Sunday 17th June 2001 saw our Band take to the streets of Ashton for their very first parade. We were twenty strong in number but thousands strong in pride. At the moment I am still on cloud 9 and I am probably the proudest Bandmaster in the country. The Boys put their all into making the day a success and to see people lining the streets and clapping was an experience that I will never forget. Two years ago I stood with my Boys watching the other bands in the whit walks and I promised them that in two years time people would be watching us. We have achieved our aim in that time with the help and support of many people too numerous to mention but our heartfelt thanks go out to them all. It is now our aim to grow stronger and better over the next twelve months and to make people realise that the 4th Ashton ARE BACK!!

Our band  reformed in 2000 after a long period of silence and are now at a stage where we can once again take our music to the streets of Ashton. Our band consists of snare drums, bass drum, tenor drums, marching bells, cymbals and bugles.

The Band at the moment are sounding really good with the boys giving every ounce of energy they possess. We have recently welcomed three new members to the band which swells our line-up to twenty two.

We have taken a more formal approach to band practice in the last few weeks and we now fall in for band immediately following Inspection. This also gives the boys the opportunity to impress the Anchor Boys and their parents as they finish for the evening.

In October 2001 the band was awarded a substantial amount of money from several of our local Councillors. We wish to express our gratitude to Councillors Margaret Sidebottom, Warren Bray and Alan Whitehead for their generous gift and invite them to see for themselves how the money was spent by attending one of our practice nights. The money has been spent on tom toms for the snare drums, bugles and bugle cords.
 

Not long after our Company was formed, we acquired a bugle band. Six bugles at one pound each, four side drums at two pounds ten shillings each, a bass drum for five pounds and a mace for five pounds. Leather carriers were bought for the drums making the total cost for a band, thirty pounds. The same instruments today would cost in the region of £2,500-£3,000 (Ouch!)


The Gentleman on the right of the bass drum is Albert Warren