Picture(s) of the week: a special day for the Shildon Works Band

Photographic volunteer Anne McLean selects her favourite photos from our collection. There are 1000s more photos to browse – all free for personal use under a Creative Commons license – on our main photos page.
8 November 8 1949 was a proud day for the Shildon Works Band. They were on their way to London to play in the Lord Mayor’s parade, and these photographs show them about to board the train at Darlington for their journey south.
I think the photographs capture the excitement of the occasion. The band’s uniforms are immaculate, their shoes beautifully polished, and their brass instruments are gleaming. The steam engine stands ready to depart.
Before setting off, they pose for photographs with the engine driver and a junior member of the band. In the first two photographs, the little boy looks rather unsure, but in the third picture he looks thrilled to be standing on the footplate of the locomotive.

In this picture the band are shown at the end of their journey, marching through the wet streets of London in the Lord Mayor’s parade.


Filed under: Library and archive collections, Picture of the week Tagged: brass band, brass instruments, darlington, locomotive works, locomotives, lord mayor, museum, shildon, steam, trains, transport