Music marches on

2:58pm Wednesday 18th April 2007

The biggest scout band in the district, the Kingston and Malden Scout and Guide Band, had a humble beginning. In 1949, Cliff Williams, a cub master in the now defunct 11th Kingston scout group, brought six boys together to form a district scout band.

It was no easy task - instruments had to be borrowed and often included the weird and wonderful, such as the bass drum which came from a local scout group and only had one skin, the other side being brown paper.

According to Tim Eggitt, band publicity officer, scout bands at the time were receiving bad press for a perceived sense of militarism, which post-war scouting was keen to move away from, and so the band received little formal support.

Nevertheless, Cliff Williams and his six band members persisted, and at the St George's Day Parade in 1950, Kingston's scouts had the opportunity to see the three buglers and three drummers for the first time.

The 1960s saw the band grow in size and, in 1967, when Kingston merged with Malden and Coombe to form the new Kingston and Malden District, the band became the district band for a far larger patch.

That year, it entered the first National Scout Band competition in Nuneaton and the band finished second to bottom. It had far more success a few years later in Brighton when it finished second.

In the 1980s, the band developed in both membership and musical style. Girls began to join and the name changed to Kingston and Malden Scout and Guide band. The decade also saw the band take part in its first prestigious engagements, including two Lord Mayor's Shows and a televised appearance at the Queen's Birthday Parade in 1986.

Twenty years later, the band now boasts over 60 members and holds the colours of the Royal borough.

Unlike the band from its neighbouring group 2nd Hook, which was formed in 1967 by late Group President Reg Cooper, 1st Hook Scout Band has the privilege of being the oldest band in the district, created in 1938 as a simple drum and bugle combination.

Few of the boys could read music and tunes were often identified by such titles as "Bash Bash".

In 1966, new instruments were bought and the band swept the board the following year in the novices section of the National Scout Band Championship. In 1984, girls were invited to join the band.

1st Hook is a traditional marching band, using the full range of military instruments. It has retained the title of National Marching Band Champions of the Scout Association since 1994, and has played in many prestigious engagements, including The London Marathon and the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. It has even appeared on British and Danish television, and been to Sir Cliff Richard's house as part of a surprise party.

The band twice took part in the International Tournament for Marching Bands and Majorettes in Barcelona, gaining a placing each time.