It is with regret that we announce that Jo Sykes has decided to resign as our Musical Director. The ongoing effects of Covid on the banding world are still being felt, and we are not isolated from that, with some members deciding to move on after lockdown others as the year ended. To those that have, or are now leaving, we thank you for you dedication and support for the band over the years and wish you all the best for the future.

2022 is not the end, but rather an exciting new beginning of our journey together as we rebuild under a new experienced respected leader in the New Year.

The band was started in 1980 by Angela Lowe, who lead the band with passion and enthusiasm until her untimely passing in 2004. As you can imagine, the loss of Angela was hugely felt by the band and we had to rebuild, refocus and pull together to survive. Over the next seven years we fought to stay together and enjoy our music making with Keith Haines (formally our principal cornet), Stewart Lewins, and Colin Cunliffe.

Jo joined the band in 2010, bringing a renewed focus and vision for the future. During the next eleven years the band managed to break out of the fourth section, which was hard to do, due to its size. With the continued efforts by all our members after promotion to the third section in 2013, we managed to reach our current position in the second section! Accolades achieved in our time together have been a fourth section win in 2012, third place in the third section in 2016, and 2017, each with the invite of an appearance at the national finals in Cheltenham.

To lead this rebuild we are extremely lucky to have Gareth Key, who has achieved amazing things in the brass band world, with bands such as Cory. He is also an accomplished arranger, conductor (https://brassbandresults.co.uk/people/gareth-key/) and formally our solo trombone and Chairman, so a true friend of the band. In 2022 Gareth will work with the band and our new music selection sub-committee to pick music that both excites, challenges and allows us to grow.

As a consequence of having to rebuild the band with Jo leaving at Christmas we are sad not to be able to go to the area contest in 2022, but we will have time now to recruit new players and come back stronger in 2022/3!

Events for 2022 are already coming in and more will come, so the future for the band is positive. To coincide with our new beginning, we will hold an AGM in the New Year to share ideas for the future and ensure we move forward together with no voice unheard.

We always welcome new players to the band room, on a one-off or ongoing basis. We will also be

restarting our beginners/training band so if you are young or old and would like to start learning a brass

instrument, please contact Trevor Curtis, Chairman, on: 07758 460090.