The details for this year's Whit Friday march contests that will take place on 17th June have been released by the organisers Saddleworth and Oldham District and Tameside Council.

Council support

This year, around £60,000 is up for grabs courtesy of financial support from Oldham and Tameside Councils.

Oldham Council has once again generously supported the Saddleworth & Oldham District Whit Friday contests along with support from Saddleworth and Lees District Partnership.

New website

Over in Tameside, the Council is sponsoring the contests for the 22nd year with substantial prize money.

The organisers at all the venues in conjunction with Tameside Council have launched their own website for this year's contests which gives bands and spectactors all the information needed.

The website address is: www.tamesidebrassbands.org/

Extra time

Whit Friday contests traditionally go on long into the night, but some of the contests have taken advantage of Whit Friday falling close to mid-Summer and ammended their start and finishing times in the hope of attracting even more bands than usual.

Bands can register to play from 3.30pm at Diggle but will not be allowed to play until the contest starts at 4.15pm

Plan ahead

Both councils have informed 4BR that they are working hard to ensure that road works which could cause any traffic problems are kept to a minimum. The advice to the bands however is plan ahead of the day itself.

Around £60,000 in prize money will be available this year thanks to council support at Oldham and Tameside4BR

Road works

Bands should be aware that there are major roadworks on Chapel Road in Greenfield with coaches only allowed to travel from Uppermill to Greenfield on that road and will have to negotiate Shaw Hall Bank Road coming back from Greenfield.

Over in Tameside, congestion is anticipated along Ladbrooke and Waterloo Roads for the Broadoak contest, whilst there are long-term roadworks in Droylsden.

Fernie, Horsfield, Pritchard-Jones, Webster to decide

The line up of judges who will spend eight hours or more in caravans and tents has also been confirmed.

Ray Farr, Alan Fernie, David Horsfield, Paul Holland, Mike Kilroy and Dr Roger Webster will be amongst those scattered around the venues.

Volunteers

The success of Whit Friday is helped by the dedication of volunteers, but contests can never be short of enough helpers.

If you can offer your help to a contest, please contact them asap.

Tameside:

Area Open Champions: £2,500, 2nd: £1,000, 3rd: £750
Local Area Champion: £750, 2nd: £600, 3rd: £400

Audenshaw:
www.clubbz.com/­club/­4633/­manchester/­aldwinians_rufc_brass_band_contest_2010

Contest: 4.00pm — 10.30pm
Aldwinians Rugby Club
Main Prize: £700 from a total prize fund of £2,525
Adjudicator: Paul Holland
Contact: Sylvia Donley (0161 336 6814, 07947 018175)

Broadoak:
Contest: 5.00pm — 11.00pm
Broadoak Hotel
Main Prize: £500 from a total prize fund of £1,600
Adjudicator: Dr Roger Webster
Contact: Mr J Smith (0161 3392174)

Carrbrook:
http:/­/­carrbrookvillage.users.btopenworld.com/­band.htm

Contest: 4.30pm — 10.00pm
Carr Rise
Main Prize: £600 from a total prize fund of £1,515
Adjudicator: John Davies
Contact: Pete Sims (07931593133)

Denton:
Contest: 4.00pm — 11.15pm
Main Prize: £250 from a total prize fund of £1,115
Adjudicator: Mike Lyons
Contact: Mrs Joan Emery (0161 2925319)

Droylsden:
Contest: 4.30pm -11.00pm
The Bush Inn
Main Prize: £500 from a total prize fund of £2,250
Adjudicator: R. Breen
Contact: George Fairclough (0161 3702811)

Dukinfield:
Contest: 4.30pm — 11.00pm
Tame Valley Hotel
Main Prize: £400 from a total prize fund of £1,500
Adjudicator: Dave Chapman
Contact: Brian Hill (0161 3390072)

Heyrod:
www.heyrodbandcontest.com

Contest: 4.30pm -10.30pm
John Street
Main Prize: £600 from a total prize fund of £1,685
Adjudicator: A. McLaughlin
Contact: Miss Lynn Ward

Hurst Village:
Contest: 4.30pm — 11.00pm
Ashton United FC
Main Prize: £250 from a total prize fund of £1,250
Adjudicator: Gareth Pritchard
Contact: Eric Stafford (0161 3300683)

Stalybridge:
Contest: 4.30pm — 10.30pm
Stalybridge Labour Club
Main Prize: £550 from a total prize fund of £2,070
Adjudicator: Steve Pritchard-Jones
Contact: Phil Watton (0161 3555818)

Stalybridge Celtic:
Contest: 4.30pm — 10.30pm
Stalybridge Celtic FC
Main Prize: £350 from a total prize fund of 1,100
Adjudicator: C. Evans
Contact: Gordon Greenwood (07770 433336)

Upper Mossley:
Contest: 4.30pm — 10.00pm
Mountain Street
Main Prize: £500 from a total prize fund of £1,485
Adjudicator: M. Tweedle
Contact: Margaret Gaskell (01457 832752)

Find the venue:

To enable bands to plan their routes and find the contest venues, visit the following link www.tamesidebrassbands.org/

Further details:

Further details for the Tameside Contests are available from 0161 342 4144 or via email at events@tameside.gov.uk

Saddleworth & Oldham District:

Area Open Champions: £2,500, 2nd: £1,000, 3rd: £750, Youth: £250
Local Area Champion: £750, 2nd: £600, 3rd: £400

Saddleworth & Oldham Contests are supported in 2011 by Oldham Council and Saddleworth and Lees District Partnership

Delph:
www.delph-whit-friday.co.uk

Contest: 4.15pm — 10.30pm
Main Prize: £1,000 from a total prize fund of £3,825
Adjudicator: Mike Kilroy
Contact: Mr R. Rodgers (01457 874354)

Denshaw:
Contest: 4.15pm — 10.45pm
Main Prize: £750 from a total prize fund of £2,690
Adjudicator: A. Holdsworth
Contact: A. Baxter (07920763979)

Diggle:
Contest: 4.15pm — 10.15pm
Main Prize: £650 from a total prize fund of £2,185
Adjudicator: Duncan Beckley
Contact: B. Cliffe (01457 873901)

Dobcross:
Contest: 4.30pm — 10.00pm
Main Prize: £750 from a total prize fund of £2,885
Adjudicator: David Horsfield
Contact: A Cockburn (01457 820960)

Friezland:
3rd, 4th & Youth Sections only
Contest: 4.30pm — 10.30pm
Main Prize: £150 from a total prize fund of £475
Adjudicator: T. Newbigging
Contact: L. Jones (01457 870081)

Greenacres:
Contest: 4.30pm — 10.30pm
Main Prize: £750 from a total prize fund of £2,405
Adjudicator: Brian Rostron
Contact: A. Clayton (0161 678 7255)

Greenfield:
Contest:4.30pm — 10.00pm
Main Prize: £1,000 from a total prize fund of £3,880
Adjudicator: Ray Farr
Contact: J. Buckley (01457 874794)

Grotton:
Contest: 4.00pm — 10.00pm
Main Prize: £600 from a total prize fund of £2,015
Adjudicator: Roy Roe
Contact: G. Beverley (07932 747590)

Lydgate:
Contest: 4.30pm -10.30pm
Main Prize: £800 from a total prize fund of £2,715
Adjudicator: Derek Southcott
Contact: L. Bearpak (01457 872566)

Lees and Springhead:
Contest: 4.30pm — 10.30pm
Main Prize: £600 from a total prize fund of £2,285
Adjudicator: Alan Fernie
Contact: W. Cullen (0161 6267625)

Scouthead and Austerlands:
Contest: 4.30pm -11.00pm
Main Prize: £750 from a total prize fund of £3,600
Adjudicator: C Brian Buckley
Contact: D. Needham (0161 6520341)

Uppermill:
Contest: 4.00pm — 10.30pm
Main Prize: £1,000 from a total prize fund of £2,930
Adjudicator: David Marshall
Contact: T. Hopkinson (01457 876010)

Further details:

Further details on Whit Friday can be found on www.whitfriday.brassbands.saddleworth.org