Registered charity number: 1097122

Sue started playing at the age of 10 and was soon a member of the Longton/Fenton Brass Band and Wind Band in Stoke-on Trent. She eventually passed the audition to join the Staffordshire Youth Brass Band on soprano cornet taking part in the School Proms at the Albert Hall.

In 1987 Sue studied Band Musicianship at Salford College of Technology (now University) and achieved her PGCE at Bretton Hall College in 1992. She then returned to Stoke to teach at Blurton High School for 10 years and in that time joined the City-of Stoke Brass Band conducted by Paul Andrews. When Paul announced to the band that he was to take up the position of conductor at Besses O'Th' Barn she had itchy feet to return to the north - the heart of brass band country. She asked if there was a vacancy and was told only on Bb cornet. She promptly sold the soprano, bought a second-hand Bb cornet and practised her socks off! It worked - she got the seat on 2nd cornet.

Whilst at Besses Sue met Andrew MacDonald - the "new" principal cornet player. Romance blossomed and they were married in 1997. They both joined Wingates Band in 1999 looking for pastures new and have been there since like a pair of book-ends - Andrew on principal cornet and Sue on 3rd cornet.