Mexborough and Swinton Times January 27, 1939

Mexborough Band’s Success

Bert Clegg and his Dance Band which plays regularly at the Empress Ballroom, Mexborough, has entered with commendable success into the competitive fields.

On Monday, for the second time in successive years, the Band finished second of ten bands drawn from all over the North of England: It was the Yorkshire qualifying round of the All England Dance Band Championship and was played off in the City Hall, Sheffield.

The winners of this territorial “heat” were Harold Dawson and his Band from Hull, and the Mexborough band was only a point or two behind him. Third place was taken by a band from Nelson, Lancashire. The winning band in each territorial heat qualifies to take part in the final at Blackpool.in June.

Bert Clegg’s band is hoping to qualify by reason of victory at some of the territorial heats which are to be arranged.

The judges at the City Hall on Monday were Mr. P. Mathison-Brook, editor of the “Melody-Maker,” and Mr. E. Jackson, editor of “The Record,’ a gramophone periodical. For being awarded second place each of the ten members of the Mexborough band received a silver cup. In addition, two of them won special prizes as being the best individual instrumentalists of the evening—Ernest Lodge, who was adjudged the best pianist, and Alec Butterfield, the best tenor saxophonist.