Stalybridge Conservative club raises funds for brass band

A small Stalybridge Conservative club has shown its support for one of the town’s most treasured musical institutions by raising more than £100 for Stalybridge Old Band.

Stalyward Number 2 Club held a charity fundraiser on Sunday, August 2nd, with an afternoon of live entertainment hosted by DJ Simon. Members and visitors were treated to performances from Stalybridge Old Band and Manc Sinatra, helping to create a lively afternoon in support of the historic band.

The event also welcomed Leon Tamcken, Chairman of the North West Area Conservative Clubs Advisory Committee, who represents around 130 clubs across the North West on behalf of the Association of Conservative Clubs Ltd. He was joined by area representative Leanne Nuttall, with both spending time meeting club members and supporters.

Among those attending was 92-year-old Don Shelley, who has been an Honorary Member of Stalyward Number 2 Club for more than 30 years.

Stalybridge Old Band has a remarkable musical heritage stretching back more than two centuries. The band was founded in 1809 by local musicians Thomas Avison and Billy Hall and is widely recognised as the world’s oldest brass band. Its own historical records state that the original members contributed threepence a week towards band funds, while the early band initially featured a mixture of instruments including flutes, clarinets, bassoon, and drum. By the 1840s, it had developed into an all-brass band using piston-valved instruments.

Today, the band is based at Judges Bar on Corporation Street, in the heart of Stalybridge. The premises are owned by Stalybridge Old Band, and the bar is named after Jack Judge, the composer of the famous song ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’.

The Old Band's headquarters are next door to Stalyward Number 2 Club, making the fundraiser a particularly fitting way for the club to support its long-standing musical neighbour. Stalybridge Old Band is also a registered charity, with charitable objectives that include promoting music education and providing opportunities for young people in the Stalybridge area to learn brass instruments.

Speaking at the fundraiser, Leon Tamcken said:

“Stalybridge Old Band has a long and very successful tradition in the local area and beyond, with their headquarters next door to the club. It’s great to see the hardworking team at No 2 supporting such a fantastic institution.”

The committee expressed its thanks to everyone who helped organise the event, performed, attended, and contributed to the fundraising effort.