The hall was put to a lot of use because then the band rehearsed twice a week (Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings) and junior band / learners was held on each Friday evening. Additional to these events the social side of the band arranged for jumble sales to take place in the hall, an excellent means of fund raising. For a short while alterations were made to the inner building so that the local primary school could use it as an additional classroom. The Old Scholars Hall remained the Headquarters of the Band until February 2009.
Under the baton of George Ireland the Band was able to give concerts at many of the local Bandstands and in fact the band has a poster advertising a performance at the "Oval" Cliftonville. In those days bands performing at the bandstand were engaged by the Margate Borough Council and they in turn charged the audience 6d (six old pence) for the use of a deckchair for the afternoon programme!
Mr. George Ireland retired from the band in late 1950`s. Although Wilfred Hayward was deputy conductor a search was duly made for a successor. Arthur Hollands, who came from a Salvation Army background, was appointed and the success of the band continued.
The Band gave many concerts both at fetes and bandstands, notably the Oval Bandstand at Cliftonville Margate and the East Cliff Bandstand at Ramsgate. On several occasions four concerts were performed at Herne-Bay over the Easter week-ends, the original indoor skating rink on the pier being one venue together with the Central Bandstand. Contests were also entered on a regular basis with some appreciable success. A considerable amount of travelling was involved in contesting as they mainly took part in London, Watford, Brighton, Folkestone, Chatham and Royal Tunbridge Wells but on several occasions visits were made to Southend-on-Sea in Essex. These were a long days out because with no M25 or Dartford crossing, the easiest way was to travel by coach to Gravesend, cross the Thames estuary by means of a small ferry and disembark at Tilbury.
Another feature of the Bands engagements was visits to two of the local hospitals, Royal Sea Bathing Hospital at Westbrook and Princess Mary's Rehabilitation Hospital in Cliftonville. Patients were taken by porters, some in wheelchairs and others in beds, to the Recreation Halls for an evening programme of light music.
The early 1960`s saw the introduction of regular day trips to France from Margate and Ramsgate. Birchington Silver Band was frequently invited to visit both Calais and Boulogne performing concerts on board, in local parks and on the quay sides. These were remarkable and enjoyable trips with meals and drinks provided both at
