Ruth our 2nd Trombone
Ruth started playing the trombone when she was 8 years old. Having started off with lessons at school and a local wind band in Bury, her first experience of brass banding came when she moved to Darwen aged 9 and saw the Blackburn & Darwen Junior band playing Christmas carols in Blackburn town centre. She joined them the following year and never quite managed to leave.
Ruth carried on playing the trombone through high school and college, playing in a mixture of bands, including B&D Junior Band, the high school wind band and the Blackburn College orchestra, with a brief spell being an honorary member of St Mary's College Big Band.
Soon after, Ruth was sent to Coventry for 3 years where she studied Psychology at degree and joined the university concert band. However, brass banding never quite left her, and she kept returning to B&D 'B' band during her holidays, finally returning for good after university finished.
Nine years later, Ruth is still playing in the Blackburn & Darwen band system, having stayed with B&D 'B'/2nd band until it closed and briefly helping out the main B&D band on occasions. She was part of the group that formed Darwen Brass and stayed as secretary for its first year. After a short break from the band when she became a new mum in September 2008, she has now recently returned to Darwen Brass on 2nd trombone.
Update*
As reported on our news page Ruth and Dominic are now the proud parents of Evie.
.