2009 Yorkshire Regional Championship - First Section: Runners & Riders
2-Mar-2009The bands that want to try and make it to Harrogate will have to overcome one heck of a tricky test from Graham Cole and his Pentacle. Who will be giving it high fives then?
Saturday 7th March
Adjudicators: Malcolm Brownbill & Colin Hardy
Test Piece: Pentacle – Graham Cole
Commences: 2.45pm
Draw: 1.00pm
Cornerstone Brass
Conductor: Gavin Lamplough
Last 12 years:
Debut this year
Always good to report a new band making its debut at a contest, and we are sure there will be a lot of people wanting to listen to Cornerstone Brass.
Made up of predominantly Salvationist players, the band made an immediate impact on their contesting debut by coming runner up at Butlins just a few weeks ago. This is another major step however, but the feeling is that they could well be in the mix come the results once again.
Drighlington
Conductor: Kevin Belcher
Last 12 Years:
2008: 7th (K. Belcher)
2007: 13th in Championship Section (K. Belcher) (rel)
2006: Winners First Section (S. Foster) (prom)
2005: 6th (P. Shaw)
2004: 2nd (P. Shaw)
2003: 15th Championship Section (C. Hardy) (rel)
2002: 12th (C. Hardy)
2001: 6th in First Section (A. Eastwood) (prom)
2000: 2nd (M. Bentham)
1999: 13th in Championship Section (rel)
1998: 10th
1997: 9th
Drighlington put in a solid showing last year as they returned to the First Section after relegation from the top tier of Yorkshire banding.
Kevin Belcher continues to develop his band into a solid and competitive outfit, although they know they will have to up their form from Pontins late last year where they came 11th to book a trip to Harrogate come September.
Hade Edge
Conductor: Simon Wood
Last 12 Years:
2008: 10th (S. Wood)
2007: 6th (S. Wood)
2006: 11th in Championship Section (S. Wood) (rel)
2005: 13th (S. Wood)
2004: 5th in First Section (S. Wood) (prom)
2003: 2nd (S. Wood)
2002: Winners of Second Section (S. Wood) (prom)
2001: 2nd (S. Wood)
2000: 11th (S. Wood)
1999: 9th (rel)
1998: 10th
1997: 5th
MD Simon Wood has directed Hade Edge through ups and downs over the last few years – and it was something of a down last year when they came 10th.
Never underestimate them though and 3rd at Wilkinsons and a decent 8th in the combined section at Brass at the Guild Hall a few weeks back may well herald an upswing in contesting fortunes once more.
Hebden Bridge
Conductor: Dennis Hadfield
Last 12 Years:
2008: 6th (D. Hadfield)
2007: 8th (Norman Law)
2006: 10th (P. Wilby)
2005: Winners of Second Section (I. Craddock) (prom)
2004: 8th (I. Craddock)
2003: Winners of Third Section (I. Craddock) (prom)
2002: Winners (I. Craddock)
2001: 10th (I. Coleman)
2000: 8th (I. Coleman)
1999: 3rd
1998: 10th
1997: 2nd in Fourth Section (prom)
Hebden Bridge will make the trip to St George’s Hall boosted by their recent performance at Butlins where they came 4th.
Prior to that they posted a hard earned 6th place at Pontins too, so they seem to be a band heading in the right direction under the baton of the experienced Dennis Hadfield. What odds then on a close run assault at a qualification place on the weekend?
Knottingley Silver
Conductor: Owen Wedgewood
Last 12 Years:
2008: 12th (O. Wedgewood)
2007: 9th (R. Morgan)
2006: 4th (K. Belcher)
2005: 11th (K. Belcher)
2004: 14th Championship Section (K. Belcher) (rel)
2003: Winners of First Section (K. Belcher) (prom)
2002: 5th (K. Belcher)
2001: Winners of Second Section (K. Belcher) (prom)
2000: 2nd (K. Belcher)
1999: 7th
1998: 3rd in Third Section (prom)
1997: 4th
MD, Owen Wedgewood will know that Knottingley will have to start performing here this year if they are not to see themselves staring into the relegation abyss come Saturday night.
In the last three years they have dropped off the pace quite alarmingly and a huge effort will be needed this time around if they are not to return to the Second Section for the first time since 2001.
Lindley
Conductor: Neil Jowett
Last 12 Years:
2008: 14th (N. Jowett)
2007: 4th (N. Jowett)
2006: 7th (N. Jowett)
2005: 10th in Championship Section (N. Jowett) (rel)
2004: 12th (N. Jowett)
2003: 8th (N. Jowett)
2002: 4th in First Section (N. Jowett) (prom)
2001: 4th (N. Jowett)
2000: 12th in Championship Section (N. Jowett) (rel)
1999: 9th
1998: 8th
1997: 4th in First Section (prom)
Neil Jowett will also be a MD acutely aware that his band cannot afford to find themselves in the same place as last year if they are to fend off the spectre of relegation.
Last year may well have just been a bad day at the contesting office though, as they have shown good form here over the years. Fingers crossed then.
Meltham & Meltham Mills
Conductor: Stuart Fawcett
Last 12 Years:
2008: 13th (S. Fawcett)
2007: 6th in Second Section (S. Fawcett) (prom)
2006: 2nd (S. Fawcett)
2005: 6th (S. Fawcett)
2004: 11th (S. Fawcett)
2003: 4th (S. Fawcett)
2002: 6th (S. Fawcett)
2001: 5th (S. Fawcett)
2000: 10th (D. Chapman)
1999: 7th in Third Section (prom)
1998: 4th
1997: 13th in Second Section (rel)
A good draw and anything is possible for Meltham – but they haven’t had much luck in that respect over the years.
Stuart Fawcett has a good band under his command however, coming 7th at Wilkinsons late last year and starting 2009 by coming 5th in the split draw First Section at Butlins. The promise is there – all they now need is a touch of luck.
Old Silkstone
Conductor: Alan Exley
Last 12 Years:
2008: 4th (A. Exley)
2007: 10th in Championship Section (A. Exley) (rel)
2006: 14th (N. Law)
2005: 4th in First Section (N. Law) (prom)
2004: 3rd (N. Law)
2003: Winners of Second Section (N. Law) (prom)
2002: 7th (N. Law)
2001: 3rd (N. Law)
2000: 7th (N. Law)
1999: Winners of Third Section (prom)
1998: 5th
1997: 7th
The vastly experienced Alan Exley drew a fine performance out of Old Silkstone last year to come 4th.
They have been a bit quiet on the contesting front of late, but more of the same form from 12 months ago may well see the band close to a return to the Championship Section via a trip to Harrogate.
Slaithwaite
Conductor: Barry Hudson
Last 12 Years:
2008: Winners of Second Section (B. Hudson) (prom)
2007: 5th (B. Hudson)
2006: 5th (B. Hudson)
2005: 2nd in Third Section (B. Hudson) (prom)
2004: 2nd (B. Hudson)
2003: 8th (K. Lever)
2002: 7th (K. Lever)
2001: 4th (K. Lever)
2000: 9th (K. Lever)
1999: 9th
1998: 12th
1997: 3rd
Great to see an old banding name doing so well once again, and Barry Hudson really drew a cracking performance out of Slaithwaite to win the Seocnd Section last year, which led to them coming 9th at Harrogate.
Since then it looks like they have been keeping their powder dry somewhat in the last few months, ready for their apperance here. Could it be a bit of a masterstroke to ensure another trip to the International Conference Centre in September?
Stocksbridge
Conductor: Miles Davison
Last 12 Years:
2008: 12th in Championship Section (D. Nesbitt) (rel)
2007: Winners of First Section (D. Nesbitt) (prom)
2006: 12th in Championship Section (David Hirst) (rel)
2005: 9th (W. Rushworth)
2004: 11th (D. Renshaw)
2003: 2nd (D. Renshaw)
2002: 14th (D. Renshaw)
2001: Winners of First Section (D. Renshaw) (prom)
2000: Winners (D. Renshaw)
1999: 12th
1998: DNC
1997: 8th
Horn star Miles Davison has taken over the baton at Stocksbridge and has worked hard with the band in the last few months – and it is beginning to pay off too.
The band did find life a bit tough in the top section and relegation followed after just one season, but 11th place at Pontins late last year was followed by 6th place in their split section of Butlins, so things seem to be looking up once more.
Wakefield Metropolitan
Conductor: Norman Law
Last 12 Years:
2008: 3rd (N. Law)
2007: Winners of Second Section (R. Gray) (prom)
2006: 3rd (R. Gray)
2005: 12th in First Section (R. Gray) (rel)
2004: 9th (B. Dyson)
2003: 5th (B. Dyson)
2002: Winners of First Section (B. Dyson)
2001: 11th (B. Dyson)
2000: 9th (B. Dyson)
1999: 5th
1998: Winners of Second Section (prom)
1997: 4th
Norman Law drew a fine performance out of Wakefield last year to come 3rd and just miss out on a deserved trip to Harrogate. There will be a few top section bands who may well have benefited from his understanding of Vinter this time around too.
Something more modern then for him to get to grips with this time, and he will have to up his band’s form from Pontins late last year when they came 12th if they are to book that B&B in Harrogate in September.
Yorkshire Co-op
Conductor: Simon Kerwin
Last 12 Years:
2008: 5th (M. Fowles)
2007: 5th (W. Rushworth)
2006: 8th (K. Wadsworth)
2005: 14th in Championship Section (rel) (J. Roberts)
2004: 4th in First Section (prom) (J. Roberts)
2003: 3rd (J. Roberts)
2002: 13th in Championship (rel) (J. Roberts)
2001: 11th (J. Roberts)
2000: 4th in First Section (prom) (J. Roberts)
1999: 2nd
1998: 7th
1997: 10th
Yorkshire Co-op has put in three good performances here in the past three years without ever quite doing enough to book a quaification place to Harroagte in the process under three different conductors.
Now it’s the turn of Simon Kerwin to try his luck and with 5th place at Wilkinsons, 3rd in North Wales and 6th at Butlins in their split section of the draw, the recent form suggests he may come close.
Past Qualifiers:
2008: Skelmanthorpe, Stannington
2007: Stocksbridge, Pennine Brass
2006: Drighlington, Marsden Silver
2005: Hatfield Main, Yorkshire Imperial Urquhart Travel,
2004: Hatfield Coal Power, Drighlington
2003: Knottingley Silver, Hade Edge (Disposables UK Group)
2002: Wakefield Metropolitan, Kippax
2001: ASDA Stocksbridge, Pennine Brass
2000: ASDA Stocksbridge. Drighlington
1999: Barnsley BS, Yorkshire Co-operatives
1998: Rothwell Temperance, Todmorden Old
1997: Jayess '87, Rothwell Temperance
1996: Priest Lindley, Kippax
1995: Stocksbridge, Barnsley BS
Yorkshire Bands at the Finals:
2008: 2nd, 10th
2007: 1st, 9th
2006: 9th, 11th
2005: 1st, 6th
2004: 5th, 7th
2003: 4th, 13th
2002: 10th, 15th
2001: 1st, 4th
2000: 6th, 11th
1999: 3rd, 4th
1998: 1st, 8th
4BR Prediction:
A bit of a difficult one this – no real stand out band this year to put your hard earned cash on, but a handful well matched rivals worth an each way bet at the Bradford bookies.
If Cornerstone Brass has been able to put the work in on this one then they may be the band to beat, whilst Hebden Bridge and Stocksbridge could push them all the way too.
If any of those three slip up then watch out for Yorkshire Co-op, Wakefield Metropolitan and Meltham. Our dark horse is Old Silkstone.
1. Cornerstone Brass
2. Hebden Bridge
3. Stocksbridge
4. Yorkshire Co-op
5. Wakefield Metropolitan
6. Meltham & Meltham Mills
Dark Horse: Old Silkstone
