PERHAPS not among the more expected student pastimes, the Durham University brass band stages one of its biggest concerts – with Lancaster and Warwick University bands – in the city on Saturday.

“To be honest, we don’t seem to appeal much to the student body as a whole. It’s the local residents who support us,” says band president Josie Drake. This time they particularly hope for a good audience – Elvet Methodist Church, 5pm – because it’s to raise funds for St Cuthbert’s hospice.

Josie, a cornet player, has been instrumental since she was seven.

“We’ll take anyone, but we have some really good players,” she says.

Each band will play individually in the first half before coming together – 70-odd of them – for what’s promised to be a “spectacular”

finale.

The brass band is by no means the most improbable Durham society, however. A check on the Students’ Union website reveals everything from Allotment to Assassins, Big Band to Belly Dancing, Cheese to Chinese. There’s green woodworking, underwater hockey, poker, mooting and whisky appreciation, too.

Tickets for Saturday’s concert are £5, £3 concessions, available at the door.

AREMINDER, too, that Eddie Gratton and George Hetherington – Thornley lads, the pair of them – present the Paul Robeson story in the Deanery at Durham Cathedral tomorrow evening (7.30pm). It’s to raise funds to support the Cathedral choir on its upcoming French tour. Tickets are £10, available from the Gala Theatre or on the night.

The magnificent Mike Findley, still a Redcar and Cleveland councillor despite battling motor neurone disease, asks also that we mention that he’s promoting a concert by Marske Fisherman’s choir at New Marske Sports Club on Friday, March 11.

Tickets, just £3, are available from Marske post office or from Jane Holmes (01642-444501) at the civic office.

Proceeds to Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice, Redcar RNLI and the Mike Findley MND Fund.

A NICE letter from Mrs V M Bell, in the same form as the late Arnold Hadwin – my first editor – at Alderman Wraith Grammar School in Spennymoor.

“A truly working class opportunity for kids from Spennymoor and the surrounding villages, especially during World War II. A truer crosssection than today and certainly no positive discrimination towards kids from poor homes – in other words, us.”

Mrs Bell also recalls that Arnold was outstanding at cross country and football and that his nickname – as it remained at the Despatch in Darlington – was Darkie.

It wouldn’t be today.

LAST week’s column carried a North Eastern Railway Association photograph of a snowsubmerged steam engine on Stainmore, noting that Robin Coulthard – NERA’s archivist and librarian – was himself so snowed under at the study centre in Darlington that he’d resigned. John Teasdale now reports that Robin has been safely dug out and will be happy to continue as archivist if they’ll have him. “He does an excellent job; we will.”

… and finally to Barnard Castle Probus Club, retiring types, where speakers are asked to hold forth for an hour. For the poor audience, it may not always be a happy hour.

Beggars spent less time in the stocks. At the previous meeting they’d had 60 minutes of the benefits of round feeding stations in reducing stress on livestock. They lapped it up, apparently. How on earth do you follow that?