Remembering South Tyneside's remarkable man of music

When local bandmaster Thomas Pick died in 1933, at the age of 60, such was the 'high esteem' in which he was held that more than 3,000 people attended his funeral procession '“ which stretched for over half a mile through the streets of South Tyneside.
Members of Boldon Colliery Band, pictured three years after its formation, in the garden of the colliery manager's house on 30 May 1914.  The bandmaster was Tom Pick and the little boy at the front was Ignatius Ford.  The building  behind the fence (right) was part of Cold Sides Farm.Members of Boldon Colliery Band, pictured three years after its formation, in the garden of the colliery manager's house on 30 May 1914.  The bandmaster was Tom Pick and the little boy at the front was Ignatius Ford.  The building  behind the fence (right) was part of Cold Sides Farm.
Members of Boldon Colliery Band, pictured three years after its formation, in the garden of the colliery manager's house on 30 May 1914. The bandmaster was Tom Pick and the little boy at the front was Ignatius Ford. The building behind the fence (right) was part of Cold Sides Farm.

Yet not so long ago, when his grandson, Ron, went looking for his relative’s grave, in West Boldon Cemetery, he was shocked that he was unable to find it.

Fortunately for Mr Pick, he bumped into a chap in the cemetery who pointed him in the direction of Co-op funeral directors.

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Not only did the Co-op help trace the grave, they also paid for a headstone to be erected there.

It was a generous gesture – and a fitting tribute to a remarkable man of music.

As his 70-year-old grandson explains, Mr Pick was one of the finest bandmasters the North has ever known.

He belonged to Rosedale Abbey, in Yorkshire, but moved to Gateshead, working underground in Felling pit as a waste man.

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He also taught music and conducted the brass band in Chester-le-Street.

After meeting his future wife, Mary Alice Grundy (who belonged Birtley), the couple settled in Boldon Colliery.

There, he was asked to take charge of the Boldon Colliery Workmen’s Brass Band.

And such was his prowess, that when the band competed at Crystal Palace in 1922, they won the section, for which Mr Pick was presented with a watch – which remains in the family to this day.

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But tragedy struck in 1932, when he suffered an accident down the pit, and the leg injury he sustained eventually led to his death, a year later (on the 38th anniversary of his wedding).

And, as mentioned earlier, such was his reputation within the world of brass band music, that his funeral made headline news in many of the local papers.

One wrote “Over 3,000 at funeral” before reporting that: “The attendance of over 3,000 people and a procession over half a mile in length were evidence of the high esteem in which the late Mr Thomas Pick, of Arnold Street, was held when the funeral took place yesterday at South Boldon cemetery.”

The report went on to 
say: “Mr Pick, who was one of the best known bandmasters in the North of England, died suddenly at his residence.

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“Prior to the interment, a short service was held at the residence, after which massed bands played the hymn O God Our Help In Ages Past.”

Those bands came from near and far to pay tribute, while “hundreds of women and children lined the streets and main thoroughfare as the procession wended its way through the village”.

There were so many floral tributes that a coach had 
to convey them to the cemetery.

Mr Pick’s band uniform and cap were also laid on the coffin.

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Yet if it hadn’t been for his grandson’s decision to research his family history, Mr Pick’s grave (along with that of his wife, who died in 1950) would remain unmarked, and forgotten.

“After getting in touch with the Co-op, they got the plot number and did a lot of research for me,” says Mr Pick.

“Then they said, ‘we have a surprise for you’, and told me they would be providing a headstone for my grandparents’ grave.

“I really can’t thank them enough,” added Mr Pick, who in his time has worked as a butcher, medic and rig mechanic.

l What more can you tell me about the history of Boldon Colliery Brass Band or any of the many other local brass bands and the people who played in them?