Home About Us Barbershop Join Us Book Us Events Members Area

©Preston Barbershop Harmony Singers Red Rose Chorus 2016

Scrapbook 1985 - 1990

The second scrapbook covers the period 1985 - 1990. The pages of the scrapbook are larger than the scanner so the tops and bottoms are missing off some pages. If you want to see anything in more detail Bernard would be happy to show you the originals.

Click a thumbnail below to open a pdf version of the picture.

You will then be able to enlarge this and move around to the areas you want to read.

Click here to read a complete list of Sing-outs, and other notes, for 1985 - 90

Scroll down for other notes from this period

More History

1986
There are minutes for Committee meetings. There seems to have been a lot of discussion about the yellow stage suits, buying new risers and trying to increase the Club membership to 50+. There was also much concern that the Chorus had a hotch-potch of songs, and no act.

Someone may have a better understanding of this point than I have :

The assets at the beginning of the year were £734.53

There was discussion about a ‘Barbershopper of the Year’ (BOTY) award but it is not clear what this was or whether it was ever implemented (though the scrapbook does not contain the minutes of all meetings for this year).

1987
Weekly bulletins started in 1987. Number 1 seems to be missing; Number 2 is dated Thursday Oct 15th 1987. Bulletins were posted out to members who had not been at Thursday night practice.

Each week mentions visitor who were brought along (I presume this means prospective new members) and who brought them.

October 29th :

November 19th : The engraved cup for Barbershopper of the Year was presented to Denis Love (But still no explanation of how he earned this title.)

November 26th : A roll of turquoise material has been obtained from Booth’s of Barnsley. Shirts are to be made for 7 named members in time for the Prelim Contest at Sheffield on December 12th. (These were to go with the yellow suits. There had been some concern as it was thought that this material may no longer be available.)

1988
The year begins with a list of objectives. These include improving Stage Presentation/Presence, a recruitment drive entitled BringaSinga, buying new risers (Still!), establishing a Teach Tape Library, balloting members on the format of Thursday evenings, electing Section Leaders, and several other issues.

In early February there was excitement about the possibility of auditioning for the Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year Competition. Big prizes were at stake as the winners were to get £1500. Later in the month it was decided not to enter.

February 18th : It was decided not to post newsletters to absent members as Bernard was now spending his dinner breaks designing new risers. It was also stated that the turquoise shirts were now looking jaded and should be replaced by white frilly shirts. However, new risers needed to take precedence over uniforms and the shirts would have to wait.

Contact was made with the Dutch Association of Barbershop Singers (DABS).

February 25th : This week should see a vast improvement in Baritone singing due to the arrival of Bernard’s spanking new pitch-pipe!!

At the Committee Meeting in March it was deemed that frilly shirts were not suitable. Sequined piping on jackets was considered but there was not sufficient time to change anything before Convention.

Eamon agreed to go to the next Harmony College to learn more about Stage Presence. (I suspect he didn’t go as he was involved in a serious accident. In the minutes of the AGM, later in the year, four other members are reported as having attended.)

There are several references to The Northernaires in this period but it is difficult to tell what the set-up was. Members who were part of this chorus had to make a contribution towards red shirt, white trousers and blue shoes. The cheques were payable to ‘Englands Northernaires’

Barbershopper of the Year was Brian Simpson. (Edit: This name does not appear on the current trophy, which seems to date from 1989. (See BOTY)

For more information about what else happened during this year read 1988 AGM

Mike O’Neill was Barbershopper of the Year, partly in recognition of his efforts with riser transportation.

1989
Risers are still a big issue but are anticipated in March.

The old risers were to be donated to the Ladies Club. There was also discussion about insuring the risers, because they were so valuable, and the necessity to have a ‘riser team’ to assemble and dismantle them.

Simon Hilton had won a scholarship to Harmony College, Missouri. Various fund-raising events were planned to raise the money for his travel. One was at Essanelle Now Salon, These drawings were part of the suggested promotional material (but I don’t know which, if any, were used) It does not say who the artist was.