Kirkby Colliery Welfare Band

There has been a brass band in Kirkby in Ashfield since 1897. Originally known as the Kirkby Silver Band, its members consisted mainly of surface workers and office staff from the local mine.Underground workers were given time off work for rehearsals and engagements.Sadly this band broke up in 1924.

During the late 1920s many Welsh miners were drafted into the area and in 1927 the miners at the Summit Colliery offered to pay a bond of one old penny per ten working miners to help develop the band once more. It now became the Kirkby Colliery Band and it achieved great success during the 1930s. As a result of the second world war the band closed in 1940 and the instruments were put into storage until the war ended. In1949 the Summit miners presented the band with their own bandroom in the car park of the miner's welfare. The Kirkby Colliery Wefare Band was born.

Like many brass bands Kirkby has seen highs, lows, closures, new beginnings but in the 1990s the band achieved remarkable success with four consecutive appearances in the national finals, taking 3rd place in two of them. In 1997 the band received confirmation that they would be filmed up to and including the Midland Area Championships in March by Central T.V. for a fly on the wall documentary called Twenty four Hours.The video was then taken to America where it won 1st prize in an international film festival. The band has a full list of engagements and contests and is always looking for new players both young and not so young.

Players of any standard are always welcome either for just the odd practise or to join our happy team. Please see the contact us page for details, any of the people listed will be happy to have a chat and give you more information. The band rehearses in the bandroom at the Kirkby Miners Welfare, close to junctions 27 & 28 of the M1, on Thursdays 7.30p.m. - 9.30 p.m. and Sundays 6.00p.m. - 8.00p.m.