Now an annual ritual

Members of RPSBB get into the spirit of Christmas by playing carols and festive tunes outside each others front door with the merry band steadily growing in size with each additional house visited.

Once again there was not a hip flask in sight ! Honest reverend !

Rugeley Power Station Brass Band turned out braving the near arctic conditions

Turning in a stirling performance for Christmas shoppers in Wolverhampton City center, contending with numb fingers and frozen valves and chapped lips, with not a hip flask in sight honest reverend ! Defintley more Brass Monkey than Brass Band weather. A big thankyou to those stalwarts who braved the cold.

Rugeley Power Station Brass Band serenade the crowd at May day fair - Shugborough

Posing for the press after what has now become an annual appearance for R.P.S.B.B at the Shugborough Hall, May Day Fair event. B-flat bass player Dave Troutt surrounds himself with the "belles of the ball" Terri Yates (cornet) and Jayne Moore (trombone)

Fun and frivolity complemented the traditional activities which took place on the estate including a Victorian May Day Olympics which included a three-legged race, sack races and potato races.

Traditional May Day treats were cooked up in the kitchens at the servants' quarters and the farm and the estate's master brewer produced Shugborough's own fine ale in the working brewhouse.

Rugeley Power Station Brass Band feature in a Staffordhire County Council Magazine
 
A reporter and photographer for a Staffordshire County Council magazine which will be distributed throughout Staffordshire, spent an evening with the band at a recent rehearsal, interviewing musicians and family members for the article which can be read in full by clicking the link below or viewing it on the scrap book page

The interesting thing was that the reporter herself turned out to be a brass musician! and so was immediately press ganged into having a blow. Not half bad either and we would like to see her back minus her note pad.
View Artilce In Full

Rugeley Power Station Brass Band took their instruments all the way to Lichfield's twin town of Limburg an der Lahn in Germany. Their visit to the German town coincided with the opening of a four day wine festival giving the band members an opportunity to sample some of the wines created by 29 producers whose vineyard lie between Rudeshime and Wiesbaden along the River Rhine.
Having initially made contact with Limburg two years ago when Nether Stowe High School hosted Limburg Music School's Youth Wind Band. RPSBB invited them to their weekly rehearsal at Rugeley Power Station where they enjoyed an evening of music together the friendship was sealed. With a return invitation their latest collaboration saw RPSBB heading for Germany to perform at the wine festival. Originally they were due to perform outside in the city centre, but as heavy thunderstorms threatened their performance was moved inside to the town hall. The trip was rounded off with an open air service, barbeque and concert in Runkel five miles upstream of Limburg on an island between the lock and the River Lahn. John Graves president of RPBB said " We have had a wonderful time in Limburg and thanked the organisers for helping to make the trip a success"

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visit the National Arboretum in Staffordshire, 12 Oct 2007
 
Accompanied by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, Her Majesty and His Royal Highness attended the Act of Dedication of the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

The royal party arrived at Rugeley Railway Station on the royal train, where  Rugeley Power Station Brass Band performed selections from their repertoire. The Queen then traveled to the Arboretum in Alrewas

Rugeley Power Station Brass Band turned out in force to perform at the official opening of the new Rugeley by pass. The celebration on Saturday was a stunning success, smashing all expectations. Literally thousands of people turned up to join in the fun, with over 150 vehicles lining up to take part in the cavalcade, stretching for over a mile along the brand new bypass. Despite the exhaust fumes from some vintage vehicles making playing difficult at times the band played on..The bypass team were taken aback by the quite astounding level of support and interest shown by local people.The vehicle cavalcade included the James Bond Aston Martin from Die Another Day, classic cars dating back to 1915, lorries, buses, diggers, fire engines, floats, guards of honour.The Taste of Rugeley was packed with people and the exhibitors had a hugely successful day

Tuesday 3rd.April saw Rugeley Power Station Brass Band hosting a visit from the Limburg Music School, Concert Wind Band from Germany, here visiting their twin town of Lichfield. RPSBB performed a few pure brass pieces for them and they played a few wind band pieces in return. We then concluded the evening by playing a German March together.(Crans Montana) It was a really enjoyable evening and who knows hopefully we may have planted the seeds of a long friendship which may blossom to strengthen our international links and give us somewhere else to visit in Germany .

Rugeley Power Station Brass Band representatives braved fireworks to take the perilous drive across north Wales to check out the venue and meet the "men of Harlech"

They were impressed with the venue and received a warm welcome from their hosts from the Harlech Brass band who have invited them to share a concert in Harlech in 2007

Whilst visiting the Music Live Show at the NEC recently one of our promising young cornet players happened to be spotted admiring a cornet on one of the stands, after being invited to try the instrument by the staff on the stand they were immediately impressed by her ability and they asked her to take part in a competition later that afternoon. Reluctantly she agreed and to her great surprise she took second place Well done ! We are all very proud of you

To celebrate our 25th anniversary Rugeley Power Station brass band jointly hosted a concert at the Prince of Wales theater involving a host of local brass bands and headlined by the world-renowned Foden`s Richardson's Brass band. The concert was a sell out and we held an emotional reunion with a large gathering of past members of the band. It was a night we shall never forget.