EverReady Band – formerly Reg Vardy Band
After almost 20 years proudly representing the Vardy Foundation in their artistic endeavours, the Reg Vardy Band will make a reconnection to its past in a new way from the start of the second half of the 2023 contesting year. They will be known as the EverReady Band — a neat co-joined link with the name under which they became the foremost band in the North of England region and a highly competitive contender at major contests.
Premier Brass Band of North East England; 36 Times North of England Champions; Wainstones Cup winners 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019; French Open Champions 2017; Scottish Open Championships runner-up 2021
Formed in 1910 as the Craghead Colliery Band, to provide recreational activity and a social outlet for the miners, the band decided to enter the contest arena after WW1, becoming North of England Champions by 1924 and achieving Championship Section status in 1959, qualifying to compete in the National Finals in the Royal Albert Hall almost every year since 1963.
After the pit closed in 1968, the band relocated to nearby Stanley when the Ever Ready battery company took over sponsorship which saw the band transformed from being a small colliery band into an internationally recognised works band, performing concerts the length and breadth of the country and regularly appearing on national radio and television. After the battery factory closed, the band were self-supporting until the North’s leading motor retailer, Reg Vardy plc, took over sponsorship in 2004.
The band have cemented a formidable reputation in competitions, having won their Regional Championships more times than any other brass band in the country and they are the only North East band to have competed in every major UK competition as well as the World Championships in Kerkrade.
Like every brass band, the Reg Vardy Band had to cease activities in early 2019 due to the pandemic, however, after lockdown restrictions were lifted, the band played their first concert for almost two years in The Witham, and again in 2022. This is their third annual concert.