Solo Trombone

 Stuart Hardcastle

I began playing the trombone in 1961 at Besses Boys band, aged 8. My tuition came from the Bass trombone player with the Halle Orchestra in ’63/’64. I played in the Stand Grammar School orchestra from 1965-69, The Lancashire Youth Orchestra from 1967-68, Bowden and Bury amateur orchestras and Bury military band. At the age of 16, I passed an audition for CWS Manchester Band and joined in ’69 on 2nd trombone, then eventually onto solo trombone, with whom I toured Canada with in 1972. I then played for a while with Leyland Motors Band. In 1982, I moved with work to London and stopped playing. I moved back to Manchester early in 2020 and was persuaded to pick up the Trombone again with Besses O’th Barn Band around May of that year. Currently Solo trombone with Besses.