If there is one thing Examiner readers like it’s a spot of nostalgia.
The All Our Yesterdays supplements are usually the most looked at galleries on our website every week and when we ask for help on old photos we normally get a decent response.
And that has certainly been the case with our request for names for this photo of Huddersfield Youth Brass Band taken in 1959.
It was submitted by Eric Haigh from Wooldale who played in the band and had fond members of musical maestro Edgar Whitham (pictured in the centre of the second row) who was the driving force behind youth brass instrumentalists in Huddersfield.
Eric was second from left on the front row and others he could name were Richard Holmes (front left), Raymond Lammerman (front, right) and Joan Briggs (second row, third from left).
Colin Ellis, 79, of Marsden, played in Marsden Band for 50 years and recognises two from his band who were also members of Huddersfield Youth Brass Band in 1959. They were Peter Godfrey (third row, fourth left) and Trevor Norman (next to him, fifth left).
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Local historian Cyril Pearce backs Colin up by saying: “On the third row I do recognise two of my contemporaries from Colne Valley High School. They are Peter Godfrey (fourth from left) and Trevor Norman (fifth from the left). Also on that row I think recognise the late Stuart Lunn (third from right).
It’s interesting that in 1959, before local government re-organisation, this Huddersfield Youth Brass Band contained many youngsters who were probably in-comers from West Riding schools in the Colne and Holme Valleys where I suspect brass bands were more numerous than in the ‘Borough’. Of course. as a ‘Slawiter’ living in exile in Golcar, I had to say that.
Reader Andrew O’Connor added: “Back row extreme right is Peter Littlewood from Meltham. He is the younger brother of my brother in law. I know that he has been involved in banding in Harrogate until recently. In front of him on second row extreme right is Christopher Addy who was in my class when I went to Colne Valley High School.
“I am not a musician myself but both were very good trombonists. I believe that Edgar Whitham was band master at Meltham at about the same time.”
