1999: BTB Year in Review Pt. II - Our True Story

January:

• New Year's Day was the date for the band Christmas dinner (says it all really...). The Webmaster has since heard tell that scurrilous gossip was abounding at one end of the table. Unfortunately, as I was seated at the arsonists' end rather than the rumour-mongers', I am unable to elaborate. Shame. A certain percussionist caused much confusion by eating someone else's meal choice and vigourously denying ever having chosen something else.
  
  
• New Year's Day was also the day when Chris and Kirsty finally made Ron a grandpa. Jake was only a few days old by the time he had been selected as Battle's future star bass player. Poor kid.

• We booked a photographer to take an official photo of the band, resplendent in our natty uniforms. However, due to a sudden spate of bad hair days, this was postponed.

February:

• The nation breathed a sigh of relief as Battle Town back-row star Pete Nest finally broke his long silence, easing fears that he had disappeared from the face of the earth, or taken up the violin or something. Writing exclusively in this site's Guestbook, Mr. Nest was giving nothing of his whereabouts away nor, indeed, would he explain why he had vanished virtually overnight from the band's crack squad of back-row cornets. Laughing off the worries of other band members with a jokey reference to being "in hiding", the enigmatic Nest even went on to have a dig at the Euphs. That's my boy!

• A Quartet travelled up to a frosty Godalming at some ridiculous hour on Valentine's Day morning, to play for the SCABA Quartet/Small Ensemble Contest. Everyone arrived safely, although the Euphonium section was displaying a flagrant disregard for red traffic lights (urged on, admittedly, by the cornet section) and the Tenor Horn section was showing an equal disdain for other motorists' right of way (however, this is obviously less important if you are driving a Volvo). Despite this being the band's first attempt at a Quartet in recent memory, and despite the relatively small amount of preparation time, we managed a creditable sixth out of fifteen in our section. We also got our wrists slapped and were labelled as "naughty" for not bringing our registration cards but, hey...next time we'll know! Thanks to the (fool)hardy souls who came along to laugh/support us.

• The 1999 East Sussex Brass residential course and concert went swimmingly well (as in "swimming in beer"). It all culminated in an excellent concert featuring Melvin White and Alan Morrison at the De La Warr Pavilion which was very well received by a good audience of over 400.

March:

• The band sent a couple of representatives to the SCABA AGM in Burgess Hill (with Peter finally consenting to be a passenger in a Mini). There was an interesting discussion with an exceedingly tall gentleman from the British Federation of Brass Bands, the news that next year's Brighton contest will be in Crawley (!?) and an unsuccessful attempt to persuade Peter onto the SCABA committee...oh, and the refreshments were good.
  
  
• There was a mixed response from the band to the news that there will be no March Section in the SCABA Spring Contest. On the minus side it meant that (not wishing to be negative of course!) our chances of winning anything went from slim to infinitesimal. On the plus side, however, it meant less torture-time spent on stage, and also that we are still the reigning March champions since winning the trophy two years back!

April:

• After conducting the East Sussex Brass course back in February, Melvin White kindly agreed to come back (although why anyone would come back here I don't know...money talks I guess) and take a rehearsal in preparation for the Spring Contest. Quite what he made of it all I'm not sure, but the band certainly benefited from his wisdom, and it was a very interesting opportunity to get an outsider's viewpoint on interpretation of the test piece. Most of the band had worked with Melvin in February, and it was good to welcome him, and his sarcasm, back. Our thanks go out to him and we hope the trauma of it all doesn't prevent another return in the near future.
  
  
• Success! We regained the SCABA 3rd Section title at the Spring Contest in Brighton - by three clear points. Blimey. This now means that we have won it three years from the last four, and four out of the last six, as well as still being reigning March champions. Promotion to the Second Section, hopefully, does not beckon though...The day went off without any major dramas (for us at least), although Phil's mid-piece leap from Rep to Clash Cymbals would have gone down well at an Ents contest, especially as he then dropped the cymbals with great gusto on the floor behind the stage curtain just as another band was about to start.
  Results: 1) BATTLE TOWN - 174 points 2) SANDHURST SILVER - 171 3) YIEWSLEY & WEST DRAYTON - 170.

• This win was especially important for the band as a get-well message for Claire Mitchell, who unfortunately had to miss the contest due to a broken leg sustained after being hit by a car. Hopefully it cheered her up a bit as she had expressed extreme concern at "having to put up with Dad if we lose"...
  
  
• The annual Battle St. George's Day parade went smoothly enough despite some minor problems with punctuality, flying drumsticks, and a slight incident involving cornets and repeat signs. Oh well...at least it was dry (and the tourists seemed to like it).

May:

• The first few bandstand concerts of the year. The Summer season arrived, but someone forgot to tell the weather. Bexhill was freezing cold and blowing a gale, which was ideal preparation for the trip to Deal in September, and much what one would expect from Bexhill in August let alone May. On the other hand I would rather have been playing than doing what I was doing at the time (sitting freezing cold and wet at Edgbaston watching England fail miserably to qualify for the second stage of the Cricket World Cup...). Battle Bandstand was slightly more temperate and appreciated by the audience, even if many of them were only passing on their way back to the coach park from the "Napoleonic Battle" re-enactment or whatever it was...
  

June:

• The band got together and indulged in our annual spot of tourism for our band day out. No passports needed this year, although a phrase-book to understand the Brummie in the ice-cream van wouldn't have gone amiss. Stratford-Upon-Avon was most picturesque and suitably Shakespearian. The sky didst brood, hung heavye with clouded darknesse but, forsooth, lady fortune smiled down upon us and took pity on our wearye souls. Thus spayred the torrents of the Devil did we sit down by the bankes of the Avon, and yeah, verily did we seeke to entertain the bemused folke of fair Stratford Towne. Anyway, the band played well and an enjoyable day was had by all. Most importantly of all, we even made it back home for last orders.
  
  
• A concert was given at Claverham School as part of the Battle Festival. Normally this concert is held in front of the usual meagre crowd down on the bandstand, so the band appreciated the chance to perform indoors in front of what turned out to be a good-sized audience. Thanks to sponsors Boosey & Hawkes we were able to feature Bob Childs as guest soloist. Bob's amazing playing was warmly appreciated by the audience and also by the band, who, once they had picked their jaws back up from the floor, performed very well. At least Peter doesn't seem to have come out of it with significantly more grey hairs than previously. Thanks to the sponsors and not least to Bob himself, who managed to make the concert and the rehearsal the previous day an enjoyable experience for all concerned. The band looks forward to the chance to work with him at some stage in the future.
  
  

• Congratulations went to Paula and Steve for being the latest to get their very own baby, Patrick. It certainly seems to be the in vogue thing to do, as Sue and Andy followed suit a couple of weeks later with Edmund, a brother for Douglas.

• Due to the weather's sudden change for the better, some band members decided to come to rehearsal in shorts. This gave the "ladies" something to gossip about, although the general consensus was that although Stuart was welcome to wear shorts whenever possible, perhaps Peter ought to stick to long trousers in future.

July:

• It was all change (well, not quite, but you get the idea) on the personnel front! In amongst the usual suspects returning bedraggled from University there were a couple of positional changes to the band this Summer. Russell, having finally graduated, returned to play Flugel. He replaced Kate, one of the band's longest-serving members, who decided to take a break from playing for a while - we hope to see her back soon as we have a Baritone here with her name on. Also we welcomed a third generation of the Thomas family, Natalie, who was a useful addition to the Bass section helping out through the Summer.

• The Youth Band performed two concerts, one at St.-Mary-in-the-Castle Arts Centre and one on Battle Bandstand. Both concerts went very well, and the sun blazed down as usual for the bandstand concert. Why doesn't it stay like that when we get to play there in September? Nonetheless, there was a stiffish breeze which kept the youngsters on their toes and the sizeable audience dazzled by John Duffill's stand-holding skills. Tankards were awarded to leaving players Olau and Phil (who this year actually got the tankard to go with the empty cardboard box he got last time) now that they are all grown-up (?!), to thank them for their services to the Youth Band over the years.

• In sweltering temperatures the band marched down Battle High Street to the Abbey, at the head of the cavalcade for the Battle Classic Car Show. Despite having a Soprano player on Side Drum (who would, incidentally, like to go on record now as saying he would rather not do it again) everyone safely negotiated the tourists and a brief and, mercifully, shady set followed in the grounds of the Abbey (There was a rumour, however, that perhaps cornets and repeat signs became entangled again at one point). Several band members went away to Austria the next day with a local youth wind band, and sunburnt necks turned out to be just the ticket before spending one and a half days on a coach. Great stuff.

• Ruth Cavilla turned up on time to band and stayed until the end, and even managed to play two concerts (although chickening out of the march). This meant something happened that most of us said never would...namely that she "sprang" from the bottom of the "Committment League". On the other hand she then decided to go off round America for a month. Oh well.

August:

• The now traditional August roasting took place on the Alexandra Park bandstand in Hastings. Unfortunately only the Reps and Soprano player were in the sunshine, so the rest of the players could only imagine what it was like to have half of your body fat melt in the space of 45 minutes. The whole band managed to squeeze onto the stage eventually, but so crammed in were we that the pressure was just too much for the blood vessels in poor old Stuart's nose to bear. Never mind, shedding blood for your art is a very noble gesture. One other thing of note...the horns managed to finish "Ragtime for Horns" at roughly the same time as the rest of the band.
  
  
• Catsfield fête stayed dry again, the judges had a hard time judging the "spaceman made from vegetables" and "edible necklace" categories, and the standard of marrows was exceptionally high. The lack of carrot cake on the cake stall did rather mar the afternoon (for me at any rate), but that's villages for you. This year the thronging crowds were wowed by the strains of such tunes as "Edelweiss" and "Jamaican Rumba" in a bid to keep the band fresh for another concert that evening at St. Clements Church in Hastings Old Town, for the annual "Old Town Week". Despite it being the second outing of the day for the majority of players, the band both looked and sounded very impressive. Indeed, the only shadow cast on the evening was the willingness of the church flower arrangements to deposit large smears of alarming red and yellow pollen over anyone straying too close to their foul clutches.
  
  
• The frantic hive of activity over the end of July/beginning of August led to some major changes to the "Committment League". Chloe became the league's first clear leader, only to spoil it by going to the Isle of Wight (and why not?). Pre-season favourite Claire then took over at the top with an impressive one point dropped since May. On the other hand, certain band secretaries chose a very bad time to go on holiday and slipped down the table faster than Shelley down a fireman's pole. Rachel took over as Principal Horn at the end of August, replacing Jane who decided to give up playing.

• The Willard household hosted the annual Band Barbeque for the second year in succession, and much fun was had by all. If you are interested pictorial evidence of this can be found here. This year the beer barrel was dry well before the end of the evening, but there was plenty of other, um...refreshment on hand. Chris' insanely hot chilli sauces and the morning-after band breakfast proved very popular once more, as did a new feature involving Chris Mills running into a closed sliding door. We hope this will establish itself as a yearly ritual.

• Hever Castle was again the venue on August Bank Holiday, for the tortuous three-set marathon in the blazing sunshine. A certain well-known double-act kept a running commentary by mobile phone while taking the...erm...scenic route to the concert, and conspicuously failing to find any helpful pedestrians in Tunbridge Wells. Still, we all had a lovely picnic and the band and soloists played very well, with the Sop player even attracting a photocall with a Japanese tourist. No accounting for taste, eh?

September:

• The Band took the long trip to Deal to the Memorial Bandstand for a very well-received concert, warming the large crowd up for some band called the Royal Marines who were appearing the following week. Sadly Olau's 2CV was a casualty of the journey, conking out on the hard shoulder. Mervyn did a Good Samaritan act as the rest of the band all shot past in turn waving (in sympathy of course), and they finally arrived in time for the second half. This year the fisherman's winches beat the band in the race to the end of the concert.

• The final concert of the year on our home bandstand drew a somewhat smaller audience, as unfortunately seems to be the norm in Battle. However, those that attended were rewarded with a good concert, one of the highlights of which was Karen Wells becoming the first Baritone soloist that anyone in the band can remember (and in some cases, that goes back some time...).

October:

• The band travelled, somewhat depleted, to SCABA's 50th Autumn Contest at Folkestone. Hopes were not exactly high, but somehow we managed to win the 3rd Section title by a clear margin for the second time this year. It was a strange day because even the Bass Section came away with silverware! Click here for Review!

• Towards the end of the month was the band's annual Autumn concert in collaboration with the British Legion. In general the programme went well, although the audience was a little smaller than we had hoped for. Must have been the weather, guv. Rather like last year's Christmas concert, one family seemed intent on winning every raffle prize on offer; this time, however, it was Tim's family rather than the Mitchells. David Gullick guested, screaming out the Soprano part in my absence and showing the band just how many notes I usually leave out. Yeah, cheers mate.

• Due to the concert date being changed at the last minute there were a couple of us who missed this concert and played with 'Other Bands' (like the treacherous scum we are) at the Pontins contest in Prestatyn instead. From what we can remember, Phil, Chris Mills and myself would like to thank Porthaethwy Menai Bridge, Hilgay Silver and Kidlington Concert Brass respectively for a great laugh, and anyone else we met up there as well. Oh...and apologies to the BTM player I tried to bite.

November:

• The Rememberance Day parade went very well. Indeed, there were a great many favourable comments received by band members afterwards. Anyone who has seen us march before may well wonder at this, but in truth the band did look very smart (not to mention rather better disciplined than usual!) and played well. Perhaps the knowledge that there was a TV camera filming for the South-East news might have had something to do with it?!

  December:

• Various small ensembles played carols around the area throughout December - at Chantry Infant School (Bexhill), Westfield, Whatlington pageant and Battle British Legion, as well as the usual sprint around the wards of the Conquest Hospital (Hastings) on Christmas Eve. This year no-one wrote their car off on the way there either. On top of this, the band played very successfully for a private function at St. Leonards Masonic Hall (where Chloe discovered band folders can be kept on your car roof while driving and not blow away), and positively froze to death on behalf of the Macmillan Cancer Appeal outside Priory Meadow Shopping Centre in Hastings one Sunday morning. Amazingly, we finally managed to get a band photo done; hopefully (?) this will appear on our main page at some point...
  
  
• Our annual Christmas concert was again packed out. This year the crowds were lucky (?) enough to get a xylophone duet ("The Two Imps") as well as the usual band fancy dress (thanks to Jonathan for lending the xylo!). "The Two (G)Imps" was also on display the next evening at the annual Hastings Civil Service Club bash. As usual, this turned out to be a rather riotous affair involving large amounts of silly string, fake snow, party poppers etc...the liberal use of which bordered on victimisation in some cases! Thanks go to John Groves for taking his life in his hands and offering to conduct so that Peter could have a few drinks (sorry, that should read "play the baritone").
  
  
• At the Civil Service club bash, if my memory serves me correctly, Peter couldn't finish his pint at the end of the evening. I rather suspect that this may be a first, if anyone can remember this happening before - or spots it happening again - please let us know!
  
  
• Claire wrapped up the Commitment League title, no surprises there. However, she only beat Stuart by one point, and even then only because she came to band with flu just before Christmas so that the title didn't slip from her grasp. Teacher's pet or what? Almost as much of a non-surprise was Ruth Cavilla being the lowest-placed "full-timer" in the league. Several positions changed right at the last minute, with Shelley's last-gasp demotion from the top ten helping to shroud the final results in controversy (well, she complained at any rate). Cool.
  
  
• Rather remiss of me not to mention it earlier, but Russell Kemp was this year's winner of the "Keith Child Shield" for most-improved player. This was actually awarded back in....ooh...October-ish, but no-one seems to have reminded me to put it on the website. Now that I think about it I also seem to recall that the annual "Services to the Band" award was won by Pete Wright, and that was back in January or February...Whoops! At the Christmas Concert the final band award of the year, the Young Players' Award, was given out. This time it went to Stuart Balkham, who has done a great job this year, graduating from back-row to front-row rather quicker than he may have liked. Well done, congratulations to all three of you!

Return to Main Page