Sound of music

Len Tingle Political Editor BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Dodworth Colliery Band in action

October 2007 sees the national brass band championships at the Royal Albert Hall with five Yorkshire bands through to the final.

But behind the glamour of the occasion, many bands are having an increasingly tough time making ends meet.

In the past big companies like British Coal poured thousands of pounds into bands like Grimethorpe, but now it is more difficult to find a sponsor.

Bands at the top of the tree like Grimethorpe, Black Dyke and Brighouse & Rastrick can pack concert halls across the country, and pull in a substantial income.

But for bands lower down the pecking order, it is a different matter. And there's little help to be had from government sources.

English National Opera and the National Opera House between them are getting £43m from the Arts Council in 2007, the entire brass band movement gets just £22,000.

Sponsor shrinkage

Dodworth Colliery band, from Dodworth near Barnsley has been going since 1836. But times got hard after the pit closed down.

A short term remedy saw British Steel backing the band, but the decline of the steel industry saw that lifeline disappear.

Things got so desperate that the band actually folded in the early 90s.

But I the ban was relaunched in 2004 and has already leapt up two divisions in the national rankings.

High maintenance pastime

But it is a hand to mouth existence: all players pay subscriptions, and local concerts can bring in a few hundred pounds.

But keeping a band on the road is expensive - a recent replacement of drums set them back ten thousand pounds.

Pretty soon they take to the streets to busk with Carols for Christmas, which they hope will bring in a couple of thousand pounds.

Jeff Ennis MP: long time Grimethorpe Colliery Band fan

Band chairman Paul Coupland says they're desperate to find a sponsor - they have approached businesses moving into new industrial parks in the area, but have so far found no one willing to put their hand in their pocket.

Barnsley East MP Jeff Ennis is a long time brass band fan and backed up the call for brass bands to get better funding.

"It is vital that we make sure that cash is available for areas like Dodworth and Grimethorpe where the brass band plays a vital role in keeping the community together and providing an outlet for young people in the area."

Also on the programme

Saltburn pier: Victorian gem of the Yorkshire coast

End of the Pier show?

And did you know that there is only one Victorian pleasure pier left on the Yorkshire coast?

Saltburn on Sea has spent millions refurbishing it after decades when it was a financial albatross.

"1974 was the first year" says Tony Lynn the Chairman of Friends of Saltburn Pier.

"The local council at the time decided that it would be too expensive to repair.

"The only thing that saved it was that the cost of demolition would be even more expensive".

Now it is at the heart of the North Yorkshire seaside town's tourism strategy.

"People come here just to see the pier," says Tony. Sole survivor

But all the other piers in Yorkshire have been demolished over the years - and the survivors on the Lincolnshire and Norfolk coast are struggling.

So why would anybody want to build a new one?

Artist's impression of futuristic pier

Well the British Urban Regeneration Association believes that a 21st Century pleasure pier would be worth the cost and effort.

A competition to find the best design has come up with some interesting concepts.

Tim Iredale explores the future for seaside piers from the Politics Show's satellite truck- with Clare Frisby presenting from the studio.

Politics Show for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire follows the national edition of the programme from 12 noon.

Join us on the Politics Show on Sunday 07 October 2007 at 12:00 BST... on BBC One

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