Boscastle is a village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall 14 miles south of Bude and 5 miles northeast of Tintagel
1898: Boscastle Brass & Reed Band formed.
Played at carnivals, fetes and for dancing on the lawn opposite Manor House. (John Brush)
Boscastle Brass & Reed Band, 1899 W Prout MD (Photo: courtesy John Brush)
1900: Boscastle Town Band, started about eighteen months ago, the instruments being supplied by Messrs. Hayman and Son, Launceston. (6 January 1900 – Cornish & Devon Post)
1900: Boscastle Town Band at Boscastle United Band of Hope event. (5 July 1900 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1902-1905: W Prout, Boscastle, Brass & Reed Band MD. (John Brush)
1902: Mr R H Couch, Glenfinart, Boscastle, Boscastle Town Band Hon. Sec. (Cornish & Devon Post 12th April 1902)
1905: Leslie Prout Boscastle, Brass & Reed Band MD – from the City of Bath Band. He later conducted Delabole Band. (John Brush)
1905: Boscastle Wesleyan Mission Brass Band active. (John Brush)
1905: In the absence of the Bude Volunteer Band, which has gone to camp, the Morwenstowe and Boscastle Village bands were in attendance. (12 August 1905 – Cornish & Devon Post)
1906: Boscastle Brass & Reed Band returning from Holsworthy, one of the two horses pulling their brake began to kick, damaging the carriage. The remainder of the journey was made with the one remaining horse which necessitated the band members walking some of the way. They eventually arrived home at about 3.00 am. The kicking horse was ridden home by one of the band members. (John Brush)
1908: Boscastle Brass Band at opening ceremony… (10 August 1908 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1912 to circa 1939: William Hochin, Boscastle Brass & Reed Band MD. (John Brush)
1919: Name changed to Boscastle Brass Band. (John Brush)
1939: Playing suspended during WWII.
1945: Boscastle Brass Band re-formed. (John Brush)
1945 to 1953: Mr Grigg, Boscastle Brass Band MD who came from a whole family of Griggs who played with the St Dennis Band. (John Brush)
1949: Boscastle Brass Band contesting. (John Brush)
1953: Charles Berryman, Boscastle Brass Band MD. (John Brush)
Boscastle Silver Band 1956 (Photo: Facebook page)
Back row: G Pascoe, C Jose, K Dymond, B Wickett, David Ferrett, Mike Webber, G Wickett, M Beard, W Gard, J Beard, M Ferret, F Pridham, R Dymond, PC Perry, L Beard, J Hancock and bandmaster Charlie Berryman.
Front row: Eric Snowdon, Rodney Sandercock, M McDonald, A Fry, Peter Kinsman, R Richard Ferrett, R Stedman, G Graham Honey, J Kinsman, D Derek Stedman
Boscastle Silver Band 1957 (Photo: Facebook page)
1958: Charles Berryman, Boscastle Brass Band MD, drowned in the Boscastle floods. (John Brush)
1958: Arthur Biddick, Boscastle Brass Band MD. (John Brush)
1961 circa: Leslie Prout (not the 1905 one) Boscastle Brass Band MD. (Contest archive)
1962: Boscastle Silver unplaced in the Third Section at the SWBBA contest under Leslie Prout playing Contest Day and Euphony hymn.
1962: Boscastle Silver placed 1st in the Fourth section at the SWBBA contest under Leslie Prout playing The Golden Age and hymn tune Euphony.
1963: Boscastle Silver unplaced in the Third section at the SWBBA contest under Leslie Prout playing Salzburg Suite by Denis Wright and Austria hymn.
1963: Boscastle Silver placed unknown in the Fourth section at the SWBBA contest under Leslie Prout playing The Golden Age and Austria hymn.
1973: Boscastle Silver disbanded. (John Brush)
Compiled by Tony Mansell (Bardh Kernow)
This collection is a part of the Cornish National Music Archive (CNMA) project to Collect, Preserve and Share our Cornish Heritage and Culture.
It is based on location as each may have had more than one band.
Our thanks go to all of the organisations and individuals, whether named or not, who have provided information and photographs for this archive.
If you own the copyright to any of the photographs included here then please let us know and they will be credited or removed.
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