Dear Gavin
A member of a club I belong to was some years ago involved with the
British Legion Boys band and now his son is helping out. The band still
exists and therefore not fit your catergory but he is willing to supply
a history. The band travelled extensively and became world famous. So
if this helps please write to:
Mr. Jim Spendley, 150 Cranham Gardens, Cranham, Upminster, Essex, RM14
1JT.
Mention my name.
Hope this is of help
Regards
Stuart
On 14 Jul 2005, at 12:21, Gavin Holman wrote:
> Did your village, town or community once have its own brass band?
>
> I am carrying out research in the history of brass bands in local
> communities, and would like to ask if you know of any information
> about any
> such extinct bands in your area.
>
> The late 18th and early 19th centuries were the "golden age" for these
> bands
> numbering, it is said, up to 40,000 distinct bands at their peak. Many
> of
> these bands were associated with local industries, often being a
> "works"
> band. Others provided a musical focus for many small towns and
> villages in
> the days before the gramophone and the wireless. Today, in contrast,
> only
> some 1,500 or so are left active in the UK.
>
> Sadly many of the bands left little in the way of information about
> their
> existence, and what does exist is widely scattered with individuals,
> local
> archives and national collections.
>
> Part of my research is to identify these lost bands, to collect
> together
> material to provide a central database of information – containing a
> mixture
> of primary information as well as references to material held elsewhere
> (e.g. in local archives).
>
> Any information you can provide would be gratefully received. Whether
> actual
> information or pictures of any bands, or pointers to resources, or
> sources
> for further investigation. Even knowing that a particular band existed
> is
> significant!
>
> Currently much of the information I have collected is available
> online, as a
> freely available resource, at http://www.ibew.co.uk - in various
> locations,
> for example, in the Reference section under "Extinct Bands" or "Vintage
> Pictures".
>
> With best wishes for your continuing researches in local history,
>
> Yours,
>
> Gavin Holman
> http://www.ibew.co.uk
> The Internet Bandsman's Everything Within
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