Band President recognised with award

Ken Watts - President of Milnrow Band

The President of Milnrow Band has been recognised with a long service award.

Ken Watts was presented the award, during the interval of a competition held recently, by Peter Bates, the Chairman of the North West Area Brass Band Association and the Secretary of the North West Regional Brass Band Championship Committee.

Mr Watts received an engraved medal and a Diploma of Honour for 50 years service to the brass band movement as both a player and an official.

Mr Watts started banding as a youngster with the Grantham Town Band and also played with Woolsthorpe and Melton Town bands before moving to the Oldham area and taking up employment with AVRO /British Aerospace at Chadderton in 1968.

He has been associated with Milnrow Band since moving to the area and over the years has served as Player, Assistant Secretary and what he describes as a "general factotum".

Mr Watts was Treasurer of the band for 21 years, between 1979 and 2000, and is currently the band’s President, a position he has held for the past 21 years, since being appointed in 1990.

As a member of the Executive Committee of the North West Area Brass Bands Association (and the now defunct Manchester District), Mr Watts has served the interests of local Brass Bands for many years.

In 2003 he was appointed Treasurer of the North West Area Brass Band Association a position he still holds for the year 2010/2011.