End of the road for The Shires band after 38 years

“There were a lot of tears shed, but unfortunately its just not viable”

After 38 years of performing at military parades and events around the UK the Shires Band is closing. The announcement was made on Tuesday evening.

The marching band originally started in 1985 as the Bodicote Royal British Legion youth band. They renamed themselves as the Shires Band in 2011.

Their objective was to promote interest in the Royal British Legion via music, comradeship, personal development and having fun together. The band played in a traditional British military style using drums, bugles and glockenspiels.

Recently membership of the Shires Band has fallen to just 11. Recruitment had become a problem since just before the pandemic. The band’s Committee have now decided they have no alternative but to close.

The Shires Band made regular appearances at local events including Armed Forces Day, St Georges Day and for the Remembrance Sunday parades in Bodicote and Chipping Norton. Further afield they have appeared at events such as the Jersey Battle Of Flowers and Welwyn Garden City Carnival.

Emma Harper is the Assistant Band Leader. She’s been with the Shires Band for 26 years having joined at the age of 8. She said: “Having been involved in the organisation for so long, making this decision was really hard for all of us as a Committee.

“There were a lot of tears shed, but unfortunately its just not viable so we’ve had to make that difficult decision.”

Current members of the Shires Band will be saying farewell as they get together for the final time this Sunday afternoon at 5.30pm in Spiceball Park.

Emma said: “What’s left of the band are going to get together just to be together for one last time. Its not a performance as such, or an official event, we just want to play a couple of tunes together and say goodbye.