Saddleworth, Greenfield

Saddleworth brass band contest, in the rain.

Brass bands compete all over Saddleworth. They are judged blind as the judges are sat in tents and cannot see the band playing and so don’t know which band they are listening to.
The prize fund is over £36,000 so brass bands from far and wide are drawn to Saddleworth to compete. They each have their own coach and this always brings Saddleworth to a standstill. Many roads are simply closed to normal traffic.
Many years ago, before pubs could open all day, the pubs in Saddleworth were allowed on this one day to stay open from 11.00 to late at night. This was an enormous novelty and was taken advantage of by many of the locals. Of course all pubs can do this now, so the novelty has gone, but the crowds turn up and the bands play on.