Footage of Camborne Youth Band in Estaires, northern France

A snapshot of Camborne Youth Band’s recent visit to Estaires, northern France.  Here’s a video of the Band presenting the rugby ball, then playing by the war memorial. And here playing in the local park.  Estaires communications wizard Tony Haverland made these two short films which caught a flavour of the day.

 The Band was following in the footsteps of Cornish miners from Dolcoath who signed up in 1914 and joined the Royal Army Medical Corps under local doctor William Blackwood. They visited Estaires, where the men were stationed and famously played three rugby games in spring 1915.

Corey Willliams, the great great grandson of one of these men, is in the Band and was carrying his bugle. The Band presented town officials with a rugby ball signed by current Devon and Cornwall teams and laid wreaths by the war memorial, after playing the Last Post on the historic bugle. They then played a concert in the local park.

On Sunday 26 August, they had the great honour of being invited to play at the Menin Gate, Ypres.

This was part of our project PLAYING FOR CAMBORNE, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. An exhibition was on display at Heartlands, Pool, from 11 October to 6 November 2018.