In the 1970s, a member of the Uckfield Band researched its history for a course in public administration.

D. Shepherd’s study focussed on the band’s formation in 1957 through to March 1974, when it qualified for the fourth section national championships.

But his research discovered there was a brass band in Uckfield going back to Victorian times.

Mr Shepherd’s research also found:

• The newly-formed Uckfield Band spent £600 on reconditioned instruments and music stands in 1958
• The band bought its first set of uniforms in 1960 – made from a heavy black material with blue lapels on the jackets and a blue stripe on the trousers
• In the early 1970s, the band received an anonymous donation of £2,000 for new instruments and also spent £700 on new uniforms, described as “similar to a dinner suit”

History page.