The week leading up to Whit Friday had a real sense of anticipation about it. With the weather finally turning in our favour, Wingates Band took full advantage by rehearsing outdoors. On Tuesday, we gathered near the band room in Westhoughton, running through our march and contest piece in the evening sunshine. Then on Thursday, we held a more focused outdoor rehearsal at Dickinsons & Cumberland School – Rivington View Business Park (our thanks to them for allowing us access). This session was all about deportment and road march technique — stepping off together, keeping formation tight, and making sure the band looked as good as it sounded.
Copyright: CSP.shoots
Partway through the rehearsal, we were joined by BBC Radio Manchester’s Charlie, who recorded the band in full flow. Their feature aired on the Breakfast Show the following morning, giving listeners across the region a preview of what Wingates would be bringing to Whit Friday.
With preparations complete, uniforms pressed, and spirits high, the band set off from Westhoughton at 2pm on Friday 29th June. The forecast promised sunshine from start to finish, so we proudly wore our blue contest uniforms. Our musical choices for the evening were set: “The Royal Trophy” for the road march and “Knight Templar” for the stand performance. Rob, our contest secretary, had planned a meticulous route covering the full Tameside circuit of 11 venues, with the possibility of squeezing in one or two Saddleworth contests if time allowed. Despite heavy traffic around the M60 and M61, we made excellent progress and arrived early at our first venue.
Our Whit Friday journey began at Hyde Central, where we arrived early enough to secure the coveted “first band on.” With the sun blazing and sunglasses firmly in place, we delivered a confident opening performance that set the tone for the day.
Copyright CSP.shoots
From there, we moved to Denton Cricket Club, where a crowd had already gathered and bands such as Foden’s and Longridge were in attendance. The atmosphere was building with a good crowd already in place, and after a smooth performance we were quickly back on the coach and heading to Droylsden – The Bush Inn. The smell of BBQ drifted across a packed beer garden, and the adjudicator — hidden from view — signalled he was ready not with a whistle, but with what sounded remarkably like a duck quack, much to everyone’s amusement.
Copyright CSP.shoots
At Broadoak, held at Ashton-under-Lyne RUFC, we followed Bollington Band, who marched across the grass accompanied by dancing supporters. The contest march took place under a yellow and blue gazebo that amplified the sound dramatically, creating a powerful wall of music. Spectators offered warm compliments as we made our way back to the coach.
Copyright CSP.shoots
Next came Hurst Village at Ashton United FC, where there was no waiting at all — straight onto the pitch, a brisk march down, and a strong performance delivered to an appreciative audience. At Dukinfield Tame Valley, we squeezed into a tiny walled beer garden behind the pub. We arrived just in time to hear an excellent performance from Pemberton, and as we started our own, we spotted Fairey Band arriving over the wall — classic Whit Friday timing, with quick hellos and goodbyes exchanged in passing.
Copyright CSP.shoots
We skipped New Stalybridge Labour Club after hearing that six bands were already waiting, and instead continued to Stalybridge Celtic, where we had a short wait. This gave us time to catch up with friends from Foden’s Band and even enjoy a moment of relaxation on the club tractor — conveniently painted in the same shade of blue as our uniforms.
At Heyrod, we were greeted by a wonderfully welcoming team of volunteers. Children proudly carried the Wingates name board as we marched down the street, and bunting lined the route. Northop Band’s soprano cornet could be heard ringing out from one end of the street to the other, and the whole area was filled with deckchairs, families, and a brilliant sense of community spirit.
Our next stop, Carrbrook, brought us closer to Saddleworth, with beautiful hill views surrounding the venue. Once again, we were able to go straight on. This contest also included deportment judging — not traditionally our strongest area — but we stepped off together, kept formation tight, and even managed to “fall out” in unison. The crowd was large, lively, and full of bank holiday cheer.
Our final Tameside venue was Top Mossley, where the smell of doughnuts greeted us as we arrived. We followed the “Bad Ass Band,” whose New Orleans style street march, complete with screaming trumpets, went down well with the audience. The contest march however took place on a raised platform, with the adjudicator tucked away inside a caravan on the pitch below. Another solid performance.
With the Tameside circuit complete, we turned our attention to Saddleworth. Time was tight, and heavy congestion in Uppermill slowed our progress significantly. But spirits remained high — an impromptu jam session broke out on the coach, keeping everyone entertained as we crawled through the traffic.
Thanks to the skill and determination of our coach driver, we reached Scouthead with just 34 seconds left on his tacho — enough to register, but only just. The temperature had dropped and darkness was settling in, but the atmosphere remained electric. The road march at Scouthead is uphill, so our bass drummer was instructed to keep the tempo steady and manageable. It was the perfect pace, and much appreciated by us blowers!
We listened to Leyland Band, who performed the same march before us, and then delivered our own final performance of the night at around 11:30pm — our 11th performance of the day. With the pubs and tents now closed, attempts to find a celebratory drink were thwarted, so we returned to the coach with spirits still high for a sing song, as we made our return journey to the band room. Now it was a wait for the results.
The first result to reach us came over the weekend from Scouthead, where Wingates were awarded Best 1st Section Band, and — in a field including Championship Section names — we also achieved an impressive 7th place overall. It was a brilliant early indication that our performances had been well received.
The remainder of the results from Tameside followed on Monday afternoon, and they confirmed what had already begun to feel like a very special Whit Friday for the band.
The results over the following days brought huge pride to the band. Wingates achieved:
• Tameside 1st Section – Overall Champions
• Broadoak – Overall Champions
• Five 1st Section prizes across Tameside
• 1st Section Winners at Scouthead
It was one of our most successful Whit Fridays in recent years — a testament to preparation, teamwork, stamina, and the spirit of the band.
Wingates Band extends a massive thank you to:
• the organisers
• the volunteers
• the sponsors
• the supporters
• and the local communities
who work tirelessly to make the Whit Friday contests possible. Your dedication, hard work, and passion keep this wonderful tradition alive. We are truly grateful.
Sue MacDonald