It was when I was a small boy of eight or nine in the early 1930s, that I became a member of Corpus Christi drum and fife band.

I still remember the joy I felt on my first Whit Friday walk as a member of the band.

In those days senior members of the band wore a military type uniform whilst the young boys like myself wore the school uniform, a fawn jersey with matching cap. The fact that I could play very little didn’t seem to matter.

When the war came in 1939 the band like many other activities ceased and many of the lads went into the armed forces. Shortly after the end of the war Father Cross asked Bernard Kelly if he would make some effort to revive the band. Bernard contacted several members of the band including myself. A few rehearsals later and the band began to sound like it did previously and was soon ready for the road. Many memories were stirred as we set out on our first post war Whit Friday procession. The delight of the onlookers was plain to see.

In the early 1950s it was decided that the band should get a new uniform. With the help of Father Cross who persuaded the men’s club to foot most of the bill we were soon looking splendid in our new uniforms complete with maroon beret with a yellow plume.

We had many engagements, walking in the processions of other parishes, attending garden fetes and carnivals. We were one of the first if not the first to appear in the then - New Free Trade Hall. This was part of the ‘Festival of Britain’ events and there was one memorable occasion when the band raised the roof of the Kings Hall, Belle Vue.

It was about this time many of the senior members became disenchanted with the bands musical repertoire we longed to play some of the classic military marches played by brass and military bands. Despite our efforts we could not find anyone who was able to supply us with military band music for a flute, not even the army. However John Connell‚ a member of the famous Tall Hat Band persuaded his musical director to transpose the music for the clarinet so that it was possible to play it on a B-flat‚ flute. Once the music was obtained we spent many hours under the guidance of John Connell‚ learning how to play these lovely marches.

The following Whit Friday people could not believe the sounds they were hearing when we struck up with tunes like ‘El Abinico’, ‘Light of Foot’, ‘Ballerina’, ‘Under the Double Eagle’, etc.

I remember approaching the area of St Michael’s and seeing Brass Band members running along the side streets to Oldham Road to catch a glimpse of this flute band who had the audacity to play such world famous marches.

I think it was in the mid-fifties that the band was probably at it’s best, we had some fine young capable flute players, an excellent drum section, and who could ever forget drum major Louis Jones, the envy of every band that saw us. On one occasion Louis got so carried away with his own performance that he got quite some distance away from the band, he was quickly brought down to earth however when our Band Master, Norbert Connell shouted “Jones where the blankety - blank, do you think you are going?”

I think it was towards the end of the fifties, it fell my lot to take charge of the band, and so we carried on through the sixties. It was during the sixties we started taking the schoolboy members of the band away for a day, and with the help of my wife Peggy‚ who made loads and loads of sandwiches we had several happy days at Southport and on those trips came with us the never to be forgotten, Father Zyerveld.

As the seventies approached it became obvious that the pull of television was greater than the lads desire to be band members. So in the early seventies forty years after l first joined, sadly the band ceased to be.
Ralph Wilkinson