It is our pleasure to intoduce you to The Point of Ayr Colliery Band website. The band is made up of talented musicians from around North Wales and the North West. As well as performing and competing at major competitions and events the band are available for bookings at other special events, subject to advance requests.
The band was formed in 1967 after the closure of the Llay Main Colliery. The instruments were transported to Point of Ayr, where local people formed a band.
During the 1970′s, the band rose up through the sections winning many first prizes at prestigious contests. In 1981 Championship status was attained (the equivalent of football’s Premier League), and at the first attempt, the band qualified for the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Point of Ayr retained it’s Championship status up to the year 2000, below is a glance at some of the prizes won during this period -
- Radio Wales Band of the Year ’83, ’84, ’85
- Pontins Championships (on many occasiona)
- National Championships (the first band from North Wales to do so)
- Joshua Tetly Champions Leeds (first Welsh band)
- Rhyl Festival of Brass ’97, ’98
- Third Place at European Championships, Netherlands ’98 (first North Wales band)
- Third Place in World Championships, ’99
The band have been runners up to the famous Grimethorpe Colliery band in the National Coalboard competition on many occasions, and have been well places in the british open competition which involved the top twenty bands in the country.
The band flourished mainly under the baton of Michael Fowles, who conducted the band during many of their victories.
