Wendy Yates Trumpet Wendy Yates was born in Cheam, Surrey, June 1953. She was educated at Gosford Hill Comprehensive School in Kidlington, Oxford. Her interest in music began from the age of about eight when she joined the Wimbledon Girls Choir continuing in secondary school, when at the age of eleven she took up the trumpet. As a member of the Oxford Music School, she spent many a Saturday playing her trumpet with the Oxford Youth Orchestra.   Wendy was introduced into brass bands at the Bletchingdon Brass Band. Wendy decided that teaching was the career for her and went to Nonnington College of Physical Education in 1972, to train as a P.E. teacher. While there she joined the local Brass Band at Snowdown Colliery where she met her future husband, Jonathan. After a very unfortunate accident while playing hockey Wendy had to give up her dream of teaching P.E. Later that year she and Jon were married. They both continued to play at Snowdown Colliery Band, and even after the children were born, Wendy and Jon would take them with them as often as was possible. By the time number three arrived, Wendy decided that maybe it was time for a rest, so her playing came to a halt, for a while. After a break of about 10 years, Wendy was persuaded by a family friend, Richard Baker, to join the TA Band in Canterbury, so she joined the Queens’ Regiment and rekindled her playing. When the regiment was amalgamated with the Royal Hampshires she was privileged to play for the Princess of Wales when the Regiment was renamed The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. Wendy also began playing in the Broadstairs and St Peters Band, and The Railway Swing Band. Wendy was given a chance to pick up her dream of working in school, when the local junior school, The Downs, offered her a job as a teaching assistant. In 1996, the family moved to Lee-on-the-Solent when the School of Music moved to Portsmouth. Continuing to work as a teaching assistant, Wendy now works at her local Junior School where she also teaches music. Wendy is also a member of HMS Collingwood Volunteer Band. Wendy and Jon have three wonderful children Daniel, a Fireman at Deal; Joanna, a Solicitor in Gosport; and Natalie, a member of the Royal Marines Band in Scotland. Wendy joined The RMA Concert Band soon after its formation and thoroughly enjoys playing with her husband, (Jon Yates) his many friends and ex-colleagues.