In the late 1800s, Hunmanby consisted of two small units of brass band members who played at local functions.  Sir Dennis Bailey, who came to Hunmanby from the Nottingham area and bought Hunmanby Hall and the estates, decided to buy a complete set of brand-new instruments, stands, uniforms, etc. he asked two members of the band to go to London, to purchase the complete set.  So in 1919, Mr William Garbutt and Mr William Raylor were selected to go.  The instruments were engraved with the letters (D.B.H.S.B.). Dennis Bailey Hunmanby Silver Band.  In 1946, I joined the band and learned to play the cornet under Bill Reed, a trombone and euphonium player.  Many of the band rooms that we used over the years included a disused chapel, down Hungate Lane, now converted into flats, a horse stable in the public house, The Swan, in the pub yard also the youth center down Bowling Green Lane, and now the community center in Stonegate.  We have had many conductors over some time including, Tom Clarke, Fred Muscroft, and Colin Mason, under his direction, won our first brass contest in York.  In the '50s, we purchased some second-hand uniforms which were advertised in the "British Bandsman." The band has had many jobs throughout the years including, playing at the carnival, armistice day, and many others including the Queen's coronation in June 1953, a video of this event is circulating in the village where the band is prominent.  In the 1950s compulsory national service claimed a large part of the members including myself, during this period the instruments were loaned to R.A.F.A. in Scarborough.  When we returned to civilian life it was always our ambition to have the band back in the village.  In the meantime, I joined the parish council with Mr Eric Dixon B.E.M., who was clerk to the council.  When the lease expired in 1978, we asked for the return of the instruments, this done the council decided to make a constitution that if ever the band disbanded, the council as an ongoing body would be trustees and take care of the instruments and look after them, this done, the instruments would be kept in the village care.  In 1978 we got help from some members of the old Filey band and the Bridlington Excelsior band, notably, Bernard Mallory, Mr & Mrs Ernie Newlove, the father of Howard Newlove our present principle euphonium player.  Back in the early 1980's a keen supporter of the band, Mr Robbie Hoggarth, managed to persuade Butlins holiday camp (Filey) to supply us with the red blazers.  The band is growing from strength to strength under our musical director Mr Graham Walker, attracting playing members from a wide area.

In 1978, I was working at the local village garage. The garage foreman was  Glynne Brown, I have known Glynn since I was a young lad as he played in Bridlington Excelsior Band, the band I started in as a learner.  Glynne often talked at work about having the band back in the village and asked me if I would like to help get the band up and running again.  As an enthusiastic 25-year-old, I jumped at the chance, even though, at the time, I was also playing in Bridlington Excelsior Band and Driffield Town Band.  I can also remember, on more than one occasion, the late Derek Darling and the late Robbie Hoggarth, Glynne, and myself, walking down from Stonegate garage to the youth club on Bowling Green Lane in Hunmanby to check over the place as a practice venue, measuring up to see if there was room for filing cabinets, library, music, etc.  I think we probably talked more about the band when we were at work than actually getting any work done, one advantage of having the foreman who's also a keen bandsman.  Having looked at the early history of the band in the 1920s, it refers to a Mr. W. Garbutt, cycling from Forden to Hunmanby, etc., it reminded me of a time when I cycled from Bridlington to Hunmanby (10 miles) approx. To help with the Christmas playing around the village. I remember it was a cold, frosty December night.  I set off, perhaps ill-prepared, euphonium in its case, balancing precariously on the crossbar, not easy holding the case in one hand and steering with the other. I don't think health and safety was my top priority in those days. No sooner had I cycled out of Bridlington, than the chain came off my bike.  I managed to put it back on and carried on towards Hunmanby.  Approx. 3 miles later, off comes the chain again.  By this time I couldn't feel my finger ends as it was so cold and trying to get the chain put back on in the pitch black was a task in itself, this happened numerous times and my hands were blackened with oil.  Having reached the Dotterill Inn at the top of the hill, I knew then that it was mostly downhill into the village, when I finally arrived in the village, I stopped and listened hoping that I could hear the band, because I had no idea what part of the village they would be in, after all, Hunmanby is a very large village I couldn't hear them, so I continued a little further and I could see the village church in the distance.  It was then that I saw the street lights reflecting off the instruments in that cold frosty night air.  Lo and behold as they started to walk toward me, one of the lads said "you're too late, we've just finished".  When they realized how I had got here, I was hastily taken to the local pub and was sat down in front of the welcoming open fire and given a hot drink to thaw me out. I too can remember the enthusiastic band supporter, Robbie Hoggarth saying he would take me and my bike back to Bridlington in his van but was a bit low on petrol so he said he would drop me off about halfway, luckily it was mainly downhill .......... Oh, happy days !!!!