Brass Bands & Bandstands Home The Giddy Meadow Health & Hygiene Trades & Professions Transport Wartime Leisure & Social Stacksteads Links Crystal Palace medal 1913 Bacup Old Band.
When the " Irwell Springs Band " came into it's existence the then Bacup Old Band was enjoying  the heyday of its prosperity. Bacup Old Band was originally known as Broadclough Band and was founded about the year 1858 by John Stevenson otherwise known as Steenie, who was also afterwards up to his death a regular player with Bacup Old Band.  On the formation of the Rifle Volunteers in 1859 the Broadclough Band came out of obscurity and was henceforward known as the 4th .L.R.V Band. Had it not been for two local well known musicians the band would have probably dropped out of existence. One of these men was James Lord of Doals choirmaster of the Heald Wesleyan Chapel and the father of John Lord who would become bandmaster for Old Bacup Band and also Irwell Springs. The other was another James Lord brother in law of the first named James Law. Lord was a name synonymous with the Bacup Old Band and Irwell Springs. In the hey day of Bacup Old Band it would have been imagine that the members would have had some difficulty knowing which Lord was which, except that they each had their own individual nicknames. The first James Lord mentioned above was known as Old Lordly and his son John Lord the conductor was known as Lordly. Johns brother James was known as Eawr Jim and Joseph as Joe Lord. The second  senior James mentioned was known as Old Jim Lord and his sons Richard was Dick Bouncer and James was Jim Bouncer. Whilst another James Lord was known as Jim Lord o'th' Tong. Out of a total of 48 contests entered Bacup Old Band won 33 First Prizes and once tied for First Prize. With only one failure to win a prize out of all 48 contests entered they had a very enviable record.
The Wellington Band Irwell Springs Band Stacksteads Band John Lord Bacup Band Poem Bacup Brass Bands Labour & Love