Our Early Years

In 1973, ‘Avon Youth Band’ were rehearsing at the Shaftesbury Crusade in Barton Hill - Bristol, players consisting mainly of young people keen to play a brass instrument. All of these young players were conducted, taught and developed by Jim Scott. Children arrived with no prior playing or musical knowledge and were trustingly provided with a cornet ( or the battered brass coloured tenor horn), and would try to produce some recognisable sounds by next week’s rehearsal.

Fingerings were boldly written over cornflake box backed music, but it was amazing how quickly they turned into capable ‘brass-banders’ when rehearsing on Tuesday, Thursday evenings AND Saturday mornings every week. This wonderful opportunity was provided by Jim with absolutely no charge.

Early beginnings

Even as a very young band, Jim already loved working towards contests at Hanham Folk Centre and Coleford - and of course the ‘areas’ at the Victoria Rooms in Bristol - with variable results for many years. The Uniform was simply black trousers/skirts, white shirt and a blazer - adorned with the Bristol City crest.

Any opportunity to play

The young Band were regularly found performing to varied audiences including school fetes, Hanham Hall Hospital, Purdown Hospital, various social clubs around Bristol - and even a wedding!

If you recognise the couple please let us know. We would love to hear their memories of their special day.

With the ‘Scott’s’ family home being in Monks Park Avenue, Jim quickly forged links with the Filton Twinning Association where the band played frequently at the Elm Park Centre for visiting guests from towns in France and Germany.

Much of this happened in an era before Health and Safety regulations, when any holes in the Shaftesbury Crusade floorboards were simply ‘avoided’ and out of Jim’s brown Volvo would emerge 6 kids, an Eb bass, stands, music and various band instruments - the exhaust barely off the ground as Jim then drove them home!!

To reflect all of the teaching from Jim, he chose to change the Band’s name from Avon Youth Band to ‘Avon School of Music’ for the subsequent 10 years.

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