TWO dedicated brass enthusiasts have been honoured for their gold and silver service.

Gordon Higham, tutor to Astley Youth Band, and its founder, Helen Minshall, have received certificates recognising 50 years and 25 years respectively, from the North West Counties Brass Bands Association.

Gordon, thought to be the first playing member of a youth band to win an award for a half a century of service, started his playing career in Hindley Subscription Band at the age of 12, in 1951.

He moved to the Swinton area in 1965 and joined the Barton Hall band, where he was a member until 1969.

On starting work at the British Oxygen Company, he joined the BOC Works Band, and at the same time, joined Salford Silver Band.

In 1985 he met Stephen and Helen Minshall, who were at the time starting up the Eccles Borough B (Youth) Band, and he agreed to play Bb bass fill a gap.

In 1984, when the Minshalls set up the Astley Youth Band, Gordon was asked to help play at concerts and contests and has always accompanied the players on tour. He will join the band again next year when they head-off to Germany.

Now retired, Gordon, from Worsley, plays in bands as much as possible. With his daughter, Yvonne, and grandchildren, Stacey and Cassandra, he guests with the Armthorpe Elmfield Band in Doncaster.

Stephen said: "We'd like to say well done to Gordon, the biggest kid in Astley Youth Band!"

Helen, 38, of Haweswater Avenue, Astley, started lessons at the age of 12 in Scotland on French horn and changed to Eb bass, playing in the school band and numerous bands in the area.

In 1980, she was one of the first students on the Graduate Diploma in Band Musicianship at Salford College. On arrival in the area, she joined the Warrington Youth Band, moving on to various others before meeting her husband, Stephen, an Eb player with Eccles Borough Band.

When they married in 1983, they took the entire Swinton Concert Brass on honeymoon with them to the Pontins Brass Band Concert at Brean Sands.

They found success in national contests and in 1985, Helen started teaching and began a feeder band to the Eccles Borough Band.

Helen was also in demand as a freelance musician and soloist in jazz and big bands as well as brass. She continued playing with local bands while bringing up her children Simon, 10, and Samantha, nine.

In 1994, she started Astley Youth Band, where her children play trombone and euphonium.

Helen is now head of brass at Bolton Music Service, as well as musical director of both the Astley Youth Band and the Bolton Intermediate Brass Band. She is also brass band studies co-ordinator for Bolton LEA.