Steve Ridler

Steve Started playing the cornet at the age of 13 in West London. He soon began playing in the brass band movement when he joined the Hanwell band, aged 14.

In 1975 he moved up north to join Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band on tutti cornet, moving up to be appointed principal cornet in 1978. A move to Leyland Vehicles came in 1983 as principal cornet until an offer came from Steve's boyhood hero, James Shepherd, to join JSVB playing flugel, cornet, trumpet. During this time Steve signed and played for Faireys on the contesting stage.

1990 saw Steve move back into main stream banding, joining B&R on principal cornet and from 1992- 98 Steve held the flugel seat. In 1999 Steve moved back to The Leyland Band and this also saw a change of instrument onto tenor horn.

In 2000 Steve moved to Australia to join Brisbane Excelsior. During this time the band won 10 national titles over a period of 14 years, and Steve won many state/national solo and Champion of Champion individual titles.

Steve returned to the UK in 2014, joining Fodens on solo horn the same year. 2016 saw time spent at Wingates, Hepworth and Leyland before returning to Faireys in 2018