Welcome to the web site of the North East Midlands Brass Band Association.
Latest News
- Dates Set for our Annual Area Test Piece Contest
We are running our annual area test piece contest next year on Saturday 21st February and Sunday 22nd February, at our usual venue, The Post Mill Centre in South Normanton.
To balance the number of entries on each day, we have rearranged the sections across the weekend: the Third and Second Sections will now play on the Saturday and the Fourth, First and Championship Sections will play on the Sunday.
The sections for training and unregistered bands to perform a 20 minute entertainment programme have moved to the Sunday.
Entry forms will be available on our website after our A.G.M. in October.
- Entries are now open for our Autumn Contest
Entries are now open for NEMBBA’s open own-choice test piece contest, which is being held on Sunday 16th November 2025 at the Post Mill Centre, Market Street, South Normanton DE55 2EJ (please note our new venue for this contest), for all sections (fourth to championship) together with sections for un-registered and training bands to play a 15-minute programme.
For those of you who contested with us in February or at last year’s autumn contest, this contest will be run along similar lines with our aim being to run the event as flexibly as possible to enable as many bands as we can accommodate at the venue to have an enjoyable day playing music.
Copies of the entry form and the rules are on our events page. If your band wishes to enter, please complete the entry form, and post or email it to Robert Stansfield (the details are on the form). The receipt of all entries will be acknowledged by email.
The closing date for entries is 1st October 2025 unless all the contest places are taken beforehand.
If you require any further information before entering, please email Robert Stansfield for further details.
- The NEMBBA Entertainments Contest 2025. It’s Back!!
NEMBBA is pleased to announce that the ever popular Entertainments contest is back on the calendar and will be held at The Post Mill Centre, South Normanton on Sunday 22nd June 2025.
The Format:
- One continuous competition for bands in the 1st to 4th sections.
- The prizes will be awarded as follows:
- Overall Winner – £100
- 2nd Overall – £80
- 3rd Overall – £50
- Best in each section (1st to 4th) – £100
- Most Entertaining Band Overall – £100
- Best new arrangement/composition by a band member/conductor – £50
- Trophy for the Best Soloist
- The Contest will be pre-drawn and run throughout the day with the first band starting at 9.00 a.m.
- 20 minute programmes (1st note to last – including announcements).
- All programmes must have a featured soloist.
- To qualify for the arrangement/composition prize the piece must have been done by a competing band member or conductor.
- The maximum number of bands that we can accommodate will be 16, so book early to avoid disappointment.
- For a copy of the Contest rules, entry fee and entry form please see our events page.
- Refreshments will be available throughout the day with a bar available from 12 noon until the conclusion of the contest.
- Brian Eggleshaw
NEMBBA is saddened to learn of the death of our vice-president Brian Eggleshaw.
Brian was contest secretary of both NEMBBA and the Midlands Area for many years until his retirement in 2011. Brian was also the secretary of the former Ransomes band and contest secretary of the old Butlins contest.
We send our condolences to Jane and his family.
- Contest Thanks
A big thank you to everybody who worked so hard to make this weekend’s contest a success.
- Our adjudicators Mareika Gray (training bands, fourth and second sections) and Mark Wilkinson (third, first and championship sections).
- Our retired president, Marie Smith, and Patricia Hope for running registration.
- A special thanks to Mike Allcock and Emma Palmer who impeccably managed the movement of bands between their changing room, the warmup room and registration throughout the weekend.
- Our stewards and helpers: our president, Lynden Cooper, our chair, Melanie Cooper, our treasurer, Kevin Holdgate, Judith Beckett, Rob Burrows, Brian Draper, Stan Lippeatt, Kate Nelson, Ian Peberday and Jo Priestley.
- Newstead Brass for the loan of the percussion and Mark Davis and his team of helpers from Newstead who transported it to and from the venue.
- The Long Eaton Silver Prize Band who provided the music stands for the contest.
- Our venue, The Post Mill Centre, for hosting the contest and their staff for being so helpful.
- Brass Band Music (Gavin Somerset) and Durham Music Shop (Brian Yates) for bringing their trade stands and donating music vouchers to our section winners.
- Newstead Brass for the loan of the percussion and Mark Davis and his team of helpers from Newstead who transported it to and from the venue.
- Our bands, without whom we would not have had a contest and those of you who came to support the bands.