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FELTWELL ENTERPRISE BAND by AJO

[Compiled after conversations with Mr. Edgar Laws (1890- ) and Mr. Walter Hammond Beamis (1885- ) who related events up to about 1919 and with my father, Major John Thomas Orange (1897-1968) who joined the Band in 1918.]

Just before the close of the 19th Century five enthusiastic young men, namely, Bob Clark, his brother Fred, Salisbury K. Lambert, Francis E. Rudland and John T. Willett decided to form a Band. It did not last for long and shortly after he took over the newsagent's business at 34, Hill Street in 1904, my grandfather, Alfred George ("John") Symonds re-formed the Band and named it the Feltwell Enterprise Band. Bob Clark was appointed Bandmaster but after a short time he handed this post over to my grandfather, who continued as Bandmaster until the Band ceased to exist. Although Mr. Symonds was a self-taught musician, he was also Choirmaster at St. Mary's Church and a chorister there for over 40 years.

The Band was in good demand and used to travel to their "outside engagements" in a brake drawn by two horses and hired from Mr. Roper of the Oak Hotel. On the return journeys it was customary for Edgar Laws to lead the Band on his cornet in community singing. He told me that as soon as the music started the horses seemed to take on a new lease of life. At one of the Band Practices, Bob Clark admonished the members for this unseemly conduct, whereupon, Francis Rudland handed him a 10/- note which had been sent as a donation to the Band Fund by a Methwold lady who had enjoyed the carols as the Band had passed her home a few nights earlier.

Another Methwold person had heard the carols and thought they sounded so splendid, accompanied by the "clip- clop" of the horses' hoofs. He jumped out of bed, went to the window to watch them pass and almost fell to the street in his enthusiasm.

Sometimes the band played in Church and my mother remembers playing the organ, accompanied by the band, at the tender age of 12. On Armistice Night (1918) my grandfather went to the Aerodrome (Wilton Road) and asked for my father to be released from his duties so that he could play in the band for the Victory Night celebrations. In the early days of the band, my grandfather decided that he would convert one of his motor cars into an open "brake" for transporting the band.

Before he had completed the bodywork (the tailboard had not been made) they set off in the brake, driven by Walter Beamis, for an engagement at Southery. As they were travelling along the Poppylot Road (always uneven because of the soft fen soil over which it had been constructed) the drum strap broke. The drum fell off and followed them for some way before disappearing into a dyke. The drummer, Ernie Rolfe, had to be held by the heels as, head-down, he hung over the edge of the dyke to retrieve his drum.

On reaching Southery they decided that "The Bell" was the best place to carry out a temporary repair - presumably to the drum! - before proceeding to their engagement. Whilst playing for a Garden Fete at Mildenhall, the band had to lead the procession into the gardens; they passed through an opening in an ornamental wall and divided to skirt a circular rose-bed, with one exception - poor Ernie - bringing up the rear with his big drum. After being picked up he and the drum appeared to be undamaged and a short run enabled him to continue, red-faced, to the Bandstand.

The band instruments were stored in a shed at Lawn House until, at least, 1936. At one event, Jack Roper was about to play on his trombone - nothing happened - and after a close examination he found a dead mouse in one of the tubes. Following a tea break at one of the "Club Feasts." Salisbury Lambert's instrument was making an unusual noise. Grandfather stopped the music and found that some children had rammed some draw-tickets into the bell of the instrument.

Some time after another Club Feast, Charlie Matthews had difficulty with his cornet. It seems that a tomato-pip from one of his sandwiches a few weeks earlier had been blown into the instrument and had grown into a healthy 4" tomato plant. Charlie was a postman who worked at Brandon and on the arrival of the first telephone kiosk in Feltwell, two of the bandsmen telephoned him on Christmas Eve to play him some carols. Undoubtedly the first broadcast from Feltwell

Whitweek was always a busy one for the band. They had regular bookings on Monday for the Annual Flower Show and Fete at Hockwold, Tuesday and Thursday at Methwold, Feltwell Club Feast on Wednesday and Feltwell School Treat on Friday. There were ten regular players for local events but for anything special Jack Dack, George Dodman and George Bullock from Brandon were called in for support.

Bill Hitch, the Surrey and England cricketer, used to live at "Ivydene" in High Street and one evening as the Bandsmen were touring the village playing carols, he invited them in and produced two bottles of whisky. The band had already had "one or two" and as Bill was liberally filling their glasses they were quietly passing the "Christmas spirit" on to one of his geraniums. A few days later, Mrs. Hitch complained of the strong smell of whisky in her sitting room and the sudden death of her geranium.

On 7th December, 1935, my grandmother, Susan Maria Symonds (nee Beamis) died. The Band was engaged to play at a concert that evening in the Coronation (1911) Hall following a British Legion Dinner. Despite the family's bereavement it was decided that "the show must go on" and, with perhaps one exception, this was the last event at which the Band played.

At some time between 1936 and 1940 the instruments were given to the Feltwell and District Branch of the British Legion, who, between 1940/42 lent them to the Royal Air Force. Unfortunately the instruments were never returned.

The Band uniforms were blue with yellow braiding across the chest, a wide red band down the outside of the trouser legs and a peaked cap.

Some of the Bandsmen over the years were:-

Edgar Laws second cornet, soprano cornet. Charlie Matthews trombone, cornet, tenor horn, soprano cornet.
John Thomas Orange cornet. William Pearson cornet.
Ernie ("Boxer") Rolfe drum. Jack Roper drum, trombone.
Francis E. Rudland violin, baritone. Alfred George Symonds cornet.
Will Tuck tenor horn. John T. Willett concertina, euphonium.
Geoffrey Beamis bombardon. Stephen Beamis bombardon.
Walter Beamis euphonium, bombardon. Fred Clark clarinet.
Bob Clark cornet. Arthur (Artie) Cock cornet.
Bert Cracknell cornet. Walter Cracknell tenor horn.
Tom Gent drum. Bob Howlett tenor horn, cornet.
Daniel Killingworth drum. Salisbury King Lambert bombardon.

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