Bandstands come in all shapes and sizes; all designs and colours, but the one constant is that their purpose is in the name. Go into a park or walk through a town centre, or along a seafront, and in hundreds of locations through the UK you will find a bandstand.

In the Victorian and Edwardian eras, when temperance, welfare and good clean living were high on the agenda, philanthropists put their money into the provision of parks and pleasure gardens for the local populous to enjoy. With lawns and flower beds to enjoy, it was also the perfect place for musical entertainment and so the bandstand was born.

The design of the traditional round bandstand is the subject of much discussion, but one commentator suggests; 'The style of the bandstand was probably based upon the chatri (umbrella) or domed and pillared pavillion found in many Indian and Islamic buildings.'

It was very much at this time also that the brass band was becoming more and more popular and the park and town bandstand was an irresistible venue for them to perform on. So the local town would have their own band and bandstand, something which they were hugely, and rightly, proud of.

In more recent times there has been less use of the bandstands in some areas, especially for their original purpose and many of these great structures have fallen into disrepair or been abused. Thankfully, there is something of a revival in their use and the Bandstand Marathon is aiming to keep these great structures alive and well. In addition to this, there are new bandstands being built to replace those that have become beyond repair and this is incredibly encouraging for those who admire these monuments to music.