Whaley Bridge Band celebrated The Queen's Platinum Jubilee big time.

Starting with our very own Jubilee Concert and Community Singing here in Whaley Bridge Canal Basin. 
The Band were absolutely bowled over not only by the number of people who joined us, but also by the enthusiasm of their singing.  Well done Whaley Bridge Community Singers!

The programme included music from all four home nations of the UK, as well as some of the Band's favourite pieces, most notably Perfect Day, which indeed it was.  No national celebration would be complete without Land of Hope and Glory, Jerusalem and Rule Britannia. And for this special year, the song the nation voted  the one they most wanted to sing for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee - Sweet Caroline.

Thank you to everyone contributed to the success of our Jubilee Concert 

• our hosts, Whaley Bridge Canal Group, for the perfect venue in the right in the centre of town and accessible to all
• Derbyshire County Council for their sponsorship making it free for everyone to attend
• deps Ben and John, helping us to make this concert extra special
• and of course everyone who joined us on the day, not only for your community spirit, but for donating over £100 to Whaley Bridge Food Bank 

A day to remember for many years to come.

And still more Jubilee Celebrations to come for the Band

On Saturday we were in Kettleshulme for their Big Jubilee Lunch in the park. A short programme as the guests arrived, and after lunch all the patriotic favourites sung at full volume.
Kettleshulme certainly know how to sing!
Another fine sunny day, but windy.  Very windy!
Good thing we'd taken the pegs, double strength required today. 
Thank you, Kettleshulme, for inviting Whaley Bridge Band to share your celebrations

Our last event of the Jubilee holiday was at Chinley, who drew the short straw and landed a wet day.
The rain didn't dampen their Jubilee spirit, and they celebrated in fine style starting with a Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen's 70 year reign.  The Band stayed dry under canvas - which we relocated after the service to the events arena for the final perfomance of our Jubilee programme.
 

Whaley Bridge is pulling out all the stops to celebrate The Queen's Platinum Jubilee in grand style.

First up is your very own Whaley Bridge Band with a Jubilee concert of music and community singing
at 3pm in on Thursday 2nd June in Whaley Bridge Canal Basin. Listen to the Band and join in community singing of Land of Hope & Glory, Jerusalem and Rule Britannia to name but a few.

Bring a picnic and a glass of your favourite tipple to raise a toast to Her Majesty.
Don't forget your deck chair!

Whaley Bridge Band Jubilee Concert is supported with funding from

Our grand Christmas finale on home ground in the Transhipment Warehouse in Whaley Bridge.
As if the prospect of hearing their own band wasn't enough, the winter sunshine brought the villagers out in droves, a great crowd for the  last fixture of the season.

The Transhipment Warehouse has become the place to be in Whaley Bridge, where it's all happening.
What a privilege for the Band to be a feature of the the Whaley scene, not just now at Christmas but back in the summer when we first started playing again after the covid lockdown. 
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​Thank you to Nev and WB Canal Group for your hospitality, hope you'll have us back next year.

More carols at the Old Hall Inn.  Although the singing was a little subdued to start with, it got better and better once the gluhwein worked it's magic on the vocal cords.

Thank you all for a great evening. 

       

With alarm bells ringing about the new Covid variant, we erred on the side of caution and played outside the church.  Safer for everyone.  The congregation wore masks (which accounts for the carol singing sounding rather more subdued than usual!) but a mask is not an option while playing a brass instrument.

And for a "Plan B" it worked very well.  In addition to accompanying carols in the service (yes, they could hear us through the open porch door,) we played a few others as people arrived, plus our traditional last three - Jingle Bells, Rudolph and We Wish You a Merry Christmas  - at the end, as the light was fading. 

And unlike last week, we struck lucky with the weather, cold but dry and no wind, a window of opportunity between two horrendous days.

Many thanks to Rob and the parishioners for your hospitality.  As always, a pleasure to play in Brierley Green.

This should have been a picture of the Band playing this afternoon at the Christmas Trees Festival in
Trinity Church in Whaley Bridge.  The day got off to a brilliant start in sunshine, but this didn't last and by
mid morning the snow had started.  Not just a few light flakes, but serious stuff settling on already icy ground.

Rather than risk players' safety on treacherous roads, we took the decision to cancel our performance at the church, who were very understanding and fully agreed that safety comes first. 

And with the benefit of hindsight........it was exactly the right decision as the snow continued throughout the afternoon and by 4pm, when we would have been driving home, was lying several inches thick.  Disappointing that we couldn't play, but always better safe than sorry. 

Whaley Bridge woke up to winter this morning after heavy overnight snow turned the village white.
But that didn't stop the celebrations and it was "Christmas as Usual" in the village.  When the Lantern parade arrived in the station car park the nativity service got underway with the Band accompanying the carol singing.

The villagers were in good voice and just to prove it sang a verse of Hark the Herald all on their own without the Band.  Well done the choir!

And after the service, more carols - plus of course Rudolph and Jingle Bells - outside the Mechanics Institute.  Although the warmth inside the Mechanics was very tempting on such a cold evening, we stayed "covid safe" in the fresh air with our Christmas spirit keeping us warm. 

After missing out last year due to Covid lockdown, Remembrance Day was once again celebrated in
Whaley Bridge, with the newly restored War Memorial looking magnificent.

The Band started the service with a stirring march to inspire the procession as it climbed up the hill bearing flags and standards, and accompanied the congregation for the hymns and two verses of the National Anthem.

And of course, the Last Post and Reveille.  Many thanks to Javan a very moving performance.

The rebuilt Whaley Bridge War Memorial was blessed and rededicated at at service in the Memorial Park on Saturday 4th September.   The Last Post and Reveille was played by the our Solo Cornet Aiden Quinn, who did the Band proud at our first official engagement since the pandemic began.

Playing on your own, unaccompanied by the rest of the Band is a real challenge, and Aiden rose to the occasion like a pro. These days, the Last Post is often a recording, and as Whaley Bridge remembered its fallen heroes, the occasion was especially poignant having a local resident playing "live." 

Thank you, Aiden, from the Band and from Whaley Bridge.  
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