Born in Hemsworth, South Yorkshire, Stan for many years was the Flugel Horn player with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band. As a player / soloist for Grimethorpe, Stan featured in many of the band's comic routines and as a conductor Stan regards entertaining the audience a main priority.

Stan is also privileged to have been the Flugel Horn player with the Kings of Brass. A distinguished playing career brought many successes but Stan's proudest moment was performing the world premier of John Golland's Flugel Horn Concerto at Southwell Minister, conducted by Major Peter Parkes, a work that Stan had commissioned.

Stan's conducting career started in 1983 with the Grimethorpe Colliery Junior Band and he finally left Grimethorpe as player, and conductor of the Juniors in 1987 to become Musical Director at the Thoresby Colliery Band (French Open Champions 2003 and four times national finalists), a position he held for 17 years.

Since Thoresby Stan has been Musical Director with the EYMS Band and done freelance work with Grimethorpe Colliery, Brighouse & Rastrick, The Fairy Band, YBS and many workshops/seminars with bands throughout the country.

As player and conductor Stan has performed at the National Championships, British Open Championships, National Mineworkers Championships, All England Masters, French Open Championships, BBC Band of the Year, Granada Television Band of the Year, Rothmans Brass in Concert Championships and the Solo and Quartet Championships of Great Britain.

Over the year's Stan has been on tour with bands to Austria, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Yugoslavia, Italy and Switzerland.

As an adjudicator Stan has officiated at the National and Regional Championships, Belgium National Championships, Pontin's National Championships, Scottish Open and many other Brass Band contests throughout the UK. From 2002 Stan sat on the executive committee of the Association of Brass Band Adjudicators and is honored to have been a past Chairman of the Association.

His all round talents have been of immense value on various youth band courses and teaching became his full time profession after studying part time at Barnsley College for a degree in Band Studies. Stan subsequently became a Brass Peripatetic Teacher in Nottinghamshire. He has recently been involved in the Grimethorpe Besson Youth Band venture.

With the wealth of experience Stan has gained in the Brass Band movement it was no surprise in 2003 when a Butlin's representative invited Stan to discuss the demise of the CISWO Mineworkers' Championships and to appoint him as Contest Advisor to assist with the formation of the Butlin's National Mineworkers' Open Brass Band Festival.