Leaving the Bandroom before four o clock in the afternoon, entailed an early start for those of the Band involved in loading the coach. Normally, we have an empty street outside the Band room, but on this particular afternoon, not only were St John Ambulance very busy with plenty of cars parked up, but four large lorries were queuing up to get into the timber yard opposite. A combination of luck, good planning and muscle power, ensured that the coach got 'quite' near, and all of the huge pile of equipment and music got onto the coach in reasonable time. The early start was partly to avoid the huge traffic disruption in Hull caused by a major road closure, and the extra traffic caused by the early Friday (POETS day) finish. Picking up on time at Hessle, we headed off - hopefully leaving the torrential rain behind - for our rehearsal at Ackworth School near Pontefract.  

After setting up, we had a short wait for the stragglers to arrive,

and then we were straight into the hard work.

Once Jim had finished whipping us into shape, it was back onto the coach for the journey to Blackpool, and our hotel - The Hollies. Blackpool at this time of year, is not the place to go for a quiet weekend, as most of the sixty, yes sixty, competing bands stay for at least the Friday night, and many of them use their hotels to practice in. Of course, there are three different test pieces so listening out of a hotel window can be quite a novel musical experience. Staying next door to our hotel, was the Hatfield Band, many of whose members are known to us. 

Of course there was time for a quiet gargle before retiring for the evening.

And you can't go to Blackpool without tasting the fish and chips.

Young Andrew Kennedy from the Hatfield Band thought his luck was in when a taxi full of women pulled up outside his hotel. And they all had their own teeth too! The trouble was, they were in a glass next to the bed!

Saturday morning arrived all too soon, breakfast at 7am, and rehearsal at 8am.

Garry still manages to smile whilst handing over money.

Definitely too early for Alistair, he studies his part whilst wondering why he volunteered for the early shift.

Deano, Shaun(o) and Gibbo!

So, what do you think to this then? If I try it with these two pieces of 12" x 1". The three executives of Sheds 'r' us.

Pete, mentally prepares............... but what for?

Mark relieves someone else of their money with his famous fiddle based on the order of the contest draw. The fiddle was not it's usual success this year - no profit - he broke even!

After several years of practising in the hotel, the Band have now opted for somewhere a little more spacious. We are grateful to St Stephens On The Cliff for the use of their church hall.

Drawing number 19 out of 20, meant that the Band was in for a long day. We broke the morning rehearsal and returned to the hotel for a coffee break.

Paul, and his chums!

Answers on a postcard please.

At the top of the table, Garry manages to make a tabloid look like a broadsheet.

Coffee over, it was back to the rehearsal for another hour or so.

Garry demonstrates another one of his many talents.

Mountaineering - how else did he get onto the piano stool?

Once the performance was over, it was time to relax with a beer whilst we waited for the adjudicators to give us their judgement.

I said time to relax with A beer. Not one in each hand, plus a child's portion magically appearing to hover in your jacket pocket!

In the opera house, the Band gathered ready for the results.

Still a few moments to go before the stage party arrive, so the gathered masses entertained themselves with Mexican waves. Of course the timing was out, even with several rehearsals!

 Nearly time now, the man is on the stage with a calculator ready to check the results.

After a suitably tense period of time the results were announced. Today the Band was taking part in the Senior Cup, (which is the qualifying contest for the Grand Shield, which in turn is the qualifier for the British Open) and finished in 6th position, so stays in the middle tier of competition for next years event (to be held on May 19th). Whilst this is quite a creditable result, the band was quite disappointed with its performance, but has been able to take many positives away to build on. The two adjudicators - Stephen Mead and Frank Renton - produced quite differing remarks, but both made such comments as good sound, nice sound & confident, Solo Cornet - lyrical, excellent, lovely moments with Horn & Sop, very impressive, good work from the M. D. here and the band respond well. The 4barsrest.com website also produced a live critique of the performance, which again was very complimentary. Click here to visit their comments. 

Shaun demonstrates the multi faceted talents required by a modern day percussionist, the ability to do more than one thing at a time. Here he peruses the adjudicators comments whilst keeping a firm grip on his shandy!

Alison reads the other set of remarks....

....ditto, but from the other side. Now which one is Alison's best side?

Oh dear, obviously just reached the part saying 'stodgy horn'!

There's always one!

Jez, Alison and Victoria. I don't think Jez was too happy about this picture, just look at how much force Alison is applying to his neck to get him to stand still.

Following the results - and a glass or two, the Band left the Wintergardens and headed back to the hotel. After a short time changing (for the gentlemen of the Band) there was time to enjoy a quiet beer(s) before the ladies joined us. This isn't a sexist remark, it does take them a lot longer to get ready, they have to use a lot more products than the men. The gentlemen tend to go for the shampoo, soap and toothpaste approach, whilst the ladies have shampoo, conditioner, anti frizz, no-soap skin cleanser, foundation, eye gloss, lip shadow, polyfilla, nail polish and moisturiser. 

 Stewart and Dean - pretty in pink!

Stewart and his nephew Andrew (from the Hatfield Band). Just in case you didn't remember, Andrew is the one who pulled a taxi a load of grannies -  see picture above.

Steve and Shaun, enjoying the beer but starting to get a little peckish. Where are the women??

Aah! There's one.

Steve trying very very hard to look angelic. Obviously he's just made a 'little' comment that Emma missed.

At last, they started to arrive, 

Obviously Alistair is really, really looking forward to his night out!

Perhaps the extra time preening is worth it, none of the ladies have been left with an aerial like Alistair!

Jonathan took longer to get ready than most, and still forgot to take off his pink Wintergardens wrist band.

Jonathan tries his best hard look, whilst hiding the pink band behind his knee.

Slowly but surely, ....

....some more surely than others,

... others, a little less surely..

....the ladies assembled. Tony thought that assembled was the right description, given all the products needed by the ladies. He was convinced that they had a plan like an old Airfix kit.

Victoria and Andrew -  competing cousins. Both on the contest stage, and from the looks of it, the hair product department too!

Three of the girlies, arranged professionally in height order, and that's just their glass size!

Pete anticipates his first beer of the day. Yes, his first. He had to get ready before he could have a beer. 

Pete and Liz. 

Obviously a posed photograph.

Judging by the laughing, Liz must have just come out with another blonde comment.

Given the wait for food, Shaun and Steve seem to have amused themselves quite well. Here they have a serious moment discussing the merits of gel as opposed to spray.

Back to the boys in pink, joined now by one of the 'product' team.

Before leaving the hotel for the next part of our adventure, we had some individual photographs taken of Tony, Andrea, Pete, Vicki, Pete, and Dixon. If these look remarkably like mug shots, that's because they are. See The Band page for a complete section of pretty and not so pretty pictures! Click here - but be warned! 

Ever camera shy, despite the presence of a bevy of beauties, Jez can't be persuaded to face the lens.

No such problems for Kathy and Vicki (I want to be in lots of pictures) Kennedy.

The top end of the back row - Kirsty and Peter.

Visit part two to see what happened on the remainder of the Saturday evening.

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© EYMS Brass Band 2006