Below is more information on the band's bass players.
EEb Bass
Lewis Hindley
Lewis Hindley is an ex employee at RAF St Athan and now a Law Cost Draftsman with Hugh James Solicitors and lives in St Athan with his wife Laur a who he met through the band and their young son – a future player without doubt! He has played with RAF St Athan Voluntary Band since 1991. His association with Alan Bourne goes back further to his time in Pembroke Band and when he moved back to the area to study, Alan was naturally keen to invite him to the band. Lewis began his playing career at South Glamorgan Youth Band after being given a tuba by his music teacher at Stanwell School in Penarth. He has also seen the "deep end" of banding performing at the Grand Shield in Blackpool, All England Masters in Cambridge, The British Open in the Symphony Hall, Birmingham and the National Finals in the Albert Hall with BTM band as well as having played for Tredegar Town Band.
Lewis particularly enjoys the competing aspect of the band’s work and it is these competitions that feature amongst his highlights with the band, in particular playing with the world famous Tuba Vituoso, Steve Sykes, although he admits that flying on the Queen’s plane was a real treat! If Lewis has advice for the younger players in the band it would be that when you are on stage playing your favourite test piece Vienna Nights – make sure that your mobile phone is switched off!
Lewis is the only member of the band to have competed in every single section in banding and he has also travelled to the National Finals with the band 6 times. He has also played BB Flat Bass, Trombone and Baritone during his time with the band and he now plays E flat Bass.
Chris Halliday
Chris Halliday joined the band in 2007 as a student at Cardiff University where he graduated from earlier this summer after completing a joint hono urs degree in Physics and Music. Prior to joining the band Chris played in Northamptonshire County Youth Band where he attended school.
Chris was persuaded to learn to play by his parents and he took up the Tenor Horn aged 9, he really wanted to play the trumpet so he then naturally progressed on to the tuba! His musical skills didn’t end with a Grade 8 Distinction on Tuba, he also plays drum kit and piano. He was encouraged to join the band though his fellow university students who also play in the band and his favourite types of engagement are Mess Nights with free beer! Although, the best musical experience he’s had to date though is playing with a double sized massed band at Dalmellington as part of the band’s tour to Scotland earlier this year. His most embarrassing moment was telling the internationally famous fellow tuba player that he was reading in bass clef! That excuse should definitely be left for conductors who don’t read bass clef themselves!
Chris lives in Cardiff and is a founder member of the Cardiff University Brass Band. When he’s not oiling his valves Chris also enjoys watching rugby, football and has recently taken up cricket.
BBb Bass
Victor Partridge
 Victor joined the band in December last year when he moved back to St Athan from Newport. Victor has played an instrument of some sort since he was 7. He was bound to be a musician with a father like Norman on cornet, who was a keen jazz musician. Victor really caught the music bug and he has a real talent playing a great variety of instruments including Banjo, Guitar, Bass Guitar and Double Bass. He plays a variety of genres of music from Brass Band to Jazz, in his younger days, Victor was a "gigging" guitarist playing with many famous artists (he's too modest to tell us who!) touring all over the country entertaining the masses.
With all that pedigree and modesty, it's no wonder that he admits to having "a couple of Grade 8s" and he his an Associate of the London College of Music. Victor has played for Pontypool, Newport and Cwmbran Bands, but playing for St Athan is his first opportunity to play for a higher section band. He particularly enjoys the facilities that the Bandroom have to offer him, including a guitar studio where he can practise day and night without annoying his parents or the neighbours.
Victor enjoys keeping active and loves swimming and he is looking forward to discovering some of the local scenery now he is living back in the Vale by taking up his other love of walking. His favourite gigs are the ones in pubs that sell real ale, and apparently his most embarrassing moment was playing the B flat bass with the E flat music in front of him - I wonder if he was at the pub drinking real ale at the time!
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