Memories from George Wright
George joined the St Albans British Legion Band in 1934, aged 12 on Tenor Horn. After service during the Second World War, George rejoined the City Band, and stayed there until 1971.
Band Photograph 1967
St Albans Band are seen here in 1967 after purchasing their new uniform jackets and instruments with a grant from St Albans City Council.Designed by the haute coiture designer Hardy Aimes, these oatmeal jackets were supposedly the height of fashion at the time, although today one would probably just think of them as another lot of beige …
Band Photographs 1953
After the Second World War, the two main bands in the city amalgamated to for the St Albans City and British Legion Band. Players from each got together to form a viable banding force in the city and some members from the British Legion band, including George Peck and George Wright remained in the City …
Dave MacDonald’s Recollections
Dave joined St Albans City and British Legion Band in 1947, aged 10. His father, Archie MacDonald had joined when the family moved up from Plymouth in 1945 and the young Dave soon followed in his father’s footsteps. He started on Baritone and then moved onto Trombone where he stayed until called for National Service …
The St Albans City Training Band
The St Albans City Training Band was formed in March 1978 by music teacher Arthur Waddington, a former player of the famous Wingates Temperence Band. The band was formed to train and encourage school leavers to continue playing when they left school, although the band started with only eight of Mr Waddington’s pupils, it quickly …
67 Years With St Albans Band – Len Smith’s Recollections
Len Smith joined St Albans City Band in April 1939, just a few months before war broke out. At the tender age of 12 it was his goal to learn to play the cornet and join his cousin, Nelson Morris and other friends of his from his home in Longmire Road, St Albans in the …
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Memories from Richard Banks
Richard Banks joined St Albans City and British Legion band in 1962 – his reason for joining was that he was in the RAF at RAF Stanmore and had been keen to get back into banding – he had been brought up in St Albans and had relatives in the city and often spent most …
Some interesting stories from Andrew Walford
I came from Cornwall originally, starting out with the Saltash Town band – 4th section, but was quite keen so would often play with many other local ones when I could – Liskeard, and Tavistock (both 4th section), Plymouth Silver (1st/2nd), St Pinnock (2nd), and Bodmin Town Band (1st). Then I moved to the Midlands …
Alan Webster’s Memoirs
I left the Salvation Army in 1952 to join the St Albans City and British Legion Band, starting on Second Baritone, the Secretary was Alf Martin and the Conductor Ted Longland. The first engagement I took part in was a parade of one mile to celebrate the Coronation of the Queen in June 1953, …
Brass Band Competitions
Elsewhere on our site you may have seen references to brass band contests. You may have wondered what this is all about and what relevance doing well in them (as we have done in recent years) has for us, or indeed yourselves. Most people are familiar with hearing a brass band outdoors on a Summer’s …