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Town Talk | Brass and Wind Band blows away competition

By Marnie

May 9, 2025

The winning Brass and Wind Concert Band. Photo by Vanessa Macaulay

Welcome back.

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Our Brass and Wind Concert Band took a trip to Melbourne at Easter — and came home as Australian champions in C-grade.

Isn’t that absolutely wonderful?

Their president, Bill Scott, told me that 40 of their band members attended the competition, with about 80 bands participating across various categories — concert, brass, youth, etc.

The competition took place at Xavier College in Kew and Methodist Ladies’ College, utilising three halls.

All bands in their category were required to play Aurora Australis, along with a hymn and a march.

Shepparton’s band included Hymn Semplice, Sea Songs, and Primordial Overture in their presentation.

Bill said that all involved were “really chuffed” about their success.

Collier McCracken shared his excitement, saying, “I’m really over the moon. It’s a credit to our conductor, Lachlan Gallagher, and our leading musicians, young and old!”

Their secretary, Leona Gibbs, told me they were now waiting to find out if their grade would be changed.

They are hoping for a challenging B-grade rating for the state competitions in Bendigo next month and for the nationals in Brisbane in 2026.

She said the band was in a really good place, enjoying playing together and welcoming the competitions.

The band has a balanced mix of genders and its members range from 13 to 90 years old.

The younger ones offer, we hope, longevity for the band’s successes.

Jessie Ashcroft, a Year 11 student from Cobram, entered and won the Open Solo Flute competition.

This makes her a national champion, and it’s likely we’ll read her name again in the years ahead.

Well done, Jess!

And well done to every member of our Brass and Wind Concert Band.

We salute you all!

Jessie Ashcroft. Winner of Open Flute Solo. Photo by Contributed

It’s not too early to add the band’s annual concert date to your diary.

They will be performing on Sunday, October 19 at 2pm at Riverlinks.

Our Brass and Wind Band is one of our small communities, contributing greatly to the larger community of Greater Shepparton.

Music is such a wonderful communicator — and when I mentioned this to the band’s president, Bill Scott, he said, “Music is my life, really.”

He has been playing music for 75 years, which included teaching at Shepp High for many of those years.

I find myself thinking about how our large and wonderful community is made up of smaller communities, which, in turn, are made up of people like Bill Scott — who has been quietly and effectively contributing to our community for a very long time.

(And now, Bill will never speak to me again!)

Greater Shepparton has many quiet heroes!

Our restaurants

I have been slow to publish some of your material lately.

My deadline is quite a bit earlier than before, and often, your feedback arrives after my deadline for the next week.

I’m sorry about that, but here is a ‘catch-up’ from Lucy.

Hi Marnie, love reading your article on a Tuesday.

I noticed in a couple of articles in Shepp News that it said Cellar 47 started in 1977.

Angelo became the owner in 1977; however, there’s history before that date.

I remember I had my 21st there in ’77 before Angelo started, and it was owned by Jim Allardice, who was an insurance agent and married to my mum’s next-door neighbour’s daughter, Roma Grose.

I think they owned it for a couple of years.

The person who actually started it was Graham Cheesman, who also had another restaurant called Cellar 47 in the main street of Wangaratta.

Shepparton was the second one.

I’m not sure of the exact year, but I’m thinking mid-’70s.

I know this because I was working for the old Commercial Bank of Australia from ’73 to ’79, situated on the corner of High and Wyndham Sts, where the courthouse now stands.

The Cellar started my favourite pastime of ‘the long lunch’, which I still enjoy to this day — funny about that.

I’m at Cellar 47 at least fortnightly, and we still do a bank lunch now that we’re retired.

My favourite spot was the old Cellar down the stairs at 47 High St — unfortunately, that can’t be replicated.

Many fun times.

Keep up the great work, and I love the history and passion you put into your column.

Kind regards,

Lucy

Thanks, Lucy — well remembered!

I think Angelo has been very good at creating long-term customers, and you’re a perfect example.

Our very first restaurant

Brook’s Coffee Palace and restaurant. Photo by Contributed

There’s not much doubt that Brook’s Coffee Palace and Restaurant was our first place to ‘eat out’.

It opened on a Saturday in early May 1889 — that’s 136 years ago. (To save you the trouble of subtracting!)

However, in the wee hours of January 2, 1896, our first restaurant met a sad fate — by fire.

From the Tatura Guardian (January 3, 1896):

‘The buildings destroyed were W.H. Brook’s Coffee Palace and baker’s shop occupied by the owner, the hairdressing shop and tobacconist shop of Mr J.J. Franklin, the boot and shoe warehouse occupied by Mr Long, and the well-known stationery shop of Mr J. Long.

The whole of the buildings mentioned were reduced to a perfect wreck.’

It was believed the fire started in the boot shop, and unfortunately, Mr Franklin was not insured.

However, Mr Brook didn’t waste time.

Contractors Messrs Dunn and Kittle erected three two-storey buildings, designed by J.A.K. Clarke, with one featuring a balcony and the others with corporate verandahs.

The only address we have is Wyndham St.

In my imagination, I see it on the corner of Wyndham and Fryers — where the Tarax Bar later thrived.

But, as you know, my imagination frequently leads me astray.

Five years after the rebuild, Mr Brook is mentioned as ‘the long-established and well-known baker and caterer still to the fore. He makes a special line of catering — wedding, christening, and birthday cakes. Small goods may be obtained fresh daily.’

Four years later, I read that he had passed away.

It seems our first restaurant had a relatively short life of less than seven years.