2010 North of England Regional Championship - Third Section: Runners & Riders

Its back to the yellow pages of history in here as the bands shed hard labour perspiration in search of loving inspiration to get to Harrogate.

Sunday 21st March
Adjudicator: Kevin Wadsworth
Test Piece: Labour & Love (Percy Fletcher)
Draw: 11.00am
Commences: Starts after Fourth Section

Nine bands line up on Sunday to try and find a way through the musty yellowed edged test that is ‘Labour & Love’.

Tricky

It has proven to be a bit of a tricky old potboiler around the country this year, with bands finding it difficult to capture just the right mix of Edwardian operatic drama and pathos.

Kevin Wadsworth should enjoy his time in the box the as he tries to separate a well matched field of contenders, with five of last year’s bands joined by two promoted and two relegated rivals.

The region did well last year at Harrogate with North Skelton coming runner up. It’s now three years in a row that at least one qualifier has ended up in the top six with one ending up in a podium place in the last two years.

You do have to go back to 1980 for the last time the region boasted a National Champion though.  

Play for

Plenty to play for then, with Bearpark & Esh Colliery looking to make a mark following their promotion from the Fourth Section. They last qualified for Harrogate back in 2001.

Dunston Silver last qualified in 2005 and will want to improve on last year’s 9th place, which means they could end up in a bit of a relegation fight if they don’t hit top form. They came 3rd at the Durham Association contest late last year.  

Durham Constabulary meanwhile find themselves back in the Third Section following a three-year stay in the Second. They will be looking for a repeat of their 2006 win here.

Ferryhill Town and Susan Norris put in a very solid show last year to come 4th, and will be boosted by their 2nd place at the Durham contest in the Championship Section, whilst one of the favourites will surely be Kirkby Lonsdale.

They won the Fourth Section last year, going onto come 7th at Harrogate - reward for increasingly impressive results at this contest since 2005.

Missed out

Marske Brass just missed out on a trip to Harrogate when they came 3rd last year, but this improving band will look to make amends this time around boosted by a solid showing at the Durham contest.

If there is a pre-contest favourite then it is perhaps North Skelton after their fine showing in coming both runner up there and at Harrogate. They also came 2nd at the Durham contest in the B Section so will be determined to go one place better under the direction of Tim Oldroyd.

That just leaves the duo of Ripon City and York Railway Institute, both of whom will be looking to gain a decent result after disappointing showings last year.

Ripon look to reclaim the form that sent them to Harrogate in 2007, whilst York will want to show that they can make a mark following their relegation, as they hope to return to the finals for the first time since 2001.

As to a winner?

North Skelton look the band to beat if they can play to recent form and they could be joined in Harrogate by Kirkby Lonsdale. Ferryhill Town, Durham Constabulary, Marske and Ripon City should push them all the way with our dark horse of Bearpark & Esh.  

4BR Prediction:
1. North Skelton
2. Kirkby Lonsdale
3. Ferryhill Town
4. Durham Constabulary
5. Marske
6. Ripon City

Dark Horses: Bearpark & Esh

Bearpark and Esh
Conductor: V. Eckerman

Last 14 Years:
2009: 5th in Fourth Section (V. Eckerman) (prom)
2008: 3rd (V. Eckerman)
2007: 10th (V. Eckerman)
2006: 5th (A. Hall)
2005: 4th (A. Hall)
2004: 8th in Third Section (rel) (A. Hall)
2003: 9th (T. Minnis)
2002: 6th (B. Oxlee)
2001: 2nd in Fourth Section (J. Foxcroft) (prom)
2000: 3rd (A. Hall)
1999: Winners of Fourth Section
1998: DNC
1997: N/K
1996: N/K

Dunston Silver
Conductor: S. Murrill

Last 14 Years:
2009: 9th (S. Murrill)
2008: 3rd (S. Murrill)
2007: 4th in Fourth Section (S. Murrill) (prom)
2006: 7th
2005: 2nd (A. Seymour)
2004: 10th (A. Seymour)
2003: 9th (A. Seymour)
2002: 9th (A. Seymour)
2001: DNC
2000: DNC
1999: N/K
1998: DNC
1997: N/K
1996: N/K

Durham Constabulary
Conductor: K. McDonald

Last 14 Years:
2009: 5th in Second Section (K. McDonald) (rel)
2008: 9th (K. McDonald)
2007: 4th (K. McDonald)
2006: Winners of Third Section (K. McDonald) (prom)
2005: 3rd in Fourth Section (K. MacDonald) (prom)
2004: 2nd (K. McDonald)
2003: 8th (K. McDonald)
2002: 14th in Third Section (P. Cuff) (rel)
2001: DNC
2000: 10th in Third Section (P. Gommersall)
1999: N/K
1998: 4th
1997: N/K

Ferryhill Town
Conductor: S. Norris

Last 14 Years:
2009: 4th (S. Norris)
2008: 8th in Second Section (S. Norris) (rel)
2007: 7th (S. Norris)
2006: DNC
2005: 4th in Third Section (S. Norris) (prom)
2004: 3rd (T. Maddison)
2003: 9th in Second Section (T. Maddison) (rel)
2002: 9th (S. Robson)
2001: Winners of Third Section (S. Robson) (prom)
2000: Winners of Fourth Section (S. Robson) (prom)
1999: 4th
1998: 11th in Third Section (rel)
1997: N/K
1996: 3rd

Kirkby Lonsdale
Conductor: A. Greenwood

Last 14 Years:
2009: Winners of Fourth Section (A. Greenwood) (prom)
2008: 2nd (A. Greenwood)
2007: 3rd (A. Greenwood)
2006: 8th (A. Greenwood)
2005: 10th in Third Section (A. Greenwood) (rel)
2004: 9th (A. Greenwood)
2003: 6th in Fourth Section (A. Greenwood) (prom)
2002: 2nd (A. Greenwood)
2001: DNC
2000: 8th (A. Greenwood)
1999: N/K
1998: 6th in Third Section (rel)
1997: N/K
1996: N/K

Marske Brass
Conductor: A. Prest

Last 14 Years:
2009: 3rd (A. Prest)
2008: 4th in Fourth Section (A. Prest) (prom)
2007: 2nd (A. Prest)
2006: 3rd (A. Prest)
2005: DNC
2004: DNC
2003: 10th (M. Fowles)
2002: 11th  (A. Prest)
2001: 7th in Third Section (A. Prest) (rel)
2000: 9th (A. Prest)

North Skelton
Conductor: Tim Oldroyd

Last 14 Years:
2009: 2nd (T. Oldroyd)
2008: DNC
2007: DNC
2006: 9th in First Section (R. Collinson) (rel)
2005: 2nd (T. Oldroyd)
2004: 7th (T. Oldroyd)
2003: Winners of Second Section (prom) (T. Oldroyd)
2002: Winners (T. Oldroyd)
2001: 2nd in Third Section (prom) (T. Oldroyd)
2000: 3rd (T. Oldroyd)
1999: Winners
1998: 9th in Third Section
1997: N/K
1996: N/K
Competed as Langbaurgh Brass until 2006

Ripon City
Conductor: M. Dibb

Last 14 Years:
2009: 6th (M. Dibb)
2008: 5th (M. Dibb)
2007: 2nd (L. Whitworth)
2006: DNC
2005: 5th (L. Whitworth)
2004: 6th in Fourth Section (L. Whitworth) (prom)
2003: 2nd (J. Shepherd)
2002: DNC
2001: DNC
2000: DNC
1999: N/K
1998: DNC
1997: N/K
1996: N/K

York Railway Institute
Conductor: G. Eddison

Last 14 Years:
2009: 6th in Second Section (D. Warley) (rel)
2008: 7th (D. Warley)
2007: 5th (D. Warley)
2006: 7th in First Section (D. Warley) (rel)
2005: 9th (D. Warley)
2004: 6th (D. Warley)
2003: 6th in Second Section (D. Warley) (prom)
2002: 3rd (D. Warley)
2001: 2nd (D. Warley)
2000: 9th (D. Beal)
1999: DNC
1998: 9th in First Section (rel)
1997: N/K
1996: 4th

Past Qualifiers:

2009: South Milford, North Skelton
2008: Flookburgh, Billingham Silver
2007: Barton Town, Ripon City
2006: Durham Constabulary, Stape Silver
2005: Dearham, Hetton Silver
2004: Lockwood Brass, Carlisle St. Stephens
2003: Wansbeck's Ashington, Stape Silver
2002: Houghton Brass, Ellington Colliery
2001: Ferryhill Town, Langbaurgh
2000: Felling, Westoe (STHCT)
1999: Langbaurgh, South Milford Brass
1998: Yarm and District, Vaux Samson Band
1997: Barrow Concert, Yarm and District
1996: Cottingham, Harrogate
1995: GT Group Peterlee, Greggs Bakery 

North of England bands at the Finals:

2009: 2nd, 12th
2008: 6th, 15th
2007: 2nd, 10th
2006: 15th, 17th
2005: 14th, 19th
2004: 3rd, 12th
2003: 14th, 16th
2002: 16th, 18th
2001: 4th, 16th
2000: 12th, 13th
1999: 4th, 13th
1998: 7th, 8th

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