The Flowers Band, based in Gloucester, is now in its 41st year. It was formed as a result of the Royal Gloucester Hussars (T.A.) Brass Band being disbanded. After negotiation with the M.O.D. the instruments were purchased and most of the former R.G.H. bandsmen, together with other local players, formed the City of Gloucester Band. Since then the band has had a variety of sponsors including Whitbread in the Community and Flowers Brewery. Much success was gained under the ‘Flowers’ name in the contest field. The band rose rapidly up the Championship Section ladder in 1986 where it has since established itself in the top 20 of the Brass Band World Rankings table to become one of the world’s finest brass bands.
In 1998 there were both highs and lows for the band. The Flowers Brewery closed, but the band won the coveted title of the Grand Shield which gained it a place at the British Open Championships held in the Symphony Hall, Birmingham. This is a feat the band repeated in 2007. In 2005 the band were pleased to announce a new sponsorship deal with insulating concrete form manufacturers PolySteel UK Limited. This brought with it a name change for the band to, The PolySteel Band.
In August 2008, with the loss of sponsorship from PolySteel UK Ltd, the band changed it’s name back to the well known and respected Flowers Band. The band has a license agreement with the brewers of Flowers Fine Ales to use the name and logo’s for which we are grateful.
In January 2006 the band won the most lucrative prize in banding, The Butlins Mineworkers Open Championships which netted the band a cheque for £6000 and the magnificent CISWO Championship trophy. The band is the 2007 ‘Champion Band of the West of England’, an accolade which it has previously held in 1991, 1994, 1997 and 2000. The continued success of the band has led to fourteen appearances at the ‘All England International Masters’ held at the Cambridge Corn Exchange where it maintained a consistent 5th position in 2001, 2002 and 2003 and took the runners up spot in 2006, beating the European and World champions in the process. The Flowers band records regularly for Radio 2’s ‘Listen To The Band’ and has appeared on BBC 1’s ‘Songs of Praise’. They have also appeared as guest artists with British electronica duo ‘Goldfrapp’ on their Mercury Music Prize nominated album ‘Felt Mountain’.
