The Band's visit to Ashington & Newbiggin-by-the-Sea

A personal view by Bernard Greatrick

1961 was quiet an eventful year on the world and domestic front. J F Kennedy was sworn in as president of the USA, the Soviet Union put the first man in to space, Sir Thomas Beecham, founder of the Halle Orchestra died and Britain provided both woman finalists at Wimbledon. It was also the year that the Greatrick family moved to Chelmsford and I took my place in the Chelmsford Citadel Band as one of its younger members.

The Chelmsford Citadel Band is an active band and one of our many engagements throughout the year is our annual weekend visit to another Salvation Army center. This year the destination was Ashington, about 25 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne. So on 9th October 1999 we set out on one of the longest coach journeys by the band to the North East of England.

Ashington is a neat town dominated by its ex-miners houses whose back doors open out on to the pavement and then the roadway. Also of interest is that the streets are straight and about one mile in length. I'm told that the miners were called to work by a knocker-upper, who wrote the shift starting time on the pavement outside the backdoor.

On arrival at Ashington we were welcomed by the folk from the corps, had a short warm up and then a hot meal. The Saturday evening programme began with Meyerbeer's Coronation March from The Prophet and concluded with Leslie Condon's Faith Reborn, this being the theme for the weekend.

On Sunday morning the band, which has about 40 players was able to divide in two enabling half of the band to visit Newbiggin-by-the- Sea which is only about 1½ miles down the road from Ashington. After the respective meetings at Newbiggin & Ashington, both bands led open-air meetings in the surrounding area, the first time for many years. This open-air witness resulted in a number of children following the band back to the hall to attend Sunday school.

In the afternoon our final programme and meeting was held at Newbiggin and included items to suit all tastes. They included Celebration (Condon), Fantasia for Children (Wright) and To know Thee (Himes).

We arrived back at Chelmsford tired, uplifted and encouraged, praying that those we had ministered to will have felt the same way.

© Chelmsford Salvation Army Band 2005

Last Updated : 27/02/08