Below is part of an email that Brierley sent to the band after reading an entry about the band in the Sale & Altrincham Messenger.
In 1965-67 I played cornet with Stretford Borough Band practicing in the black "hut" next to the canal at Stretford. I don’t remember much about it other than I used to walk to rehearsal from my home on Brooklands Estate for rehearsals on Tuesday evening and Sunday morning. The "beginners" rehearsal started about half an hour before the main rehearsal. There was only one other young lad a little older than me, chubby with red hair and I think played the trombone but I cant remember his name.
My father, Jim Stubbs, worked at MetroVicks with Dick Mitton and that’s how I was introduced, having just taken up the trumpet at school.
Having been "approached" by a white car on Brooklands Road whilst returning from rehearsal one dark winter evening during the Moors Murders era, my mother decided I should restrict my attendance to Sunday Morning. Warming up in that hut, on an icy February morning was quite a challenge!!
I was taught trumpet at school by Alan Gregory, who must be near retirement now, but has a music shop in Fallowfield. He ran the Wythenshawe Brass Ensemble which I was in from 1966 - 1968 and practiced at Wythenshawe Technical school on Altrincham Road on a Friday night. We played modern light music and Pop. Our "Big Hit" was "Everlasting Love" by Love Affair, "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Swingin' Safari" by Bert Kaempfert. Their concerts were very popular due to the modern repertoire. Mr Gregory also ran the Manchester Youth Stage Band which I was in from 1969 - 1971. That was an exciting experience and we had a couple of recording sessions at the BBC studios in the old Hippodrome in Hulme.
Concurrent with this I had my own 7 piece band with my school mates, Doug Malone (clarinet/sax), Derek Smith (Deceased - piano), Stuart Singleton (Bass), John Bradshaw (drums), Leon Laga (trombone), Rob Orr (12 string guitar), playing a mix of jazz and light music. Our signature tunes were "love is blue" and "Wonderful World". We did a lot of charity gigs and at one, a garden party at West Wythenshawe FE college, we met Bill Corry who invited me to play flugal horn with the Wythenshawe Band. Last time I saw him was about 8 years ago in Altrincham. Bill I recall seemed to model himself on Glenn Miller and the band repertoire included American Patrol and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. To this day one of my favourite pieces of music thanks to Bill. However, though I really loved the band and its music, I couldn’t duplicate the solo confidence and composure I enjoyed with my own 7-piece, when challenged with the solo test pieces of Fulgel Horn. We played contests at Preston Guildhall and Stretford Town Hall and was section four in those days.
The Band practiced in desperate accommodation at the old Sharston Hall. Long since gone, but it moved before I left to a school hall at Peel Hall think? I recall a whole family of members, the Mangans, who lived on Altrincham Road, Baguley opposite Bill Corry who then lived in a big old Victorian house with his mother. The house was demolished about 1970 and new estates built.
I still have my trumpet, though other than private "shows" for the kids when they were young and in a drunken stupor at Christmas parties, I haven’t played since 1974 when I was briefly with a Stockport Stage Band. A Boosey & Hawkes Sessionair which was overhauled at Alan Gregory's music shop Alan Gregory about 10 years ago. I had hope one of my 3 sons would take it up, but alas........
Having turned 52 on 13th August, I wonder where everyone is now? Perhaps I could watch a rehearsal sometime?
Brierley Stubbs – September 2004.