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Past Concerts and Events - 1960s

Details on this page were mostly extracted from correspondence kept by Eric Turner, who took over being band secretary from Mr Langridge in June 1951, and kept the post until 198?. The correspondence will soon be lodged with Gravesend Library. This list of concerts and events is incomplete, if you know details of any concerts not included here please contact us. During the 1960s the band played for many parades, marching along in the procession. Generally these were not paying jobs but the organisers covered expenses for extra musicians and for transport, and occasionally supplied refreshments. The band often hired coaches from Maidstone & District for out of town concerts e.g. Rochester, Gillingham, Dartford, this practice continued to the mid 1970s. Many band members worked half or all day on Saturdays and were from out of town, so the band had to turn down a number of offers of Saturday events e.g. May day and Regatta days. Other jobs had to be declined due to the band having too few members available to make a balanced band. The band relied on a number of honorary members, mostly from Northfleet Silver Band, and when Northfleet had a concert or competiton to attend too few musicians were available for Gravesend to play a concert. Many of the "Bandtime" concerts were mentioned in advance in the Gravesend Reporter, and were also reported upon afterwards. The articles were written by the band secretary Eric Turner and sent to the paper, some were edited before inclusion.
1960	Date	Venue	Time
Sun	24/01/1960	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend	19.15 - 21.15
Sun	20/02/1960	Meopham	evening
Sun	13/03/1960	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend	19.15 - 21.15
Mon	30/03/1960	Unknown, but committed somewhere.
Sun	01/05/1960	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend	19.15 - 21.15
Sun	29/05/1960	Mayor's Church Parade (L. Harris) at St George's Chapel of Unity. Parade to Market Square with Mayor accepting salute from the steps of the town hall. Band lead the parade.	10.15
Sun	03/07/1960	Fort Gardens, Gravesend (with help from Northfleet Silver Band due to low number of members.)	19.30 -
Sun	19/06/1960	Committed somewhere, possibly Dartford. (Not available for Meopham & Cobham branch of the Royal British Legion)
Sun	17/07/1960	Unknown, but committed somewhere.
Sun	24/07/1960	Fort Gardens, Gravesend (with help from Northfleet Silver Band due to low number of members.)	19.30 -
Sun	14/08/1960	Gillingham Strand	15.00 -
Sun	18/09/1960	Royal Air Forces Association Battle of Britain Sunday parade and church service. 10.40 Roundel House, Overcliffe. 11.00 St George's Chapel of Unity	10.40 - 12.00
Mon	26/09/1960	Band AGM
Sun	09/10/1960	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend	19.15 - 21.15
Sun	13/11/1960	Gravesend War Memorial Remembrance Service	10.30 - 11.45
Sun	04/12/1960	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend	19.15 - 21.15
1961	Date	Venue	Time
Sun	22/01/1961	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend	19.15 - 21.15
Sun	12/03/1961	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend	19.15 - 21.15
Sun	30/04/1961	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend	19.15 - 21.15
Sun	28/05/1961	Mayor's Church Parade at St George's Chapel of Unity.	10.15
Sun	23/07/1961	Gillingham Strand	15.00
Sun	30/07/1961	Fort Gardens, Gravesend	evening
Sat	05/08/1961	Gala Variety, Fort Gardens, Gravesend	15.00 & 19.00
Sun	13/08/1961	Fort Gardens, Gravesend	evening
Sun	20/08/1961	Gillingham Strand	15.00
Sun	03/09/1961	Central Park, Dartford
Sun	17/09/1961	Many members at the Belle Vue band contest. Not enough members available to attend Battle of Britain Sunday parade.	N/A
Sun	08/10/1961	Not enough (only 14) members available to attend an afternoon parade to lay up old British Legion Standard at Christ Church.	N/A
Sun	08/10/1961	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend	19.15 - 21.15
Sun	12/11/1961	Gravesend War Memorial Remembrance Service	10.30 - 11.45
Sun	12/11/1961	"Bugler" supplied for British Legion rememberance service, Christchurch, Gravesend	18.30 - 19.30
Sun	03/12/1961	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend	19.15 - 21.15
1962	Date	Venue	Time
	1962	Chalk Village Band (a youth band) disbanded.
Sun	21/01/1962	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sat	27/01/1962	Northfleet Silver Band supper and social evening, Veterans Hall, The Hill, Northfleet. Gravesend members invited.	19.30
Sun	11/03/1962	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	29/04/1962	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	27/05/1962	Mayor's Church Parade at St George's Chapel of Unity, forming at Market Square 10.15, service at 11.00	10.15
Sun	15/07/1962		19.30
Sun	29/07/1962		19.30
Sat	11/08/1962	Fort Gardens, Gravesend	15.00 & 19.00
Sun	26/08/1962	Chatham Riverside
Sun	02/09/1962	Central Park, Dartford	15.00 & 17.00
Sun	07/10/1962	Contest at Southend. Northfleet Silver Band also took part.	daytime
Sun	07/10/1962 or 14/10/1962	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	02/12/1962	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	11/11/1962	Gravesend War Memorial Remembrance Service	10.30 - 11.45
1963	Date	Venue	Time
Sun	20/01/1963	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sat	26/01/1963	Northfleet Silver Band social evening. Gravesend members invited.
Sun	10/03/1963	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	28/04/1963	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	28/04/1963	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	26/05/1963	Mayor's Church Parade at St George's Chapel of Unity, forming at Market Square 10.15, service at 11.00	10.15
Sat	13/07/1963	Event cancelled - Band booked for "AquaShow" at Gravesend Bathing Pool	19.00
Mon	05/08/1963	Open Air Circus, Fort Gardens, Gravesend	15.00 & 19.00
Sun	01/09/1963	Central Park, Dartford	15.00 - 17.00
Sun	10/10/1963	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	10/11/1963	Gravesend War Memorial Remembrance Service. The Band did not attend in a playing capacity but some members laid a wreath. The band of the 1st Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers who were garrisoned in Gravesend Barracks played for the march and service.	10.30 - 11.45
Sun	01/12/1963	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
1964	Date	Venue	Time
Sun	26/01/1964	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	08/03/1964	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	26/04/1964	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	24/05/1964	Mayor's Church Parade at St George's Chapel of Unity	Morning
Sun	28/06/1964	Fort Gardens, Gravesend
Sat	25/07/1964	Circus, Fort Gardens, Gravesend. Band did not wear uniforms.	15.00 & 19.00
Sun	26/07/1964	Fort Gardens, Gravesend	19.30 - 21.00
Sun	16/08/1964	Fort Gardens, Gravesend
Sun	30/08 or 06/09/1964	Central Park, Dartford
Sun	08/11/1964	Unable to turn out for Gravesend War Memorial Remembrance Service due to too few members being available to form a representative band. Some bad publicity in the press.	N/A
Sun	06/12/1964	"Bandtime" Royal Clarendon Hotel, Gravesend
1965	Date	Venue	Time
Sat	30/01/1965	Northfleet Silver Band social evening	Evening
Sun	31/01/1965	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend. Total of 5 winter "Bandtime" concerts. Note that the Hotel changed its name on its headed paper from "Royal Clarendon" to "Clarendon Royal" at some point in the early 1960s.	Evening
Sun	02/05/1965	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend	Evening
Tue	04/05/1965	Letter from Corporation of Gravesend stating that they were worried about the strength of the band and wanting a definite assurance that the band's services would be available in connection with future Civic functions.
Sun	30/05/1965	Mayor's Church Parade at St George's Church. The Band was second in the parade, after the Parade Marshal. The parade left Market Square at 10.15, proceeded via Queen Street, King Street, New Road, Princes Street, Church Street to St George's Church which was entered via the North door at around 10.50. The service took place at 11.00 and after the service the parade processed along Church Street, Kempthorne Street, Wakefield Street, Bath Street and New Road. At Stone Street the Mayoral party left the parade and proceeded to the Town Hall via the High Street whereas the rest of the procession continued along Stone Street, Windmill Street and the High Street where the Mayor took the salute on the Town Hall steps.	10.15 - 12.30
Sun	27/06/1965	Fort Gardens, Gravesend. Agreement with Northfleet Silver Band that they would not book concerts for Fort Gardens dates so that shared members can attend, otherwise Gravesend would be too short of members to make a proper band.	19.30 - 21.00
Sun	25/07/1965	Fort Gardens, Gravesend. Agreement with Northfleet Silver Band that they would not book concerts for Fort Gardens dates so that shared members can attend, otherwise Gravesend would be too short of members to make a proper band.	19.30 - 21.00
Sun	15/08/1965	Fort Gardens, Gravesend. Agreement with Northfleet Silver Band that they would not book concerts for Fort Gardens dates so that shared members can attend, otherwise Gravesend would be too short of members to make a proper band.	19.30 - 21.00
Sun	10/10/1965	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend	Evening
Sun	14/11/1965	Gravesend War Memorial Remembrance Service	10.30 - 11.45
Sun	05/12/1965	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend	Evening
1966	Date	Venue	Time
Sun	23/01/1966	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend	19.30
Sat	29/01/1966	Northfleet Silver Band social evening	Evening
Sat	05/03/1966	Gordon Schools, Gravesend	19.00
Sun	20/03/1966	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend	19.30
Sun	24/04/1966	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend	19.30
Sun	29/05/1966	Mayor's Church Parade at St George's Church	10.15 - 12.30
Sun	26/06/1966	Fort Gardens, Gravesend	19.30 - 21.00
Sun	24/07/1966	Fort Gardens, Gravesend	19.30 - 21.00
Sun	14/08/1966	Fort Gardens, Gravesend	19.30 - 21.00
Sun	16/10/1966	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend	19.30
Sun	13/11/1966	Gravesend War Memorial Remembrance Service. Missing 7 honorary members from Northfleet Silver Band due to attending their own service.	10.00 - 11.15
Sun	04/12/1966	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend	19.30
Sun	11/12/1966	Bowarters Paper Mills canteen, Granby Road,	19.30
1967	Date	Venue	Time
Sun	22/01/1967	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	23/04/1967	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend. Theme of "Vienna"
Sun	19/03/1967	"Bandtime" Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend
Sun	25/06/1967	Fort Gardens, Gravesend. Agreement with Northfleet Silver Band that they would not book concerts for Fort Gardens dates so that shared members can attend, otherwise Gravesend would be too short of members to make a proper band.
Sun	23/07/1967	Fort Gardens, Gravesend. Agreement with Northfleet Silver Band that they would not book concerts for Fort Gardens dates so that shared members can attend, otherwise Gravesend would be too short of members to make a proper band.
Sun	13/08/1967	Fort Gardens, Gravesend. Agreement with Northfleet Silver Band that they would not book concerts for Fort Gardens dates so that shared members can attend, otherwise Gravesend would be too short of members to make a proper band.
Sun	12/11/1967	Gravesend War Memorial Remembrance Service	10.30 - 11.45
1968	Date	Venue	Time
Sun	10/11/1968	Gravesend War Memorial Remembrance Service	10.30 - 11.45
1969	Date	Venue	Time
	?1969?	Band uniform changed to black blazer and trousers/skirt with burgundy/blue striped tie
	?1969?	Band practice room move to Old Town Hall (Magistrates Courts waiting room), Gravesend
Sun	09/11/1969	Gravesend War Memorial Remembrance Service	10.30 - 11.45