The band were extremely saddened to hear of the passing of one of our Life Members, Owen Smith, on 31st March. Although not a player himself, Owen has supported the band since the early 1970’s after two of his five children (Paul and David) started learning to play. Paul rose through the ranks to become principal cornet. After they left the band, Owen continued to support us by shaking a collecting tin every Christmas up until Covid hit, and also collected at our summer park concerts. He will have raised a very large amount of funds for the band during the decades, hence his deserved award of Life Membership. Owen attended many concerts by other bands too, notably at the Stroud Subscription Rooms where many top class bands have performed over the years. Owen really loved brass bands and has left a huge void in his family’s lives. We will miss him too. RIP.
