When Dr Nicholas Childs took to the stage with Reg Vardy as the last band to play in the North of England Area, he would be confident of securing a personal hat-trick in this year's area contest series, following earlier wins with Black Dyke and Co-operative Funeralcare.

The upset win by Felling put paid to both Dr Childs' and Reg Vardy's hat-trick ambitions!

Therefore, there remains just the five previous instances of a conductor leading three top section bands to victory in the 'areas':

1952 - Eric Ball

1955 - Harry Mortimer

1986 - Major Peter Parkes

1987 - Major Peter Parkes

1999 - Nicholas Childs

It is an illustrious list indeed and, given the relatively close proximity of the area contest series each year, it is not a list that is going to grow very quickly.

In addition to Nick Childs, two other conductors attempted the 'treble' this year - Phillip McCann and Ian Porthouse - and five conductors attempted a top section 'double' - Robert Childs, Garry Cutt, Russell Gray, Philip Harper and Nick Sheppard. Melvin White also conducted two bands in the top section, albeit both in the SAME area (London).

Robert Childs and Russell Gray were each successful with one of their bands, and the updated all-time list of top section area winning conductors is now as follows:

30 wins - Major Peter Parkes

24 - Dr Nicholas Childs

16 - Harry Mortimer, Walter Hargreaves

15 - Howard Snell

13 - Alex Mortimer

12 - Melvin White

11 - Eric Ball, Stanley Boddington, Dr Robert Childs

10 - Dr Keith Wilkinson, Richard Evans, Garry Cutt

Of this year's other 'winners', Russell Gray in now on 9 wins, Paul Holland on 2, and Michael Bach, Stephen Malcolm and Richard Ward all won for the first time.