Friday 28 May 2010

Whit Friday Band Contest

Since the earliest recorded contest in 1884 a Whit Friday Brass Band Contest has taken place every year in and around the towns and villages on the edge of the west Pennines. Last year over 100 bands took part.  We love these contests and have been many times over the years.  Today Caroline, Charlie and I went over to Uppermill to the contest there.
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Hearing a brass band always make me feel nostalgic.  It takes me back to the Whit Walks of my childhood when every year along with my brothers and sisters we would walk in our parish procession through the streets of our local town.  I do have a couple of pictures and I’ll post them another day. Brass bands were always a feature of those processions playing the hymns that we sang every day in school and in church on Sundays.  Then fast forward to when Caroline was in the band all the way through high school and took part in the very same Whit Friday Contest we witnessed today.  No wonder they fill me with nostalgia, I have so many happy memories of them. DSC_4017
Mounted police lead the bands as they play marching up the main street.
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Uppermill is a pretty place, you’ll find pictures of it dotted around this blog and here are some more. 
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I like this picture with the train going over the aqua-duct and the barge waiting to go under it. 
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I hadn’t ever noticed the picnic tables up there on the canal-side before but I’ve made a mental note and I hope to be sat there with my flask and sandwiches in the not too distant future.
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We left the car at the garden centre where we had had a coffee sitting in the sunshine and then walked along the canal bank to Uppermill centre.  It was a beautiful day and of course the sunshine made it so much more fun.  That’s Caroline pushing Charlie in the buggy.  It really was a very pleasant walk, very peaceful.
By the way, Charlie loved the bands and pretended to play the big bass drum most of the way home in the car.  He’s so cute!

I’m joining Outdoor Wednesday at http://www.asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ please go over and have a look at all the other great Outdoor Wednesday posts, it’s fun.

TTFN

5 comments:

Caroline said...

Lovely pics of the canal etc Mother. I think your camera has a rose tinted lense! ha ha. I was thrilled Charlie liked the bands, he's been playing the drum for Daddy when we got home. It's very loud. xx

John said...

Great blogs. It's good to see what you have been up to whilst we have been away and it's not because I am being nosey, honestly!! xxx

eileeninmd said...

Wonderful blog post. The photos are awesome and I lvoe the scenery.

Hootin Anni said...

What a beautiful day...and such a lovely riverwalk you took us on. I too love the train photo...it would make a great jigsaw puzzle.

Here is my Outdoor Wednesday...hope you can stop by to say howdy to me by CLICKING HERE -----a new Fountain by the Sea

Blondie's Journal said...

It sounds like you had a lovely day. Beautiful scenery! I'm happy you have such wonderful memories to share! :-)

xoxo
Jane