BRASS BANDS & THE HATTERS
WHAT IS THE CONNECTION
Mark and Anita were both born and bred in Marple. Mark was born in the front room of 36 Church Lane, just 200 yards down from the Hatters. They attended different primary schools, Mark at All Saints, Anita at the Dale. They met when they both attended secondary school, then known as the Willows, it is now the Ridge Danyers six-form college. They have been together since, getting married in 1982.
Mark moved with his parents to the Navigation at the end of 1965, when he was four years of age. The Marple Prize Band was then using the small room above the old stables at the side of the Navigation as a rehearsal room. The band had only been reformed in 1964 and was struggling to keep a few players together in the small, cold room.
Marks father, Ron who had always had an interest in brass bands, made the upstairs room at the Navigation available to them. At the age of five Mark became the first mascot of the band. (note the pictures in the rooms of the Hatters). He took up playing a cornet when he was ten, and then trombone when he was twelve, at fifteen he was the Solo Trombone player with the band.
The band took on a more modern image in the early 1970’s changing its name to “The Marple Band”. Mark, along with encouragement from Anita has always kept his main interest in brass bands. When he became licensee of the Square & Compass at Darley Dale in 1990, Mark involved himself with the brass bands in that area, promoting brass band concerts on Sunday evenings in the large car park.
Mark still plays his trombone, at present he plays Solo Trombone with Hawk Green Band, which started as the Marple “B” Band.
Unlike the Navigation, the Hatters is not big enough to house a brass band and hold concerts, but look around in the Hatters and you are surrounded by brass band memorabilia.