STANDING straight and proud on the steps of the Grand Hotel, the 29 gentlemen of the Whitehaven Borough Prize Band pose for a photo.
It's difficult to say what year it was taken, but the date on the drum, which carries the Lowther coat of arms, is 1901. It seems you needed to grow a moustache to blow those big tubas!
Everyone likes a brass band, with its music loud and rousing or soft and full of emotion. Concerts in the early 1900s would be welcomed and well attended.
Today we are lucky to still have the musicians of Whitehaven Brass Band to entertain us and it is always looking for new members. Visit www.whitehavenbrassband.co.uk for details.
First noted in newspaper archives in 1857, it probably had its origins in Whitehaven Miners band and the Hensingham Mechanics band.
As one current member said: “You can’t feel tense while you play music, it is very therapeutic. At first the loudness can feel a bit overwhelming, but it’s magic.”
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