Elland Silver Band: Sunday Brass at the Boarshurst Band Club (21 May 2017)

Another thrilling programme of high-octane brass banding

Forget John Terry’s substitution and the farcical Guard of Honour. Once more, The Highlight of the Weekend was closer to Stalybridge than Stamford Bridge. This was marked by Elland Silver Band’s second gig over the last year at The World Famous Boarshurst Band Club®. With fifteen great pieces, including three memorable solo performances, it was another night to remember.

Eatymology: A Tea Potted History of the Superstore Café

Feast of the M60 looks at how the superstore café has evolved in the last fifty years

Please forgive me for taking a well trodden part for this introduction. In my formative years, the supermarket café seemed fairly exotic. Supermarkets, when I was young, were small, in town centre locations, and a bit chaotic. The edge of town supermarket with its vast car parking seemed otherworldly. Back then, the Fine Fare hypermarket in Hyde, Ashton’s original ASDA, and the Shopping Giant stores in Droylsden and Denton were notable exceptions.

Tameside: Stand By for Whitsuntide 2017

East of the M60’s preview to this year’s Whit Friday Brass Band Contests in the Tameside area

Hard to believe we are three weeks away from either getting Strong and Stable Government®, or government for many and not the few.

Right, never mind that, it is also three weeks away to The World’s Greatest Free Show on Earth. Ladies and gentlemen, we at East of the M60 mean… Whit Friday. Hence our preview of the contests taking place in the Tameside area.

Littleborough Band: Sunday Brass at the Boarshurst Band Club, May 2017

Ady and Co.’s easy going concert with a number of favourites

Littleborough Band’s first 2017 visit to Boarshurst Band Club was met with a good turnout, in spite of the soggy conditions. With an easy going yet pleasing programme, it was a case of ‘easy like Sunday evening’. We revisited some old favourites and we had – not one, but two – duets, and a trio.

An Accidental Circumnavigation: South Lancashire by Bus, 03 January 2017

The World’s Our Bus Stop: 2017 Edition

Some of the best laid plans are never planned at all. Some of them are made on the hoof, or they just fall into place. Serendipity and spontaneity can make for the greatest of journeys as we lose ourselves in another town, village, open space, or on a bus you never thought of catching.

My first circumnavigation of 2017 was a classic example. I left Chez Vall thinking “my first work day of 2017”. So I caught the 220 to Stalybridge bus station for the 0746 train to Salford Central.

Britain’s Greatest Television News Themes: The Not So Perfect Ten

East of the M60’s latest Not So Perfect Ten looks at Britain’s greatest television news signature tunes

…And now, the headlines from the East of the M60 newsdesk:

• Leading blog’s countdown of the ten best news themes;
• Countdown includes nostalgic look at best news tunes from the 1950s onwards;
• Most of which are from BBC and ITN news programmes.

In the age of Twitter, Facebook, and countless news sites (some truthful, and some you wouldn’t trust with your car), television news still plays a part in our media diet. Though more people timeshift their viewing, TV news programmes and channels command a good audience once an important story breaks through.

Marsden Silver Prize Band: Sunday Brass at Boarshurst Band Club

May Marsden date delivers a strong and stable concert

Boarshurst Band Club’s first concert of May 2017 was well and truly one to remember. It was an enjoyable programme that was testing and entertaining in equal measure for the band. With the return of Alan Widdop, Marsden Silver Band are returning to the Championship section. Going off last night’s concert, they could be in the top flight for a lengthy stint.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, May 2017: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s window on the shop windows

Walkerwood and Brushes Reservoir: an appropriate choice of picture given that the Greater Manchester Walking Festival is on this month. Image by Ian Roberts, 2008 (Creative Commons License: Attribution-Some Rights Reserved)

• More Ashton arrivals and departures;
• Iconic café closes;
• Updates on the Joint Service Centre;
• Plus all the usual retail movements.

Over the last month, there has been more retail movements of existing stores moving to new sites.

It’s Up the Poll! 2017: Greater Manchester Mayoral Election Results

Burnham landslide opens door to mayorship of Greater Manchester

Housing was a key part of Andy Burnham’s manifesto pledge with a plan to cut homelessness to zero by 2020. The Seven Sisters flats in Rochdale, photographed in 2011.

Almost as soon as we heard about Greater Manchester’s mayoral candidates, Andy Burnham was a clear favourite. As anticipated, the former Labour and Cooperative Party MP for Leigh was duly elected as Greater Manchester’s first elected mayor.