Another brass band with a long and proud community history has played its final chord with the news that Rushden Windmill in Northamptonshire has been wound up.

Early success

Formed in 1875 as the Rushden Temperance Band it enjoyed considerable early success and was directed at competitions at various times by the likes of John Gladney, William Rimmer, and most notably, Alexander Owen, who led them to come runner-up at the 1903 National Championships of Great Britain. The band was runner-up at the 1908 British Open conducted by John Gladney.

They also became well known as a concert band, with regular performances as far as Durham, West Wales and London.

Additional success occurred in the years that followed, including three consecutive top-six finishes at the British Open (1949-1951) and at the National Finals in 1953 and they became BBC's Challenging Brass champion in 1965.

The band became Rushden Windmill (named after a local club) in the late 1970s, and despite a few troubled times enjoyed a revival in the mid-1990s onwards — competing regularly with success at Fourth, Third and Second Section level.

Last competed

Unfortunately, the band last competed in 2013 and with the loss of rehearsal facilities at its club base the decline became permenant.

Peter Herbert, who has been part of overseeing the winding up process told 4BR: "That was the death knell for the band, and despite many efforts the decision had to be made.

However, the legacy will live on with the connection to the late trombone player Simon Kingsley who came through the band's ranks. It was decided to donate a number of instruments to Kingsley Brass at Gloucester Academy of Music and a trombone to Simon's Band, a Sheffield based community band associated with Grimethorpe Colliery."

He added: "A number of instruments have also been donated to the Crofton Music Trust, also based in Yorkshire, and any remaining monies will be donated to youth band initiatives."