Band of the Grenadier Guards Visits Uppermill

The streets of Uppermill were packed to capacity this morning with spectators eagerly awaiting the visit of the Band of the Grenadier Guards. Apparently the event has been two years in the planning as part of a visit to northern parts, which included Salford yesterday. This morning they paraded and played along Uppermill’s High Street and then gave a free outdoor concert on the King George V Playing Fields. This afternoon they are going to visit Saddleworth School and tonight they will give a concert at Uppermill Civic Hall before returning to London.

The Guards are used to seeing big crowds in London, but a couple of the soldiers told me that they were astonished by the size of the crowds in such a small place as Uppermill…they were just not expecting that. The weather was lovely and showed off our local scenery a treat.

Street photography is a genre that I find quite difficult. When there are literally thousands of people around, it is a particular challenge trying to isolate subjects, so some distractions are inevitable. Although I had a long focal length lens with me, I found that I could not see above or through the dense crowds, so mostly I used a wider angle lens close up. I am also getting to grips with the new Canon EOS R, which is full frame and has an electronic viewfinder…but I seemed to have few difficulties. The pictures are not for competition, but I hope they capture something of the mood of the occasion.