The Band was founded in 1888 by a few enthusiasts meeting at the Tongwynlais home of a Mr. Ted Rowlands – a cornet player with the band attached to the Melingriffith works, known as the Brooker’s Band. Mr. Rowlands as a conductor, aided by Mr. Albert Arnold, encouraged more interest from villagers as an alternative to the seven local public houses and taught each of them to play on a solitary cornet. Band fever rapidly spread around the village of Tongwynlais which was also home to a thriving Temperance movement. So with numerous donations by the local gentry in Tongwynlais, Radyr, Whitchurch and Taffs Well, The Tongwynlais Temperance Silver Band was born. The late Colonel Henry Lewis of Greenmeadow kindly purchased a set of instruments and, in his role as president, with the dedicated assistance of Mr. Steve Evans, secured the immediate future of this newly formed band. Rehearsals were held at the Tongwynlais Infants School and in the long room of the Lewis Arms public house until 1925 when the first band hall was built on Castle Road on ground donated by Col. Lewis. It was a wooden construction which was replaced in 1953 by a concrete building on adjacent ground. The third and current band hall grounds were provided by the builder of Castle View which passes through what was the second band hall. Since its foundation and often against formidable odds, the band has achieved a position within the brass band fraternity of which its members and supporters can be justly proud. The activities of the band were suspended for the duration of the 1914-18 was; but struggled through the second world war despite the enlistment of some 18 of the 33 band members, by allowing ladies to play for the first time. The best remembered conductor of the Band was the late Mr. Harold Morgan who was appointed in 1948 and who led the Band to many contest victories. Mr. Morgan, a prolific composer of Brass Band marches, dedicated one “ Belle Vue”, following the Band’s success at a National Competition at Belle Vue in Manchester. At this time, all but 3 members of the Band lived outside the village. Nowadays, the situation has reversed with the Majority of the Members being drawn from around the Cardiff area. The Band rose through the ranks of the British Brass Band Championships until gaining Championship Section status in 2005. Tongwynlais Temperance Band became the First Section Champion Band of Great Britain in 2009 and also Pontins Champion Band. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.