I have a large photograph of the Trafalgar Band possibly taken around 1890. My Dad has marked his father on it and also Joe Price, who was the secretary of the club. It looks like they have won a competition as in front of the bandsmen is a large trophy and two large possibly silver plates. Does anyone know anything about the band or if it is still in existence today in some form. Thanks for any help you can give me. Helen

There is a previous thread on BRASS BANDS from 24 December 2010

'Relating to Lydbrook: The Trafalgar brass band, the most notable colliery band in the Forest, was formed before 1866.... It later became the Lydbrook silver band. (Source given: Glouc. Jnl. 15/09.1866; W I History of Lydbrook, 23A'

Admin state

If you go to the main Photo Gallery page and type brass band in the search box it will bring up numerous links to photos of brass bands

Photographs of Lydbrook bands also under : Lydbrook

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Lydbrook Band

http://www.lydbrookband.co.uk/

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British Newspapers on Line : has a number of 'hits'

Maurice Bent's book "The Musical Traditin of Dean. Vol 1" has a short section on the Trafalgar Brass Band including a photo that is not dated but includes the bandmaster, Mr A Wilce.
There is also a longer section on the Lydbrook Silver Band.

This particular book was dedicated to my grandfather (George Williams) and my uncle (Harold Williams) so is of particular interest to me as far as my Forest connections are concerned!

There are many mentions of the Trafalgar Brass Band in the BNA but they are mostly where they were leading a procession or performing at a function. The only one I can see where they won a prize is this one

BNA Gloucester Journal - Saturday 29 August 1874

COLEFORD. In the brass band contest at Blaenavon, on Monday, the first prize for the best rendering selection chosen by the performers was won by the Trafalgar Brass Band, under the leadership of Mr, Pogson, the band the 12th Glamorgan being second. Mr. Stephen Craen, the first cornet player at Trafalgar, also succeeded in winning the prize for the best rendered cornet solo, member of the 14th Glamorgan band taking second prize.

This site confirms that the conductor was Daniel POGSON. There seems to be no further information on wins.

https://brassbandresults.co.uk/contests/blaenavon-contest/1874-08-24/

Maurice Bent's book "The Musical Traditin of Dean. Vol 1"

I have that as well and was looking forward to Volume II but seems it never came.

Thank you everyone for your help.

The last mention I can find of the band being active in the BNA was in 1917 when they played a t a festival in aid of Lydney Red Cross. This is not long before the mine seems to have finally been closed.

http://lightmoor.co.uk/forestcoal/CoalTrafalgar.html

To perhaps aid easier reading, the old thread to which MPG refers is here
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=29396

I was wrong. The Monmouthshire Beacon of Friday 20th July, 1934 records them playing, under Mr T. Morgan, at the annual outing of the Redbrook Court of the Ancient Order of Foresters.

Apologies for not posting in full earlier in the week, been delayed due to a broken computer hard disc.

Some googling of this subject found this site about the bands of Britain which gives some more hints to the background of Lydbrook band, namely that it descends from these;

Lydbrook Brass Band (Gloucestershire)
Active from the 1860s to WW1.

Lydbrook Excelsior Band (Gloucestershire)
Earlier known as Lydbrook Morgan's Band in the 1880s, renamed as the Excelsior Band in 1900. Merged with other bands in 1923 to form Lydbrook Silver Band

Lydbrook Morgan's Band
See: Lydbrook Excelsior Band

Lydbrook Onward Brass Band (Gloucestershire)
Active from the 1920s to the 1940s

Lydbrook Tin Plate Works Band (Gloucestershire)
Active in 1882.

from http://www.ibew.org.uk/misc23b.htm

Maurice Bent's book "The Musical Traditin of Dean. Vol 1" has a short section on the Trafalgar Brass Band including a photo that is not dated but includes the bandmaster, Mr A Wilce.
There is also a longer section on the Lydbrook Silver Band.

This particular book was dedicated to my grandfather (George Williams) and my uncle (Harold Williams) so is of particular interest to me as far as my Forest connections are concerned !

Hi cm fenton,
Sorry for my slow reply, I wanted to as soon as I read your post, but I then suffered a rather severe computer failure so have been off line.

It seems your Uncle Harold Williams was the same kindly gentleman who was our headmaster at Bilson School Cinderford in the late 60s / early 70s. If so then please accept my best wishes, Mr Williams was a lovely man who we all thought very highly of, me and my older sisters have many happy memories of our time at Bilson. We lived just yards from the school in Parragate, overlooking their playing field, my mum's still there and she remembers Mr Williams as a nice gentleman who loved his choir music.

I don't know if your saw my post a few years ago about the Cinderford Scrapbook produced by Bilson WI in 1965.
It took me a while wracking my memory before I remembered where I'd seen mention of Harold Williams as a choirmaster, and it was in the Scrapbook, which I have a pdf copy of on my PC.
The Scrapbook has a couple of pages devoted to the Choral Society, including photos of Mr Williams and the choir's pianist Mr Cliff Bonsor, who was also one of our teachers at Bilson School. This section's author is a choir-member who writes that the “Genial and happy” Harold L Williams was son of "reputed and revered musician George Williams of Ruardean".

Out of interest I've found what you'll already know;

Births Dec 1913
Williams Harold L Meek Westbury S. 6a 510

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Sep 1909
MEEK Alice Westbury S. 6a 576
WILLIAMS George Westbury S. 6a 576

1911; Ruardean Hill, Drybrook, East Dean, Gloucestershire, England
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Occupation Age Birth year Birth place
William Williams Head Widower Male Coal Porter 68 1843 Hope Mansell Parish Herefordshire
George Williams Son Married 1 yr Male Blacksmith, Trafalger Coll’y 29 1882 East Dean Township Glos Ruardean Hill
Alice Williams Daughter Married 1 yr Female - 30 1881 East Dean Township the Morse Drybrook Glos

Finally, I did a quick search of the old newspapers on the BNA site and found an article from June 1931 which describes in detail the annual FoD Band and Choir Contest held at Ruardean, where George Williams is conductor of Ruardean Hill Choir, and Lydbrook Band is conducted by Mr M.Child.
Sadly that year George's Choir didn't win, but I'm sure they were still very good indeed.

Best wishes, Jeff.

Thanks Jeff, Exactly so - my Uncle Harold was a lovely man.

I hadn't noticed that in the 1911 census that g-grandfather William Williams (who I always thought had to be Welsh but was in fact born in Hope Mansell !) is recorded as a coal porter - at 68 no longer capable of the underground work as coal hewer that was recorded in 1901.

Best wishes -Colin