Brass band from TV show finds new home after fire

Gary Standeven and Glynn Lewis from Penkhull Village Brass are looking forward to bringing the band's music to a bowls club

A brass band which featured on TV's Great Pottery Throw Down has a new home after a fire where it used to rehearse.

Penkhull Village Brass has signed a lease agreement with Stoke-on-Trent City Council for Trent Vale Bowls Club.

The band played in the last three Great Pottery Throw Down Christmas Specials, and has searched for a new base since a fire in 2022 at the church they rehearsed at.

That forced them out of their regular practice room and temporarily into Stoke Minster for their Friday evening rehearsals.

However, their ambition was always to secure a place of their own.

Plans are now in place to renovate the old bowls club on Watson Road.

“We’ve been watching it just deteriorate and deteriorate.

"It’s going to be nice to bring the building back into use again. It’s exciting times for us,” said band manager Glynn Lewis.

Inside the club are enormous wooden boards with ornate gold names etched into the surface, detailing bowling champions of years gone by.

“We’ve put the feelers out there to see if anybody wants to take them off our hands. It would be such a shame to just chuck them away.”

The opposite wall offers a glimpse into the future, with blueprints of the planned renovation.

“They’ve already been approved. We’re just waiting to get the ball rolling," said Mr Lewis.

The self-funded band has managed to secure the money through the sale of concert tickets, fundraising and sponsorship from Stoke-on-Trent businesses.

The bowling club will become the band's new home later this year

Its regular appearances on Channel Four's pottery competition only helped to attract supporters of the band's music.

“It was great to get know the people on the show. One of the judges, Richard Miller, his dad was a tuba player in the Royal Marines. Gary from our band was a Royal Marine band master. It was lovely to make those connections.”

The band began with just seven members in 2015 but has grown to a team of thirty-two players.

Many, like tuba player Mike Hill, joined in later life after taking a break from music.

“I’m fairly new in the band. I only started a year ago, having not played for over thirty years! The band got me back into music. They’re a great bunch of people.”

Mike Hill joined the band after a three-decade break from playing

Penkhull Village Brass now boasts a junior band with 16 members, charging just £15 per term in order to make sessions accessible for families on a low income.

Band members like Claire Shepherd volunteer their time to give lessons individually and in small groups.

“Most of these kids don’t have lessons. There is no music in schools, really. This is the only opportunity they get to play,” said Ms Shepherd.

Imaan, 12, was asked about his ambitions as a drummer.

“I might just try and help the children in this band. Play the drums for the adult band and help the children.”