It's always good to report some uplifting brass banding news at the moment — and none comes better than hearing that 92 year old Frank Mathison of the Friendly Band in Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire, has been making an excellent recovery from a bad fall that he had just before Christmas that necessitated a prolonged stay in hospital.

LSO

For over 30 years Frank was the wonderful bass trombone player of the London Symphony Orchestra, but since his retirement has been enjoying his return to the brass band world — although for the past few years he has been playing baritone.

However, the fall has meant that even his regular practice regime on the instrument had to be put on hold, but never a musician to be deterred, since returning home he has undertaken to start a chapter of his playing career on cornet.

First back

A band spokesperson told photographer Lorne Campbell, who took some wonderful images of Frank a couple of years ago, that he was determined to be first in through the door to bag his seat at the very first post-Covid-19 rehearsal.