A friendly 4th section band in South West Manchester
History of Sale Brass
The first records of the band date back to around 1849 as the Stretford Temperance Band, named so
because they rehearsed at a local church. The first engagement of the band was in the same year for
the opening of the railway line between Manchester and Altrincham. The band later became known as
Stretford Silver and was conducted by many famous conductors and arrangers from the Brass Band
world. Samuel Massey's notes from his book 'A History of Stretford' that there were two local bands at
the end of the 19th century: the village band conducted by Tom Shawcross and the church band
conducted by Joe Rogerson, who also had two sons in the band.
An excerpt from a Frank Dixon's book 'The Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway' describes the opening of the railway in 1849:
“The special train flying blue silk banners left Manchester at noon on Whit Monday, May 28th 1849, fortunately a fine day. One coach carried Brogden, Kirkman……… The other carried the Stretford Temperance Band, clad in blue uniforms. At Cornbrook it was greeted by cheering crowds; at Stretford it stopped, the band played, and the excursionists amused themselves by inspecting the works and the neighbourhood. Onward, past throngs of lineside onlookers, to Sale where it was greeted with cannon salutes and cheers from the massed ranks of Brogden’s workmen. They stopped at Sale and Timperley before arriving at Altrincham where they detrained and the band, playing, led the way to the Unicorn where they ate and drank.”
The Early Days
Famous Names at the Helm
Fred Mortimer, a player from the Fodens Works Band, conducted the band for many years entering over one-hundred contests. Other famous conductors were J. A. Greenwood, an arranger of classical pieces for brass bands; Sam Westward, a conductor of the Fodens Works Bands; Herbert Brooks, a player from the Wingate Temperance Band; and Harry Cheshire who played with the Fairey Engineering Band.
Other famous conductors were J.A.Greenwood who arranged many classical pieces for brass bands; Sam Westward who conducted the Fodens Works Band; Herbert Brooks who played with the Wingate Temperance Band and Harry Cheshire who played with the Fairey Engineering Band.
The Band in Stretford
In 1919, the first Stretford Pageant was held and the band played for the parade, the crowning ceremony, and for the Morris Dancing competition. The band played as part of the pageant all the way up until 1982, although missing 1936 to win first prize at a contest at Belle Vue (where they also won in 1908 and 1918).
The band played at the opening of Stretford Town Hall on Talbot Road in 1933. It was on this day that Stretford received its Borough Charter and the band changed its name accordingly to 'Stretford Borough Band'.
A New Conductor
William (Bill) Brophy from Cadishead joined as Musical Director in 1938. In his 18 months at the helm, the band participated in seventeen contests. This resulted in winning in fourteen of them while also achieving two seconds and a third. When he left in 1940, the band had a very good reputation which helped to become one of the first bands to complete a recording at the BBC Studios at Piccadilly in Manchester for the first Brass Band radio programmes.
The War Years
During the Second World War, the band was the only one in the area that was not disbanded. Ernie Hughes conducted the band throughout those years along with nine other members who carried on as normal. Playing in the parks; the ten members were supplemented by players from the Home Guard and Military Bands stationed in the area.
After the war, the band became founding members of the Lancashire Brass Band Association, which later became the North West Area Brass Band Association. Contests organised by the association were called the 'Daily Herald Contests' and were held at Sale Lido. In 1951 and 1952 the band won the contests and qualified for the final at Belle Vue.
Alf Smith and Harry Cheshire
In 1953, Alf Smith started to conduct the band. Living in Timperley, he was an experienced player who started to play the cornet in 1905. During the First World War he was a Bugler and Bandsman with the Lancashire Fusiliers. His only contest success with the band was at the 1954 Belle Vue Marching Contest held on the Speedway Track, when the band played the B.B. & C.F. (Brass Band and Contesting Force) march.
More information about Alf Smith was found in this press report from
the Manchester Evening News (Dated Thursday 6 December 1956),
along with mention of the Mitton family who have been stalwarts of the
band for many years:
“Being a ‘brass band widow’ has its compensations for the wives of
members of the Stretford Borough Prize Band. Every New Year each
one gets a special band performance to herself and each year they all
go on an outing with the band when it plays some distance away. On
New Year Sunday we go round to each member’s house and play to the
wives.’ Says Mr. R. H. Mitton, secretary since 1940 and a member for 31 years. The Stretford Borough bandsmen, who are founder members of the Lancashire Brass Band Association, now the North-West Area Brass Band Association, have won prizes at over 50 contests, and in 1951 and 1952 won the North-West Area Section Championships. For their conductor they have a man of vast experience. Mr. Alfred Smith began playing the cornet in 1905 and during the First World War was bugler and bandsman in the Lancashire Fusiliers. He emigrated to New Zealand and won the Championship Gold Medal in 1928 and was three times a gold medallist in the West Coast Championships.” ”Brass banding usually runs in a family, and Stretford has two father-and-son teams. Richard Mitton, son of the secretary has just completed his National Service, playing with the band of the 22nd Cheshire Regiment on cornet and on the trumpet and drums with the dance band in Berlin. Trombone player Vincent Bratley has a son Keith, who is also a member but is at present doing National Service in the RAF band. ”
Jim Saynor and Dennis Dawson conducted the band up to 1968 when Harry Cheshire joined the band as conductor, having retired from the famous Fairey Engineering Band after twelve years as their principal Euphonium player. Under his baton, the Band qualified for the London finals in 1970 and 1971 at the W.D. & H.O.Wills contests that were held at Preston. Harry Cheshire remained with the band until 1974 when he moved to New Zealand with his wife. However, this was after some big changes for the band!
Move to Sale
During the latter part of 1971, the landlord of the Band’s rehearsal room sadly died and all attempts to find suitable accommodation within Stretford failed. On the 10 October 1971, a letter was received from the neighbouring Sale Council kindly offering accommodation on condition that the Band’s name incorporated ‘Sale’ in its title. The official change took place on 1 November 1971, when the band changed its name to the ‘Sale Concert Band’. The old band-room premises are still being used today. If you are ever in Stretford, on Edge Lane opposite the Railway Station is a private service road. The bandroom was located in the first building on the right, next to the canal.
In 1973, the band formed the Sale Youth Band to allow the youngsters of the Sale area to be able to continue their musical studies outside school hours. Once again the Sale Council helped the band by offering music and instruments owned by the Council from the disbanded Sale British Legion Band.
After Harry Cheshire left, the band was then lead from 1974 until 1989 by William J.Corry. Bill Corry was a respected orchestral conductor and arranger who started his musical career on the drums at the age of fourteen and continued on the drums through his National Service. On leaving the forces he took up the trombone and studied at the Parr School of Music for five years. He then played with many of the local Brass Bands and Orchestral Societies in the area before taking over the Wythenshawe Band. Under his leadership the Sale Band maintained its high standards of musicianship and was a popular choice for concerts in the area.
In 1989 the Band appointed Robert (Bob) Richards to the position of Musical Director. Bob Richards is a very experienced musician and band teacher, having been a euphonium soloist with the famous C.W.S. Manchester Band under the baton of Alex Mortimer. The band achieved much contest success at this time. Notable, among these was a hat trick of wins at the Kirkby Lonsdale Contest in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Bob left the band in 1992 which was then firstly conducted by Ian Wilkinson and then by Dr Lee Longden. Bob Richards then rejoined the band in 1995.
Steve Shawcross first joined the band between 1983 to 1986 on soprano cornet, and rejoined again in 1989. In September 2000, he was invited by the committee, to become the bands Musical Director. Under Steve’s direction the band achieved the fourth section prize at Carrbrook on the Whit Friday Marches, and a 3rd prize at the Kirkby Lonsdale Contest.
21st Century Banding
John Dickinson, took over conducting duties towards the end of 2007. John’s
professional experience is renowned throughout the brass playing world, as a former
principal trumpet of the Hallé Orchestra and former Head of Woodwind, Brass and
Percussion at the prestigious Chetham’s School of Music. John continues to be a very
close friend of the band and still occasionally steps in as a guest conductor.
Josh Hughes then followed and the band won the Butlins National 4th Section title in his brief time as MD of the band as well as some notable results at the Whit Friday Marches. He had another brief spell at City of Chester Band and is now MD at BMP Goodshaw.

Alan Seymour who is originally from the north-east of England then took over, bringing with him
a wealth of playing and conducting experience. He managed to replicate the success of the
previous year when the band once again won the Butlins National 4th Section title followed by a
runners up prize at Buxton making 2016 a successful year.
In late 2017, John Anderson took over the reigns of Sale Brass having most recently playing with Eccles. John was a military man and brought a wealth of experience with him. John’s tenure at the band began with further success at Butlins, with the band placing 2nd in the 4th section. The band continued this success with a 2nd place result at the Areas and an invite to the National Finals at Cheltenham, where a very respectable 6th place was awarded.
John Anderson continued his success with the band into 2019, where the band achieved a fantastic first place in the North West Regionals 4th Section contest, the first time the band had ever won at the regionals. This win secured another invite to the National Finals in Cheltenham, as well as promotion to the third section for 2020. Unfortunately John Anderson had to retire after the areas, but still keeps a very close link to the band.
In July 2018, the band said goodbye to its rehearsal venue at Sale Sports Club and instead moved to the Claremont Centre to create a closer relationship with Trafford Music Service and to encourage the youth of the area to play a brass instrument.
Just weeks before Whit Friday, the band invited ex-Foden’s bass player Matthew Hindle to join
as Musical Director of the band, moving from Dobcross Youth Band. Under Matt, the band
unofficially were the top scoring band in the 4th section on Whit Friday 2019 and then went on
to achieve another fantastic 6th place at the National Finals in Cheltenham. Matt led the band
in the 3rd section in 2020. Having competed at the Butlins and the North West areas in 2020,
like the rest of the world, the band were faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the pandemic ran its course, the band became acquainted with Zoom, holding weekly quizzes and virtual get togethers to keep morale going, hoping for the light at the end of the tunnel to resume playing as a band.
In 2021, Matt chose to resign as Musical Director to pursue other musical interests. Our previous principal euphonium player and good friend of the band, Neil Venables-Greaves took the reigns and lead the band in their return to playing, navigation the challenges of social distancing, isolations and an interrupted rehearsal schedule due to subsequent lockdowns.
In 2022, the band returned to the North West Areas contest, competing in the third section. The result was not what the band had desired but could be understood given the challenging circumstances of the previous two years.
In the weeks before Whit Friday, the band brought in Jess Tredrea as MD. Having studied music at
university, Jess brought a wealth of experience to the band having spent some years in the banding
community. Jess continues to lead the band through the remainder of 2022 and beyond.
