A MUSICIAN who played with some of Swindon's most popular semi-professional dance orchestras during the big band era has died at the age of 82.

Don Stanley, whose love of music began when he learned to play the piano accordion as a schoolboy, made his last appearance at the piano with the orchestra of the University of the 3rd Age only two weeks ago.

He had featured regularly on clarinet and saxophone with Johnnie Stiles and Ken Kitching, whose bands kept toes tapping on Swindon dance floors throughout and after the 1939-45 war.

The Stiles line-up twice won the All-British Dance Band Champ-ionship and received numerous Melody Maker awards. It also broadcast on BBC radio.

It folded when Johnnie gave up the trumpet to become landlord of a Stratton pub. He died in 1986.

Ken Kitching was a Swindon woodwork teacher. His band played its last formal engagement in 1982 and Ken died during a comeback concert five years later.

"Dad played several instruments and always loved his music," said Don's only son Robin.

During the last few years he has been a regular member of the U3A orchestra, which plays at tea dances for Swindon's older generation.

But it was as a newspaper seller that he achieved greatest fame.

Don, who during his retirement from the railway works became a part-time messenger at the Evening Advertiser's head office, he was sent into the town centre to man an Adver news stand during a large scale trial of Mondex, the world's first cash-on-a-card scheme.

Photographs of him selling an Advertiser to a reader who was paying by card later appeared on front pages and on TV all over the world.

"It was ironic, because dad was such an unassuming man," said Robin.

Don, who lived Balmoral Close, also leaves his wife Beryl and a grandson, Jack.

The funeral will be at Kings-down crematorium at 2pm next Wednesday.

The family has asked for donations to the Christ Church Skyline Appeal instead of flowers.

Shirley mathias