THE purchase of an old teapot on an online auction site has led to a bid to identify and name all the members of Yorkley Onward Band snapped outside a village pub over a century ago.

The teapot, originally presented to band member Oliver Thomas and his new bride, was purchased by Sharon Stratford.

Sharon knows Mr Thomas, a miner, was in the band when the picture was taken outside the Royal Oak in 1905. But she has been stumped in her search to identify him.

As part of the Forest Musical Landscape scheme initiated by the. Heritage Lottery-funded Foresters’ Forest project, researchers have been tracing the history of local bands and attempting to name all the members of the 1905 band .

Gill Meek. a descendant of the conductor, Horace Jones, has named George and Fred Nelmes, but others are proving more difficult.

Some of Oliver Thomas’s family have been identified and it is known that he died at Pillowell in 1962. His wife was Ida Harriet Dash and they had two daughters, Edna and Minnie.

If you can help to identify Mr Thomas or any other member of the bandSharon would love to hear from you on Dean 5649290.