Looking Back
St Hugh's Company - More Recently


In 1980 there was the Windsor Royal Review, held in the Windsor Great Park. Once again St. Hugh's were represented, this time a smaller contingent. We joined forces with St. Michael's Taunton to form one of the bands. Unfortunately the Queen missed our band. Some time later, after it had been pointed out the Queen asked if the bands that had been missed could play at the Royal Tournament the following year. This we did, and together with St. Michael's and the Brigade National Band we went and put on a marvellous display, which we and all our supporters were immensely proud of.

During the 1980's, the band played on several occasions at the Royal Albert Hall, competing in the National Youth Marching Bands Competition. It was here that we met up with our one time lead drummer, Don Lord. He was now bandmaster of a Manchester scout band. We also at this time travelled to Beverley to take part in an annual Band Concert.

On the social side, during the 80's, company trips were held to places of interest, which were able to take place as we had purchased our own coach. They all have a story to tell. Remember the members who lost their way up Kinder Scout, the map blowing away! - the coach doing battle with a Ford Escort - the coach having to be pushed up a hill. Our outings usually took place on May Day and places visited included Grosmont/Goathland, Whitby. Castleton, Flamborough Head/Bridlington, Heptonstall/Hebden Bridge, Hathersage, Holmefirth and Bakewell.

and now...........................

There are many more stories that we could tell, and some very important ones that we may have missed out. But now it is time to move to present. The company continues hopefully following the traditions as they were set down in the 1950's. Things do change, and some may say they are for the better, or the worse, but at the end of the day there is still a Brigade company at St. Hugh's with a membership of about 80. We have not followed the national Brigade trend which has lost some 3000 members over the last 10 years. During the 1990's the Brigade work continues much the same as it always has done. We still have the annual Jumble Sale and the annual camp. We entered the 1997 Band Competition with a relatively young band in the Novice Section. We won the Best Drum Major (Steven Birkett) Best Percussion, Best Drill and Deportment, and Runner up in Marching Display. Imagine our delight when it was announced that we were also the overall winners of the section. The band certainly deserved it and credit must go to Karen Weighell, the assistant Bandmaster, who masterminded the whole operation. We started a new section for the under 7' - the IMPS (now called the Martins) We bought a minibus which has proved to be an asset to the company. We undertook the "building" of the Cabin, which is being used not just by the Brigade but other Church groups as well. We also built an equipment store to house our camping and sporting equipment. Through the 90's we have purchased over 20 heavy weight ridge tents, added safety pads to the trampoline and renewed much of our outdated gymnastic equipment. 
We go into this new millennium in the knowledge that we have the facilities and the equipment to last us for many more years We must also be very thankful for the team of leaders that work week in and week out for the Brigade, and also those who have gone before them - without them we would not be here.