Middleton Sound

Middleton Sound was a newsheet published by the Middleton Sound Publicity group at 2 Penrhyn Ave, Middleton - was that Paul Ingram Agency? Can anyone add some more info?

I can travel back even further in time. I used to do a weekly gig with the first jazz band that I ever played with at the Asheton Arms in Middleton. This would be back in 1958. All that I can remember about the gig is that our very shy piano player met his future wife there much to the disgust of the bandleader who quite rightly saw us losing the best musician in the band to a woman. I must admit that working for the bandleader in question was very much like being married to a nagging jealous woman - or so I imagine.

Sometimes the bass player and I would get a lift home with a friend of ours who rode a motor cycle combination. I would travel in the sidecar with my gear. the bass would be tied to the roof making it impossible for me to get out of the sidecar without the bass being removed first. The bass player travelled on the pillion keeping a firm hand on the bass. 

This was all very well until we were cut up by a bus in Blackley. Bass player and motorcycling mate bailed out leaving me trapped in the sidecar heading for a lamp standard. Luckily the bike stopped in time otherwise I would have died tragically young and have been a great loss to the world of music. Did I hear someone sniggering? 

In later years I played with John Tapp and John Kirkham which led me to believe that there must be something in the water in Middleton that produces great musicians.

Pete Crooks - 29/6/09