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In 1980, 300 children collapsed at a marching band competition and no one knows why

Ellsworth Toohey
Jun 16, 2026
∙ Paid

Site of the Hollinwell incident, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (Jonathan Clitheroe / CC BY-SA 2.0)

On Sunday, July 13, 1980, around 500 children from 11 marching bands gathered at the Hollinwell Showground near Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, for a Junior Brass and Marching Band competition. At about 10:30 am, band members began to collapse. C…

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