Memories of the Band

During 1985 I became a member of St John Ambulance Rushden brigade. Here I joined the cadet band. My memories were of a great group of people, of all ages, going out to events giving first aid, and marching to show our pride of St John Ambulance, to which we all belonged. I first learnt to play the bugle, then the trumpet, and side drum. I remember practising for a parade in the car park, learning to march and turn as a group; with sometimes funny results. (There was an older man who was very good on trumpet and would play little brown jug, which we all liked.) We would then march up and down the main road outside the old wooden brigade building, past the then open swimming pool, and back again. One time I was put on bass drum on a parade through Rushden. The drum, it being a windy day, was more like a sail and it took most of my effort to just march, let alone play, and we always had trouble when it got too cold to play our trumpets and bugles. The side drums always gave me bruises, but it was all good fun. Getting to events was just as much fun. At that time we went in the Ambulance, and along with the first aid kit, with all the drums trumpets and so forth, and the band cadets. You had to hold on for your life going around corners in that Ambulance as drums and cadets tried to not get ejected from the back door. I am sure that old ambulance had a bell and a siren as well. I recall doing a May fete in Wellingborough, it was a lovely summer day, watching the floats. People would wave and children would point to us as we started off that day marching under the overpass of the shopping centre. My parents and I moved to Cornwall in 1987. I joined the Cambourne St John division. However they had no band. Still I will always look back with fondness of the time I spent in the band at Rushden.
I recently learnt that Rushden St John has been disbanded, which I think is a great shame. I hope that one day it will come back. Eddie Hartopp, Middlesbrough, 2014 via email