Bugles and football was the cadet way

Guardian reader Stanley Fairclough sent in this photograph of the drums and bugle band within Chorley Army Cadet Force from around 1945.
Stanley Fairclough sent in this photo of the drums and bugle band within Chorley Army Cadet Force around the year 1945.
Stanley is pictured sat down in the front row, far right.Stanley Fairclough sent in this photo of the drums and bugle band within Chorley Army Cadet Force around the year 1945.
Stanley is pictured sat down in the front row, far right.
Stanley Fairclough sent in this photo of the drums and bugle band within Chorley Army Cadet Force around the year 1945. Stanley is pictured sat down in the front row, far right.

Stanley is pictured sat down in the front row, far right.

The 89-year-old, who still lives in Chorley, says: “I joined the army cadets when I was 14.

“Most of my mates were joining – it was the thing to do then, as scouts were not as popular then.

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“We met a couple of nights a week at the drill hall at Chorley Barracks and did training and sports.

“We also did a bit of field work out in the bushes.

“It was a way of youngsters seeing what life was like in the army when they had to do National Service.

“I was very fortunate as the war ended when I was 16, so didn’t need to go.

“The picture shows the 
bugle and drum band at the cadets.

“We used to parade through town which was great fun.

“Standing on the right with the drum was the leader, Arthur Rigby, and on the left was another leader, Mr Bennett, but I can’t recall his first name unfortunately.

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“I really enjoyed the cadets. I represented England against Scotland in a football game in London which was in the radio and I got picked to tour Denmark and Sweden for two weeks to play football.

“I got around quite a bit with them. There was always something going on in the barracks and it was something I enjoyed. Some of the lads on the photograph will still be around. Hopefully they might see this and recognise 
themselves.”

Upon leaving the cadets, Stanley trained as a plumber and then set up his own building firm – Stan Fairclough Homes, building properties in Chorley.

He married Joyce Swarbrick when he was 21 and they had two children, with their family extending to two grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

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