Sticker is a former mining village in the parish of St Mewan: the nearest town is St Austell three miles to the north-east
1860s: Sticker Brass Band active. (John Brush)
We do not know when Sticker Brass Band was formed but the West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser of the 4th of August 1870 confirms its existence in this report: “The teachers and scholars assembled at the Wesleyan Chapel, where a procession was formed, headed by the Sticker Brass Band.”
1872: Brass Band from Sticker in procession. (20 July 1872 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1881: Sticker well-known Brass Band. (17 June 1881 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1882: Sticker Brass Band in the fifth Falmouth Contest at Pendennis Castle. This may have been its first entry into the world of contesting.
1883: Sticker Brass Band at the Trewinnick Green. (23 May 1883 – Western Daily Mercury)
1887: Sticker Brass Band at Portloe Band of Hope.(15 July 1887 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1888: Sticker Band attended the eighth Annual County Volunteer and Independent Brass Band Contest in August but it doesn’t seem to have competed on a regular basis, nor does it appear to have collected any major prizes.
1889: Sticker Brass Band at Livestock Show. (19 September 1889 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1890: Brass Band from Sticker to Austell and the fife and drum band of the Band of Hope at Institute Hall, Fowey. (17 July 1890 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1892: Sticker Brass Band at St Austell Cycling and Athletic Sports. (23 June 1892 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1897: Sticker Brass Band headed the parade. (10 June 1897 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
Sticker Band 1898 (Photo: courtesy CCHS)
1901: Sticker Brass Band in attendance. (19 September 1901 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1903: Sticker Brass Band at Portscatho. (4 June 1903 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1914-1928: Sticker Brass Band records for this period held by Kresen Kernow.
1916: Sticker Brass Band at a Hospital Sunday. (12 October 1916 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1919: Sticker Brass Band at Tregony Hospital Sunday. (12 October 1916 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1919 circa: Sticker Brass Band renamed Sticker Silver Band. (BBHD) This is hardly newsworthy as most bands seemed to be variously termed brass, silver, town or whatever, based on the reporter’s understanding of what he thought they said!
1922: Sticker Coronation Band led the National Anthem. (24 June 1911 – WMN)
1930: Funds being raised for new instruments. (13 April 1926 – Western Morning News)
1930: Sticker Band in was attendance, under Mr H Crocker. (7 July 1930 – Western Morning News)
In 1935 Sticker Silver Band became one of several which employed the services of Charles Baker for contesting. He led the players at the West of England Bandsmen’s Festival at Bugle where they managed a lowly joint eighth place in class B and third in Class C. There appears to be one more contest appearance – at the Redruth Mining Division Bandsmen’s Festival in May 1936. Here, the conductor was Mr H Crocker who led them to joint third in the March section.
1935: Sticker Silver Band at Tregassick, Gerrans. (6 August 1935 – Western Morning News)
1936: Sticker Silver Band contesting under H Crocker. (Contest archive)
Reports of the band’s activities seem to disappear which may indicate that it disbanded. However, an entry in the 1950 programme of the Mid-Cornwall Bandsmen’s Festival at Stenalees Contest stated that Sticker Silver Band “was considering entering the festival next year”. Whether that indicates its continued existence or the optimistic view of someone trying to resurrect the band we do not know. Perhaps you do!
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.
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