I AM indebted to Doug Sly for his interest in my contribution to the item regarding the Redditch Charity Jazz Band and his description of the uniforms (Letters, May 21).

When the band was first formed around the 1930s, a uniform similar to the end of the pier concert party entertainers was worn, ie a pierrot costume.

Although Doug was in latter years a member of the band, my memories of the change of uniform differs.

As a child in the 1930s, I distinctly recall the the colour being red and white and much later replaced by the blues and whites.

To former band members, am I correct?

On a seperate local historical note, it was stated in your Memory Lane column recently that the new town area of Oakenshaw was named after the Dorothy Terry Nursing home building.

I beg to differ.

This building was formerly the home of one of the Terry family who left it and the surrounding ground (which has recently been sold off to developers, the resulting revenue, I suspect, is not being spent locally) to the Red Cross in memory of his daughter.

It was originally called Park House.

The large house named Oakenshaw, also owned by the Terry family, was further along Evesham Road, was left empty, vandalised and finally demolished by the Redditch Development Corporation.

COLIN WHEELER

A Native Headless Crossian

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