The Tameside Whit Friday Brass Band details have been released for 16th May.

Nineteen years

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, for the nineteenth consecutive year, is once again pledging its support to this musical extravaganza. There will be ten Tameside based contests on the Tameside Whit Friday circuit this year, each one organised by a team of dedicated and determined committee members, awarding over £13,000 in prizes. Coupled with £6,000 prize money from Tameside Council itself, almost £20,000 is up for grabs in the Borough.

Tameside Champions

To be declared the Tameside Whit Friday Champions, a title dominated by Fodens in recent years, bands must participate at six venues to be in contention for the £2500 first prize. The second prize is £1000 with £750 to be given to the band declared third overall.

As always, the local title is up for grabs with bands being in a radius of 11 miles of Ashton Town Hall. It's £750 to the winners with £600 and £400 going to the bands placed second on third.

Two down on 2007

The list of ten contests is two down on 2007. Having been revived last year, Millbrook contest on the outskirts of Stalybridge will not take this year. The contest site utilised last year is having essential work at present and can't be utilised but normal service will be resumed in 2009.

At the New Bridge Inn, in Micklehurst it's a slightly different story. Having presided over the contest for 20 years, Elaine Wareing and her husband Tony, along with Tommy Wroe and Betty Vogel declared last year that after 20 years service, they would like to step down.

No volunteers

With a new landlord in place, Alan Broadbent offered to get involved in some of the organising but for the contest to proceed, it needs volunteers and despite a plea from Tameside Council, no one has come forward. Elaine told 4BR 'that if there is anyone out there interested in helping with the contest for 2009 and beyond, to contact the New Bridge Inn, Micklehurst and that the four stalwarts would help whenever possible, but its time for someone else to take the main responsibility. It may surprise a few that the contest isn't running this year'.

Road Closures

Tameside Council would like to remind all competing bands that there will be a number of road closures in the Borough, including the closure of Broadoak Road between its junction with Ladbroke Road and Waterloo Road.

The list of contests is as follows:

Broadoak
Contest:5.00-10.30pm
Main Prize:£400 from a total prize fund of £1250
Adjudicator:Mr D R Howard
Contact:Mr J Smith, 0161 339 2174

Carrbrook
Contest:4.30-10.30pm
Main Prize:£600 from a total prize fund of £1515
Adjudicator:John Davies
Contact:Pete Sims, 01457 835703

Denton
Contest:4.30-10.45pm
Main Prize:£250 from a total prize fund of £1025
Adjudicator:Mr Halliwell
Contact:Mr J Wood, 0161 320 0683

Droylsden
Contest:4.30-11pm
Main Prize:£500 from a total prize fund of £1725
Adjudicator:Mr R Breen
Contact:George Fairclough, 0161 370 2811

Dukinfield
Contest:4.30-11pm
Main Prize:£400 from a total prize fund of £1500
Adjudicator:Mr D Chapman
Contact:Brian Hill, 0161 339 0072

Heyrod
Contest:4.30-10.30pm
Main Prize:£500 from a total prize fund of £1280
Adjudicator:Mr S Broadbent
Contact:Deanne Clayton, 0161 303 9827

Hurst Village
Contest:4.30-11.00pm
Main Prize:£300 from a total prize fund of £1400
Adjudicator:Mr G Pritchard
Contact:Eric Stafford, 0161 330 5253

Stalybridge
Contest:4.30-10.30pm
Main Prize:£500 from a total prize fund of £1435
Adjudicator:Derek Broadbent
Contact:Colin Hamilton, 0161 339 8647

Stalybridge Celtic
Contest:4.30-10.45pm
Main Prize:£350 from a total prize fund of £880
Adjudicator:Duncan Beckley
Contact:John Hall, 0161 338 2828

Upper Mossley
Contest:4.30-10.00pm
Main Prize:£400 from a total prize fund of £1260
Adjudicator:Mr 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.tameside.gov.uk/brassband/whitfriday

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