Farnworth and Walkden Contests 2007 to Present Day
Date Contest MD Test Piece Result Section
07/10/2007 Fleetwood Peter Ashley A Cambrian Suite 4th 4
03/11/2007 Pontins Prestatyn Peter Ashley A Cambrian Suite 4th 4
18/11/2007 Wilkinson's, St Helens Peter Ashley A Cambrian Suite 3rd 4
03/02/2008 Preston Guild Hall Peter Ashley A Cambrian Suite 1st 4
09/03/2008 NW Regional, Blackpool Peter Ashley Four Cities Symphony 5th 4
30/03/2008 Tameside Open Peter Ashley A Cambrian Suite 6th 4
12/10/2008 Fleetwood Peter Ashley Music For A Festival 8th 3
25/10/2008 Pontins Prestatyn Peter Ashley An Elgar Portrait 4th 4
16/11/2008 Wilkinson's, St Helens Peter Ashley An Elgar Portrait 6th 3
08/02/2009 Preston Guild Hall Peter Ashley The Talisman 11th 3
01/03/2009 NW Regional, Blackpool Peter Ashley The Talisman 10th 4
29/03/2009 Tameside Open Peter Ashley Triptych 6th 3
04/10/2009 Fleetwood Peter Ashley Triptych 6th 3
24/10/2009 Pontins Prestatyn Peter Ashley Bournemouth Suite 2nd 4
15/11/2009 Wilkinson's, St Helens Peter Ashley Triptych 4th 3
07/02/2010 Preston Guild Hall Peter Ashley Saint Seans Variations 3rd 3
14/03/2010 NW Regional, Blackpool Peter Ashley Saint Seans Variations 3rd 4
28/03/2010 Tameside Open Peter Ashley Saint Seans Vatiations 3rd 3
26/09/2010 National Champs Harrogate Peter Ashley Royal Mile Suite 3rd 4
24/10/2010 Pontins Prestatyn Peter Ashley A Caledonian Journey 6th 3
21/11/2010 Wilkinsons St Helens Peter Ashley Rhapsody In Brass 4th 3
06/03/2011 Preston Guild Hall Peter Ashley Rhapsody In Brass 6th 3
27/03/2011 NW Regional, Blackpool Peter Ashley A Little Light Music 10th 3
02/10/2011 Fleetwood Peter Ashley Variations on Laudate Dominum 9th 3
20/11/2011 Wilkinsons St Helens Peter Ashley Variations on Laudate Dominum 4th 3
05/02/2012 Preston Guild Hall Peter Ashley Variations on Laudate Dominum 4th 3
26/02/2012 NW Regional, Blackpool Peter Ashley Olympus 5th 3
25/03/2012 Tameside Open Peter Ashley Variations on Laudate Dominum 2nd 3
29/04/2012 Buxton Brass Band Festival Peter Ashley Variations on Laudate Dominum 4th 3
07/10/2012 Fleetwood Peter Ashley Variations on Maccabeus 5th 3
03/01/2013 Preston Guild Hall Peter Ashley The Plantagenets (Symphonic Study) 4th 2
10/03/2013 NW Regional, Blackpool Peter Ashley The Plantagenets (Symphonic Study) 12th 2
28/04/2013 Buxton Brass Band Festival Peter Ashley Variations on Maccabeus 6th 2
29/09/2013 Fleetwood Peter Ashley Variations on Maccabeus 3rd 2
17/11/2013 Northen Open Wilkinsons St Helens Peter Ashley Variations on Maccabeus 10th 2
02/02/2014 Preston Guild Hall Peter Ashley Chaucers Tunes 6th 2
09/03/2014 NW Regional, Blackpool Peter Ashley Chaucers Tunes 13th 2
01/02/2015 Preston Guild Hall Peter Ashley Variations on Maccabeus 3rd 2
01/03/2015 NW Regional, Blackpool Peter Ashley Variations on Maccabeus 9th 2
13/09/2015 Blackburn & Darwen Hymn & March Mark Wildie 12th 2
25/10/2015 NWABBA Rochdale Contest Matt Shaw Fire In The Blood 10th 2
24/01/2016 Preston Guild Hall Matt Shaw A Cambrian Suite 1st 3
28/03/2016 NW Regional, Blackpool Matt Shaw A Cambrian Suite 3rd 3
08/05/2016 Buxton Brass Band Festival Matt Shaw Essay 3rd 3
18/09/2016 National Finals, Cheltenham Matt Shaw Lake of the Moon (Kevin Houben) 5th 3
23/10/2016 NWABBA Rochdale Contest Matt Shaw Lake of the Moon (Kevin Houben) 2nd 3
29/01/2017 Preston Guild Hall Matt Shaw Darkwood (Dan Price) 5th 3
26/02/2017 NW Regional, Blackpool Matt Shaw Darkwood (Dan Price) 10th 3
09/05/2017 Buxton Festval Matt Shaw Rhapsody in Brass 5th 3
28/01/2018 Preston Guild Hall Luke Pallister Ex Terra Lucem (Bates) 7th 2
25/02/2018 NW Regional, Blackpool Luke Pallister Ex Terra Lucem (Bates) 14th 2
16/09/2018 Blackburn & Darwen Hymn & March Luke Pallister 2nd 2
21/10/2018 Rochdale Contest Luke Pallister 7th 2
24/02/2019 NW Regional, Blackpool Luke Pallister Rise of the Phoenix (Darrol Barry) 3rd 2
14/09/2019 National Brass Band, Cheltenham Luke Pallister Occasion (Edward Gregson) 8th 2
27/01/2020 Brass in the Wire Dan Price The Golden Sabre (Kit Turnbull) 6th 2
27/02/2022 NW Regional, Blackpool Paul Dalton The Aeronauts (Goff Richards) 11th 2
25/02/2024 NW Regional, Blackpool Niel Robinson Corineus (Christopher Bond) withdrawn 3
23/02/2025 NW Regional, Blackpool Simon Jones Arkansas (Jacob de Haan) 14th 3
22/06/2025 Blackburn & Darwen Hymn & March Matthew Whitfield 7th and 2nd in Section 3
28/09/2025 Red Admiral Music Academy Entertainment Contest Matthew Whitfield Entertainment Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 8th 3
18/10/2025 Rochdale Contest (Third Section) Matthew Whitfield Olympus 2011 (Philip Harper) 3rd 3
:
×

Third Section: 29/01/2017

Venu: Guild Hall, Charter Theatre
Test Pieces: Darkwood (Price) or The Lion and the Rose (Wilby)

1. Eccleston Brass (John Wood)
2. BD1 (Lee Skipsey)
3. Pilling Jubilee (Len Charnock)
4. Skelmersdale (James Hall)
5. Farnworth & Walkden (Matt Shaw)
6. Stacksteads (Fred Bowker)
7. Oughtibridge Brass (Gavin Somerset)

Withdrawn: Rivington & Adlington (Malcolm Wilson)

Best Soloist: Eccleston Brass (euphonium)
Best Percussion: BD1
Best Horn: BD1
Best Trombone: Eccleston Brass
Best Basses: Eccleston Brass
Winning Conductor: John Wood

×

Third Section: 26/02/2017

Venu: NW Regional, Blackpool
Test: Darkwood (Dan Price)

1. Rivington & Adlington (Matt Whitfield)*
2. Trinity Girls (Ryan Watkins)*
3. Formby (Louise Hough MBE)*
4. Greenfield (Tom Haslam)
5. Eagley (Chris Wormald)
6. City of Chester (Ewan Easton)
7. Pilling Jubilee Silver (Len Charnock)
8. Hawk Green (Neil Hewson)
9. Skelmersdale Prize (James Hall)
10. Farnworth & Walkden (Matt Shaw)
11. Greenalls (Phil Boardman)
12. Eccleston Brass (John Wood)
13. Stacksteads (Fred Bowker)
14. Dobcross Silver (Grenville Moore)
15. Douglas Town (Ken Mitchell)
16. Stalybridge Old (David Ashworth)
17. Littleborough (Adrian Woodhead)
18. Coppull & Standish (Matt Stringer)

×

Second Section: 28/01/2018

Venu: Preston Guild Hall
Test Piece: Ex Terra Lucem (Bates)

1. Slaithwaite (Ryan Watkins)
2. Hazel Grove (Nigel Beasley)
3. BD1 (Lee Skipsey)
4. Blackpool Brass (John Pearson)
5. Haydock (Mark Quinn)
6. Bakewell Silver (Jim Henson)
7. Farnworth and Walkden (Luke Pallister)

Best Soloist: Phoebe Mallinson (flugel) — BD1
Best Basses: Slaithwaite
Best Tenor Horn: Hazel Grove

×

Second Section: 25/02/2018

Venu: Blackpool, Pavilion Theatre
Test Piece: Ex Terra Lucem (Bates)

1. Middleton (Kevin Gibbs)
2. Bollington Brass (Peter Christian)
3. Flixton (Ian Brownbill)
4. Old Hall Brass (John North)
5. Besses o'th'Barn (Trevor Halliwell)
6. Marple (Stephen Curtis)
7. Haydock (Mark Quinn)
8. Greenfield (Tom Haslam)
9. Pemberton Old Wigan DW 'B' (Mike Golding)
10. Blackpool Brass (John Pearson)
11. Eagley (Chris Wormald)
12. Formby (Louise Hough MBE)
13. Hazel Grove (Nigel Beasley)
14. Farnworth & Walkden (Luke Pallister)
15. Besses Boys (James Holt)
16. Whitworth Vale & Healey (Chris Binns)
17. Horwich RMI (Matt Ryan)
18. Valley Brass (Haydock) (David Chadwick)
19. Delph (Phil Goodwin)
20. Darwen Brass (Gordon Clough)
21. Trinity Girls (David Ashworth)

Best Trombones: Bollington 
Best Percussion: Besses Boys

×

Second Section: 21/10/2018

Venu: Rochdale Town Hall
Test Piece: Own Choice

1. Delph (Philip Goodwin) Kaleidoscope [Sparke]
2. Ifton Colliery (Scott Lloyd) The Saga of Haakon the Good
3. Whitworth Vale & Healey ( Christopher Binns) James Cook, Circumnavigator
4. Middleton (Kevin Gibbs) Firestorm
5. Flixton (Matthew Ryan)
6. Slaithwaite (Ryan Watkins)
7. Farnworth & Walkden (Luke Pallister)
8. Royal Buckley Town (Keith Jones)
9. Greenfield (Tom Haslam) Fire In The Blood
10. Pemberton Old DW B (Ben Dixon)
11. Besses o th Barn (Trevor Halliwell)
12. Horwich R.M.I. (John Hinckley)

Best
Instrumentalist: Euphonium (Ifton Colliery)

×

Second Section: 24/02/2019

Venu: Pavilion Theatre
Test Piece: Rise of the Phoenix (Darrol Barry)

1. Bollington Brass (Peter Christian)*
2. Besses Boys (James Holt)*
3. Farnworth & Walkden (Luke Pallister)*
4. Eagley (Chris Wormald)
5. Blackpool Brass (Len Charnock)
6. Pemberton Old Wigan DW 'B' (Mike Golding)
7. Marple (Stephen Curtis)
8. Tyldesley (Robert Taylor)
9. Delph (Philip Goodwin)
10. Old Hall Brass (John North)
11. Poulton-Le-Fylde (Alex Webb)
12. Besses o' th' Barn (Trevor Halliwell)
13. Allerton Brass (Adam D.J. Taylor)
14. Formby (Louise Hough MBE)
15. Rivington & Adlington (Malcolm Wilson)
16. Hazel Grove (Nigel Beasley)
17. Greenfield (Patrick Marshall)

*Top 3 bands qualify for the National Final

Best Percussion: Besses Boys

×

Second Section: 14/09/2019

Venu: Cheltenham Racecourse
Test Piece: Occasion (Edward Gregson)

1. South Yorkshire Police (Leigh Baker)
2. Chapeltown Silver Prize (Sam Fisher)
3. Sidmouth Town (Adrian Harvey)
4. Epsom & Ewell Silver (Paul Graham)
5. Newmains & District (Michael Marzella)
6. Besses Boys (James Holt)
7. Cockerton Prize Silver (Andy Hunter)
8. Farnworth & Walkden (Luke Pallister)
9. Weston (Carl Whiteoak)
10. Tendring (Antony Sanders)
11. Bollington (Peter Christian)
12. Rolls Royce (Derby) (Graham Cardwell)
13. Gresley Colliery (Craig Stevens)
14. Coalburn Silver (Gareth Bowman)
15. Newport Borough (Robin Hackett)
16. Bedford Town (Craig Paterson)
17. North Skelton (Lewis Wilkinson)
18. Royal Buckley Town (Keith Jones)

Best Instrumentalist: Lizzie Logie (flugel) — Besses Boys

×

Second Section: 26/01/2020

Venu: Pyramid and Parr Hall, Warrington /> Test Pieces: The Golden Sabre
— Tales of the Hussar-Poet, Denis Davydov
(Kit Turnbull)

1. BD1 Brass (Lee Skipsey)
2. Old Hall Brass (John North)
3. Slaithwaite (Matt Hindle)
4. Eccleston Brass (John Wood)
5. Crewe Brass (Matt Pithers)
6. Farnworth & Walkden (Dan Price)

Best Soloist: (soprano) — BD1 Brass
Best Basses: BD1 Brass
Best Tenor Horn: BD1 Brass

×

Second Section: Sunday, February 27th, 2022

Venu: Winter Gardens, Blackpool
Test Piece: The Aeronauts (Goff Richards)

Pos. Band, Conductor ( * Qualified )
1. Pemberton Old Wigan DW B, Jay Hall*
2. Tyldesley, Robert Taylor*
3. Poulton-Le-Fylde, Alexander Webb
4. Delph, Phil Goodwin
5. Hazel Grove, Nigel Beasley
6. Allerton Brass, Adam Taylor
7. Valley Brass (Haydock), David Chadwick
8. Diggle, James Garlick
9. Besses Boys, James Holt
10. Uppermill, Jamie Cooper
11. Farnworth & Walkden, Paul Dalton
12. Besses o'th' Barn, Trevor Halliwell
13. Haslingden & Helmshore, Joshua Hughes
14. Pilling Jubilee Silver, Steve Hartley
15. Eccleston Brass, John Wood
16. Blackpool Brass, Alan Seymour
w. Cheshire Constabularly

×

Third Section: Sunday, February 23th, 2025

Venu: Winter Gardens, Blackpool
Test Piece: Arkansas (Jacob de Haan)

1. Dobcross Silver (Jason M. Smith)*
2. Rivington & Adlington (Malcolm Wilson)*
3. Pilling Jubilee Silver (Joshua Hughes)*
4. Blackpool Brass (John North)
5. Thornton Cleveleys (Steve Tarry)
6. Eccleston Brass (John Wood)
7. Trinity Girls (Craig Mann)
8. Stalybridge Old (Nigel Lawless)
9. Sale Brass (Andrew Mallon)
10. Clock Face Miners Heritage (Will Haw)
11. Goodshaw (BMP Europe) (Dean Redfern)
12. Rode Hall Silver (Ken Mackintosh)
13. Hoover Bolton (Joe Murtagh)
14. Farnworth & Walkden (Simon Jones)

Withdrawn:
Besses o'th' Barn (Phil Shaw)

*Qualify for National Final

×

Third Section: Sunday, June 22nd, 2025

Venu: Market Square, Darwen
Test Piece: (Own Choice) I Know Thou Art Mine (Ballentine) Branwyn (Carr)

[Region] Band Conductor Draw    Placed    Prize
Championship Section
[Yorkshire] HepworthRyan Watkins11Overall 1st
[North West] BoarshurstJamie Prophet23Overall 3rd
[North West] WingatesMatthew Ryan44
[North West] MilnrowChristopher Binns112Overall 2nd
1st Section
[North West] HaydockMark Quinn 551st Section (1st)
2nd Section
[North West] Besses BoysJames Holt13122nd Section (2nd)
[North West] Poulton le FyldeSteve Craig 14102nd Section (1st)
3rd Section
[North West] Blackpool BrassJohn North313
[North West] Pilling Jubilee SilverJoshua Hughes614
[North West] Farnworth and WalkdenMatthew Whitfield  773rd Section (2nd)
[North West] Thornton CleveleysSteve Craig98
[North West] GoodshawDean Redfern1063rd Section (1st)
[North of England] North Lakes BrassGareth Sykes129
4th Section
[North West] BrindleSteve Hartley 8114th Section (1st)

  Best Soloist: Stephanie Binns (cornet) — Milnrow
  Youngest Player: Besses Boys


Adjudicator: Chris Robertson

14 bands played

×

Third Section:
Sunday, October 28th, 2025

Venu: St. Michael's Church of England High School, Chorley
Test Piece: (Own Choice) Entertainment Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Creep - Radiohead
Live and Let Die - Paul McCartney and Wings
California Dreamin' - The Mamas and the Papas
Mid all the Traffic - Bruce Springsteen
Paint it Black - Rolling Stones

[Region] Band Conductor Draw    Placed    Points
[North West] Rivington & Adlington Malcolm Wilson 5 1 272
[North of England] Spennymoor Town Fiona Casewell 9 2 -1 268
[Yorkshire] Dronfield Simon Gresswell 6 3 -1 265
[North West] Dobcross Silver Jason M. Smith 7 4 265
[North West] Trinity Girls Craig Mann 3 5 262
[North West] BMP (Europe) Goodshaw Dean Redfern 4 6 260
[North West] Besses o'th' Barn Martin Gernon 1 7 254
[North West] Farnworth & Walkden Matthew Whitfield 2 8 252
[North West] Clock Face Miners Heritage Will Haw 8 9 248

  Most Entertaining: Trinity Girls
  Best Composition/Arrangement: Lost Souls of the Mountain - Trinity Girls
  Best Soloist: Flugel, BMP Europe Goodshaw
  Best Cornets: Spennymoor Town
  Best Flugel/Horns: Rivington & Adlington
  Best Euphs/Baris: Spennymoor Town
  Best Trombones: Rivington & Adlington
  Best Basses: Dobcross Silver
  Best Percussion: Spennymoor Town
  Youngest Player: Jackson Floyd - Farnworth & Walkden
  Music Prize Draw: Trinity Girls


Adjudicators: Daniel Brooks , Gareth Sykes , Poppy Taylor

9 bands played

×

Third Section:
Saturday, October 18th, 2025

Venu: Wardle Academy, Wardle, Greater Manchester, England, UK
Test Piece: Own choice

Band Conductor Draw    Placed    Test Piece
Thornton Cleveleys John North 1 5th Napoleon on the Alps 2017
Dobcross Silver Jason M. Smith 2 1st Images for Brass [Bulla] 2001
Wetherby & District Silver Craig Ratcliffe 3 4th St. Austell Suite 2001
North Lakes Brass Dennis Hadfield 4 2nd Purcell Variations [Downie] 1995
Farnworth & Walkden Matthew Whitfield 5 3rd Olympus 2011 (Philip Harper)
Stalybridge Old Dean Redfern W

  First Prize (The A&J Trophy and £300):
  Second Prize (The Association Shield and £200):
  Highest Placed NWABBA Band (The Ted Butress Rose Bowl):
  Best Instrumentalist (The Fred Rhodes Memorial Challenge Trophy):


Adjudicators:

5 bands played