Carole Glendenning (nee. Guest) and Anita Sanderson

The Peterlee Emeralds Jazz Band started off in Fairburn Road on a Sunday afternoon in 1964. Mr William Fairless Davison rounded up all the kids in the street and started marching us around Peterlee. More and more kids joined us as we paraded through the streets on our way to the park on Eden Lane.

I was put in the front row with two other girls. Marie Cutler was one of them. Mr and Mrs Cutler became members of the first committee along with Doc and Doris Elwood. Our nextdoor neighbour Mrs Rawlings made the band uniforms, which were an emerald green. Mr Philp Sharp created the original banner. My dad (Ernie Guest) and my uncle Charlie (Charles Sharp) taught us all how to play the drums and march in time. My uncle was a former PE instructor in the army and my dad had played drums in a dance band when he was younger. As a result of their tuition, we soon began winning local competitions. The Horden Melody Markers were winning everything before we came along.

Altogether, there were 40 to 50 members in the jazz band. Out in front was George Beryl, the mace thrower. We were the only band in the area led by a boy. Behind George came the four banner holders, and behind them was the majorette; a girl named Shirley, or Sheila. The main part of the band lined up in rows of four behind her, with Pat McCoy bringing up the rear playing the bass drum.¹

Anita Sanderson

My sister Gayle Deller was in the Peterlee Emeralds for at least 4 years in the mid 80’s. She loved every minute of it. Rehearsal or band practice was held in the big hall at ‘The Whitehouse’. The music was so loud l thought it would blow the roof off!

I used to help when they went on band competitions in other towns. It was great, as it got us out of Peterlee. I used to feel so sorry for the kids when they still had to march in the rain! They won some great trophies and medals. I would sow them on my sister’s sash. My sister often speaks of her time in the band, and we have a real good laugh. Great childhood memories.

Note: Anita was responding to a photograph of Peterlee Gold Stars Jazz Band posted on the Facebook page History of Peterlee in Images. She didn’t respond to a request to be interviewed for the Living Memory project.

¹ The Emeralds are fondly remembered across several generations of the town’s residents, having either once populated the ranks or simply from having watched them marching. They weren’t however Peterlee’s only jazz band. On July 13, 1964, The Northern Daily Mail reported that “a big crowd watched a derby jazz band contest on Eden Lane playing fields, a side show to Peterlee Festival Day… The overall winners of the jazz band contest were Horden Melody Makers. Other bands competing were the Peterlee Gold Stars, Horden Blue Stars and Easington Tip Toppers.”