Royal Welch Band

**BennytheBall** · 13-09-2007, 09:33

Dave
The Band always went on the "Nice" tours, can't see the recruiting plan or KAPE (British Army) in sending the band all the way to Oz though, (going on one of their "nice" tours again I expect). How are you keeping mate, settled in over there? best wishes to you and the family.
BennytheBall

**DP43** · 13-09-2007, 10:05

Just moved up to Brisbane...bit warmer than Cardiff. Mind you I miss a pint Brains. Hang on just drying myself in the sun after getting out of the pool.

At least we don't have to worry about the sharks.....cos the crocs eat 'em all.

evansmunro · 15-09-2007, 20:46

Originally Posted by UKSniper

"Why have the band of the Royal Welsh been downgraded to a TA band?"

Probably because they are all TA soldiers.

Royal Welch Fusiliers Band was a Regimental Band before the Regiment was made into a battalion. Thank you UKSniper for your stupid answer.

evansmunro · 15-09-2007, 20:51

Originally Posted by john1

The Band of the Royal Welch Fusiliers ceased to be when the Corps of Army Music was formed and the old Regimental Band system was abolished around 1994. Both the RWF and the RRW lost their Regimental Bands along with the rest of the POW Div, the old Bands were pushed into two bands the Lucknow and Clive Bands and the "spare" musicians sent off to new and existing bands. Now there is one band for the POW Div.

The Royal Welsh should count itself lucky that it has a band to call on TA or otherwise (I worked with the old 3 RRW band, the current Royal Welsh Band, on more than one occasion and they were all good and dedicated musicians), most other regiments have to get into the queue.

Mess night music has gone (harp and choir), battalion level beating of the retreats have gone, some of the daft things we used to do to entertain the Battalion and Comrades are gone, unless you are lucky enough to get a slot in the diary. Its a sign of the times and change.

I am proud to have been a member of the Royal Welch Fusiliers Band (and we weren’t bad as a Band) as I am sure many other former band members are, to have marched with the Corps of Drums, Regimental Pioneers and Regimental Mascot but now those days have gone! The Royal Welch Band has not been downgraded but removed from existence. The tradition of music for the Regiment will be carried on by the Corps of Drums, notes to Mac 1st Bn DM have you formed a choir yet?

Thanks for the question; it’s a sad reminder of what is deemed to be progress.

Thank you John 1 for yolur sensible answer

mongi · 19-11-2007, 09:43

Originally Posted by BennytheBall

Dave
The Band always went on the "Nice" tours, can't see the recruiting plan or KAPE (British Army) in sending the band all the way to Oz though, (going on one of their "nice" tours again I expect). How are you keeping mate, settled in over there? best wishes to you and the family.
BennytheBall

Can you let me know which Nice tours we did?

I only remember "Not Nice" ones, I am sure some of the Drummers remember and certainly Mac will vouch for that!

Without starting a big debate the band worked bloody hard as any of the Shark Watch guys (Some Drummers, some 1st Batallion "volunteers"

) who joined us on our "nice" tours will tell you!

**rikoshea** · 19-11-2007, 12:15

i remember the nice tours, KAPE tour of wales 83, Colchester tattoo, horse guards parade, wembley padgent, Paris, Portugal, America. thats when we had a band and drums to be proud of before their demise. and not only that i'm sure A & D company lads came on the KAPE tour for march throughs and Cardiff Tattoo, so we didn'y always have it to ourselves. Anyway when it came to operational tours us drummers always became fillers within the rifle companies dual role you see and worked our bol-cks off. Plus a number of bandsmen just did not turn up and receive their NI Medals because they patroled with us in Ballykinler.

So anyway Mac as a lot to do in keeping the traditions of the drums going before it ceases also.

regards

Rikoshea
drums 1981 to 1988

**BennytheBall** · 19-11-2007, 15:01

Originally Posted by rikoshea

i remember the nice tours, KAPE tour of wales 83, Colchester tattoo, horse guards parade, wembley padgent, Paris, Portugal, America. thats when we had a band and drums to be proud of before their demise. and not only that i'm sure A & D company lads came on the KAPE tour for march throughs and Cardiff Tattoo, so we didn'y always have it to ourselves. Anyway when it came to operational tours us drummers always became fillers within the rifle companies. Plus a number of bandsmen just did not turn up and receive their NI Medals because they patrol with us in Ballykinler.

So anyway Mac as a lot to do in keeping the traditions of the drums going before it ceases also.

regards

Rikoshea
drums 1981 to 1988

There you are, I'll so no more.
BennytheBall 1

Mike Thomas · 19-11-2007, 22:59

Some of the little sniping remarks in this thread are exactly the reason why after 15 years of service i have not attended any form of Regimental Function for over twenty years after leaving the Battaliion.
Apart that is from when the Regiment contacted the Brass Band that i run (Llanrug) and asked us to play at the opening of the new Regimantal Museum which was opened by HRH The Prince of Wales in Caernarfon Castle.
Oh and of course every year since 1989 when on Remembrance Sunday at 9 o clock in the morning i have taken the Llanrug Brass Band to play at the Memorial Hall in Llanrug and then on to the War Memorial in Caernarfon where i usually also play the Last Post, not to mention every time the local Branch of the Comrades or Legion ask me to attend at the local Llanbeblig or any other cemetary to play the last Post for a fallen comrade.I do these thing because i feel a kinship with former Royal Welchmen and will do whatever i can to honour their memory or to assist in any way that i can the lads that i served with.

I was always very proud to be a member of the Regimental Band leading the Battalion on parade with the Goat at the front followed by the Pioneers, Corps of drums and the Band.The Corps were a dashing sight of themselves and probaly the hardest working Infantrymen in the battalion because of their Dual role but i believe that the band supporting them always took it to another dimension.
There were always a few gobby ones who mouthed off their snide comments but over the years you learnt to take it and probably in the end joined in with their brand of **** take.(A certain set of brothers associated with a month of the year "spring" to mind especially with old Richard George Harrod Eagles)
In the short (relatively) space of time since i left the Band in 1987, 5 of the very good lads that i served have died, Johnny Bellairs, Tony Durcan, Terry Wadey, Gerry Phillips and my cousin Gary "Lofty" Lloyd. I await the reunion in that big FMB session in that Royal Welch bandroom in heaven.
Stop the sniping and just remeber- we all served in our own way whether it was playing with the Band or counting the blankets.

Mike Thomas

Mike Thomas · 20-11-2007, 00:04

OOps seem to have pasted Wayne Jones 44's name into the list of the departed on my earlier post!!!
sorry
that's what happens when you cut and paste Willy Nilly.

Mike