HASLINGDEN and Helmshore Band hit all the right notes at a recent competition at Butlins in Skegness.

Under the baton of musical director David Holland, the band won the £1,500 top prize, and a commemorative banner for their winning perform-ance of An Alberta Suite by Derek Broadbent.

Band secretary Chris Faulkner said: "We were singing the piece before we went on stage and even did a little bit of sneaky line dancing to get in the right frame of mind!

"The cash will be spent on new music which is quite expensive these days and will also go towards instrument repairs.

"It's a great start to 2008 - the band has worked so hard in the past few weeks. Now we hope we can take that form into the regional contest at Blackpool."

The band, which rehear-ses twice a week and has 40 members, will take part in the Preston contest this weekend .