These were really his early influences. After the French School, Eric went to Westminster Under School .He was lucky to have Jeremy Menuhin , the son of Yehudi, in his class but Jeremy’s excellence at music soon put an end to any hope of Eric playing violin or Clarinet that Eric’s parents had forced on him. Jeremy was so good it made you realise it was hopeless to even begin. Singing came naturally to Eric but not playing squeaky instruments. “My violin teacher was a dour old lady who taught me at 5pm when all I thought about was wanting to get back home and play with my snakes and toads. I soon put an end to those lessons. The clarinet was the same scenario. It’s a great pity music is always shoved down the throats of kids when they are their most tired. The music teacher at the Under School beat me with a Plimsole and that was the most painful of all the corporate punishments I received. I think he finally put me off formal music.”