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2002 sees Carlton Brass reaching 100 years old, and so
it only seems fitting that you favourite online newspaper should
write an article on it. Read on, and find out the abridged, very accurate
history of Nottingham's finest band.
Back in the good old days (1902) a small band of railway workers
with a fixation for blowing into bits of brass tubing, decided that
they were sick of racing wippets and pigeons, and that there was more
to life. A few of the hardened workmen played in Brass Bands further
afield, and they were sick of cadging lifts of the nearest passing Shire
horse to get to rehearsals, and so a new band was born: Carlton Railwaymen
Association Premier Brass!
Initially rehearsals were held in a barn full of horse dung owned
by a benevolant local landowner, and instruments were made from old
bits of toilet, but the new bandsmen were happy.
One such happy bander was Fred Straw, a young boy at the time,
working 75 hours a week as a chimney sweep, but he has happy memories
of this time.
"Times were hard in them days," says Fred, remarkably still a member
of the band today, "not like it is today. We didn't have Playstations
or CD players, we had to make do with bits of coal and rotten apples
as our playthings.
I remember one birthday, when I got a dead rat for my birthday. My
dad said it would be cheaper to feed." |
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Fred also has memories of the band. "The bandmaster at
the time, Will Tonyson, was a right evil git. He looked like a
thug, and behaved like one. If he heard an "um" where there should
have been a "chuck", he used to beat you with his truncheon. Got arrested
he did, twice. Got off though because people were too scared of him. Never
had a better MD though. What lovely sounds were made from our homemade porcelein
intruments. People used to come from miles around to listen to our concerts.
Sometimes we had people all the way from Arnold."
Indeed, such was the success of the band, that it wasn't long before
they were contesting. Within a year, the CRAP band finished 2nd at a
local Brass contest, just 10 points behind Weldon Primary School Nursary
Brass.
Such giddy heights of excellence didn't go to their heads mind
you. "Will used to punch anybody that looked like smiling," said Fred.
"Nobody dared to cheer when we finished second at that first contest".
More success was to follow. Read the next installment soon - stay
tuned. |
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