The winner of the 2017 Welsh Regional Championship Section title in Swansea will be able to celebrate with a newly refurbished trophy thanks to 4BR.

The trophy has been presented at the event since the Regional Championships were re-organised in 1945. However, over the years the names of a number of winning bands had been lost as the silver name plates on its base were replaced.

Detective work

Now, thanks to a bit of detective work a new base has been made by a specialist jeweller in Brecon that shows the name of every winner since 1945 (and the famous 'No Contest' of 1980), whilst a few historic celebratory dents have been ironed out from the trophy itself.

4BR Editor Iwan Fox said: "Trophies provide an essential connection to the movement's past. Bands become an immediate part of that history when they win them and a lasting part when they get their names engraved on them.

It's been a privilege to be able to do a bit of detective work to help restore a small piece of Welsh banding history."

Trophies provide an essential connection to the movement's past. Bands become an immediate part of that history when they win them and a lasting part when they get their names engraved on themIwan Fox

Every winner

The Welsh Regional Trophy now features the name of every champion — from Gwaun Cae Gurwen in 1945 to Tredegar in 2016, with room for another 30 years, and follows 4BR's sponsorship of the refurbishment the iconic British Open and Grand Shield Trophies in the past couple of years.

Iwan added: "My thanks go to Philip Morris and the Welsh Regional Committee for allowing us to do this. All the names are now displayed and with it a small part of Welsh banding history is maintained for future generations."