Oldest brass band seeks new home after 171 years

The 171-year-old Woodhouse Prize Band is seeking a new home

A brass band is searching for a new home in the same neighbourhood where it has been based since it began 171 years ago.

Woodhouse Prize Band, based in Sheffield, is thought to be one of the oldest brass bands in the world.

The band's life president, Jeanette Grayson, described their current home of 30 years, the 19th Century-built Tythe Barne in Woodhouse, as the "perfect spot", but admitted it was no longer financially viable to stay there.

Ms Grayson, 64, said staying in Woodhouse was important for the band and that she was "pretty hopeful" of finding a new base there.

"The village has been good to us," she said.

The 28-strong band, which also has a learners section with a further 25 players, is a family affair for Ms Grayson, a cornet player who has been a member for 54 years.

The Woodhouse Prize Band, pictured here in the late 1800s, has been based in Woodhouse since its formation in 1853

It stretches back through seven generations of Ms Grayson's family and now includes her five-year-old granddaughter Maisie, a budding cornet player in the learners band.

"It's the only thing that's not too big for her to hold," said Ms Grayson, whose late father Graham Cook spent almost 80 years playing in the Woodhouse Prize Band.

Her family first became involved when they moved to Woodhouse about 10 years after the band was formed in 1853.

"We can plot our family history [through the band]," said Ms Grayson, who also grew up in Woodhouse.

"At one time there were nine of us in the band."

Such was their influence, at one stage the band was nicknamed The Cooks after the family surname.

Ms Grayson's late father Graham, left, pictured here with his dad and fellow member Harold, spent almost 80 years in the band

In times gone by, donkeys would carry the music stands - a testament to just how long the Woodhouse Prize Band has been playing.

Today, Ms Grayson said being part of the band was beneficial for its members' mental health "just to come and switch off".

"We call it our band family, that's what it means to us," she said.

The Woodhouse Prize Band stretches back seven generations in Ms Grayson's family

While several options for a new home have been explored, the band, which is entirely self-supporting, has yet to find a suitable location.

"A band doesn't just come with 30 players," said Ms Grayson, who has arranged a series of fundraising concerts over Christmas to help pay for the move.

"After 171 years, we have got a lot of baggage."

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