Major Peter Parkes conducted Black Dyke to victory in 1976, 1977, 1983, 1985 and 1986, and Williams Fairey in 1993.

Highlight

"It goes without saying really that it was the first win with Black Dyke in 1976 that sticks in the memory.

Just a year before Peter Lambert from John Foster phoned me up to ask me if I would like to conduct ‘his little band’, as he put it, and the ball started rolling at the Royal Albert Hall.

I had never really taken any interest in the British Open until that first visit, but I was taken by surprise by the atmosphere, the excitement, the passion and the sheer competitiveness of the day.

Playing on the stage at King’s Hall was a unique experience – even for me, and I had played in some unique places as Musical Director of the Grenadier Guards I can tell you.

The band played wonderfully well and we went on to do the ‘Double’ that year – how lucky was that eh?

After that I loved coming to the contest – helped perhaps that I seemed to do rather well there too.

I would love to be there conducting on the weekend – and as I feel I’m conducting as well as ever – I am available for next year!"

I can’t complain with how I’ve done at the British Open over the years can I now, but I look back and think that was one that got awayMajor Peter Parkes

Flip side

"After all the success I enjoyed with Black Dyke in the early years – 4 straight major contest wins in fact – losing the 1978 British Open was my first real disappointment in band contesting.

I say ‘losing’, but even though we came second to Brighouse & Rastrick on the day, we had in fact lost the chance to create history with a ‘Double hat trick’. It is fair to say that it was considered a disaster at Black Dyke.

Even though we returned and won again in 1983 (and 1985 and 1986) it would have been nice to have created that unique bit of British Open history.

I can’t complain with how I’ve done at the British Open over the years can I now, but I look back and think that was one that got away."