St. John’s Mossley Band: Sunday Brass at the Boarshurst Band Club (October 2018)

A memorable night for St. John’s – and a glorious début as MD for Paul Towle

If Carlsberg did emergency planning for brass band concerts, they would have hired the services of Boarshurst Silver Band’s concert secretary. For the second time this year, Boarshurst Band Club have drafted in a fantastic replacement band at short notice. This time, in place of Stalybridge Old Band, St. John’s Mossley Band.

Ashton-under-Lyne Band: Sunday Brass at the Boarshurst Band Club, 07 October 2018

Chalk and Co’s deliver a concert to remember

There are two reasons why your favourite divine being gave us brass bands. One was to entertain the masses. Another one was to bring cultural enrichment to the masses. In other words, the joys of introducing classical music to the provinces. Whilst finding room for entertainment value.

Besses O’Th’ Barn Brass Band: Sunday Night at the Boarshurst Band Club, October 2018

Besses O’Th’ Barn Brass Band’s Boarshurst date closes September in style

In many cases, a brass band in its centenary year is a real milestone. Add another 50 years, similarly phenomenal. To reach its bicentenary is remarkable. Besses O’Th’ Barn Brass Band have reached this milestone this year; only Stalybridge Old Band has been established longer (formed in 1809).

Silk Brass: Sunday Brass at the Boarshurst Band Club, 23 September 2018

Tony Wyatt and Co deliver another astounding concert

With only a week to go till they enter the Bolsover Entertainment Contest, Silk Brass gave us all another great show. As with last year’s concert (exactly a year to the day at the time of writing), another well-bodied programme. Though lighter than last year’s concert, it wasn’t lightweight to a point where the audience’s intelligence was insulted.

Milnrow Band: Sunday Brass at the Boarshurst Band Club, 16 September 2018

Mark Bentham and Co deliver another great night of brass band music

In life, only death and taxation are certainties. If you live in Greater Manchester, particularly in the Rochdale, Oldham or Tameside boroughs, there is another one to the list. That Milnrow Band would always deliver a concert which is high on entertainment value and remarkably different to any of their previous ones.

Stalybridge Old Band: Your Band Needs You!

World’s oldest brass band could face extinction due to shortfall of players

• Present brass band down to just fourteen players;
• Open rehearsals to be held every Monday.

Your Local Brass Band Needs You: Stalybridge Old Band, apart from playing numerous concerts, Whit Walks, and Whit Friday Brass Band Contests, performed during the Peterloo Massacre. Cuts in music education and the Tories’ penchant for non-creative subjects could jeopardise the band’s future. Here is Stalybridge Old Band, taking part in the 2014 Whit Walks in Armentieres Square.

Stalybridge Old Band are the World’s Oldest Brass Band. They have performed in the Peterloo Massacre, survived local government reorganisations, Thatcherism, and Michael Gove’s tenure as Education Secretary. From 1814 onwards, the band played on: even Adolf couldn’t stop the ‘Bridge Old Band from performing.

Stagecoach Manchester Sponsors Body Confidence Event

TV Star to Speak at Body Confidence event in Manchester

• Popular TV personality Vicky Pattison joins line-up at city’s first Body Confidence Live event;
• 06 October afternoon event to promote body confidence, self-esteem and wellness;
• Event sponsored by Stagecoach Manchester and raising funds for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital charity.

Whether you feel like the back end of a bus or wish to have a fresh start, Stagecoach Manchester are sponsoring an event which could change your life. What’s more, a fiver from each ticket will be donated to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital charity.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, September 2018: The Ashton Review of Shops

This September’s window on the shop windows

• Sound investment for Stalybridge music school;
• End of an era for the former Roe Cross Inn;
• All the usual comings and goings in the Tameside area.

Gay Pride Weekend, Ashton Market style: photographed the same weekend as Manchester’s Mardi Gras.

August is traditionally associated with holidays and exam results. For some people a quiet time, part of a lull before the run-up to Christmas. In the sunshine, it has been anything but quiet in the Tameside area.

Coming Soon to Greater Manchester: 105 All Electric Buses

£56m bus deal could see zero emission buses in Greater Manchester, though with strings attached 

• Introduction subject to Stagecoach Manchester winning Department for Transport grant;
• Transport for Greater Manchester to submit rival bid for all-electric Vantage and Metroshuttle routes and school buses.

Fiddlers Ferry Power Station: the power behind Stagecoach’s prospective 105 zero emission buses? Or TfGM’s 64 all-electric vehicles? Image by Sheri, 2009 (Creative Commons License: Attribution-Some Rights Reserved).

You can safely say that Greater Manchester is the spiritual home of the electric bus. 45 years ago it set the trend with Chloride’s Silent Rider – an all-electric Seddon single decker bus. Unlike today’s buses, it was only used at peak times and charged between the peaks. By 2012, the first electric-hybrid buses entered regular service and became a regular feature on trunk routes.