Charles Ingham was a local lad who lived and worked in Marple and had a passion for brass bands. He was a trombone player and later a percussionist with Marple Band and worked tirelessly to keep the band going through good times and bad. He shivered and sweated through rehearsals in all manner of halls, sheds and function rooms. Right up until his death in 1985, it was his abiding wish that the band should have a real home of its own.
He was responsible for re-forming the band in 1963 after it had faltered with the rise in popularity of television and wrote a history of Marple Band and called it "Gone Banding". In January 1985, this book was launched in the function room of the Navigation (the then bandroom).
Unfortunately Charlie was too ill to attend. He died on the 10th. March 1985.
The book was sold to local folk but also to people as far away as America, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
If you read the book you will notice a thread running through it - Charlie's wish for the band to own its own bandroom.
On the last page he wrote, "of the ambitions I had for this band when we re-formed, only one remains unfulfilled; to have our own bandroom".
About 80 people attended the launch of the book and Ron Singleton (licensee of the Navigation) asked for help in forming a committee to raise funds with which to build a bandroom. A raffle and collection on the night raised over £100 and a bank account in the name of the Charles Ingham Bandroom Fund was opened.
Thus the bandroom project was born.
The committee organised Coffee mornings, Quiz Nights, Bier Kellers and Race Nights, not to mention Hoe Downs which were held in the Scout Hut and the barn at Woodend Farm and the piece de resistance, the Fun Day and Bull Shit competition, also held at Woodend Farm with the cooperation of James the Hereford Bull. During this time there was a waste paper collection. A skip would be filled and 7 to 8 tons of waste paper sent away every 3 to 4 weeks at an average of £20 per ton. Also, a 200 club was started with a draw taking place every three months.
In 1987 the fund acquired a plot of land on which it was proposed to build the new bandroom. The land was in 3 parts - one sold to the committee by local estate agent, Norman Gibson; one given by local solicitor George Cope; the third being the filled in arm of the canal which ran to the old Hollins Mill on which possessory title was registered. (It later turned out that this land actually belonged to SMBC but by then it was too late - for them.) Plans were drawn by Phillip Ingham, Charlie's nephew, and planning permission for a bandroom obtained.
For several years fund-raising went ahead while the two bands - The Marple Band and Marple B Band - continued to rehearse in the Navigation.
Then, in the 1990's things began to change. Ron Singleton retired from the Navigation so the bands had to find new homes. Marple B band was welcomed at Hawk Green Cricket Club and, in recognition, changed its name to Hawk Green Band. The Marple Band tried the Liberal Club and the Conservative Club before settling in Compstall Mill.
The trouble was that, without a single location where everything to do with banding in Marple took place, the three organisations became isolated from each other. Also, both bands continued to be successful in contests leaving them little energy to spare for bandroom matters. Fund-raising was reduced to the quarterly 200 club draw and the bandroom project was left on the back burner.
The dream, however, did not die - although Marple Band almost did. In 2006, Ron Singleton announced that he still hoped to see a bandroom for Marple's bands before he died so we'd better get on with it.
Since it was not possible to raise funds fast enough to keep pace with ever increasing building costs, some lateral thinking was required. So, it was proposed that, instead of building a bandroom on the plot of behind 2,4,6 Stockport Road, the committee should
In the end, no other suitable plot turned up BUT the empty and boarded up ex Park Keeper's Cottage in Marple Memorial Park did. What an opportunity! A great location and a chance to rescue two bits of local heritage at a stroke.
April 2010 Planning permission obtained on the Park Keeper's Cottage.
April 2011 Lease obtained on the Park Keeper's Cottage and work begins.
March 2012 Planning permission obtained on land behind 2, 4, 6 Stockport Road.
March 2013 Phase 1 of the building project (renovation of the cottage) completed. Building in use for storage, meetings and small rehearsals.
May 2013 Land behind 2, 4, 6 Stockport Road sold at auction.
October 2013 Work on the extension started.
March 2014 Phase 2 of the building project (extension to provide the main rehearsal room) completed.
On 18th May 2014 the Grand Opening of the Charles Ingham Bandroom took place