Leonard Milnes, musician

Leonard Milnes, who has died at 98, was possibly the last surviving member of Sheffield's Bernard Taylor Band, popular with City Hall audiences from the 1950s.
Leonard MilnesLeonard Milnes
Leonard Milnes

Blind for the last 20 years of his life, he continued to play trumpet, and was noted for having sounded the Last Post at Thurgoland cenotaph until 2015.

His son, Craig Milnes, said: “Leonard was born into the class that works and he was no different. He worked long hours to support a family. He would supplement his earnings at the steelworks by numerous means but the trumpet was the mainstay.”

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Mr Milnes served with the Royal Artillery during the Second World War, stationed on the south coast on the front line of defence against the Luftwaffe. His brother, Percy, was killed in action over Germany with bomber command.

He is survived by Clara, his wife of 78 years, by six children and an extended family of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

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