South Yorkshire Times, July 7, 1951
Presented To Princess
Hickleton Miner talks to her Royal Highness
“How old are you” said Princess Margaret to Hickleton Main miner Mr Harry Layland, 2 Roman Street, Thurnscoe, when she visited Firbeck Camp on Saturday. Her Royal Highness congratulated Mr Leyland, bandmaster of Hickleton Main St. John ambulance cadet band on the performance of his trumpet cadets. They had played a fanfare specially written for the occasion “She was nice, very nice”. said Mr Layland.
Not too Perturbed
She took me by surprise when she came up to me but I wasn’t too perturbed meeting her because I had done it before. I played in front of her grandfather, King George V, when I was with an Army band and he congratulated me as well. Mr. Layland said he was standing in front of the boys when Princess Margaret came and shook hands with him. She asked how long the band had been going and if he had trained them. “How old are the boys?” she then enquired and after Mr Leyland had answered “Between 10 and 16” she asked “And how old are you?”, “I shall be 60 next birthday” Mr Layland answered “and I have been at it since I was nine years old.”
Mr Leyland told Princess Margaret that his cadets had been practicing the fanfare for only a fortnight and she congratulated him warmly on their performance. Cadets chosen to play on this occasion were Cadet Sergt. Ray Cook (17), Cadet Sergt. William Barstow (16), Cadet Sergt. D. Sands, Cadet Sergt. R. Ratcliffe, Cadet Trumpeter Geoff Barstow (11), Cadet Trumpeter Keith Bright (11).
“I was more than satisfied with them” Mr Layland said, “they gave a one hundred per cent performance, I have played in front of royalty worse myself.”
The band, a new one formed just before Christmas consists of 29 boys and girls. From these Mr Layland chose the six best. “I did try my best to get some girls he said “but they were a little bit off If I could have taken 12 I should have taken some of them.”
Mr. Layland and the boys were also congratulated by Countess Mountbatten and by several senior St. John Ambulance officials. A few days ago they received a letter from Mr. M. Le Brun (County S.J.A.B. Officer) commending them on their “magnificent performance.” “I know we can say the Princess was really delighted with it, as were all the other visitors.” he wrote.
A Word for Officer
Mrs I. Scott (picture) also had her greatest thrill when the Princess was inspecting the lines at Firbeck. Mrs. Scott, of Old Hospital, Drakehead Lane, Conisbrough is Divisional Nursing Cadet Superintendent at Denaby and was at the camp with six of her cadets. Gladys Chappell. Beryl Preston. Ouida Burke. Valerie Bloomfield. Irene Word s-worth and Anna Patricia O’Connor
She was at the head of the line of officers when the Princess moved past, and stepped bock to give more room.
Lady Louis Mountbatten following the Princess, recognised Mrs. Scott from the rally at Leeds last year, stopped and spoke to her. The Princess, who had moved in. returned, and Mrs. Scott was presented to I her.
A word of congratulation to Mrs. Scott on learning that she had been in the Cadets for nearly 30 years, an injunction to “carry on the good work,” and the Princess had moved on again.
Gladys and Oulda, two of the slx cadets, had a little more to do than their friends, as they formed part of the guard of honour which received the Princess when she entered the camp. The other four lined up between the tents for inspection.
Altogether about 80 Denaby cadets, boys and girls took part in inspection and march past at Doncaster racecourse.