The first picture was taken at East Riddlesden Hall, a favourite haunt in the early days of the revived waits, on one of our first performances. It shows the founder members from left Alan Radford, Alison Hilton, Pam Radford, Bridget Hilton and Pat and Chris Butcher. The instrumentation is rauschpfeiffe, recorders, harp, nakers and crumhorn. We were performing on that occasion with The Arbeau Dancers.
In 1985 we went "medieval" for performance with the Capriol Historical Dance Group.
The next was taken inside East Riddlesden Hall at a Christmas performance, and includes Simon Pickard who subsequently re-established the Gloucester Waites.
The following illustration shows four of the Leeds Waits, including new member Spencer Morris, in new blue and gold livery, on a 353rd anniversary performance of their Christmas Eve entertainment for Sir Arthur Ingram and his household at Temple Newsam, Leeds, in 1993. To be sure to be heard as we played outside the door to announce our arrival, we played rauschpfeiffes and tabor.
We played at Fountains Abbey on a number of occasions, including this occasion in 1993, where we included Julie Rayner in our number. A large double harp is shown, but we were singing at the time, a performance style we occasionally use.
The next picture is of the Leeds Waits at Elsecar Heritage Centre in 1995, including in our line-up the late Columba James on hurdy-gurdy. Other instruments are sordune, cittern, English bagpipes and nakers.
In March 1996 the Waits performed at the Royal Opening of the new Royal Armouries Museum, an event broadcast live on BBC Radio. The picture shows us, at least from the waist down, entertaining both Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony and Queen Elizabeth I (aka Una Stubbs) facing us. We processed the latter with rauschpfeiffes, nakers and tabor, but (out of site) at the time of this photograph we are playing recorders and harp.
Perhaps a better picture of us on that occasion is shown below, the line-up including Jonathan Bynoe (the tall one), on harp, rauschpfeiffes and percussion.
A little music at a conference reception, a common type of performance.
In 2002 we played for Ripon Local History Group, at Ripon of course. We were to have played in the Assembly Rooms but that was being redecorated for a royal visit, so we performed at a local coaching inn instead. For that event, we were joined by our occasional "country" member, Paul Ukleja playing cornett, and our new recruit Glenis Ridy on rauschpfeiffe.
