A busy couple of weekends approaching! Fri June 11th Waverton bowling club - playing at 6.30 Sat June 12th MT Skool Fete, Training Band Sun June 13th Festival of Transport, Roodee Fri June 18th Ruskin School Sun June 20th MT Well Dressing check events area for details

Following the appeal for the return of Band Jackets, one jacket has been located and will be winging its way back to Chester very soon. There are more out there, we won't name and shame, just let us know and we can arrange for their retun. Only four more to go.

early start 6.30pm please note Waverton bowling club

Don't forget that there will be no Band Practice Friday or Monday because of the Bank Holiday. The next one will be on Friday 4th June. Please make the extra effort to be there as we are comming up to some important Jobs.

A quick note home from our brave boy in blue! (update - Brian is now back - 2nd June - so you can get a direct update for only a pint when you next see him :)) Hi Ian, here\'s my News from the Front! Arrived in the sunny Caribbean island of Curacao last Friday, to find temperatures in the 90s! Hotel is fine, beer is cold, food is great. Haven't found a band yet but, then again, I'm not particularly looking for one. I've managed to stay out of the hotel casino so far and am enjoying looking around the island. Only managed to get an 'accidental tan' so far i.e. just by walking around. Will do some serious sunbathing today so that people know I've been somewhere nice! The bad news is that my detachment is being cut short so I may be at band practice a week on Friday! Glad to read that the Beer Festival went well, and I'm glad Les enjoyed playing baritone - a man of many parts, all of them second hand! Regards, Brian M

Helllo from Adelaide. I think the last thing I worte about was ayers rock? So.. after we'd finished our tour in the centre, Margo flew back to cairns, Sarah to Sydney & myself to Perth. The others are staying out until September so we decided to split up. I spent about a week in Perth & also visited a little town called Fremantle just south of the city. I loved Perth - probably my favourite city so far in Australia. After Perth I flew to Adelaide, where I've been for the past few days. I have just returned from Kangaroo Island. I spent 3 days down there & saw heaps of penguins & sealions! Nice to see then in the wild for once instead of in the zoo. I'm off to melbounre tomorrow on the train (10hours). 3wks left in OZ. That's all for now Christine xxxx

Five of the bands jackets are still missing! Have you got a fancy blue jacket with gold piping and the City of Chester bands badge on it, in your wardrobe, car boot or anywhere else for that matter? Have we done a job for you and left some of our jackets in your church hall or club. If so please contact us so we can arrange for it to be returned. Don’t worry we won’t name and shame!

For those not at the beer festival apologies but there's no rehearsal tonight (Monday 17th May). There is a committee mtg starting at 8pm. Training Band is on.

Someone has to do it!!!! Well the band excelled as usual. Lead by an enthusiastic Phil Mottershead in the middle - in a range of ties, finishing in a rather sober one on Saturday, the band put on a spirited performance. Only topped by the Irish gent who downed a pint and a half of beer twice! to win the beer drinking competition on the Saturday night, the band played it's usual repertoire - bringing the house down with the Post Horn Galup, Jerusalem and singalong (numbers 1,2 and 3 :)). It's a tough job but someone has to do it; and band members tried a selection of the beers on offer, with a stream of fresh beer during the performance to keep the lips 'moist'. Oh yes and special mention to Bflat bass Les who put in the 1st bari part on Saturday night.... Thanks to the deps; too numerous to name, and yep, we'll be there next year - - - anyone got the brass band version of 'House of the Rising Sun'? Ian (Brian's away in the Caribbean with the US Navy... postcard expected anytime :)

On Sunday the band supported the second Marbury Merry Day. Our intrepid reporter Brian Mottershead was there.... Ok, I know that I promised glorious sunshine whenever the band appeared in public, but at least it was drier for Day 2 of the Marbury Merry Days than it had been the day before! Apparently it had rained all day on the Saturday, but the Chester Band’s presence at least deterred any further precipitation! Have you ever been to Marbury? I hadn’t before last weekend, but what a lovely village it is! The showground was set in a large field next to picturesque Marbury Mere, with the whole scene being overlooked by the village church. There were all sorts of displays and stalls to enjoy, and the whole day had a wonderful countryside feel to it. The Band’s contribution started with a shuffle into the main arena (to call it a march would be a gross exaggeration), made all the more difficult by the damp conditions underfoot. After playing a selection of marches (whilst stationary!) we shuffled off again, making way for a fantastic display by the local dog-training club. At this point, half the Band made for the tea-tent, whilst the other half wandered down to the pub for some light refreshment. Les Platt recounted a story of how, as a young child, he had sat outside the same pub drinking lemonade, whilst his parents were inside. On his latest visit he was also sat outside, but I don’t think it was lemonade he was drinking! Our second performance of the day was outside the church, where Derek’s choice of music soon had a small but appreciative audience enjoying our rendition of pieces such as L’il Darlin’ and Singin’ In The Rain. Thankfully, sunshine is not a pre-requisite for the Chester Beer Festival, being held this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Chester Rugby Club. However, a good singing voice is required, and if you pop along on any of the afore-mentioned evenings, you’ll undoubtedly be able to join in with some well-known songs, as performed by the one-and-only City of Chester Band. See you there! [email protected]