It was like an episode from Dr Who. The tardis was on rewind, the producer pressed pause, and the door slowly opened into Kippax Band Club near Leeds. It was the evening of 27th February 2008, when I left home, but not anymore!
In the room were people who looked just the same as they did in 1977 and others who had turned up claiming to have played in the Corpus Christi Band. They were using names of people who had played in the band, although not their faces or hair. A real subtle twist on the modern day crime of identity theft?
Then there were the people, who you were not sure who they were. But just like turning the lens on a telescope, they came into focus, and it was obvious. It was someone you went out with in the early 1970's, or did you? I personally found it amazing that so many people had retained the same mannerisms as they had, the last time I saw them in 1977.
It was fantastic to meet people again and share stories from over 30 years ago. What was intriguing was to hear the same memory you had, told by someone else. Particularly when they knew part of the story you did not know, and suddenly everything became clear; "so that's why that happened".
I continue to be very proud to have been a member of the famous Corpus Christi School Band. A school in a relatively deprived part of Leeds, that inspired a group of mixed ability pupils to come together to form a successful school band. (Plenty of material here for a film or television series, following on from Waterloo Road, or Brassed Off - over to you Phil or Lucy?)
I am also very privileged to have met Ron Eccles, who taught me a lot more about life than just playing a brass instrument. I am sure I speak for many others who were there on Wednesday night. Who else could have inspired so many forty something year olds to attend a school brass band reunion?
Tim Priestley
29th February 2008
Tim@yorkshirewolds-vb.co.uk
