▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁season ▁sold ▁nearly ▁ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁tick ets , ▁with ▁an ▁average ▁audience ▁of ▁about ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁– ▁many ▁more ▁than ▁could ▁have ▁fitted ▁into ▁the ▁Queen ' s ▁Hall . ▁ ▁Despite ▁his ▁age ▁and ▁the ▁difficulties ▁of ▁w art ime ▁travel , ▁Wood ▁ins isted ▁on ▁going ▁to ▁provincial ▁cities ▁to ▁conduct ▁– ▁as ▁much , ▁according ▁to ▁Jacob s , ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁local ▁orch est ras ▁surv ive ▁as ▁to ▁grat ify ▁aud ien ces . ▁His ▁final ▁season ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁The ▁season ▁began ▁well ▁with ▁Wood ▁in ▁good ▁form , ▁but ▁after ▁three ▁weeks ▁ra ids ▁by ▁the ▁dev ast ating ▁new ▁German ▁flying ▁bomb s ▁caused ▁the ▁government ▁to ▁order ▁the ▁closure ▁of ▁places ▁of ▁entertain ment . ▁The ▁Prom s ▁were ▁immediately ▁re located ▁to ▁Bed ford ▁some ▁ ▁away , ▁where ▁Wood ▁continued ▁to ▁conduct . ▁He ▁was ▁taken ▁ill ▁in ▁early ▁August ▁and ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁conduct ▁the ▁f ift i eth ▁anni versary ▁Prom ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁August ; ▁he ▁was ▁forb idden ▁by ▁his ▁doctor ▁even ▁to ▁listen ▁to ▁its ▁broadcast . ▁Wood ▁died ▁just ▁over ▁a ▁week ▁later ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁August ▁at ▁H itch in ▁Hospital ▁in ▁H itch in , ▁H ert ford shire ; ▁his ▁fun eral ▁service ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁at ▁St ▁Mary ' s ▁church , ▁and ▁his ▁as hes ▁were ▁inter