The Lib Dem team would like to thank all the volunteers and sponsors who made this year’s Gatley Festival a great success. A new team took on the herculean task of organising the three days of events and, with a helping hand from the weather, it all went brilliantly.

Brassed Off? Not at GatFest!

Gatley Festival ‘Gatfest’ held their annual events this weekend, entertaining thousands of local people over three activity-packed days. But just five days before they kicked off the weekend with a comedy night headed by Jack Carroll (of Britain’s Got Talent fame), disaster struck when the brass band the organisers had booked for the parade pulled out.

Some impressive social media networking saved the day when a member of Stockport Schools’ Brass Bands saw the festival’s plea for help on Facebook. They started messaging volunteers from a range of bands across Manchester to find the right players to set up a pop up ‘scratch‘band. The newly formed group, who had not played together before also generously decided to donate their performance fee to the victims of the recent Manchester bombing.

Alice Bell of Besses Boys Band, playing cornet, said “the brass band world is such a community. Your own band feels like your family. But there is such a network of friends. Whenever a band is short of players there is always someone who will step in and help out from another band. It’s wonderful to play at events like the Gatley festival and see so many people get pleasure from our music but to do it with a huge community of friends makes it really special.”

The players who supported the day were from bands including Sale Brass, Greenfield, Besses Boys Band and Stockport Schools Brass Band – who are hosting an open day on 15th July to welcome anyone from beginners to experienced players (www.ssbb.org.uk for details).

Chair of GatFest Committee Emma James was delighted by the charitable gesture, adding “we’re grateful for the support these talented players have given us, and glad we’re able to help the Manchester bombing victims’ fund, as well as being able to bring our communities together at our events.”

GatFest is one of the largest community events in Stockport, and is run by a volunteer committee. GatFest is sponsored by Brookside Pre-School, Stockport Mail Newspapers, Delisa Miller Estate Agents, and Piccolo Italian Restaurant and Bar. The festival is hoping to be able to secure its future financially this year, after heavy rain last year impacted budgets. Next year’s parade and carnival will be Sunday 1st July, preceded by a range of community and family events. You can subscribe to their updates at www.gatleyfestival.org