Princess Anne visited Castle Archdale on Wednesday, and the Ballyreagh Silver Band performed during the official engagement. Before the Princess Royal arrived, Jackie Williamson said the musicians were looking forward to the performance and were not feeling nervous.
Stephen Crooks said the visit brought a close look at the band’s history and its place in the local community. He said Princess Anne spoke generally about the community of the brass band and how many different ages are in it, then discussed the size of the instruments and the practical limits that brings. For readers following the band’s recent milestone, the group celebrated its 150th anniversary last year.
Castle Archdale engagement
The performance formed part of the official ceremony at Castle Archdale, where Princess Anne met people involved in the engagement before speaking with Crooks and several musicians. In the same setting, she met representatives from a range of organisations and community groups, giving the visit a broader local focus than the band performance alone.
That detail also leaves one point open: the visit was framed as an official engagement, but the specific purpose was not stated. Crooks said Princess Anne seemed to know about the band already, including that it had started off on horseback and that the 150th anniversary had been marked last year. He called the occasion, “It's a great honour to be part of such a prestigious event like this.”
Jackie Williamson and Stephen Crooks
Williamson’s comments set the tone before the performance began. She said, “It's a privilege to be asked to play for the Princess Royal,” and added, “We're not nervous, no.” For a band that had already marked 150 years, the appearance placed a community group at the center of a royal visit without turning the day into a formal ceremony alone.
For readers, the practical takeaway is simple: the band played as part of Princess Anne’s Wednesday visit to Castle Archdale, and the encounter centered on the band’s role, its age range, and its long history. What was not set out was the specific reason the official engagement was held there, leaving the event defined by the performance and the people who took part in it.
