Shining a light on Wellingborough's silver band
A recently-published selection of photos from our archives caught the attention of one of our readers – who has sent us some wonderful old pictures of her own for us to share with you.
Among the photographs featured was one captioned ‘Wellingborough Military Band at the Castle Fields bandstand in Wellingborough’, showing a group of smart-looking gentlemen and their musical instruments.
Reader Helen Cardy got in touch with us to say: “This picture is the Wellingborough LMS [London, Midland and Scottish Railway] silver band, not a military band.
“It shows my grandad Ernest Bennett, in the bowler hat, middle back row.”
She went on to send us some more photographs of the band, which she thinks date from the 1930s.
Helen said: “Some are taken the Castle Fields in front of the bandstand.
“Where they are in suits I guess they were preparing to travel down to the Crystal Palace in London to perform at the big band competitions that were held there.
“My grandad kept a scrapbook of his time in the band – Ernest Bennett was well known in the band world back in the day!”