North Devon Gazette Article – June 2019
It’s been a very busy June for the band, starting with our locally-held Solo, Duet and Quartet contest at Kingsley School.
This is one of a very few such contests left in the UK and we are proud to say that this one, our 29th was as successful as ever with players attending from Bideford, South Molton, Hatherleigh, Shebbear, Midsomer Norton and Radstock.
The weekend after the band took a coach ‘up north’ to attend the traditional and famous Whit Friday Marches held in villages around Saddleworth Moor (as featured in the film Brassed Off). More than 100 bands from all over the world compete in this one. Bideford joined forces with Wetherby Silver Band to form a band called Wetherford. The world-famous Brighouse and Rastrick band won the day.
Then, it was across the Pennines to Yorkshire where sightseeing around Harrogate was followed by a joint concert with Wetherby Silver which was greatly received. The band represented Bideford proudly and we hope to welcome Wetherby to Bideford next year.
A week later we popped over to South Molton to take part in their annual Battle of the Bands contest as part of the town’s summer fair. A great afternoon’s music played in the sunshine resulted in this year’s trophy coming to Bideford which was a great result for us.
You can of course come and listen to us every Thursday until the end of August, on the green at Westward Ho! from 7.30pm. If it’s wet or too windy we’ll be in the nearby Baptist church.