Wansbeck's Ashington Colliery Band

Band History

Originally Ashington Public Band early in the century until approximately 1930, when it then became the North Seaton Colliery Band until 1961 when the colliery closed.

In 1961, the mineworkers of Ashington Colliery asked the Band to represent their colliery and so the band returned to Ashington. This parnership lasted until 1988 when the colliery closed in March of that year. During these partnerships the Band was financed by the miners using their own pay, with a levy of 1d or 3d.

Even though a Colliery band, a good relationship was established with the Local Authority who we represented on numerous occasions. It was through this relationship that we became twinned with a musical group in Germany, Volmetaler Music Group of Schalkmuhle. This partnership has lasted more than 28 years.

The Local Authority gave the Band grant aid, which enables it to continue the area's Brass Band heritage, and so our name became Wansbeck's Ashington Colliery Band.

In the seventies, Hovis had their great old television adverts (the boy pushing his bike up the hill) with Brass Band backing music "Going Home". Ashington was the original Band that recorded the music for Hovis.

In the years 1983 and 1984, the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain were for the first time held in the Royal Albert Hall. The band was fortunate to be one of the representatives for the Northern Area in both years.

The band played in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen Mother when she opened the Queen Elizabeth Park at Woodhorn in 1978 and then in the presence of her daughter, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, when they visited the Alcan Smelter on the celebration of its 21st anniversary.