West of England Bandsmen's Festival (Bugle)

First held in 1912. Held at Peniel Farm until the 1966 contest, then held at Molinnis Park from 1967, due to easier car access. Broke for war in the years 1914-1918 and 1940-1946. The only other year missed in sequence was 1933, cancelled due to financial losses incurred by the 1932 event.

The format has evolved as follows:
1912-1913, 1919-1921: Class A, Class B.
1922-1926: Class A, Class B, Class C - with Class C being an open class with other set works, essentially an extension of Class A.
1927-1931: As 1922-6, with extra Class D, deportment, judged over all sections.
1932: Class A, Class B, Class D - with Class D being deportment, as in 1927
1934-1937: Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D - with D being deportment, as in 1927.
1938: Class A, Class B, Class C - with C being deportment.
1939: A, B, C, [D], as 1934.
1947: A, B, [C], as 1938.
1948-1949: A, B, C, [D], as 1934.
1950: A, B, C - no deportment class.
1951-1952: A, B, C, [D], as 1934.
1953: A, B, [D]
1954-1955: A, B, C, [D], as 1934.
1956: A, B, C, as 1950.
1957-1976: A, B, C, [D], as 1934.
1977: A, B, C, [D], Youth - D still being deportment.
1978-1989: A, B, C, Youth - deportment award now not given its own class again.
1990-2000: A, B, C, D, Youth - D now a lower division; i.e. deportment award separate.
2001-2003: A, B, C, D, E, Youth - E a new lower division.
2004-2009: Classes A-E relabelled Championship, First, Second, Third, Fourth Sections, to harmonise with the national nomenclature. Youth section continues.
2010-: Ch, 1, 2, 3, 4, Youth, Training - a second youth band section introduced.

Classes A and B were always differentiated on merit. Class C was originally a supplementary open class, which became a second class for Class B bands, but from 1960 was regarded as a third class differentiated on merit. Class D was historically a deportment class, but was dropped in 1978 and reinstated in 1990 as a fourth class differentiated on merit.