4BR has been collating the number of bands at the Regional Championships for some time now, but the latest figures from the 2009 Areas make for depressing reading.

Numbers

This year just 484 bands made it to the stage at the eight regional venues around the country.

In overall participating terms that may seem an impressive number until you wonder what has happened to the other 101 bands that competed at the contest just a decade ago in 1999?

The Fourth Section boasted 160 bands at the turn of this decade, 204, 25 years ago. Where have they all gone?4BR

Breakdown

The breakdown also reveals some odd anomalies too:

In the Championship Section 88 bands took part this year, an increase of 2 from 2008 and up six from 2007.

There were 89 bands in the top section at the turn of the Millennium and the number has fluctuated between 82 and 91 since.

The First Section boasted 94 bands – down 6. Since 2000, the number competing in the ‘buffer section’ has fluctuated between 93 and 104.

The Second Section saw 93 bands this year – up 6. The number competing here has fluctuated between 87 and 111 since the turn of the Millennium.

The Third Section had 104 competitors – down 2. That number has moved between 99 and 115 in the last nine years.

The Fourth Section had 105 competitors – down a massive 21 bands this year, the lowest ever in modern times.

The Fourth Section boasted 160 bands at the turn of this decade, 204, 25 years ago. Where have they all gone?

The Areas

This year the West of England enjoyed an increase in competitors of 2 bands, whilst there was no change at Yorkshire with 57.

Scotland and London lost 3 each, Wales and the North of England 4 each, the Midlands and North West 5 a piece.

London’s numbers were the lowest in a decade, Wales the lowest since 1983, the Midlands the lowest since they combines in 1994, the North the lowest in 26 years, Scotland the lowest in a quarter of a century.

And still non one seems to want to do anything about it?