WHIT Friday could be renamed Fright Friday if you happen to read an Angela Blythe novel before taking in the ‘greatest free show on earth’ on May 25.
Instead of listening to tenor horns, trombones and cornets, readers instead may be looking for vampires, demons and ghosts as Saddleworth reverberates to the sound of brass band music.
That’s because the Uppermill based author chose two of her greatest passions as the subjects for her growing series of horror stories.
‘Bold As Brass’ is Angela’s latest offering following ‘Sticky Valves’, ‘Silver Banned’ and ‘Brass Neck’.
There are two more books to come this summer while prolific Angela has already planned another six to eight volume series.
“Many of the characters are people I know but they have never actually met,” says Angela, a keen bander.
“Most of them are in the band in this book but it isn’t necessarily where I know them from.
“But they gel so easily because they are all huge characters. And because I know what they are going to say, I can get the words down very quickly.”
Angela has written most of her adult life; initially producing scripts for amateur dramatic productions and pantomimes.
But it was during the previous Saddleworth ‘ice age’ in 2010 – prior to the Beast from the East – she turned her attention to novel writing.
House-bound in the snow, surrounded by frozen pipes and with her then 10-year-old son a member of Uppermill Band, Angela’s imagination began to run riot.
“I’d always had the idea of brass bands and vampires,” she said.
“And because of all the bad weather, it got me thinking if we were cut off they would be able to do anything they liked.
“All these years I have just had more ideas and kept writing them down. Hence why one book became a series of six.”
As her two children grew up Angela was able to devote more time and is now a full-time writer.
But the more words going down on a page mean less notes coming from her tenor horn.
“I played with Lees Band at Whit Friday last year and marched in the morning with Dobcross Silver Band,” she explained.
“However, now with all the writing I can’t afford two nights of rehearsals each week. But I am still hoping to play on Whit Friday.”
But where does the love of horror stem from?
“I am a child of the 60s,” she chuckled. My mum and dad used to let me watch Hammer Horror films. And I loved Carry on Screaming!
“Some of the stuff in the books is quite gory. Lots of bands people would die for each other… and in my tales that is what they have to do!”
Purchase Angela’s book online: www.amazon.co.uk/Angela-Blythe/e/B075FX9GWH
