A Stalybridge Conservative club has raised more than £100 in support of one of the town’s most treasured musical institutions.
The Number 2 Club held a charity fundraiser on Sunday, August 2, bringing members and visitors together for an afternoon of live entertainment in aid of Stalybridge Old Band.
The event was hosted by DJ Simon and featured performances from Stalybridge Old Band and Manc Sinatra.
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 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.
According to the band’s historical records, its original members contributed threepence a week towards band funds. The early band featured a mixture of instruments including flutes, clarinets, bassoon and drum before developing into an all-brass band using piston-valved instruments by the 1840s.
Today, Stalybridge Old Band is based at Judges Bar on Corporation Street, in the heart of the town.
The premises are owned by the band and the bar is named after Jack Judge, composer of the famous song It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.
The club committee thanked everyone who helped organise the event, performed, attended and contributed to the fundraising effort.
The money raised will help support the ongoing work of Stalybridge Old Band and its role in the town’s musical and cultural life.