Magnificent Seven | Greatest Love Of All | James Bond Theme |
| Two Imps | Moon River | 1812 Overture |
| Magnificent Seven | Greatest Love Of All | Russian Dressing |
| Feelings | Moon River | 1812 Overture |
This will undoubtedly go down as the bands finest and most successful year. Having entered five regional championships in the first half of the year at Nuneaton, Crawley, Hornchurch, Midsomer Norton and Sandy, we came home with all five supreme titles.
The weeks after these triumphs were spent rehearsing for the World Showband Championships, to be held in Kerkrade, Holland on July 21st. A week before the competition, the band held its first youth band tattoo at the home of great West Country football, Eastville Stadium!
Supporters of the band had been up for hours erecting scaffolding that was eventually covered by a canvas sheet, giving the effect of a huge castle. As the gates to the "castle" opened, out came the bands onto the arena to perform their field displays. Midsomer Norton Marching Brass, 37th Kingswood Scout Band and Bath ATC were among the guests asked to participate in the event. The weather conditions were poor, but we took this as an opportunity for a dress rehearsal before the World Championships. It was the last time we would perform the show in public before departing for Holland.
Under floodlight, in the pouring rain, we produced one of our finest ever shows, earning a standing ovation from those inside the stadium. We were perhaps inspired even further by the fact that there were many members of the West Coast Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps, another local band, stood in the stands watching our performance!
Five days later we left for Kerkrade. The World Championships are held every four years over a three week period. It would have been impossible for all participating bands to compete over a single weekend due to the sheer numbers of those taking part. The Bristol Unicorns were invited to compete on the second weekend of the competition, which meant leaving the UK on the Friday evening to perform on the Sunday. Having travelled overnight from Dover to Calais the band was transported by coach through France into Belgium, where we took part in a carnival parade through the town of Ghent on the Saturday afternoon. It was a very hot day and the parade seemed to be never-ending with its narrow, winding, cobbled streets. The constant stopping and starting caused by numerous problems encountered with the carnival floats didn't help. Neither did the rather hostile Belgian crowd who were still reeling from the antics of English football hooligans earlier in the year. After almost two hours the parade came to an end, much to the relief of us all, as we were beginning to feel the effects of a very long and tiring day. We left soon after the parade finished and travelled through Holland to our eventual destination, a monastery just outside of Kerkrade. It was now past midnight, and as many of us hadn't had a decent sleep for hours we were anxious to get to bed ahead of the big day.
Dave and the instructors had what appeared to be the unenviable task of waking everybody at seven o'clock the next morning. However most of us were already awake as one of the Spanish bands taking part in the competition had decided that this was as a good a time as any to get in some last minute preparations. (Some choice comments were made about this band at breakfast!) Soon everybody was up and about, cleaning shoes, instruments and making sure everything was in working order. The moral was high. This was it. This was the day that everyone had worked so hard for over the past few months.
Bet Rogers, Grace Bracey and others had been up since dawn ironing and checking uniforms, approximately 120 in all, before our departure to the arena, a short coach journey away.
There was a capacity crowd of 25,000 inside the stadium. Almost as soon as the coaches pulled up at the car park it began to pour with rain, but thankfully it didn't last long and we soon got our first taste of the great atmosphere as we paraded around the athletics track playing The Standard of St. George. This was a separate part of the competition and bands competing in this section were assessed on their music, which the judges had manuscript copies of, and on their drill and deportment. It was not long after the parade that we were on the main arena performing the championship routine. Very few people remember much about the performance, mainly because of the short time in which the display appeared to be over in. Indeed the show was fast and because of this Dave began to fear that we had blown our chances of doing well, even though he agreed this was perhaps the finest show both musically and visually he had ever seen the band perform. The spectators went absolutely wild when we finished the show, which in itself was a great tribute, but unfortunately we knew from experience that this didn't necessarily reflect on how the judges saw us. Unfortunately the awards ceremony was in Dutch so we stood in the middle of the arena not being able to understand a word of what was being said until an almighty cheer went up around the stadium at the mention of our name. It was all very confusing, until we finally learned we had been awarded 92 points out of a possible 100, the highest anyone had ever been awarded in the competition's history. A gold medal was awarded to us for achieving a score of over 85 points and we were silver medalists in the parade competition after obtaining a score of over 75 points.
The competition was not yet over, as the reigning champions from New Zealand were competing the following weekend. We travelled home that evening, and arrived back in the UK on the Monday. There was an agonising wait as we were left to go about our normal everyday lives, until news filtered through from Holland later in the week that the New Zealanders had only been awarded 90 points! The Bristol Unicorns had been announced as World Showband Champions! Dave made an urgent dash to Kerkrade to collect the first prize while we were left to celebrate at our headquarters below the Colston Hall, before going in front of the local TV and press on College Green. It was a fantastic night for all those involved
with the Bristol Unicorns, and the true magnitude of what we had achieved didn't really sink in until days afterwards.
I have a few lasting memories of the world championships of this year. The first is of discovering a huge gaping hole in my band shoe just prior to marching onto the arena for our field display. I had absolutely no idea of how it came to be like that, but knew I had to avoid Dave seeing it at all costs! I was petrified that he would see it, give me a right rollicking, and not let me compete because I'd let everyone down. Only weeks earlier he'd thrown me out of a rehearsal for yawning, so I wasn't in his good books! I got away with it by standing still and hiding behind some very good friends!
Another memory is of the late Bill Coveney in floods of tears as he clapped us off the arena after the display. Bill was a disabled pensioner and a loyal follower of the band. His son had paid for his trip over to Kerkrade as a birthday present, but unfortunately Bill never had a ticket to enter the stadium and was almost turned away before some of the supporters managed to get him into the stands. What a relief he must have felt that his tremendous efforts to get to the stadium were worth it.
Finally I remember the moment I was told that we had been announced as the winners of the competition. My then next door neighbour, Liesl O'Connell, came round to tell me we'd won and I just sat on the top of the stairs and stared at her in disbelief! As with many others on that evening, the realisation that we were now part of a World Championship organisation, was hard to take in.
On Tuesday 6th August, about a week later, the band was to embark on a three week trip, touring British Columbia, Canada. A tremendous amount of hard work had been put into raising money over the past 12 months for this trip. Supporters and band members had taken part in various sponsored events, organised dances and jumble sales whilst the backroom staff worked around the clock putting forward plans for our biggest venture yet. It was with great regret that Tony Fuller who had been at the forefront of organising this fantastic trip was unable to travel with us due to ill health.
Final preparations were made and after a 16 hour flight delay we flew from Heathrow to Vancouver, stopping at Calgary to re-fuel. On arrival at Vancouver International Airport the band were hustled onto Greyhound buses and driven to a parking lot where we were met by the New Westminster Band who were to be our hosts for the next couple of days. All plans for any performances had been cancelled because of the extensive flight delay. We were given time off to recover from jet lag and take in some of the breathtaking scenery surrounding the city.
The next day the band travelled by ferry to Vancouver Island where we were to stay for 3 nights at various destinations on the east of the island. Our first stop was to Victoria, the capital city of BC. Populated by many people of English and Scottish ancestry there was a real feeling of "Old Blighty" here with the red double Decker buses, Bobbies on the beat and afternoon high tea and crumpets! The sound of bagpipes could be heard to make even the Scots feel at home. The bands first public performance in Canada was in the Centennial Square adjoining the City Hall. It was here that we were met by the Mayor of Victoria. After a display and concert on the lawns outside of the Parliament Legislative Buildings, the band were driven to car park and billeted to the various hosts. The evening was left entirely free and a lot of the members met up at the excellent Olympic sized swimming pool on the outskirts of the City.
We received some excellent reviews in the local newspapers the following day, especially from the Times-Colonist which had a headline of "Tourists wowed by old country band" and "Bristol Unicorns brought tears to eyes of expatriates watching sparkling display." One of the spectators said she had no doubts we were British, "I could tell they were British, so clean-cut, short hair....and you can tell they know what discipline means." Another ex-pat said "I'm Scottish, but that's not why we wanted a record. These kids are good. It's nice to see kids able to perform like professionals."
Unfortunately our stay in Victoria was short lived, and we soon boarded the buses again for a journey to Parksville. As soon as the coaches pulled up at the car park in Parksville we were given time to retrieve our cases and get changed for a quick swim in the sea. After a tiring journey from Victoria it was great to have the opportunity to relax. It was here on the beach that we were to perform our display and a concert. After being given brief instructions about the evening show, we were all shown to our various hosts and taken to their homes. We returned to the beach just a couple of hours later. It was a warm evening and the display was performed under very difficult conditions, mainly because the ground was so uneven and we found ourselves tripping up. By our own admission, it wasn't a good performance. However the spectators from Parksville didn't appear to notice as they gave us a great reception at the end of the marching display and later at the hour long concert. It had been an exhausting day and the strain was beginning to show on some of the younger members. It was a great relief to be taken back by the hosts for a well earned rest.
Courtenay was our next destination, some 220km north of Victoria. Once again we found ourselves saying goodbye to our very hospitable hosts the next day, and leaving for our final night on the Island. Before reaching Courtenay we stopped off at the Forbidden Plateau, a ski resort that was just as popular during the summer months as the winter. Undoubtedly this was due to the spectacular scenery surrounding the resort. The chair lift to the top of the plateau was still in operation despite the very dull weather conditions that day. It appeared that we were the only ones daft enough to venture out that morning, and just as we got onto the ski lifts it absolutely poured down with rain. Most of us were dressed in our summer clothing so we all got drenched! What a sight we must have looked as we unpacked our cases in the middle of the car park, got ourselves dried off and changed before travelling on to meet our new hosts in Courtenay. In the evening the band performed the marching display and a concert at the town's athletic stadium. At times the spectators were so enthusiastic that the stand would sway from side to side every time they applauded!
We had an early start the next morning for our journey to the ferry terminal at Nanaimo, returning to the mainland where we stayed once again with our hosts in New Westminster. It had been a wonderful three days on the Island and we were fortunate to have some magnificent hosts, provided by the various Rotary clubs, who all made us feel so welcome.
Before returning to our New Westminster hosts, we took the opportunity to go to a beach as we had some spare time on our hands. Unfortunately our visit here was cut very short as the area we were swimming in wasn't suitable for bathing due to the hundreds of barnacles attached to the rock surfaces. These caused minute cuts, so we left the beach pretty sharpish!
On Sunday 11th August the band performed in concert at the Queen Elizabeth Park Bandshell. The park, also referred to as "Little Mountain" is situated in the heart of Vancouver and is 400 feet above sea level, making it the highest point in the City. This was our first showing on the mainland, and in very hot and humid conditions it was a tremendous success. The rest of the day was left free for sightseeing with our hosts.
Early the next morning we left Vancouver for Kamloops, an arid mountainous region about 425km east of Vancouver on the interior of British Columbia. It took eight hours to reach the city, but our journey took us through some of the most amazing scenery in the Province, including Hope and past some of the Trans Canada Highway. For some of the journey the coaches followed the Fraser River through the valley and Hells Gate where we eventually stopped for a picnic lunch. It was an exhausting days travelling, so it was a great relief when we eventually pulled up into Kamloops and were told that the rest of the evening was free with our new hosts.
We had been warned of the high temperatures in the region and the band had its first encounter in the intense heat the following day when we paraded through the streets of the city, onto the North Riverside Bandshell where we gave a concert. We all felt the extreme effects of the sun that afternoon, but were given ample time to rejuvenate by going for a swim in the freshwater river near the Bandshell. We returned later that evening to perform our marching display in much cooler temperatures, in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd.
The following morning we once again paraded through the streets of Kamloops for just over a mile before reaching a field at an elderly people's home. Here we performed our marching display on a field that was nearly half the size we were used to. Despite the difficult conditions the display was well received by the residents at the home. In the afternoon we put on our display at the McArthur Park just outside of Kamloops before leaving for Kelowna, a city deep in the southern part of BC's Okanagan Valley. The temperatures in Kelowna contrasted greatly with those of Kamloops and we were even given a gentle reminder of home with a typically British summer downpour of rain. One of the finest shows we put on during our stay in Canada was at the Apple Bowl Stadium, Kelowna. It was a damp evening and we performed under floodlight in front of a fantastic audience who later commented on the fact that they had never witnessed anything like this in the city. It was a great night and the evening closed with the Mayor of the Kelowna presenting Dave with the key to the city and welcoming any return in the future.
After a successful tour of British Columbia's interior cities it was yet again time to leave. On Friday 16th August the band travelled back to our friends in New Westminster, some 470kms away, for the remaining six days.
Saturday August 17th was perhaps the busiest day of the tour. We appeared at the Pacific National Exhibition Parade, a colourful procession marking the start of a three week PNE season with three miles of floats, marching bands and politicians riding in open cars, entertaining the countless spectators lining the streets of downtown Vancouver. It was a very hot day, but fortunately for us the countless high rise buildings kept us in the shade for much of the route. This parade was unlike any that we had previously taken part in, due to the amount of participants and the continuous clapping and cheering that greeted us as we marched past the spectators lining the streets. Later the Bristol Unicorns were announced as the Best Band outside of British Columbia in the PNE Parade.
Later that day we made our way to the magnificent BC Place Stadium for a rehearsal of a show especially written for a half time slot during a Canadian football game between the BC Lions and the Calgary Stampeders. BC Place was a multi-million dollar complex used for a number of events with a seating capacity of 30,000. The stadium had a unique inflated white Teflon and fibreglass roof that was operated only when the outer doors were closed, otherwise the roof would collapse due to the escaping air. Later that same evening we marched onto the pitch in front of a not quite capacity crowd, but a rowdy one nonetheless. Performing here was an unforgettable experience which is more than can be said for the Canadian football game. Did anyone know the rules? All we knew was that apparently the BC Lions lost!
Our final engagement of the tour was at the Mercer Stadium in New Westminster where we performed an afternoon concert and once again entertained the crowd with our championship routine. On completion of another successful show, one which brought the spectators in the stands to their feet, we packed all the uniforms and instruments ready for our departure back to the UK in two days. The two remaining days were spent with hosts sightseeing and relaxing in the city where we could enjoy visits to the PNE fairground sight, the Gastown in downtown Vancouver or the ever popular Stanley Park for a day at the zoo and aquarium.
We all have our own memories of this fantastic, once in a lifetime trip to British Columbia, made all the more enjoyable by the enthusiastic and warm reception we received wherever we stayed or performed. Although the schedule was at times exhausting, it is without doubt a trip the band members will look back on and savour.
One of the lasting memories of my stay in BC is of getting lost in Victoria after a night at the swimming pool. I was staying with Rob Wright, Darren Nation and Paul Phillips at a vicar's house (who incidentally was not your average man of the cloth; he had way too much knowledge of explicit photos of my heroine at the time, Madonna!). Anyway, looking back I guess we were in quite a precarious position as we had absolutely no idea where our host lived or even his name for that matter. Neither Paul nor I took this situation as seriously as we should have, and were absolutely no use to Rob or Darren who were being way too sensible. In desperation Darren knocked on a complete stranger's door and asked if they knew a vicar! Unbelievably we accepted a ride in the back of a pick-up truck, trawling the streets of Victoria for about an hour, hoping to recognise somewhere. The driver took us back to the swimming pool where we looked through the yellow pages for all the vicars in the area and eventually found him. At the reception our vicar was met by four highly embarrassed Brits, none more so than Darren who, as the oldest and wisest (?!), had assured him on our way to the pool he was making note of how to get back.
In Kamloops I stayed with Steve Annette and Jason Horseman. At my request, Steve cut my hair (Vidal Sassoon he ain't!), before tipping all the waste into a plant pot inside of our hosts house. I remember the feeling of complete embarrassment, and the shock on Steve's face when Jason refused freshly poached salmon, asking instead for some cheese on toast!
The band were allowed very little time to recuperate from the Canadian trip as only three days later we were on Durdham Downs, taking part in the annual Bristol Flower Show.
The next two months were spent altering the championship routine in time for the British Championships in November. It was clear that we needed to change the display both visually and musically because we had already used this current show at the previous year's Championship. The James Bond Theme and Moon River were replaced by Russian Dressing (a variation on Beethoven's piano concerto) and Feelings. A number of trips were made to Colerne where the drill and display were revised to fit in alongside the new pieces of music. Hours were spent rehearsing a new "bow and arrow" feature involving the whole band, whereby the band formed the shape of the bow, the rifle guard the arrow and the colour guard and majorettes a heart. At a designated point in the music the whole shape would rotate before pulling back the bow string and eventually releasing the arrow into the heart shape. It was a massive venture and one that would look spectacular if we could pull it off, but equally would cost us dearly with the judges if we didn't. Unfortunately the practises were not going quite according to plan, as we found it increasingly difficult to keep the shape together, trying to keep the line of the bow straight, and keeping the other half of the shape looking like a bow! We persevered in the hope that it would all come good in the end.
On October 26th the band paraded through the centre of Bristol and onto College Green where we were received by the Lord Mayor for the Trooping of the Standard. The following evening we performed to a sell out concert at the Colston Hall and invited the Lord Mayor, Councilor Jack Bosdett to say a few words after. He made some very complimentary remarks about the band and our successes before wishing us well at the British Championships.
On November 9th the band left the Bristol Polytechnic for Wembley Arena. It was an early start in the morning because we had to be there in time for the draw to find out what time we were due to compete. On arrival at the car park we found out that we were to be the penultimate band in the Premier Class, so we had plenty of time to tune the instruments, warm up etc. When we eventually got onto the arena the changes in the display went down very well with the crowd. The roar as we manoevered into the bow and arrow was deafening, and as we finished the routine with the traditional bowing of the heads at the end of the 1812 Overture we were treated to a standing ovation. The noise from the crowd was like nothing we had ever heard! Thankfully their appreciation was reiterated by the judges and they awarded us the British title for the second year running. As well as this title, we were once again announced as the British Youth Band Association League winners for the third consecutive year.
Just before Christmas the band were invited to the Lord Mayors Mansion House to celebrate the year's successes, a great honour indeed. The final engagement of the year was an evening carol concert at the Concord Bingo Hall in Eastville which brought to a close a perfect year.
B.Y.B.A. League Champions,
British Youth Marching Band Champions And
World Showband Champions!
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