Band Stand, Peel Park, Salford 1925

Pencil on paper

Salford’s largest green space, Peel Park, was a focal point for the city’s residents, particularly on Sundays and holidays. The high viewpoint in this drawing, sketched from a window in the Royal Technical College nearby, allows the extent of the park to spread out before the viewer. In the foreground are the greenhouses, in the distance the sprawling smoky city, and at the centre is the bandstand. On the outer edges of the crowd people come and go, pausing for a moment to watch and listen. The crowd gradually becomes thicker, but forms an orderly line around the dancers, caught up in the music, and at the centre is the tiny figure of the conductor, arms aloft, enthusiastically leading the band.