Count Rossini

Stan Van Hoorn was Count Rossini of Schlolsweg Holstein. He joined Nuts & Bolts when the act was asked to become a six piece for an American job that didn't happen. Stan stayed anyway and after fifty years in the business eventually became a star with Nuts!  In Germany he became a hero in every town we played and he loved it. When he came on stage like an absolutely lah lah old count and then proceeded to impishly mess everything up, he was perfect!   He owned the crowd. His catchphrase 'So Sorry' became the chant that kids would sing to him whenever he was recognised in town.  Little Stan was not only a brilliant fiddle player but a natural comic. He would always tell me that he couldn't believe his luck that he was in Germany or Holland or America wherever playing to sellout audiences at his age!   Stan was in many radio and television productions over the years but I know he enjoyed his time with Nuts & Bolts best of all. He had never earned such good money or travelled so far or seen so much and in return Nuts got another superb performer and he became one of the family.  We always had a laugh with Stan especially when he had  had a drink. After a few, Stan would start talking about when he was in the army in India. When we had all heard the story dozens of times we would shout loudly at him as soon as he said the words, 'when I was in India'   'No ! Not again!' and Stan would good naturedly shut up! He and Poggy used to drink the nastiest red wine in the dressing room!