Buffin was a key musician in the history of Friars Aylesbury, playing drums for ‪‎MottTheHoople‬, Mott and The British Lions between 1969 and 1977. With Mott the Hoople he played 5 times at Friars Aylesbury in Dec 1969, Feb 1970, May 1970, September 1971 (just before Bowie’s first gig) and February 1973. He also played Friars Bedford on 1st January 1970 and in November 1970, Friars High Wycombe in September 1970 and Friars Dunstable in September 1972. He subsequently played ‪#‎FriarsAylesbury‬ Phase Three at Aylesbury’s Civic Centre twice with Mott in September 1975 and at the Friars Aylesbury 7th birthday party on 12th June 1976. Later still he played Friars Aylesbury with The British Lions in December 1977. Friars legend and jounalist Kris Needs ran the Mott The Hoople fan club out of Aylesbury which was affectionately called The Mott The Hoople Seadivers.

Buffin was a key member of Mott the Hoople. On the early gigs they would put Buffin and his drum kit right at the front of the stage making him the featured player. The Friars gig in December 1969 at the New Friarage Hall in Walton Street was the first gig that MTH played where they got a great audience reaction. That was the gig where it all started according to keyboard player Verden Allen.

In March 1972 Mott The Hoople decided to call it a day. When Bowie heard they were going to split he went mad and spent two hours on the phone with them telling them that they just had to stay together. He offered them ‘Suffragette City’ to record and then a new song he had just written ‘All the Young Dudes’. They felt that Dudes suited the band more and said they would like to record that. The rest is history. Bowie produced their next album and ‘All the Young Dudes’ was a huge worldwide hit.

The photo below by Geoff Tyrell shows Buffin (centre) in the Friars dressing room in June 1976 with Mott, Kris Needs, Otway, Paul Kendall, Tricia Kendall and Magenta Devine.

After his live career ended he became a BBC producer for John Peel and Kid Jensen and famously produced a Nirvana session in 1990 for Peel. He was also key in breaking local hero Howard Jones who he recorded in session for Kid Jensen in 1982 which resulted in a recording contract with Warners.

‪‎Buffin‬ had a long battle with Alzheimers which prevented him from participating fully in the Mott The Hoople reunion gigs in 2009 although he did come on stage for the encores. He was one of the great Friars musicians, heroes and friends and was the nicest guy you could ever hope to meet. Farewell Buffin. We will always remember you, and miss you.