Good Response so far to help identify some history
There has been a great response with many emails received providing information on the photos of the Miners' Contest. Thanks to everyone who has taken the trouble to get in touch - the info received so far is as follows:-
Photo 3 - Monktonhall Colliery Silver 1971
First in line is Kevin Harkess,Alisdair McLeod, Larry Blair Alan McMurchie, Angus Edmond,
John Edmond, dont know, Archie Swan, Harry Roberts, Rab Anderson can make out the rest to far away.
Photo 4 - Dalmellington conducted by Allan Street. Archie Hutchison, principal cornet on the day thinks this could be the year when they played Triumphant Rhapsody and the judge described them as the "raining champions" on account of the downpour which began during the performance.
Photo 5 - Buckhaven with Willie Ross conducting
Photo 7 - Kinneil Colliery conducted by Alex Fleming. Cornets - Richard Duff, Tom McCormack, Willie Gardner, Bobby Henderson, Eric Milligan. Horns - Jim Darrien, Jim Buchanan, Robert Doherty. Euphoniums - Ian Campbell, John Baillie.
Photo 8 - Newtongrange conducted by Willie Ross. Players include Dave O'Connor, Willie Anderson, Jim Macrae and Jim Mathieson.- you have all the band players names but if you look in the background head and shoulders above the rest is a young Gavin Spowart.
Photo 10 - Newtongrange conducted by Willie Ross. Players include Alex and Tom Spence on front row cornet, Tom Brown on soprano and Alan Fernie on trombone.
Photo 11 - Monktonhall Colliery Silver with Robert Anderson on principal and Larry Blair on soprano.
Photo 11- Monktonhall Colliery Band Front row Rab Anderson, Russel Cavnage, Harry Roberts, Kevin Harkess Back Row Larry Blair, Alan Watson, Shonah Edmond
.Photo 12 - Lochgelly band Lyndsey Lawrie on euph Shona spence on horn Stephen Callaghan on percussion
Photo 13 - Monktonhall Colliery With Jim Henderson on 1st Trombone Eric Fox on 2nd Ernie Murray on Bassm and Bill Baillie MBE on Euphonium - you have most I know but Andrew Ingles is playing Eflat Bass
Photo 14 - Monktonhall Colliery Silver conducted by Jim Fleming.
Photo 15 - Dunaskin Doon c.1978 conducted by John Tyson.
Photo 16 - Kelty & Blairadam c. 1977/78 conducted by David Paton. Solo cornets, Margaret McLaughlin, Alastair Henderson, James Renshaw, Robert Riddick, Repiano, Douglas Henderson, Flugel Karen Foy, 2nd cornets, William McLaughlin and Janice Bernie, 3rd cornets, Patricia Barker and Brian Lafferty, Horns, Michelle McLaughlin, Jackie McKenna and Bridget Barker, Baritones, Bobby Lafferty and Michael McLaughlin, Euphonium, Gordon Hunter, Trombones, Robert Fair, George Hunter and Eric Jordan, Basses, Ian Malcolm and Jim Mcanally.
Photo 17 - with Archie Smith and Jim Hyslop on Eb Bass photo 18 same as 17
Photo 19 - Ayr Benquhat Silver late 1970's conducted by Shona Thomson.
Photo 20 - Monklands Concert Brass, Stuart Macaulay Principal Cornet, assisted by Karen Barr and Marion Milligan. A youthful looking Martin Stack in back row, with the eye of Ian McGleish beside him.
Photo 21 - Monklands Concert Brass,Jim Smith conducting same comet line up as above, John Stirling Solo Euph, Pat Hawthorne Solo Trom, Tommy Macaulay Solo Horn, Tricia McNeilly Solo Eb Bass, Leo McGarvey Sop,....I will remember more the more I study photo.
Photo 22 - Buckhaven with Bruce Fraser and 23 same
Photo 24 - in your gallery is Shotts St Patrick's being conducted by Jim Rennie. I think the year is 1980. We were playing in the old second section at the time and qualified for the finals in the Winter gardens where we were placed 3rd playing "Le Carnival Romain" The player's I can identify are: Front row from left, Jim Roy and Wullie Duffy - Back row from left, Mark McKeown, Stephen Murphy
The Flugel obscured from view is Joe Hughes and the horn player side-on is most likely to be John Kelly.The Horn player obscured from view I think is James McKeown.
The Solo trombone is Brian Kelly, not sure about the player next to him, but it appears to be bass trombone and the player at that time could be John Ross
Photo 25 - Buckhaven with Bruce Fraser
Photo 26 - Buckhaven with Bruce conducting and Jim Hyslop on Euph
Photo 27 - Lochgelly band George Bennett conducting David spence. 2nd trombone Bill Giles 1st trombone - you have the ones I know but Colin Brown is standing in the back ground smiling n chatting (Kinneil band )
Photo 28 - Buckhaven
Photo 30 - Monktonhall Colliery Silver with Angus Edmond on principal cornet.
Photo 31 - Lochgelly
Photo 31 - Archie Smith Wellesley Colliery
Photo 29 - Monktonhall 1974
Photo 30 - Monktonhall 1974 playing Knight templer Conductor was Jim Fleming (test piece we played that day was Les Preludes.) Front Row Angus Edmond, Paul Middlehirst, Archie Swan, Rab Anderson
Photo 34 - Kinneil Band Colin Brown bumper up and Kirsten (Irene) Awlson on Horn
Photo 35 - Kinneil Colliery. Players from left to right......Matthew Deans, Maurice Whitehead, Brian Le Tissier.
we are still looking for information on all of the remaining photos or indeed further details on any of the above.
In the course of recent historical researches Alan McLaren has obtained a number of photos from the collection of the National Mining Museum Scotland. They were taken at the contest at the Scottish Miners' Gala Day, mainly during the 1970's & 1980's but some earlier. Could anyone who has names of bands, conductors, players etc any information regarding the photo's or people in them, contact Alan with nall the details by
e.mail alanpmclaren@aol.com
All the photos come from the collection of the National Mining Museum Scotland.and this is only part of the collection.
Go to https://www.sbba.org.uk/photo-gallery/showalbum=28 to view a young Bruce Fraser and I suspect a dark haired Bill Sandell!
