Festive concert to celebrate new city centre bandstand

The new bandstand being erected by Point Engineering and apprentices at council-run Hull Training is going up at the south-western end of Hull’s Queens Gardens, adjacent to the pond.

Its official opening will be Sunday December 11 at around 1.30pm with a concert by Humberside Police Concert Band, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

The cost – between £70,000 and £80,000 – is coming from a fund paid into by developers, which is intended for city centre improvements.

The Victorian style bandstand – which will stand more than 18ft high – will accommodate up to 30 performers, and have a lighting and electricity supply for evening performances.

The band, now composed of mainly volunteers, is believed to be the oldest police band in the country, having taken only a short break during the Second World War.

A spokeswoman for the city council said they were planning a festive opening with a seasonal programme, actors in Victorian costume and hot chestnuts on offer. She added: “None of the money is coming directly from council funds. “It is paid for entirely by section 106 legal agreements with developers.”