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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Taranaki, Hawke's Bay & Wellington Provincial Districts]

Musical

Musical.

The Hastings Town Band was established many years ago, and has a membership of twenty-six persons. It is equipped with a full set of brass instruments, including one E flat cornet, two B flat solo cornets, three repiano cornets, two second cornets, two third cornets, four tenor horns, two baritones, one euphonium, three trombones, two E flat basses, two B flat basses, oen side drum, and one bass drum. Practices are held twice weekly in the drill shed, and open-air concerts are occasionally given at the racecourse. In the year 1902 the Band (under the conductorship of Mr. S. K. Knight) won a second-class band contest, and on the same occasion carried off first prizes for the quartette, the B flat cornet, and the solo horn; and at the contest held at Palmerston North in the following year the Band took third place among the first class competitors, although playing five men short. Officers for the year 1906: Mr. P. W. Tombs, band-master; Mr. J. A. Pothan, first lieutenant; Mr. George, second lientenant; Mr. Grubb, third lieutenant; and Mr. Russell, secretary.

Mr. Percy William Tombs, Band-master of the Hastings Town Band, was born in Birmingham, England, on the 8th of March, 1879. He was educated at the Birmingham schools and at the Technical School at Bablake, in Coventry; and in January, 1893, came to New Zealand. Mr. Tombs settled at Palmerston North, where for a time he was employed as a clerk. and then established himself as a music teacher. Later on he became a partner in the firm of Messrs Tombs and Grubb, cabinet-makers and furniture warehousemen of Palmerston North and Hastings. Mr. Tombs showed musical ability at an early age, and while yet a lad could play several musical instruments, including the piano, organ, violin, viola, trombone, and euphonium, and was also assistant organist at a town church. While at Palmerston North, Mr. Tombs was organist and choir-master at St. Patrick's Chruch, and a member of various musical societies. He was a member of the New Zealand Band that toured England in 1903. Mr. Tombs is a Freemason, and a member of the Ancient Order of Druids.

Mr. John Alfred Pothan, First Lieutenant of the Hastings Town Band, was born at Charleston, Nelson, on the 30th of November, 1869. He was educated at a public school, and a private church school
Brown and Ross, photo.Mr. J. A. Pothan.

Brown and Ross, photo.
Mr. J. A. Pothan.

page 458 at Greymouth, where he also served an apprenticeship to the coach-building trade. Mr. Pothan subsequently removed to Eketahuna, where for a time he carried on business in partnership with Mr. Wright, and then went to Taradale, where, in partnership with his brother, he conducted a successful business for some years. On the dissolution of the partnership, Mr. Pothan bought his present business in Hastings. While in Eketahuna he was a member of the school committee, one of the cemetery trustees, and was the promoter and conductor of the Eketahuna Brass Band. He was also a member of the Creymouth Fire Brigade, in connection with which he holds a certificate of general efficiency, and won a cup and several medals; and he is a member of the Order of Oddfellows. Mr. Pothan is married and has seven chilren. He is proprietor of the Hastings Coach Factory, which is further referred to.

Mr. Sidney Herbert Knight, formerly hand-master of the Hastings Town Band, has been associated with musical matters all is life. As a lad he was a chorister of St. Jude's Church, Bradford, Yorkshire, England, and took part in many large musical festivals in connection with the Anglican Church. Mr. Knight was born in Yorkshire, England, on the 24th of July, 1862, and is the youngest son of a Bradford wool stapler. He was educated at the Bradford Grammar School, and brought up to his father's business. In the year 1879 he came to New Zealand, where he first lived-for a short time at Oamaru, with the late Mr. John Barraclough, who had formerly been an apprentice in his father's warehouse, and was then employed by Messrs Finlinson and Company, fellmongers, of Kakanui. Ten years later Mr. Knight opened a canning factory at Dunback, and eighteen months later sold out and removed to the North Island. He afterwards bought a butcher's business in Petone, which he disposed of in 1895, and took up his residence in Hastings. For about nine years he conducted a fellmongery and wool-scouring business, and in 1904 established himself as a boot and shoe imperter. Shortly after coming to New Zealand Mr. Knight joined the Oamaru Garrison Band, subsequently established the Kakanui Band, of which he was also for some time conductor, and was for a time choir-master of the Anglican Church at Maheno. Later on he sucessfully conducted the Petone Band and the Hastings Town Band, and proved himself a capable and efficient band-master. Mr. Knight is a member of the Masonic fratenity, and the Independent Order of Oddfellows, and takes a keen interest in bowling and football. He married Miss Margaret Watson, of Kakanui, in 1887, and has four sons and one daughter, His eldest son matriculated and passed the junior civil service and the medical preliminary examinations, at the Napier Boys' High School, at fifteen years of age.