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Cornets:

Principal Cornet (Alex Thomas).


Alex Thomas

Alex is kindly carrying on duties with the band whilst we find a suitable replacement.

 

Fatherhood is his main event these days!

Soprano Cornet (Mike Golding)


Mike Golding

Date of Birth: 1987

Started Playing in: 1994

1st Band: Rochdale Junior Brass Band

Previous Bands: Rochdale Youth Brass Band

Memorable Moments:

Winning Best Sop in the National Youth Entertainment Championships of Great     Britain, Conducting the NYBBGB in a Masterclass with Bramwell Tovey, Having two of my pieces played at the Blackpool Wintergardens and Birmingham Symphony Hall, Playing in the Albert Hall 3 times as part of the Music for Youth Schools Prom, Wins at Music for Youth and the Youth Entertainment Championships with Rochdale and Eric Landon.

More About Mike:

Mike is currently studying towards his Masters in Composition at Salford University, after graduating from Lancaster University in 2008 a Bmus(hons), with 1sts in performance and conducting. He also plays the trumpet and the piano.

Mike's Hobbies: 

Mike likes playing golf and squash, going to the cinema and spending time with his girlfriend Bek.

Mike can be contacted on:

mikegolding87@yahoo.co.uk

 

Assistant Principal Cornet (Stuart Bateson).


Stuart Bateson

Date of Birth: 03/09/1967

Started playing in: 1976

1st band: Morecambe

Previous bands: Besses o th Barn, Fodens, Haydock, Wingates

More about Stuart:

 

 


Solo Cornet (Ian Walsh)


Ian Walsh

Date of Birth:1945

Started playing in: 1954

Previous bands: Coldstream Guards Band, Hanwell, Blackpool and Poulton

Memorable Moments:

  • Conducting the winning band (Handcross) at the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall, 4th Section in 1983
  • Playing Principal Cornet with Hanwell, Championship Section, at the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall in 1987
  • Winning Best Cornet at the London and Southern Counties Area Championships, Championship Section (Hanwell Band)

More about Ian:

Ian served for 22 years as Principal Cornet with the Coldstream Guards Band. On leaving the Army, he became a Driving Instructor. On joining the Army he spent many years in the London area, and moved back to the North West ten years ago. Ian is married to Marge, who plays Horn in the band

 

Ian's hobbies:

Needlework and Flower arranging (he’s in touch with his feminine side!).

Solo Cornet (Russ Queenan).


Russell Queenan

Date of Birth: 26/6/69

Started playing in: 1977

1st band: Leeds West Hunslet Salvation Army Band.

Previous bands: LWH Band, H.M. Royal Marines Band and a short spell with SWT Woodfalls.

Memorable moments:

Russell recalls the following musical memories:

  • Playing at the Queens Jubilee with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
  • Returning to banding after a 3 year break, especially with a great band like Freckleton.

Russell's Hobbies:

Being a HGV Driver and working 12 hour shifts does not leave a great deal of spare time for hobbies but Russell enjoys photography, golf, watching football and reading.

 

 

Repiano Cornet (Alison Marchment).


Alison Marchment

 

Date of Birth: 3/7/78

Started playing in: 1984

1st band: Morecambe.

Previous bands: Cottingham.

Memorable moments:

One of Alison’s nicest memories must be when she bought her pet dog Okey.

To keep Okey company, Alison leaves the TV on for him to watch. She is at present training him to use the remote control!

Alison’s Hobbies:

Alison is also a supporter of Blackburn Rovers.

Alison can be contacted on:

alisonmarchment@tiscali.co.uk

 

2nd Cornet (Gill Church).


Gill Church

 

Started playing: 1988

 

More about Gill:

Gill grew up in Chester and apart from a very brief stint in the Cheshire County Youth had not played in a brass band full time until she joined Freck in 2006!

After studying for a music degree at Surrey University she spent 2 years as a volunteer teacher in Kenya, worked briefly as a peripatetic teacher in Knowsley, and currently teaches at a secondary school in Blackpool.

Gill’s Hobbies:

As well as playing the cornet and trumpet she also plays the piano and enjoys walking up hills.

 


 

2nd Cornet (Alan Gregory).

 


Alan Gregory

 

Date of Birth: 20/12/85

Started playing in: 1995

1st band: Blidworth Welfare Band

Previous bands: Nottingham City Transport, Stalybridge Old, Newstead Brass

Memorable moments:

  • Winning the Midlands Regional Championships with Newstead in 2006
  • Winning the Senior Cup with Newstead in 2006
  • Two appearances at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain with Newstead in 2006 & 2009
  • Winning the First Section at the North West Regional Championships with Freckleton in 2010

More About Alan:

Alan is a well-travelled tax-dodger, studying English Literature at the University of Salford before completing a Masters in the Gothic Imagination at the University of Stirling. He is now a Ph.D student at Lancaster University writing a thesis on violence and masculinity in contemporary Gothic fiction.

 

Alan's Hobbies:

The majority of Alan’s leisure time is spent reading, but he does occasionally indulge in other pastimes including listening to live music, watching films on the big screen and the consumption of real ale. He also, regrettably, continues to follow the declining fortunes of Mansfield Town Football Club.

 

 

 

 

 

3rd Cornet (Clare Howarth).


Clare Howarth

Date of Birth: 15/01/1985
Started playing in: 1993
1st band: Thornton-Cleveleys Brass Band.
Previous bands: Young Lancashire Brass and Poulton Brass Band 
Memorable Moments:

Playing at Menin Gate, Belgium for 90th Anniversary of the start of WWI with YLB
Hobbies: Volunteering for The National Trust.
More about Clare: 
Clare studied English Literature and History at Lancaster University and is about to start a Master's in Heritage Studies at Salford University, hoping to specialise in conservation. Clare lives in Fleetwood where she grew up.
 

 

 

 

 

3rd Cornet (Rachael Shore).


Rachael Shore

Date of Birth: 31/12/78

 

Started playing in: 1992

 

1st band: Blackburn and Darwin 'B'

 

Previous bands: Lancashire Youth Band

 

Memorable moments:

Rachael recalls the time when she won The 1st Section National Finals in 1997. This was her 1st ever contest.

Rachael also mentioned the time when she played 3rd Man on Jazz at the Area Contest. Her comments were 'we came 4th and Matt, on Principal Cornet, was brilliant!'

 

Rachael’s Hobbies:

Her favourite (and only) hobby is drawing the raffle in Ponky's on a Thursday night.

Rachael also made a comment that 'it's time I won the tray of meat! Paul and Diane seem to win far too often!'

 

Rachael can be contacted on:

rachael@bassbonehouse.wanadoo.co.uk

 


 

Deputy B Flat Cornet and Band Contest Secretary (Ian Threlfall).


Ian Threlfall

Date of Birth: 23/06/68

Started playing in: 1979

1st band: Freckleton

Previous bands: Poulton-Le-Fylde

Memorable moments:

Trell, (he likes to be called this), recalls being told at the tender age of 11 years old, after practicing like mad for weeks, that he wouldn’t be playing at The 4th section National Finals in London. From sadness to delight even though it came 15 years later in 1997 when Freckleton Band won The 1st Section National Championships at The Symphony Hall in Birmingham.

More about Trell:

Trell started playing at the age of 10 years old at the old stable block, twice a week, behind The Coach & Horses Public House.

He had tuition from other members of the main band but the main person who started his cornet career was a gentleman called Jimmy Little who was in those early days a “very old man”.

Jimmy was a very strict tutor and wouldn’t stand for any messing around!

Within twelve months of starting playing Trell had been promoted to 3rd cornet in the main band and over a period of 5 years went onto become one of the Tutti Cornet players on the front row.

On leaving school and starting work Trell couldn’t practice as much as he had been use to and his standard of playing unfortunately dropped as the band progressed and he relinquished his place on the front row and spent some time on the back row of the cornet section.

Soon after starting work, Poulton le Fylde were looking for new players and Trell decided to move to Poulton for a fresh approach to his playing. Trell spent 10 years with Poulton playing within the cornet section and for 3 years on Flugel Horn.

In 1996, Rad, who is also one of Trell’s best friends, asked him if he was interested at coming back to Freckleton, but will be on the back row of the cornet section.

Freckleton at that time were a better standard of band and Trell knew that playing either on the front row or on the Flugel Horn seat would be very difficult due to the standard of playing required.

Trell decided to stand down as a resident member of the cornet section due to work commitments.

Kath (other member of the cornet section)  had a little boy ( Christopher ) and both wouldn't be able to attend rehearsals due to constant baby sitting problems.

Trell decided to still keep the position of Contest Secretary.

Trell’s Hobbies:

Trell supports Preston North End and is a regular supporter.

His other main hobby is spending as much time as he can with his son, Christopher. Pictures of Christopher can be seen in our Toddlers Area.

Trell can be contacted on:

E-Mail: trellandkath@blueyonder.co.uk

Tel: 01772 517204

 


Bagpipes:

Bagpiper (Chris Wilson).

 

Chris joined the Boys Brigade as a Bugler and Drummer at a very early age and after leaving school at 16 decided on a career as a drummer in the forces, serving with the regimental band and corps of drums of the Queens Lancashire regiment for 12 years, playing the drums bugle and fife, and taking part in many major military events over the years.
After leaving the forces and settling in Freckleton, Chris joined the Freckleton band and played percussion for concerts and contests for a number of years. He still plays with the band on the marching engagements
and now plays concert percussion for the Freckleton has-binns.
His interest in the bagpipes started during his time in the forces, and he is self taught, he now plays the pipes at various functions and events around Lancashire.

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Website Last Updated: 9th July, 2010