BTB heads North!
On Thursday 23rd May, Bodmin Town Band headed to Saddleworth to participate in the Whit Friday Marches, made famous by the film “Brassed Off”. Along with 116 other bands in the country, including the likes of Foden’s, Brighouse and Rastrick and Black Dyke, not to mention the “odd” scratch band and the talented but badly dressed Chav Brass, we raced from village to village in our coach, marched for varying lengths of time through the main street and then played a contest march in a dedicated spot in each village.
Phew…. Exhausting but great fun!
The band last went in 2019, but we are hoping to make it a biennial trip. We had an amazing guide in the form of Vicky Prescott of Blue Frog Embroidery who answered our SOS on Facebook. Without her and her local knowledge it would have been impossible to visit the seven villages we did. Special mention to our runner, Elaine, who also made sure we were as near the front of the queue as possible and to all our helpers from the Cornish banding community. We finished in the fairytale setting of Dobcross village under the lights and stayed dry throughout!
Grotton – 12/48
Lydgate – 13/79
Uppermill – 14/52
Greenfield – 24/62
Lees – 8/32
Scouthead – 10/57
Dobcross – 19/70
A creditable set of results too, 15th of 117 bands, getting the better of Foden’s in Lydgate. For a taste of the atmosphere, check out YouTube Whit Friday 2024.
If you’d like to help us get to Saddleworth in 2026, visit our Support Us page. Meantime you will find us at the D-Day 80th Anniversary Beacon lighting in Bodmin on 6th June and at The West of England Bandsmen’s Festival in Bugle on 15th June.
