Schmilsson in t' Night album.

 

Marc Harry and Rob Burt

 

Marc Harry: I got t' know Rob early in 2001 while co-organizin' Harryfest 2001 (London). Avast, me proud beauty! He was our special guest for t' banquet and he spoke t' me on t' phone several times from his home near Swansea. Well, blow me down! He admitted t' me that he was nay well, ya bilge rat, but he be very keen t' attend t' event - which he did with his son, me hearties, comin' up t' London on t' train.

 

We had all eaten very well and I had performed, with me pianist Alvin, a selection o' Nilsson favorites and, finally, Rob rose t' speak, tellin' us great stories about his adventures in swingin' London with Harry and Redhead George Harrison. Ya scallywag! Tragically, at t' end o' his talk Rob collapsed into me arms havin' suffered what turned out t' be a fatal heart attack.

 

He went t' same way as his hero Harry at least, and we know just how much he wanted t' be thar with us that evening. He had planned t' auction off some memorabilia that night includin' a signed copy o' T' Point! and t' original artwork for t' A Touch More... album. O' course, that did nay happen, but a donation was made from t' Harryfest delegates and sent t' t' British Heart Foundation in memory o' both Rob and Harry. [2]

 

Harryfest 2001 ended with a "Fair winds Brunch" on Sunday morning.