Mary Reid

There are only five Scout and Guide Marching Bands in the whole of London - and two of them are in my ward! In fact, good youth marching bands are pretty rare these days so they are in high demand, which in turn helps to drive up their standards. 

The 1st Hook band has held the National Scout and Guide Marching Band Champions title for 4 years running. It also won three gold medals in the European Open Band Competitions last year, and each year it performs in the Lord Mayor's Show.

So their concerts are not events that are only really appreciated by parents of the players - they are a real treat for everyone. Yesterday's performance at the Epsom Playhouse was attended by the Mayor of Epsom and Ewell and he greatly enjoyed it.

This was a staged concert, with no marching, so it gave them a chance to explore a wider repertoire, including the 1812 Overture, with long bangs and confetti showers.

I said in my speech at the end that all of us in Hook are immensely proud of them and want to thank them for acting as ambassadors our town.