Portloe is a small village on the Roseland Peninsula within the civil parish of Veryan

 

1900: Veryan and Portloe Band active. (John Brush)

1929: Portloe Band formed. (Diana Smith) Mr Richards invited all interested men of the village, whether they could play or not, to meet together to form a band. (Cornish Communities – Portloe by Keith Johns and Mike Rule)

Portloe Band first band room was a loft store above the Fisherman’s Vats in the centre of the village, long since demolished. (Cornish Communities – Portloe by Keith Johns and Mike Rule)

1930s – probably early: Veryan Band ceased to have its own identity when it was incorporated into Portloe Band to become Portloe & District Band. (Book of Veryan and Portloe by Diana Smith)

No celebration was complete without a brass band and both villages had their own – Veryan’s was founded first.

As far as the band at Portloe was concerned they had the nickname of ‘Spit and Dribble’ – one wonders how they came by this name! They were more enthusiastic than talented and not one of them could read music so the bandmaster made them go over and over the three tunes that ended up as their entire repertoire. At any of the events they were playing you were welcome to request a tune provided it was one of those three. (Book of Veryan and Portloe by Diana Smith)

1930s – probably early: Joe Chenoweth was MD of Portloe & District Band. (Cornish Communities – Portloe by Keith Johns and Mike Rule)

After a while the band room was considered unsafe necessitating a move to the Men’s Institute on the beach. (Cornish Communities – Portloe by Keith Johns and Mike Rule)

Portloe Band (Photo: courtesy Diana Smith)

Considering the following items Portloe & District Band clearly disbanded.

1933: Portloe Band formed. (See entry below)

1933: Mr C C Richards was conductor of Portloe and District Band.

1934: Portloe’s Brass Band, which was formed last March … (24 January 1934 – Western Morning News)

Portloe and District Band, 25th January 1934

Portloe & District Band circa 1935 (Photo: courtesy Diana Smith)

Back row: Geoff Morse, Will Trudgeon, Bert Trudgeon, Herb Johnson, Fred Reynolds

Middle row: William Arthur Johns, Cliff Johnson, Charlie Cracknell, Fred Dowrick, Andrew Frost, Peter Blamey, Jack Trudgeon,

Front row: Bill Johnson, Sylvanus Johnson, Reg ‘Itchy’ Johns, Joe Chenoweth, Benny Johns, Joe Blamey, Hedley Buddle,

Sitting: Donald ‘Titch’ Reynolds, Albert Morse

(Cornish Communities – Portloe by Keith Johns and Mike Rule)

1935: The recently constituted Portloe and District Brass Band (conductor, Mr. J. Chenoweth, Veryan) are receiving generous support in the Roseland. They played at St Mawes, Gerrans, and Portscatho districts on Tuesday and Wednesday, and collected for their funds. (Western Morning News – Thursday 30 May 1935 / Nev Meek)

1939: The annual treat took place on Monday. Headed by Veryan [Portloe] and District Band, the children paraded the village, returning for tea. Sports were held in field lent by Mr Pascoe (13 July 1939 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

1939: Schoolchildren danced the Flora Dance to the fete which was held in a field near the town clock. Music was provided by Portloe Band. (27 July 1939 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

1939: Tregoney’s Big Day. Headed by Portloe and District Silver Band, under Mr. J. Trenoweth [probably Chenoweth], the carnival wound its way through the streets of Tregoney. (27 July 1939 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

1939: The carnival procession marched from the schoolroom to the field, with Portloe and District Band, under Mr Chenoweth, bandmaster, at the head. (17 August 1939 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

1939: Nurse Weds Bandmaster. The bride has been Ludgvan’s district nurse, and the bridegroom is deputy bandmaster of Portloe Silver Band. A short honeymoon is being spent in Devon, the bride travelling in a navy dress and coat. (5 October 1939 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

1938/9: Portloe & District Band contesting. (Contest archive)

WWII: Portloe & District Band suspended its activities and the instruments were stored in the Methodist Chapel. (Cornish Communities – Portloe by Keith Johns and Mike Rule)

1945 circa: Portloe & District Band re-formed with new boys together with a girl who had been taught by her father. (Cornish Communities – Portloe by Keith Johns and Mike Rule)

Circa 1949: Portloe & District Band disbanded. Unfortunately…numbers began to fall off with other attractions like dance bands and the early days of television taking their toll. (Cornish Communities – Portloe by Keith Johns and Mike Rule)

 

 

 

Compiled and written 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.

If you are able to correct or update any information included here then please leave a comment.