Wingates Band is a brass band based in Wingates, a settlement near the town of Westhoughton in north-west England. It is considered one of the country's finest contesting bands and competes in the championship section (top level) of the British brass band league structure. History Wingates Band was formed in 1873 by members of the local Independent Methodist church's bible class, in response to a challenge thrown down by the members of the Westhoughton Old Band, which had existed since 1858 reflecting this origin. The band was originally known as the Wingates Temperance Band. Early in the 20th century Wingates rose to become a member of the elite of brass bands. In 1906 it achieved the "double" by winning the British Open brass band championships and the British National championships. The following year, in 1907, the band repeated its success and retained both titles, completing the first "double double" in the British banding world. The feat was not matched for over 70 years. In total Wingates has won the 'Open' seven times and the 'National' on four occasions. The band won the French Open brass band championship in 2004 and 2006. In May 2008 Peter Moore, a trombonist with the band, won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. Pretoria Pit Disaster The Pretoria Pit disaster was a mining accident on 21 December 1910, when an underground explosion occurred at the Hulton Bank Colliery No. 3 Pit, known as the Pretoria Pit, in Over Hulton, Westhoughton, then in the historic county of Lancashire, in North West England. A total of 344 men lost their lives, including cornet players, trombone players and horn players from Wingates Band. At 7:50 am, there was an explosion in the Plodder Mine, which was thought to have been caused by an accumulation of gas from a roof collapse the previous day. That day 349 workers descended the No 3 bank pit shaft to work in the Plodder, Yard and Three-Quarters mines. Of those, only four survived to be brought to the surface. One died immediately and one the next day. The two survivors were Joseph Staveley and William Davenport. In addition one man died in the Arley Mine of No. 4 Pit, bringing the total to 344. There was a final fatality that day, William Turton, who died while fighting a fire in No. 3 pit. The men who were working the other mines