A BRASS band has received some 'big notes' from the Arts Lottery Fund...£32,400 to be exact!

Balderstone Brass Band based in Mellor were over the moon when they heard they had scooped a share of the latest Lottery handout.

"We are absolutely delighted," beamed band secretary and cornet player Dorothy Richards. "To say it is a wonderful surprise would be an understatement. I couldn't believe it when I found out we had been awarded the money."

The concert and marching band, which draws members from Blackburn and Hyndburn, will now spend its cash on a complete set of new instruments ranging from a brass tuba (£2,700) down to a student cornet (£300).

As a part of its bid for Lottery funds, the band commissioned music students studying at Accrington and Rossendale College to write a new piece of work.

Dorothy added: "We would like to thank Stuart Kellett, leisure officer at Hyndburn Council and Keith Taylor from Ribble Valley Borough Council for all the support and advice they gave us during the preparation of the application."

The band practises at Mellor Village Hall on Monday evenings, 7.45-10pm and is always looking for new members, especially solo cornet players. For further information contact Dorothy Richards on 249694 or John Bromley on 670227.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.