Helen Williams on Marple‘s magic Open victory, her musical roots and a new chapter | episode 30

Mark Good chats to Helen Williams, flugelhorn player with the number one ranked band in the world, the Cory Band.

Helen looks back on a historic victory with Marple Band, 25 years ago at the British Open Championship at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. She became the first – and so far, only – female principal cornet player to take the title, as well as the prize for best instrumentalist.

Helen also charts her musical career to date, from the little girl given her dad’s old trumpet to her lengthy spells at Poynton, Marple and Foden’s. Helen discusses nearly retiring from playing and making a life-changing decision with husband Glyn that took the couple to the south Wales valleys where the rest, as they say, is history.