Betteshanger Colliery Welfare Brass Band Achieves Historic Championship Hat-Trick as they strike GOLD at the Regional Qualifying Contest – Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre – Continuing a Remarkable Winning Streak!
Betteshanger Colliery Welfare Brass Band, based in Deal, has achieved an extraordinary and unprecedented milestone in its long and proud history. On Sunday 22 March, the band travelled to Stevenage to compete in the London and Southern Counties Regional Championships, successfully defending their title and being crowned Third Section Champions: a third consecutive win at the regionals.
Under the expert musical direction of Mike West, whose commitment, discipline, and musical leadership have been central to the band’s success, the players have spent weeks tirelessly preparing their performance of The Three Howarth Impressions — a challenging and expertly crafted 13‑minute work. Their dedication and precision shone through on stage, securing yet another remarkable victory
Now, in 2026, the band has completed an unprecedented hat‑trick of regional championship wins, reaffirming their status as one of the most successful and rapidly rising brass bands in the region. Their latest victory means they will proudly represent the London and Southern Counties region at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, to be held in York at the Barbican in September 2026. The band is determined to continue their upward trajectory and hopes to return home with further national silverware.
Band spokespersons described the atmosphere as “electric” and the achievement as “a testament to the hard work, resilience, and passion of every member.” The band praised MD Mike West for his unwavering leadership throughout their exceptional journey. The band would also like to thank Leigh McKinney, “Eclipse Instruments”, for his continued support as our sponsor. Leigh’s passion and support of the band mean the world to us, and we are extremely fortunate to be on this journey together.
Betteshanger Colliery Band wishes to thank its sponsor, supporters, community, and families for their ongoing encouragement and looks forward to making them proud once again on the national stage.
Betteshanger Colliery Welfare Band 