Contact us & credits

Find out about the 4barsrest team and how to contact us.

4barsrest.com Ltd:
The directors of 4barsrest.com are: 
Anthony Banwell
Iwan Fox

The general contact email address for all queries is . Our fax number is 01495 791085.

Anthony Banwell:
Anthony started his playing career at the age of seven when he joined the Celynen Colliery Institute Silver Band. Following spells with various local bands, he joined Tredegar Town Band at the age of 16 on baritone following both his talented 'master craftsmen' baritone playing father and brothers footsteps - leaving him with the nickname “Nibs” (as in the apprentice to Chippy Minton in Camberwick Green).

After a short break while attending university, he returned to the band in 1993. A distinguished playing career of no solos or any playing above the stave came to an end when he decided to change careers from Teaching to work with the  London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (London Fire Brigade) in April 2000.

In February 2010 he emigrated to Perth, Western Australia.

Iwan Fox:
Iwan started playing for Tredegar Junior Band in 1974 as a sprightly child prodigy aged 7, he became soprano cornet of Tredegar Band aged 19 (so he wasn’t that much of a prodigy all along). Before his retirement he played soprano with Tredegar and as a roving “guest” player for most of the UK’s most needy top section bands including Black Dyke, YBS, Fairey’s and Fodens. Iwan is a fervent Cardiff City and Liverpool FC supporter.

Folowing a career running a welfare rights advice service for Powys County Council in Wales, he became full-time editor of 4barsrest in 2006. With his long suffering partner Beverly and her daughter Bronwen, they hope to move into a new home with a huge garden and hot tub on the proceeds of setting up the site and waiting for the money to roll in.

Other contributors:

John James:
Involved with music from an early age, his grandfather used to play G trombone with Pemberton Old many moons ago, his personal connection to brass bands started some 28 years ago when he met his future wife Anne. Joining her in Parr Public Prize Band he remained with the band playing both cornet and percussion until 1991 when he moved to Rainford Silver Band.

In 1991 he played for Rainford as they took the runners-up spot in the National Finals 3rd Section playing both brass and percussion, as a double part was written for that test piece on the day.

In 2003 he joined the Percussion Section at Tredegar Band competing in both the British Open and the runers-up performance at the National Finals.

John is a Registered Nurse and during the day manages a busy surgical unit. Coming from St. Helens he obviously supports his famous local Rugby League team.

Patrick Herak:
Pat was a late bloomer not beginning an instrument until age 15.  For several years he bounced back and forth between trombone, baritone and tenor horn before recently settling on EEb bass.

After playing in wind bands in secondary school, he joined the all brass and percussion marching band at The Ohio State University and has not looked back.  Pat spent a year teaching physics in the town of Watford and played with many bands around the UK, most of his time with the Welwyn Garden City Band.  In fact, he has been known to return to the UK every once in a while to help out the odd band.

Now that he has returned to the States he continues to play with the 10 time North American Champions, the Brass Band of Columbus, and is the US correspondant for 4BR. Patrick is currently a secondary science teacher and has been told not to give up his day job.

David Tinker:
David started playing at the age of 10 and played with the now defunct Hinchciffe Mill Band for 5 years on cornet.

He then joined Hepworth Persimmon Homes Band at the age of sixteen, first on cornet, then Flugel and finally on Bb Bass. He has been a member of the band for over thirty years and for the last ten years as band librarian.

David has been well supported by his wife Margaret son Matthew who is assistant band manager at Hepworth and his daughter Gillian.

David has also been a football referee for thirty years and retired four years ago at the age of 53. He refereed for the FA Academy and is the vice president of the West Riding Football League.

His full time job is a driver for a plant hire company near Holmfirth where he lives.

Peter Bale: 
Having commenced my musical life when I was taught first clarinet and then saxophone by my father, my introduction to brass bands came when I took home a tenor horn from the school music room. Attending band practice at Coventry Festival band - now Jaguar (Coventry) Band - I played with them on the bandstand in Wolverhampton that weekend. Following a spell on 2nd baritone, I moved onto bass trombone, competing in a number of contests in the old 2nd section.

Following a spell in the Coldstream Guards Band (on saxophone) I worked for a number of years with the Salvation Army, playing in bands at Williamstown, Cambridge Heath, Sunderland Millfield and Bolton Citadel, before moving to Hadleigh in Essex in 1992. Now working in building management in the West End, I am currently playing BBb bass in Hadleigh Temple Band.

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