Uckfield Concert Brass is very sad to share the news of the death of our dear friend and flugel horn player, Andy Bamford, on Saturday 12 December 2020.

Andy – known to all in the band as Pastie – was a great character who lit up a room whenever he entered.

He was a truly gentle man with a wonderful sense of humour who will be sorely missed.

Andy joined UCB on cornet as a teenager in the 1980s. His family had moved to Sussex from Somerset. Although pasties are not particularly associated with Somerset, the nickname stuck for ever.

He ran the Funky Food Truck in Crowborough and at one time had a computer shop in the town.

UCB’s musical director, Nick Morris, said:

“The world has too few Pasties: someone who brought a ray of sunshine into your life when you least expected it. He brought many a rehearsal to a good belly laugh but when it mattered he could play the flugel like an angel. Guess they had a vacancy. I just hope Gabriel’s band are ready for him, they’ll need to be! He’ll be badly missed but always remembered with great heartfelt affection.”

Band chairman, Paul Labus, said:

“Andy will be missed by everyone in the band. He was devoted to the band and was a true team player. If we had a shortage of basses, Andy would be there. Need a bass drum for marching, Andy would be there. A shortage of back row cornets, yes you guessed, Andy would be there!  He volunteered for band chairman when a new chairman was required. He will be missed by us all.”

The loss of Andy is heart-breaking. Our thoughts are with his three beloved children, Owen, Eryn and Olivia, and with his sisters and parents.