2010 National Championships of Great Britain - The Conductors

4BR looks at the records of the 20 conductors trying to add a National title to their CV this year to see if they are really as good as their record suggests.

Once again 20 MDs will walk onto the stage of the Royal Albert Hall to give of their all to try and become one of a very rare breed indeed – a winning National Championship of Great Britain conductor.

And of the twenty men who do stride out this year with high hopes on ‘Terra Australis’, five are members of the select National Winners Club – Dr Nicholas Childs, Dr Robert Childs, Frank Renton, Allan Withington and Russell Gray.

Between them they can boast 14 victories, with Allan Withington leading the way with six of them.

Close behind comes Nicholas Childs on five, with Frank, Robert and Russell on one apiece.

The rest will keep trying to join the select band, with Richard Evans posting his 22nd attempt this year, followed by Ray Farr on 17, David King on 15 and Garry Cutt on 13, with Paul Holland making just his second appearance with Flowers.

So which one of these 20 aspirants will be walking up Kensington High Street this year with the big old cup and their own memento in the form of the Stanley Boddington Trophy to show off?

Just one, with 19 others left disappointed once again.

Dr. Nicholas Childs
Black Dyke

Appearances: 17th time
Debut: 1994

Bands taken at Finals:
Tredegar – 1994, 1995, 1996
Fodens – 1997, 1998, 1999
CWS Glasgow – 2000
Black Dyke – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Record:
5 Wins: 1999, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2009
2 Seconds: 2005, 2006
2 Thirds: 1997, 2002
3 Fourth: 1998, 2003, 2007
1 Fifth: 1994
1 Sixth: 2000
2 Unplaced: 1995 (9th), 1996 (11th)  

Dr. Robert Childs
Cory

Appearances: 14th time
Debut: 1996

Bands taken at Finals:
EYMS – 1996, 1997
Ever Ready - 1999
Cory/BAYV – 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Record:
1 Win: 2000
1 Second: 2002
5 Thirds: 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009
2 Fourths: 2004, 2006
1 fifth: 2001
3 Unplaced: 1996 (8th), 1997 (12th), 1999 (19th)

Garry Cutt
Foden’s

Appearances: 13th time
Debut: 1994

Bands taken at Finals:
Marple – 1994, 1998, 1999
Grimethorpe – 2000
Leyland – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Fodens – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Desford - 2010

Record:
No Wins:
3 Seconds: 2007, 2008, 2009
1 Fifth: 2006
1 Sixth: 2001
7 Unplaced: 1994 (8th), 1998 (11th), 1999 (7th), 2000 (10th), 2002 (15th), 2003 (17th), 2004 (16th)   

Russell Gray
Fairey (Geneva)

Appearances: 10th time
Debut: 2000

Bands taken at the Finals:
Ransome – 2000, 2001, 2003
Tredegar – 2004
Leyland – 2005, 2006, 2007
Carlton Main – 2008, 2009
Fairey (Geneva) - 2010

Record:
1 Win: 2005
1 Second: 2000
1 Fourth: 2008
1 Fifth - 2004
2 Sixths – 2006, 2009
3 Unplaced: 2001 (13th), 2003 (7th), 2007 (13th)

David Roberts
Rothwell Temperance

Appearances: 5th time
Debut: 1999

Bands taken at Finals:
Rothwell Temperance – 1999, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010

Record:
1 Fourth - 2009
2 Sixths: 1999, 2008
1 Unplaced: 2006 (14th)

Jeremy Wise
Redbridge

Appearances: 9th time
Debut: 1993

Bands taken at Finals:
John Laing (Hendon) – 1994, 1995
Cory – 1997, 1998
First City Brass – 1999, 2000
Redbridge – 2008, 2009, 2010

Record:
2 Sixths: 1997, 1998
7 Unplaced: 1994 (13th), 1995 (12th), 1999 (12th) 2000 (9th), 2008 (17th), 2009 (15th)  

Michael Fowles
Co-operative Funeralcare

Appearances: 8th time
Debut: 1997

Bands taken at Finals:
Point of Ayr – 1997, 1999, 2001
Leyland – 2000
BHK (UK) Ltd Horden – 2005
Staffordshire - 2007
Co-operative Funeralcare – 2009, 2010

Record:
No Wins:
7 Unplaced: 1997 (8th), 1999 (18th), 2000 (20th), 2001 (15th), 2005 (17th), 2007 (18th), 2009 (9th)

Richard Evans
Camborne

Appearances: 22nd time
Debut: 1975
 
Bands taken at Finals
Wingates - 1975, 1976
Dalmellington - 1980
Leyland - 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999
Besses o' th' Barn - 1986
Flowers - 2000
Fishburn -  2006
Camborne – 2009, 2010

Record:
No wins:
2 Thirds: 1976, 1984
1 Fourth: 1990
2 Fifths: 1993, 1995
16 Unplaced: 1975 (=14th), 1980 (15th), 1981 (=10th), 1982 (8th), 1985 (8th), 1986 (16th), 1987 (9th), 1989 (8th), 1991 (7th), 1994 (7th), 1996 (7th), 1998 (8th), 1999 (10th), 2000 (16th), 2006 (12th), 2009 (8th)

Frank Renton
Whitburn

Appearances: 18th time (including 2 appearances at the 1998 contest)
Debut: 1977

Bands taken at Finals:
Wingates -1977
Grimethorpe - 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993
Kirkintilloch - 1990, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003
Sellers Engineering - 1995
Desford Colliery - 1998
Travelsphere Holidays - 2001
Camborne Town - 2004, 2006
Hepworth (Cookson Homes) - 2009
Whitburn - 2010

Record:
1 Win: 1992
1 Third: 1991
2 Fourths: 1993, 1997
13 Unplaced: 1989 (9th), 1990 (19th), 1995 (7th), 1998 (12th), 1998 (12th with Kirkintilloch, 15th with Desford), 1999 (11th), 2001 (16th), 2002 (14th), 2003 (8th), 2004 (9th), 2006 (13th), 2009 (13th)

Ian Porthouse
Tredegar

Appearances: 4th time
Debut: 2007

Bands taken at Finals:
Tredegar – 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Record:
3 Unplaced: 2007 (8th), 2008 (15th), 2009 (14th)  

Philip Harper
Leyland

Appearances: 6th time
Debut: 2001
 
Bands taken at Finals:
PolySteel/Flowers – 2001, 2003, 2007
BTM – 2005, 2008
Leyland - 2010

Record:
No Wins:
5 Unplaced: 2001 (9th), 2003 (16th), 2005 (16th), 2007 (11th), 2008 (18th)

Nigel Seaman
Tongwynlais Temperance

Appearances: 6th time
Debut: 1981

Bands taken at Finals:
Lewis Merthyr – 1981
BTM – 1989
Desford – 2005, 2007, 2008
Tongwynlais Temperance - 2010

Record:
No Wins:
5 unplaced: 1981 (12th), 1989 (21st), 2005 (9th), 2007 (10th), 2008 (19th)

Nigel Taken
Aveley and Newham

Appearances: 12th time
Debut: 1989

Bands taken at Finals:
Newham – 1989
Aveley and Newham – 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
Bournemouth Concert Brass - 2005

Record:
No wins:
1 Fifth place: 1989
10 Unplaced: 1998 (18th), 1999 (13th), 2000 (7th), 2001 (12th), 2002 (12th), 2005 (13th with Bournemouth, 18th with Aveley), 2006 (18th), 2007 (14th), 2008 (14th)  

Allan Withington
Foden’s

Appearances: 16th time
Debut: 1992

Bands taken at Finals:
Brighouse and Rastrick – 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
Williams Fairey – 2002, 2003
Grimethorpe Colliery UK Coal – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Foden’s - 2010

Record:
6 Wins: 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007
1 Seconds: 1999
3 Fourths: 1995, 2000, 2005
1 Fifth: 1992
2 Sixths: 1993, 1996
2 Unplaced: 2001 (11th), 2008 (7th)

John Berryman
Virtuosi GUS

Appearances : 9th time
Debut: 2002

Bands taken at Finals:
William Davis Construction – 1977, 1982, 1985
Rigid Containers/GUS/Virtuosi GUS – 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2008, 2010
 
Record:
1 Sixth - 1995
7 Unplaced: 1977 (12th), 1982 (17th), 1985 (14th), 1993 (9th), 1994 (10th), 1996 (14th), 2008 (10th)

Ray Farr
Reg Vardy

Appearances: 17th time
Debut: 1976

Bands taken at Finals:
City of Coventry – 1976, 1988, 1989
Grimethorpe – 1981
Rogerstone – 1982
Parc and Dare – 1984
Newham - 1986
Hanwell – 1987
CWS Glasgow 1991
Williams Fairey - 1995
Ever Ready/Reg Vardy – 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010

Record:
No Wins:
2 Thirds: 1988, 2004
1 Sixth: 1986
13 Unplaced: 1976 (=15th), 1981 (10th), 1982 (18th), 1984 (12th), 1987 (14th), 1989(19th), 1991 (12th), 1995 (8th), 2002 (9th), 2003 (12th), 2005 (10th), 2006 (16th), 2007 (19th)

Professor David King
Brighouse & Rastrick

Appearances: 15th time
Debut: 1987

Bands taken at Finals:
Kennedy Swinton - 1987
Black Dyke - 1989, 1990
YBS - 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006
Brighouse & Rastrick - 2010

Record:
No Wins:
4 Seconds: 1989, 1995, 1998, 2004
3 Thirds: 1994, 2001, 2006
3 Fifths: 1987, 1996, 2005
1 Sixth: 2002
3 Unplaced: 1990 (7th), 1999 (8th), 2000 (17th)

Ian Robinson
NASUWT Riverside

Appearances: 7th time
Debut: 1992

Bands taken at Finals:
Fishburn - 1992, 1993, 1995, 2000, 2001
Tavistock Chester-le-Street Riverside/NASUWT Riverside – 2005, 2010

Record:
No Wins:
6 Unplaced: 1992 (15th), 1993 (20th), 1995 (16th), 2000 (19th), 2001 (18th), 2005 (20th)

Phillip McCann
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery

Appearances: 7th time
Debut: 1990

Bands taken at Finals:
Sellers Engineering – 1990
Whitburn – 1992, 1993, 1999, 2001, 2002
Carlton Main Frickley - 2010

Record:
No Wins:
1 Third: 1990
5 Unplaced: 1992 (11th) 1993 (8th), 1999 (9th), 2001(8th), 2002 (10th)

Paul Holland
Flowers

Appearances: 2nd time
Debut: 2009

Bands taken at Finals:
Flowers - 2009, 2010

Record:
No wins
1 Unplaced: 2009 (7th)

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