Whit Friday 2011

It's become a bit of a tradition for me now... every year me and Spuddle will take the yearly trip to the Oldham and Saddleworth areas (right on the Yorkshire border) for the annual Whit Friday Marches. For the uninitiated, this is often referred to as "The Greatest Free Show on Earth". As far as nights out go, it's certainly very different.

So what happens among those beautiful rolling hills and pleasant scenery? Well, the whole area reverberates to the sound of Brass Bands as they compete in various contests around all the little villages.

I could explain it all, but you can find out much much more about the whole caboodle by visiting the Oldham and Saddleworth Whit Friday Brass Band Contests Website, run by Bob Hindley.

Anyway, unfortunately this year Spuddle wasn't at all well, but undeterred I ventured out there alone armed with the camera to take some pics and vids, and here they are:

Grotton Contest - Video
Here's a compilation video from Grotton contest, featuring Brass Toffs amongst others. Some interesting choices of piece to march up to... Money Money Money, Swingin' Safari, and what sounds like a Lady Gaga song...

Friezland Contest
Off to Friezland contest now, and the famous Barbecue. Mmmmm, Chicken.

Friezland Contest
Sale Brass starting to form up ready to march up to the stage.

Friezland Contest
The contest area gets quite busy at times, understandably so as this is a very popular contest. It's for lower section bands only, so you won't see the likes of Black Dyke or Fodens, but the number of bands that do make it show that below the top tier of banding is a highly thriving supply of talent.

Friezland Contest
The queue for the barbecue can get quite long, but don't be put off. While you're waiting you can listen to the bands, and the food at the end of it is worth it.

Friezland Contest
Just off the stage area is the road the bands march up before they play their contest march. The band in the purple jackets have either just finished here, and are on their way back to the coach, or have just been rounded up from the bar and food area to go and get ready to play...

Friezland Contest - Video
Another compilation video. this time from Friezland, featuring a bit of the view of the area from just above the contest, Elland Silver Band marching up, Sale Band and their awesome Standard Bearer, Audley Brass and their amazingly tall bass drummer, Otley Brass, and 2nd Rossendale Scouts, who march up to the theme tune to Wallace & Gromit. No, really.

Dobcross Contest
Back to the awesome stage at Dobcross again...

Dobcross Contest
University of Warwick's Brass Society on stage.

Dobcross Contest - Video
Yet another Compilation video, starting off overlooking Uppermill contest again, then marching down the Dobcross hill it's Bramley Band playing Hawaii 5-0, The Mickey Mouse Club, or at least it would have been if it weren't for people paying no attention to who they were standing in front of, and finishing off is the start of Leyland Band's second-place winning performance, conducted by Richard Evans.

Delph Contest
The main street where bands march down... getting dark now.

Delph Contest
Brass Toffs, who were featured on the Grotton video at the top, sample the local delicacy of TASTY BURGERS.

Delph Contest
The contest stage, as the rain starts to fall. Heavily.

Delph Contest
Rainford Band in action on stage. My old band colleagues Dave and Simon were both on Bass for them this night.

Delph Contest
Apparently the conductor of Rainford likes his action poses.

Delph Contest
Closeup of the conductor of Rainford Band.

Delph Contest
Cripes, he's getting wet there.

Delph Contest
The solo cornets of Rainford Band in full flow.

Delph Contest - Video
Starting with a good view up the street (not sure which band that is on that bit), this video features Hade Edge band marching up with what sounds like Robbie Williams' Let Me Entertain You (which sounds great arranged for Brass Band), and then the rest of the video pretty much features Rainford Silver again as they march up, a quick snippet of the band before them on stage, and then some of their performance, which earned them a highly respectable 9th place out of 82 bands! Oh, and then there's the queue of coaches of bands waiting to go next...