1901-1950

There was little recorded about the band in the earlier 20th century until 1939 when Meltham Mills closed down and the band came under the patronage of David Brown Tractors. Then around 1943/4, the Band  began to break up, possibly brought about by the shortage of players due to the war.  It was reported in the local paper dated 18 Aug. 1945 that at a public meeting held in the Carlisle Institute it was unanimously decided ‘to re-form a Brass Band in Meltham’.  This was entrusted to Jack Manchester and the late John Redfearn who were both players who had played in the Meltham Mills band before the war years. They were asked to help find and train new players and, with the existing players, put on a concert in the Village within 12 months. This was an important time in the more modern history of the Band as, at this time, the instruments, music and equipment were handed over and Meltham |Mills Band was re-formed as an independent Band.

A room for rehearsing was found in Meltham, and the band, now an independent subscription Band, was named after the two villages it represented — Meltham and Meltham Mills.

In January 1948 a free concert was given in the ‘Alhambra Palace Picture House Meltham’ to a ‘large and appreciative audience’, where the first trophy won by the Band after being re-formed, at the West Riding Brass Band Contest  Cleckheaton the previous November, was presented to Mr. Greenhalgh (president) by Mr. Harold Swallow (conductor).

The Band returned to the contesting arena quite quickly, contesting at Belle Vue again in 1948, though not with the success shown some sixty years previously, but it was a massive step after re-forming only a short while previously.