DAILY ADVERTISER FEBRUARY 14-15, 1978
Mystery of attac
‘on music director
GUILDFORD Philharmonic director Vernon
Handley
is suffering from concussion after being
assaulted in Manchester.
Mr. Handley spent last week conducting the
city’s famous Halle orchestra and the attack came
while he was standing outside the Midland Hotel,
waiting for a car to take him to rehearsals.
Handley’s wife Victoria said her husband was still’
suffering from the effects of concussion. “He feels
the ground moving beneath him and he has jarred
one of his vertebrae,” she said.
;
“He has headaches and he is still not feelmg
well but heis on the mend,” she added.
Despite his injuries Mr. Handley carried on
He was reading a musical score when the
working last week. He gave three performances
stranger came up and hit him hard on the side of
with the Halle but had to conduct the orcestra
sitting down because of giddiness.
:
thejaw without warning,
The conductor fell, but managed to get to hisfeet and ask the man why he had hit him before
making his way back into the hotel and to ask
reception to call the police.
His attacker followed him, however,and Mr.
Handley believes he would have been struckagain if he had not been restrained by two of the
hotel’s porters.
Speaking from thelr Gloucestershxrc home, Mr.:
Doctors have told him to rest this week and he
has pulled out of a concert at the University of
Surrey tomorrow.
He will bein charge, however, at next SundayF o
concert of the Guildford Phllharmomc in The
Civic Hall.
A man appearcd at Manchester Magnstrates
Court on Fridayin connection with the mcxdent