Richard joined the front row in 2007 and quickly assumed the Principal role in 2010 following the departure of Andy Hill.

Richard started playing cornet when he was 7 and joined the local "New Forest Schools Band" soon after starting. He joined Hampshire County Youth Band progressing to solo cornet line, and finally a stint on Soprano in his last year there before leaving to go to university.

At Brookes university he studied Music & Computing and was principle Trumpeter in the university Big Band & orchestra and was a member of the Brookes Jazz quintet in his final year.

Between leaving university in 1998 and moving to Tonbridge in 2006, Richard did very little playing due to work pressures & other commitments (and upset neighbours each time he practiced).

Sadly for the band, Richard moved to the South West to look after family members in 2021. The band will remember his great solos as well as his "out of time finger clicking" and reliance on his fellow front row cornets to count his bars rest.

• St George's Church at Christmas