The Bandroom – A History (1926 – 2016) – Chapter 2 1939 – 1945

By the start of the Second World War in 1939, many public buildings were requisitioned for the war effort. The band was disbanded and the instruments were stored under a tarpaulin in the town council yard behind the gas office, an area now being developed as the latest retail park in Park Avenue.
The bandroom was then taken over by the Home guard and the auxiliary fire service until the cessation of hostilities in 1945.
The instruments were collected and the band reformed during the latter years of the 1940s when they reclaimed possession of their rehearsal room. Several players returned from active service and national service. The band was small but they loyally reinstated themselves as the town band and re-established themselves as the prime promenade bandstand entertainment.

by Peter Henley