Band searching for horse

XYZ reached the finals of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards. Two of their number went on to win the prestigious competition in 2007 with the band Last Orders and one, David Jones, subsequently became a member of the Bottle Bank Band.

When, as young teenagers, the sibling trio searched for a band name, they were influenced by a story closely associated with Felton.

During the first half of the 19th century, the legendary fiddle player James Hill made a living in part by composing tunes for the rich land owners of the region.

Thus he came to write XYZ in honour of a Felton-based horse which had won the Newcastle Gold Cup four times in succession between 1811 and 1814. Approaching 200 years later, the band proudly named themselves XYZ.

One mystery always intriqued these young musicians.

They were told that the horse was buried in the Felton area beneath one of three prominent oak trees. Several family excursions and wonderful levels of cooperation from the good people of the village have, however, failed to identify the precise spot.

When it became apparent that David would be performing with the Bottle Bank Band in Felton earlier this year, XYZ decided to attempt to solve the mystery once and for all.

So a thoroughbred challenge was launched for the inhabitants of Felton and beyond.

Do you know anything about the horse XYZ? Have you heard stories about it and do you know where it was buried?

Contact Helen Millichamp at the Gazette on 07803 505723 or email [email protected]