TWO Forest bands, Bream Silver and the AW Parker (Drybrook) Band, came back from the weekend's West of England Championships in Torquay with first and second places respectively in Section 3.

The win has secured Bream promotion to Section 2, and a spokesman said: "This victory marks the culmination of a promotion battle stretching back to 2010 when the band finished second at the same contest before finishing fourth in 2011."

Given impetus by the return in July 2011 of former musical director Bryn James, Bream have coped with numerous changes in personnel to begin 2012 with an outstanding win in the Entertainment Contest at Ross on Wye in February against a strong field.

"This rich vein of form was carried into arguably the most important competition of the band's calendar which was made even more challenging by the difficulty of their test piece 'Olympus', written by renowned bandsman and composer Phillip Harper," said the spokesman.

Beating off staunch opposition from Drybrook as well as Downton Silver and Bodmin, Bream came away from their trip to the English Riviera with glowing comments from the adjudicators and the excitement of a trip to the National Finals in September which will be held at Cheltenham Racecourse.

The coming months hold much in store for the band as they bid to continue their unbeaten record in 2012 with victory at the Weston Super Mare Own Choice Contest in May. They will then have to cope with a demanding summer schedule in order to raise the money needed to compete at the National Finals in September and beyond. As always the support of local people is always needed and appreciated and the band say they hope to entertain the people of Bream and the Forest at one of their many performances during the course of the next six months.

The AW Parker (Drybrook) Band returned to the championship to take part in the Third Section contest following their promotion from the Fourth Section in 2011.

The band was drawn to play last of the 13 bands taking part and had to wait around nervously for their opportunity to impress the judges.

Under the baton of Steve Ruck the band, resplendent in their new uniform, gave an inspired performance of 'Olympus' that draw huge applause from the full house watching.

They too receive an invitation to take part at the National Finals in Cheltenham.

For the first time, the band will also be automatically promoted to the Second Section for competition from January 2013, the first time that the band will have competed at that level in more than 30 years.

Chairman Hugh James said: "This result was beyond our wildest expectations. We knew that the band were playing very well and that we were up against some very good bands. It was quite a shock not only to finish second and get invited to the National Finals but also to get promoted to the Second Section at our first attempt was really unexpected.

"We were only hoping to establish ourselves in Section Three this year and hope to move up a section in two or three years' time. We would like to thank our sponsor Mr. Graham Parker of AW Parker Diploma Coal Merchants, Drybrook for all his support, without whom all this would not have been possible."

The band will now turn its attention to its summer concert programme and a hectic schedule around the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations before returning to the contest stage in September at the National Finals.