2006 North West Regional Championships - First Section

Will any of the bands here will get to grips with the seafaring nature of Goff Richards test piece or will their struggle like musical landlubbers?

Sunday 12th March
Adjudicator: Derek Broadbent
Test Piece: Voyage of Discovery – Goff Richards
Commences: 2.30pm
Draw: 1.30pm

No photo? Please send a JPEG to:  general@4barsrest.com stating the conductors name, your band, your region and section. 

Ashton Under Lyne
Conductor: Philip Chalk

Last Ten Years:
2005: 2nd (P. Chalk)
2004: DNC
2003: 9th Championship Section (rel) (J. Maines)
2002: 2nd 1st Section (J. Maines)
2001: 9th (rel) (M. Evans)
2000: 9th (M. Evans)
1999: Winners 1st Section (prom)
1998: Winners 2nd Section (prom)
1997: Winners 3rd Section (prom)
1996: DNC

2005 was a great year for Ashton and in anything but name they are a Championship Section band and will be one of the favorites to do very well here again at this level.  Runners up twelve months ago they went on to Harrogate where they came 3rd and were very good value for that as well. Plenty of quality players in the ranks and a very talented MD they should be the band to beat. 

Diggle
Conductor: Norman Law

Last Ten Years:
2005: 2nd in Second Section (prom) (N. Law)
2004: 5th (N. Law)
2003: Winners of Third Section (prom) (N. Law)
2002: 9th (D. Morris)
2001: 4th (D. Morris)
2000: Winners 4th Section (prom) (D. Morris)
1999: DNC
1998: DNC
1997: DNC
1996: DNC

Former Black Dyke man, Norman Law has really made an impression with Diggle in the past few years, and they were good value for their runners up spot in the Second Section last year which saw them go on and come a fine 4th at Harrogate. Lots of experience in the ranks and on the podium should ensure they will be up around the prizes come result time.   

Haslingden and Helmshore
Conductor: David Holland

Last Ten Years:
2005: 12th (D. Holland)
2004: 3rd Second Section (D. Holland) (prom)
2003: 5th (D. Holland)
2002: 3rd (D. Holland)
2001: 5th 3rd Section (prom)  (D. Holland)
2000: 3rd 3rd Section  (D. Holland)
1999: 6th 4th Section (prom)
1998: 2nd 4th Section
1997: 9th 4th Section
1996: DNC

The rise and rise of Haslingden and Helmshore came to a bit of a shuddering halt last year here when David Holland's band could only come home in 12th place. Hopefully the experience will show the band what they now have to do, and given what they have achieved recently at Butlins where they came 7th we think they have taken it on board and a move towards a top ten place should be on the cards. 

Maxilead Metals Tyldesley
Conductor: Robert Taylor

Last Ten Years:
2005: 5th (R. Taylor)
2004: 5th (R. Taylor)
2003: 8th (S. Booth)
2002: 7th (M. Peacock)
2001: 12th (D. Barry)
2000: 3rd (D. Barry)
1999: 3rd 2nd Section (prom)
1998: 7th 2nd Section
1997: 2nd 2nd Section
1996: DNC

Robert Taylor is the gifted MD in front of the Maxilead sponsored band and he certainly led the band in the right direction here in the last couple of years. Two consecutive 5th places should auger well, but they are up against strong opposition. More of the same then, or perhaps even a bit higher and a qualification spot? 

Old Hall Brass
Conductor: A. Jones

Last Ten Years:
2005: 7th (I. Porthouse)
2004: Winners Second Section (N. Parkinson) (prom)
2003: Joint 8th (N. Parkinson)
2002: 5th (N. Parkinson)
2001: 8th (C. Tenijford)
2000: Winners 3rd Section (prom) (N. Parkinson)
1999: Winners 4th Section (prom)
1998: 8th 4th Section
1997: Winners 4th Section
1996: DNC

Old Hall made a fair impression here last year when under Ian Porthouse they came a deserved 7th place. They will like to do that or better again this time around, but they will have to up their form from their performance at Brass at the Guild Hall where they came a lowly 7th in the Second Section. It could be a hard day at the contesting office. 

Poulton-le-Fylde
Conductor: Steve Tarry

Last Ten Years:
2005: 9th (S. Tarry)
2004: 7th (S. Tarry)
2003: 7th (S. Tarry)
2002: 4th 2nd Section (prom) (G. Clough)
2001: 2nd (G. Clough)
2000: 4th (G. Clough)
1999: 14th
1998: 7th 3rd Section (prom)
1997: 5th 3rd Section
1996: 7th 3rd Section

Poulton just fell away a touch last year after good solid performances in 2003 and 2004 which saw them come 7th on each occasion. 9th wasn't bad, but they were perhaps looking for something a bit better.  The encouraging news though came at Brass at the Guild were they came home in 6th place against strong opposition. Could that be an indicator for what may happen here?

Roberts Bakery
Conductor: Richard Evans

Last Ten Years:
2005: 4th (R. Evans)
2004: 10th (C. Cranson)
2003: 10th (C. Cranson)
2002: 3rd (C. Cranson)
2001: 11th (C. Cranson)
2000: 10th Championship (rel) (C. Cranson)
1999: 9th Championship
1998: 7th Championship
1997: 3rd 1st Section (prom)
1996: 3rd 1st Section (prom)

Richard Evans takes over the baton at the Bakery Band for a second successive year, and the band will be hoping that more of that old Tricky Dicky magic can rub off on them once more. 4th last year was a huge leap up the results table, but this is a really difficult piece and it will be a big ask for them to do it again or go better. Lets see what the great entertainer has on store for us.   

Stalybridge Old
Conductor: John Binns

Last Ten Years:
2005: DNC
2004: 8th (J. Maines)
2003: 4th (A. Exley)
2002: 8th (A. White)
2001: 8th Championship (rel) (D. Hirst)
2000: 10th Championship (J. Cant)
1999: 2nd 1st Section (prom)
1998: 9th Championship (rel)
1997: 11th Championship
1996: 9th Championship

Great to see Stalybridge return back to the contest after failing to make it to the starting gate last year.  The band has been through a bit of a sticky period, but hopefully that is now behind them and the talented John Binns will bring a great deal of common sense to their approach this year. Lets hope it pays off.  

United Co-op (Crewe)
Conductor: Jef Sparkes

Last Ten Years:
2005: 8th in Championship Section (rel) (J. Sparkes)
2004: 11th (J. Sparkes)
2003: Winners of First Section (prom) (J. Sparkes)
2002: 5th (J. Sparkes)
2001: 2nd (J. Sparkes)
2000: 7th (J. Sparkes)
1999: 8th
1998: 8th
1997: 5th
1996: 5th

Jef Sparkes and his band have done wonderfully well over the past few years here and it is a major surprise to see the band back in the First Section after coming 8th in the Championship Section last time around. They were starting to sound like a solid top section band last year, so they should be confident of doing well at this level and challenge for the Area title for the second time in four years.   

Vernon Building Society Poynton
Conductor: Alan Lawton

Last Ten Years:
2005: 6th (A. Lawton)
2004: 2nd (A. Lawton)
2003: 11th (M. Obermuller)
2002: 4th (M. Obermuller)
2001: 10th (M. Obermuller)
2000: DNC
1999: 10th Championship (rel)
1998: 3rd (prom)
1997: 4th
1996: 11th Championship (rel)

Poynton were a little unlucky not to have come higher here last year, and in Alan Lawton they have one of the very best band trainers in the business at the helm.  Steve Beardmore took them at the recent Brass at the Guild Hall contest where they came a very encouraging 5th. More of that here and they could well push for a qualification place.  

Wire Brass
Conductor: Paul Andrews

Last Ten Years:
2005: Winners Second Section (prom) (P. Andrews)
2004: 2nd (J. Hinckley)
2003: 6th (P. Andrews)
2002: Winners 3rd Section (prom) (P. Andrews)

Wire should come here with high hopes of doing well, after a series of results in the last four years that has seen them make it to three National Finals.  They won the Second Section in fine style twelve months ago and went on to Harrogate where they were a touch unlucky not to have won. They had to be content with being runners up, but they did sound a quality band in the making. Paul Andrews is a determined and talented MD, and that combination could see them through to another finals place. They recently came 7th at Brass at the Guild, so that may be a good indicator of their current form. 

Past Qualifiers:

2005: Freckleton, Ashton Under Lyne
2004: Pemberton Old Wigan, Vernon Building Society Poynton
2003: United Co-op (Crewe), United Norwest Co-op Milnrow
2002: Pemberton Old, Ashton Under Lyne
2001: Mossley, United Co-op Crewe
2000: Longridge, Mossey
1999: Ashton Under Lyne, Stalybridge
1998: Congleton, Dobcross
1997: Freckleton, Berisford Cardway
1996: British Aerospace, Longridge
1995: United Norwest Co-op, British Aerospace

North West Bands at the Finals:

2005: 3rd, 9th
2004: 1st, 6th
2003: 2nd, 3rd
2002: 5th, 9th
2001: 7th, 8th
2000: 2nd, 13th
1999: 1st, 11th
1998: 6th, 10th

4BR Prediction:

What a cracking contest this could turn out to be. There are a number of good quality bands here and more than a few of them will fancy their chances of nt only a qualification place but also the First Section title. 

The most obvious candidate are Ashton, United Co-op Crewe, VBS Poynton, Wire Brass, Haslingden and Helmshore, Poulton-le-Fylde and Roberts Bakery.The others too may have something to say about that, but we think the winners and qualifiers will come from these bands. As for the winners though? Ashton for us with United Co-op just behind. After that it will be one heck of a scrap.

1. Aston-under -Lyne
2. United Co-op Crewe
3. VBS Poynton
4. Wire Brass
5. Poulton-le-Fylde
6. Haslingden and Helmshore

Dark Horse: Roberts Bakery

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