Saddleworth Whit Friday

Every Whit Friday, there's a very big, famous Brass Band Contest held in all the villages of traffic.

For the music lovers and tourists, it's wonderful, a whole day of parp parp tootle-doodle, boom boom. In fact, if you've ever seen the film Brassed Off, they play in the Saddleworth competition.

For the locals though (speaking as one) I have to say, it's chaos!! The whole area comes to a standstill - traffic queues up behind the processions, parking becomes a big fight and the incessant tootle of brass bands, though pleasant for the first hour or so, really begins to get on your wick a little after a whole day of it. Thank heavens, I'm at work during most of the day!! During one of said traffic jams I snapped a pic of this sign that shows some consideration for the locals ordering the drummers not to beat time!!

Anyway, it's only once a year, so I'll let them have their fun, but it won't stop me joining in by shouting, "that's not a brass band - I contest that !!" now and again just to keep my sanity