Cliff has been a member of the Band since 2004 where like many others, he joined us to do one contest! Since then, he has become a stalwart member of the Euphonium/Baritone section.

Brought up in a Salvation Army family, Cliff learned to play cornet in his local Salvation Army Band before branching out into the world of Brass Bands, his first Band being Felling. Cliff then moved on to play for Harton Colliery Band and then to The Ever Ready Band playing at all major contests including the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall and the British Open Championships.

Cliff has numerous favourite Brass Band pieces which include: Verdi's The Force of Destiny, Robert Readhead's Issiah 40 & Eric Ball's Journey into Freedom. Cliff's most memorable banding moments are gaining 3rd prize at the 1963 British Open Championships with Ever Ready and Double Regional Wins with Felling in 2006 & 2007.

Unlike many others at contests, Cliff enjoys listening to Bands at contests instead of propping up the bar! He can often be relied upon to pick the result which is handy for those of us who enjoy a sherbet or two after we've played. Cliff's pet hate is Bandspeople who complain about the result and adjudicator without listening to any other Bands.

Keen on all sports, Cliff enjoys Fly Fishing, Bowls, Rugby, Cycle Riding & Jogging in his spare time (phew!). He is married to Sheila and has 2 daughters, Jackie & Lindsay and 1 son, Gavin.