It is approaching that time of year again when thoughts are turning to the annual act of Remembrance. I am always struck by the fact that the whole country unites with one mind to honour the memory of those who lost their lives to protect our freedom. As a trumpet player I have had the privilege, for that is what it is, of playing the Last Post and Reveille at numerous such events and only this last Wednesday I was arranging to play at a village service of Remembrance I have not done before.

I will never forget a brief conversation I had with a colleague a matter of weeks after I entered the teaching profession in 1984 who asked me if I would meet her husband and his friends in the Thirsk branch of the Royal British Legion because they wanted a band for Remembrance Sundays. In that moment I had a choice, to accept or decline the invitation. I accepted. Some days later I found myself in a meeting with a group of mainly retired gentlemen and ex-servicemen, many with first hand experience of the 2nd World War, who asked me if I could start a brass band from scratch! Once again I had a choice of answers, yes or no. I said yes and here we are 40 years later and the Thirsk Royal British Legion Band is going from strength to strength, plays at all the Remembrance services and has introduced countless people, young and not so young, to the world of music and brass bands.