The details for this year's Whit Friday contests which take place on 9th June have been released by Saddleworth & Oldham District and Tameside Council.
There is around £60,000 in prize money to be won on the two circuits this year courtesy of the generous financial support from Oldham Council and private sponsorship within Tameside.
For the first time, The Albion Hotel in Dukinfield will host a contest, whilst following the retirement of landlord Robert Frost at The Broadoak Hotel, that event will move to the nearby Ashton Rugby Club, although it will still remain known as The Broadoak Contest.
Tameside
Bands and followers will be able to keep up to date with the action and news throughout the evening via the Twitter handle @tmbc_culture and by using the hashtag #WhitBrass17.
Tameside Radio 103.6FM will also be out and about in the borough. Meanwhile, at Tameside Central Library in Ashton- under-Lyne (OL6 7SG) there will be a public exhibition all about the contests in the borough.
The 'Tameside Friends of Whit Friday', whose volunteers run the contests alongside Tameside Council have also thanked David Hirst and the Association of Brass Band Adjudicators for sourcing appropriate judges for certain venues.
The organisers have reminded bands to visit the website which gives all the information needed for the various contests in their area.
The website address is: www.tamesidebrassbands.org
Saddleworth:
In Saddleworth (just as in Mossley in Tameside) the day will commence with the traditional Whit Walks through the villages with the various churches being led by bands from as far afield as Switzerland and Australia this year.
Tanunda Town Band from South Australia has made the journey not just to participate in the contests, but to perform in concerts in and around Saddleworth in addition to being present at the Black Dyke Festival in Leeds on Sunday June 4th.
4BR understands that the BBC will be around the Saddleworth circuit once more.
Both councils have informed 4BR that they are working hard to ensure that roadworks are kept to a minimum. The advice to bands though is to plan ahead.
Disqualification
Organisers have stated that they hope there will be no need to disqualifying any competing band, but they will take advice (and disqualify if needed) those who try to gain any unfair advantage against rivals, or who do not work alongside the many hard working volunteers in a professional manner — both before, during and after they have performed.
4BR will try and bring you the official results from both Whit Friday circuits as soon as we can.
Saddleworth & Oldham District:
Area Open Champions: £2,500, 2nd: £1,000, 3rd: £750, Youth: £250
Local Area Champion: £750, 2nd: £600, 3rd: £400
The Saddleworth & Oldham Contests are supported by Oldham Council, Redrow Homes and Saddleworth & Lees District Partnership
Delph:
http://www.delph-whit-friday.co.uk
Contest: 4.15pm — 10.30pm
Main Prize: £1,000 from a total prize fund of £4,000
Adjudicator: Mike Kilroy
Contact: Mr R. Rodgers (01457 874354)
twitter: @delphcontest
Denshaw:
http://www.denshawcontest.co.uk/
Contest: 4.00pm — 10.30pm
Main Prize: £1,000 from a total prize fund of £3,690
Adjudicator: Allan Holdsworth
Contact: Andrina Baxter (07920763979)
twitter: @denshawcontest
Diggle:
http://www.digglebandcontest.co.uk
Contest: 4.15pm — 10.30pm
Main Prize: £800 from a total prize fund of £3015
Adjudicator: Simon Kerwin
Contact: B. Cliffe (01457 873901)
twitter: @DiggleContest
Dobcross:
Contest: 4.00pm — 10.00pm
Main Prize: £750 from a total prize fund of £2,995
Adjudicator: Kevin Wadsworth
Contact: Gavin Roberts (07877015169)
twitter: @DobcrossWhitFri
Friezland:
3rd, 4th & Youth Sections only
Contest: 4.30pm — 10.30pm
Main Prize: £200 from a total prize fund of £575
Adjudicator: T. Newbigging
Contact: J. Barrett (01457 870612)
Greenfield:
Registration from: 3.30pm
Contest: 4.00pm — 10.00pm
Main Prize: £1,000 from a total prize fund of £4,000
Adjudicator: Chris Wormald
Contact: Dave Allonby (07967 455663)
Grotton:
Contest: 4.00pm — 10.00pm
Main Prize: £600 from a total prize fund of £2,000
Adjudicator: Nicholas Garmon
Contact: Graham Talboys-Smith (07761 593342)
twitter: @WhitBrass
Lydgate:
Contest: 4.00pm -10.30pm
Main Prize: £850 from a total prize fund of £3,210
Adjudicator: Derek Southcott
Contact: Gordon Beverley (07932 747590)
Lees & Springhead:
Contest: 4.30pm — 10.00pm
Main Prize: £500 from a total prize fund of £1,755
Adjudicator: Alan Fernie
Contact: Val Sedgewick ( 07732516333)
Scouthead & Austerlands:
Contest: 4.15pm -11.00pm
Main Prize: £800 from a total prize fund of £3,680
Adjudicator: Jonathan Pippen
Contact: D. Needham (0161 6520341)
Bands waiting on the night number: (07880 743876)
Uppermill:
Contest: 4.00pm — 10.30pm
Main Prize: £1,000 from a total prize fund of £2,660
Adjudicator: David Marshall
Contact: Pam Byrne (01457 820149)
twitter: @BandContest
There is around £60,000 in prize money to be won on the two circuits this year courtesy of the generous financial support from Oldham Council and private sponsorship within Tameside4BR
Tameside:
Area Open Champions: £2,500, 2nd: £1,000, 3rd: £750, Youth: £200, 2nd £100
Local Area Champion: £750, 2nd: £600, 3rd: £400
The Tameside contests are supported by Premier Kia (Dukinfield) in conjunction with Tameside Council and the Friends of Tameside Whit Friday Brass Band Contest Committee.
Audenshaw:
http://www.clubbz.com/club/4633/manchester/aldwinians_rufc_brass_band_contest_2010
Contest: 4.00pm -10.30pm
Main Prize: £500 from a total prize fund of £1,750
Aldwinians Rugby Club
Adjudicator: Paul Holland
Contact: Sylvia Donley (07947 018175)
Broadoak:
Contest: 4.30pm -11.00pm
Main Prize: £500 from a total prize fund of £1,600
Ashton Rugby Club
Adjudicator: Duncan Beckley
Contact: Graham Hall (0161 339 8341) Rick Parker (07801 152 097)
Carrbrook:
Contest: 4.30pm -10.30pm
Main Prize: £600 from a total prize fund of £1,555
Carr Rise
Adjudicator: John Davies
Contact: Kathryn Heyes (07760 274 629)
twitter: @CarrbrookWhitFr
Denton:
Contest: 4.15pm -11.15pm
Main Prize: £250 from a total prize fund of £1,260
Adjudicator: Mike Lyons
Contact: Mrs Joan Emery (0161 2925319/07939 383147)
twitter: @DBBAwhitfriday
Droylsden:
Contest: 4.30pm -11.00pm
Main Prize: £400 from a total prize fund of £1,650
The Bush Inn
Adjudicator: Ryan Breen
Contact: Sheila Bowater (07886361242)
Dukinfield:
Contest: 4.30pm -11.00pm
Main Prize: £400 from a total prize fund of £1,600
Tame Valley Hotel
Adjudicator: Dave Chapman
Contact: Sharon McDonald (0161 339 0072)
Dukinfield:
Contest: 4.30pm -11.00pm
Main Prize: £450 from a total prize fund of £1,675
Albion Hotel
Adjudicator: Nigel Lawless
Contact: Adam Pickles (07825 254177/0161 330 3488)
Heyrod:
http://www.heyrodbandcontest.com
Contest: 4.30pm -10.30pm
Main Prize: £600 from a total prize fund of £2080
John Street
Adjudicator: Martin Heartfield
Contact: Colette Shaw (07983 335733)
Hurst Village:
Contest: 4.30pm -10.15pm
Main Prize: £300 from a total prize fund of £1,275
Ashton United FC
Adjudicator: Richie Howard
Contact: Denise Pinder (0161 308 4076, 07789392856)
Stalybridge:
Contest: 4.30pm -10.30pm
Main Prize: £400 from a total prize fund of £1,190
Stalybridge Labour Club
Adjudicator: Paul Norley
Contact: Leanne Feeley ( 07815 886 763)
Stalybridge Celtic:
Contest: 4.30pm -11.00pm
Main Prize: £400 from a total prize fund of £1,525
Stalybridge Celtic FC
Adjudicator: C. Evans
Contact: Gordon Greenwood (07770 433336)
Mossley:
Contest: 4.30pm -10.00pm
Main Prize: £600 from a total prize fund of £1,900
Mountain Street
Adjudicator: Gary Hallas
Contact: Paul Harrison (07876214425)
Find the venue:
To enable bands to plan their routes and find the contest venues, visit the following link:
http://www.tameside.gov.uk/brassband/whitfriday/
Further details:
Further details for the Tameside Contests are available from: http://www.tamesidebrassbands.org
