DRYBROOK Band ended this year's contest season on a historic high by winning not only one prestigious contest – but two – in the same weekend.

The A.W.Parker (Drybrook) Band won the Wessex Open Brass Band Association Championships and the Gloucestershire Brass Band Association contest.

On both occasions the band played John McCabe's classic test piece Cloudcatcher Fells as well as Kenneth Alford's Army of the Nile.

The band scooped awards for the highest-placed second section band of the day and the highest-placed lower section performance of a march.

The band's bass section took the award for the best bass section of the day, while band musical director Joshua Ruck took the award for the best musical interpretation of the day.

Band chairman, David Harding added: "To win such a high profile and prominent contest and in the process beating bands ranked in the championship section is something we can certainly be proud of. We head into the New Year now with confidence that we are capable of beating off the toughest of competition. With the Welsh Open in February being our next engagement, it will be great to lock horns with even more established championship section bands, including Tredegar who are currently ranked third in the world. To be competing alongside them is quite surreal indeed!"

At the Gloucestershire Brass Band Association contest, held this year in Ross, the competition was made up of third and second section bands. The band once again walked away with the award for the best performance of a test piece but was just beaten to the finish line in the march category by Cinderford Band. Soprano cornet player, Tom King, flugel horn player, Steve Ruck, the bass section and the horn section all won special awards.