Band History: the 1980s

February 1980 was a particularly good month for the Band in that thery were placed second at the Winter Contest and Festival of Light Music at the Wembley Conference Centre and won the Championship Section at the Milton Keynes Entertainment Contest. In March the Band was promoted to the Championship Section after winning the Second Section Area Championship.

These successes brought further rewards in the form of a joint concert with the Cambridge Co-op Band at the Bedford Corn Exchange. As part of this concert Harry Mortimer, who had last appeared with the Band as a guest soloist in 1920, conducted Michael Hext as he played 'Rhapsody for Trombone' by Gordon Langford.

Towards the end of 1980 the Band recorded two sessions for the BBC's 'Listen to the Band' and 'Bandstand' programmes. A later session for 'Among Your Souvenirs' meant that the Band had broadcast on all the National BBC programmes featuring brass bands. Indeed, 1983 was the fifth consecutive year in which the Band were invited by the BBC to record a programme. At the time of the first of these the Band was still in the Second Section.

A great deal of the credit for the Band's achievements during this 'purple' period must go to Ralph Fawthrop who was the Band's Manager and Chairman. In addition, the Junior Band, under the capable direction of Marion Hext (wife of the Musical Director), provided a vital source of new talent.

In early 1988 Terry Hext left the Band and Roy Turner, a local peripatetic teacher, took charge at the Area Contest.

In July of this year the Band was invited to play at a 'Victorian Weekend' to celebrate the Centenary of Bedford Park, where they had played on many occasions in the past. Unfortunately the bandstand had fallen into disrepair by this time.

At this time new uniforms were purchased with a generous grant from the Borough Council, and were worn for the first time at the Milton Keynes Contest in February 1989 where Michael Statham (flugel) won the prize for the best soloist in the Second Section, playing 'Concerto d'Aranjeuz' by Rodrigo.

When Roy Turner left the Band in March 1989 to take up a position at the Royal Worcester Grammar School the Band came under the capable direction of another local peripatetic, Michael Lock, who was assisted by visiting conductors, Len Jenkins and David Twitchings with Jim Hibbert taking the baton at the annual Christmas Concert at the Corn Exchange.