A military bandsman who played all over the world with the Royal Green Jackets, Army Air Corps band and Waterloo band has retired after 50 years of service.

A highly distinguished career has seen him play in the Albert Hall, represent his country in triathlon, and serve on several foreign tours.

Henry Hookings who is now 65, applied to join the armed forces in 1971 alongside a friend at the age of 15.

However, Mr Hookings' friend, whose idea it was to sign up, failed the entrance exam in Worksop leaving Mr Hookings to depart his home in Cottam, near Retford, for Winchester.

What was awaiting him at first was a role as a junior rifleman with the Royal Green Jackets.

"I had never been out of the county before and to get onto a train at Retford was just something you did back in those days," Mr Hookings said.

"It was quite daunting though, I spent three days in Harrogate at the selection centre to do the physical tests before moving down to Winchester.

"In Harrogate, there was a lad from South Shields in my room who had also joined and we went through our army career together.

"It made me grow up really quick as at 15 you are just a kid but you are thrown in with all these other lads. There was a pecking order but you just got on with it."

Growing up, Mr Hookings' dad was a pianist and his brother played the guitar, so for him, he always knew that music was something that he wanted to get into.

So when he saw the Royal Green Jackets band rehearsing, Mr Hookings spent his spare time watching and listening to the music.

After being spotted at the practice, Mr Hookings explained that he was approached to join the band.

He added: "The bandmaster came up to me and said that he had noticed that I watched the band and asked if I was a musician. I said no, I just enjoy listening to it.

"He took me into a practice room and goes right, sing these notes, I do this and he says that I am not tone deaf. Then he tells me to tap these rhythms, I tap them, and he says right I will take you into the band on a six month trial period. Nine months after joining as a junior rifleman.

"I started off on flute then moved to clarinet and then saxophone - learning completely from scratch off the bandmaster.

"Nowadays you would need to be a fully qualified musician to be playing in the army bands."

In 1975 he was sent to Germany and spent half his career playing in nearly every European country, as well as Canada and the USA.

During his distinguished career, Mr Hookings also served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus and on Operation Gramby during the 1991 Gulf War.

Speaking about his time travelling the world, he said: "Just living in a different country and seeing different cultures changes you as a person because I think if I had just stayed in Retford I would not have broadened my mind as much.

"We went to Canada on seven occasions for seven weeks at a time and played at the Calgary Stampede. We were hosted by the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

"I loved the job that I did and I just thought that I had the best job in the army."

Tragedy struck on July 20, 1982, however, when one of Mr Hookings' sister bands was the subject of a bombing by the IRA while performing at Regent's Park in London.

Seven bandsmen died that day - many of whom Mr Hookings knew.

He commented: "The incident never made me want to look for a job elsewhere, even when we were posted to Northern Ireland at the height of the troubles and drove military ambulances through riots you never thought like that.

"To us it was just a different part of the job which we were doing."

Away from music, Mr Hookings was also an admirable sportsman who represented the army at skiing, windsurfing, swimming, cross country and cycling.

Henry Hookings from Cottam near Retford, pictured while serving in the army as a bandsman. Henry Hookings retired this year after 50 years of service
Henry Hookings (right) pictured while serving in the army as a bandsman.

His expertise in the latter three disciplines led to him representing Great Britain at the 1994 World Triathlon Championships in Wellington, New Zealand.

After playing with the Royal Green Jackets and Army Air Corps band for over three decades, Mr Hookings worked in the building industry before joining the Waterloo band, based in Oxfordshire, in 2009.

With the band he continued to travel the world, including visits to Bermuda, Switzerland and Georgia.

But it was back in the UK where he performed at his more notable venues.

"My first experience of the Royal Albert Hall was when I was a junior and I walked down the steps during the remembrance service as poppies fell from the roof," Mr Hookings explained.

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"The last time I actually played there was alongside the Green Jackets and the Light Infantry bands in a combined performance which was an amazing experience.

"I also performed at Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard when I was with the Army Air Corp because Prince Charles was the Colonel Chief of the corp.

"It was not as glamourous as it sounds though as when you are there in February, standing for two hours it is absolutely freezing and you cannot move."

Having retired this year, Mr Hookings received a small ceremony via Zoom to mark the occasion due to coronavirus rules however a bigger celebration is planned after lockdown is eased.

He now lives near Christchurch on the south coast of England with his family while his mum still lives in Cottam.