Cornets

The Cornets

Soprano

Dean Pelling - Shopkeeper (see links page) and former Principal. Heir to the throne of Pelling (see below). Supplier of equipment and repairer of instruments to the band in much the same way as former trombonist Kirsty Willard has the monopoly on band hair-care. e-mail

Front-Row

Shelley Clark-without-an-"e" (Principal) - Mobile-phone magnate Shelley spends most of her free-time pursuing men around nightclubs, and indulging in her love of motorbikes. Constant belching during rehearsals quenched by introduction of anti-belching laws to Commitment League, although there's definitely something amiss with her sneezing technique. "Not interested" in firemen any more but recent graduation to squaddies not met with any more success. Paramedics next perhaps? e-mail

Damian Martin (Band Manager) - Obviously a genius, although quite plainly not a musical one. An avid collector of dust, he has a voracious appetite for shellfish, gets very excited over Trivial Pursuit, and needs to tidy his room. Very good at looking smug, especially now he has a car that looks nice and works properly. His evil-twin darts persona is currently steaming ahead at the top in the band's Sunday darts league. e-mail
Russell Boorman - Footballing megastar Russell has become so dizzy from his meteoric rise through the back row to Rep and now front-row, that he sometimes forgets to come to rehearsals. Suggestions that this fair-weathered approach has anything to do with his being a Manchester United fan are, of course, bang out of order and would never be entertained on this website... e-mail

Luke Kilpatrick - In his days on the back-row, young Luke "The Hat" Kilpatrick was the proud owner of one of the biggest collections of headgear in the South-East (open weekends March-September, free admission). Whilst the hats have been less evident of late, as the band's resident expert on skater-chic, Luke shows a worrying propensity to wear shorts to rehearsals, even in the depths of Winter.

Stuart "Lex Good" Balkham - Back home on some kind of placement year from Portsmouth University. Shy, retiring, architect-in-the-making Stuart has the girls a-gasping when he comes to band in shorts. Pride seriously dented, however, by inability to park car at Crawley contest. Brief career as an ice-cream man was terminated after being harrassed by a group of circus performers, then giving them free ice-creams in return for tickets to their show (later described as "rubbish"). Recent ill-advised experimentation with facial hair was met with general derision in these parts. e-mail

Repiano

Aimee Chalcraft - Elder sibling of Tiff, Aimee has joined up this Summer from the youth band. Her lack of time spent on the traditional training ground of third cornet shouldn't hinder her progress too much (I was only there for one concert myself, and look at me! Actually, probably not a great example), although she hasn't been setting her sights too high - recently Aimee was overheard expressing admiration for the tuba and has even started to play the thing in youth band. Let us hope this is just a passing phase. e-mail

2nd cornet

Margaret Collins - One of the "original cast members" from the band's near-legendary 1975 Reformation period. Margaret's daughter Angela was the present band's first conductor. Well-known for her cymbal-playing antics on marches, and now back playing and chatting over the tea urn after a period of illness.

Lynne Pelling - A member of the vast and shadowy Pelling dynasty, which is thought to have been secretly pulling the strings behind the scenes for some years. Little is known about her true identity, although it is thought much of her income derives from dealing with drugs nicknamed "medicines" at a secret location known only as the "Conquest Hospital". e-mail
James Filkin - Young James has, in the space of a year, already carved a name for himself as one of banding's most exciting rising stars, having moved to Second Cornet, leapfrogging such established talents as the Band Secretary. The Boy Filkin has, however, demonstrated a rather alarming anti-authority stance, being cheeky to the Band Manager and looking surly when spoken to. I wish to make it known that this will not be stood for. Understand, boy? e-mail

The Peter Wright 3rd Cornet Academy

Peter Wright (Band Secretary) - One of the band's notorious "Ambulance Posse", tough cookie Pete once turned have-a-go-hero when he discovered intruders during a nightshift down at the station. International expert on canal navigation and head of the famed 3rd Cornet Academy through which nearly every BTB cornet player, past and present, has had to graduate before being allowed to eat with a real knife. Recently referred to by a particularly unkind Principal Cornettist (no names) as being one of the "old gits". Unfortunately this is a moniker that may just be too hard to shake, even for this band "Mr. Nice Guy" and hero to generations. e-mail

Mervyn Pelling - Not only "Godfather" of the sinister Pelling clan mentioned previously, but a member of the "Ambulance Posse" as well. Mervyn was once volunteered to play bass drum in a march and has never looked back. Now one of Britain's top bass drum specialists, his extensive career has taken him literally the length and breadth of Battle High Street. e-mail
Tiffany Chalcraft - Junior sister of Aimee, alongside whom she was "privileged" to have drum-kit lessons with the Band Manager for a year. Tiff has recently moved up from the youth band and as such I don't really have any scandal to write about. Give it time though... e-mail
David Wood - Another promising youngster "promoted" from the youth band, David has impressed with his commitment this Summer. Like so many of us down the years, he will naturally learn quickly in the PWTCA, before in turn graduating up the cornet ranks, thereby making space for another generation of undergraduates... e-mail