Whit Friday in Delph. >

From down the mill valley
A brass band you could hear
In a Lancashire street
Filled with folk of good cheer.
At the Co-op Village store
There was now't left on the shelf
It was after all
Whit Friday in Delph.

At the top of the village
The coaches would queue
Out poured the musicians
Dressed in every hue.
The sign carved above,
said "In Unity is Strength"
From the old Co-op Store
Bands marched the Village length.

It began with a bass drum
Pounding out the beat
As the brass band strode down
The once cobble stoned street.
They followed the board carrier
With a march played so proud
Each band gave it their all
Which brought cheers from the crowd.

They weren't used to marching
It was the tunes that they knew
The smartest lot that day were the
United Co-op Band from Crewe.
Led by a bearded band major
Festooned in fur hat and blue sash
To Delph's festivities that night
The band added quite a dash.

The bands played their set piece
To the spectators lined up
While the experts wondered
Who would win t' Challenge Cup.
Gartside Street was the venue
The bands arrived without fuss
When their contest time ended
They got back on the bus.

To the Saddleworth villages
Each band would now go
Getting fixed up and tuned up
For the next march and next show.
In Delph, Diggle and Dobcross,
The mill valleys were humming
Whit Friday again
Hey Up! Brass bands a' comin'.

© by David J. Thompson

David J. Thompson, was born in Blackpool. His grandfather was the licensee of the Albion Hotel in Oldham and represented Coldhurst Ward on the Oldham Town Council. His Dad played in the Blackpool Fire Brigade Band and played cornet once at a Preston Guild. David's brother, Philip, played in the Norman Memorial Brass Band in Blackpool.

David now lives in California where he is active in the cooperative movement. He is also a co-op historian having written Weaver of Dreams, the history of the modern cooperative movement.

Prior to speaking at the Cooperative Congress in 1997, David was fortunate to hear about the Whit Friday Brass Band Championships in the Saddleworth area. With two of his Lancashire cousins in tow David went to Delph to enjoy this time honored Lancashire tradition.

The next day, David wrote "Whit Friday in Delph" on the train from Manchester to the Cooperative Congress in Cardiff. He began his speech with the first verse.