Octagon Theatre Founder Is New Eagley Band President
Gerry Russell, one of the five people responsible for the design and building of Bolton’s World famous Octagon Theatre, has become the new President of Eagley Brass Band.
Mr Russell has lived and worked in Bolton for over fifty years but whilst still a student in Loughborough, he and three friends, together with their Drama lecturer Robin Pemberton-Billing, designed a revolutionary model of a theatre which they brought up to Bolton and presented to the town council in 1965. The council immediately approved the plans, Mr Pemberton-Billing moved up to Bolton to lead the Octagon's construction and the rest is Bolton history - the World-famous theatre opened remarkably quickly in November 1967.
Mr Russell was the Octagon Theatre’s first ever electrician and stayed in the post from 1967 to 1969 until he decided that Bolton would be his permanent home for life at the age of 25 and needed a fresh challenge. In recent years he has been a Trustee at Bolton Hospice and for the past two decades has been the generous principal sponsor of Chris Wormald's many Smithills School Senior Brass, Wind and Jazz Bands.
Mr Russell is delighted to renew his association with Chris through Eagley Band and is both honoured and proud to have been made President.
His first Eagley concert as the band's President will be the Gala Concert in aid of Christie’s Hospital on Saturday April 21st at 7.30pm in the Victoria Hall, Bolton.
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