Ransome & Marles Work Band

Ransome and Marles Stanley, later The Ransome Hoffman Pollard Works Band AKA RHP (1969) and now owned by NSK (1990) were originally ball bearing manufacturers , their factory was located at Newark on Trent UK. The Ransome Brass Band was formed on the 1st November 1937 as their works band. In 1939 the Ransome and Marles Band made the first of over 500 radio broadcasts many broadcast from the works canteen via a BBC direct radio link. In 1951 they became British Brass band champions In July 1952 they became the first Brass band to play a full musical programme on television. Due to lack of funding the band was due to be dissolved in 1991, but with local council and private funding they kept going. In 1994 NSK-RHP (UK) Ltd, the successor to the original Ransome and Marles. Provided major sponsorship and in 1996 the band were invited to play at NSK's 80th birthday celebrations in Tokyo. In June 1999 they were invited to play at the Glenn Miller Festival in Iowa, USA. In 2001 they played at the European Championships in Montreaux in Switzerland The bands last performance was in 2007.