Chris Bowman - In the UK

After just over a week in the UK, Chris has experienced the local Guiness, Chippers - oh... and lots of brass banding!

Thirty-two hours after leaving home in Adelaide, I arrived at Alexandra's flat in Gloucester. A few hours later, we were on the coach and heading to the stunning seaside resort town of Blackpool. What a dive! This place is mile after gaudy mile of side shows, Chippers (the local name for fish and chip shops) and beachside hotels that seem to have received no maintenance since the day they were constructed.

Nevertheless, after six and a half hours of coach travel - including a 45 minute stop at a fast food thing on the motorway - I found the accommodation to be just perfect. It was a room with a horizontal thingy resembling a bed!

Philip Harper, Alexandra Bowman and Chris Bowman at rehearsal

PolySteel went straight into rehearsal in the bar of the hotel. It was as dead as any venue could be. This made no difference to the wonderful sound they produced. The side door was open and several bands could be heard in the distance - renditions of Whitsun Wakes, Essence of Time and Harmony Music flooded through door and windows. The obligatory few pints followed after the rehearsal. These were to be the first of many pints of Guiness that I consider to be my contribution to the local economy.

Next morning I awoke at 3.30am - doesn't everyone? It was cold, wet and breezy - exactly what one would expect at a seaside resort town 10 days before the start of summer.

The night before, another band (I suspect they were not a brass band) called Radio Head performed in the Winter Gardens complex. What a sight: there were four Pantec trucks and three luxury coaches parked between our hotel and the Winter Gardens building.

Winter Gardens in Blackpool is an enormous venue: possibly the best venue I have experienced for a brass band contest. First, Radio Head was performing in the largest room - the ballroom. Apparently, we should be thankful the bands were not in there, as this room is huge and the last chord of Whitsun Wakes would probably still be reverberating. The Opera House - where the Grand Shield was held - is the second largest opera house in all of Europe. It was massive. The Senior Cup and Senior Trophy sections were held in the most bizarre rooms. One could only describe them as picturesque!

Change room at Winter Gardens - as big as a football field

This contest is a qualifier for the British Open - arguably the most coveted prize in banding. Bands proceed through stages of qualification. The Senior Trophy compete for four places in the Senior Cup (in the following year). Bands in the Senior Cup compete for four places in the Grand Shield (in the following year), and the Grand Shield bands compete for two places in the British Open (in the current year). So, each year there is a promotion/relegation process involving all of the bands at this contest.

Rob Kavanagh, Alexandra Bowman and Tom Paulin outside Opera House - Winter Gardens

I caught up with Rob Kavanagh (ex K&N) - now playing Solo Horn for Besses o' th' Barn; Tom Paulin (ex Hawthorn) - now conductor of Granite City Brass in Aberdeen, and his wife Margaret; and met many people who I can only describe as legends of the brass band scene.

Whilst watching and listening to a couple of bands playing Essence of Time, I sat in front of Dr Philip Wilby. Conductors on stage included Richard Evans, Brett Baker, Ian McElligot (ahem!) and our own adopted Irishman, Ed Kennedy. What a room: it resembled a Spanish ship and was aptly named the Spanish Room.

In the Pavilion Theatre - which resembled a rococo-inspired basilica - bands performed Harmony Music. Again, names from the back of CDs and LPs or the top of brass band compositions and arrangements were on stage: Stan Lippeatt, Duncan Beckley, Dr Roy Newsome, Andy Duncan, Steve Sykes - what a headspin for a guy from Australia at his first British brass band contest.

The Opera House was enormous. The big boys were on stage again: Garry Cutt, Steve Bastable, Major Peter Parkes, Nigel Weeks, Philip Harper, Alan Ramsey, Russell Gray - need I go on?

All in all, 59 bands were there, and these were - almost without exception - Championship Grade bands. I have to say, that any preconception I had of Championship Grade was quickly changed when I heard some of the bands in the Senior Trophy and Senior Cup. We have many bands in Australian A Grade (and several in B Grade) who are a better standard.

The biggest feature of this contest was the bar! Don't get me wrong, yes I do enjoy a quiet ale or three, but the bar was the pivotal place at the contest. The competition was intense on stage, but everyone socialised and had a great time.

Enjoying a pint: Alexandra Bowman, Andrew Norman, James Andrews, Steve Jones, and John Jemmett

The results were announced together for all three events. Alexandra's band, PolySteel, were again unsuccessful in making it through to the British Open. A Number One draw is always tough, but the band played so well. I was very proud and cheered as loudly as I could. Interestingly, the current National Champions,  Leyland, also failed to qualify. Work that out!

Philip Harper being interviewed by 4BR after the band's performance

Anyway, the party continued in the bar and bands eventually retired to their hotels.

I arose next morning at the respectable time of 5.00am and took a long stroll along the Blackpool foreshore. I have decided that I don't ever want to holiday in Blackpool.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I went to a "small" contest yesterday in Weston-Super-Mare - another beachside resort with a Winter Gardens complex. This small contest was a Major Work Own Choice event that attracted more bands than we get to State or District events Downunder. Some good and not-so-good performances. A second section band played Essence of Time to win the combined championship/first section event.

Alexandra and I had cod and chips from another "chipper" (Note to self - steer clear of chippers - it was awful).

Well, that's about it for this update - more to come soon.

Chris Bowman (in the attic of Alexandra's flat with three cats sitting around me!)