Interview with John Wilkins on Sunday 19 th June 2016 By Mary Rogers John Wilkins was born in 1928 in Newbridge, near Copythorne, to non-musical parents. Despite this, John’s lifelong connection to brass bands began at the age of ten, thanks to a school friend from Copythorne School who lived at Pollards Moor and introduced him to the Cadnam Band. John decided to join and was initially assigned to play the cornet. His lessons were given by Frank Lovell, the bandmaster, and took place in Frank’s kitchen. Frank Lovell was also the father of Marion Bungay. The band’s practice space was a hut located next to the White Hart pub in Cadnam. John didn’t take to the cornet and eventually switched to the E flat bass, which became his instrument of choice throughout his musical career, though he occasionally played the B flat bass for contests. The Cadnam Band managed to continue playing through the challenging years of World War II, largely because its members were older and not subject to military service. During the war, the band played at events like Wings for Victory Week and fundraising drives such as “Buy a Tank” and “Buy a Spitfire” campaigns. John vividly recalled one occasion when the band marched and played for five miles around the Cadnam area to raise funds for the war effort. Eventually, the Cadnam Band folded as most of its members became too elderly to carry on. When the band disbanded, its instruments were distributed among the members. Marion Bungay received some, her brother took a few, and John Wilkins kept an old E flat bass. The band had limited sheet music, but John received the Wright and Round books, which were ideal for small ensembles of 10-12 players. Popular pieces included the march Staunch and True and the waltzes Humpty Dumpty and Heartsease. After leaving Cadnam, John took a break from playing until 1955, when he joined the Lockerley Band. An ex-Cadnam player who had joined Lockerley encouraged John to fill an E flat bass vacancy, which he did after two years. At Lockerley, John played alongside Walter Sillence, who also played E flat bass. Many of Lockerley’s members at the time were Baptists and Methodists. John also played with Michael Pritchard, grandson of Isaac Pritchard. Over the years, John took on the role of bandmaster but eventually returned to playing E flat bass. Music became a family affair for the Wilkins family. John’s daughter, Joan, played the tenor horn, as did her mother, Joyce. When John joined the Lockerley Band in 1955, there were no women in the group. However, the band faced a shortage of tenor horn players for an event, leading to a decision—after much deliberation—to allow Joyce to play. Joyce Wilkins continued her involvement with the band until her passing in 1985.