Shropshire Star

Hundreds attend Ironbridge Gorge Brass Band Festival - in photos

Hundreds of visitors packed into the Ironbridge Gorge for a free two-day brass band festival.

Published
Vorsprung Durch Oompah - Mike Sheehan, Lisa Kendall and Neil Fury

The Ironbridge Gorge Brass Band Festival was held for the 14th year at the weekend.

It started out as a one-day festival in Maws Craft centre in Ironbridge and has expanded year on year.

This year it was held by Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron over two days and it included a concert on Saturday night to raise funds for Severn Hospice.

Festival chairman Neil Fury said there were about 20 brass bands over the two days.

He said: "We had nine bands on Saturday from various places around Telford and Shropshire, some from further afield, one band came from about 70 miles away.

"There was absolutely loads of people who came to watch, probably about 500 or 600 people here at one time. It's people of all ages, families, couples, old people and the bands are staying to listen to other bands too.

"The weather has been kind except the wind started to blow a bit.

"We' held a concert on Saturday evening in aid of Severn Hospice with the Band of Royal Signals and the Jane Memorial Band.

"It's wall to wall brass bands for free in the days.

"It's the 14th annual event, it started off just one day at Maws Craft centre then we outgrew that one and the Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust kindly offered for us to do it here.

"We've had school bands, youth bands and adults bands.

"It's outside on the green we've got a big stage set up right in front of the exhibit at the end of the green where the blast furnace is."

It is among the largest, non-competitive brass band festivals in the country.

For more information visit ironbridgebandfestival.co.uk