Tameside Whit Friday Brass Band Contest
Friday 2nd June 2023

The Tame Valley

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It was around 1997 when the landlord of the Tame Valley asked a few of his customers if they would be interested in looking into the Valley entering the Tameside brass band contest bringing the contest back to Dukinfield, Dukinfield use to be in the contest several years ago the venue was Dukinfield town hall. 

 

Several customers including Cllr John Taylor and his wife Joan agreed to form a small band committee and made the application to join in the contest we sought help and advice from the previous Dukinfield committee and several local bandsmen on how to run the contest, fundraising was arranged via the Tame valley pub and we visited several local businesses for sponsorship.

 

Cllr George Hatton then a Dukinfield councillor had a passion for brass bands and wanted to encourage more youth bands to support this he donated two hundred pounds for the youth section prize monies and provided a silver trophy in his name. George sadly died several years later but his family have carried on with the donation in his name, we now have two youth section prizes and any band who attends receives twenty-five pounds for turning up.

 

At our first contest, we attracted 21 bands at that time the average was around 35 bands attending the Tameside contest in our second years we attracted 36 bands and we have had 52 bands attending from all over the country our prize money has been around  seventeen hundred pounds in total. Over the years we have had a small number of helpers Cllrs Jacki Lane Cllr Brian wild Cllr Dawson lane, Pere Denton a local bandsman himself, Anne Worthington and Sharon Peters all turn up each years to help run the contest.

 

There are two regulars in the Tame Valley who have been involved in different ways at the contest Terry and Kate never miss a contest Terry is on the microphone announcing and Kate helps to book the bands in. Brian Hill had the idea to get Dukinfield back into the contest and he helped to make it  into the great contest it is, not only at the Tame Valley Brian is on the friends of Tameside Brass band contest committee keeping the contest alive.

 

The beer garden at the Tame Valley was constructed to accommodate the contest, many bands turn up not knowing that there is this garden behind the pub and are always impressed with the venue  Dave Chapman has been our adjudicator at nearly all the events. venue  Dave Chapman has been our adjudicator at nearly all the events, we don't have bands marching into the garden because we don't have the room to allow bands to march.  

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It is now 4 years since Sharon and Gary have taken over at The Valley and they have continued The Brass Band tradition there, with great enthusiasm.

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