'Stolen' beermats raise global cheer

Saddleworth parish councillor Lesley Brown pictured with a Dobcross band club beer man at Saddleworth, south west Australia.

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BEERMATS "stolen" from a well-known club are striking a chord in countries and destinations across the world.

Because over the last two years, members of Dobcross Band and Social Club have been actively encouraged to be 'naughty' and steal a beermat to take on holiday.

The distinctive beermats, marked "stolen from Dobcross Band Club," have turned up in a host of exotic and unexpected places.

And the latest destination to feature on the club beermats "wall of fame" is Saddleworth . . . Western Australia.

Epic

Lesley Brown, from Diggle, made the epic trek with the beermat to put her stamp on the community during a holiday to her daughter Sadie who moved to Adelaide five years ago.

Lesley, a Saddleworth Parish councillor, is a staunch member of the Dobcross Brass Monkeys whose headquarters is at the band club.

"We planned to drive from Adelaide to Perth across the Nullarbor plain," she said.

"But the one place I wanted to visit before leaving Adelaide was Saddleworth, about am hour and a half drive north.

"And I took the beermat with me. It just seemed a fitting thing to do, particularly because of the strong historical connection between the two communities.

"Saddleworth in Australia was named by James Masters who arrived from his home in Dobcross. He had been a warden at Holy Trinity Church and victualler at the The Swan in the village."

Lesley went on: "Sadly because of new farming techniques the village is declining. The grocers shop burned down last year and not been replaced.

"The Saddleworth Hotel, is currently closed supposedly for refurbishment along with the museum, Willi's coffee snacks and giftware is the only shop remaining. But I'm glad I made the link," she added.

Notes on the community's website say Saddleworth had a "traditional country town atmosphere" with a heritage walk. The settlement came in 1844 and was named by the early pastoralist John Masters. The main activities are wheat, barley, sheep and cattle farming.

Jill Drake, the Dobcross band and social club secretary, said 2,000 beermats have been distributed. "They've appearing in holiday destinations and famous landmarks worldwide," she said. We've had a picture of one beermat taken at 35,030 feet about 100 miles east of Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the flight deck of a Boeing 757 on route from Cuba.

"The mats have travelled extensively through Belgium, Holland, France and Spain and been snapped in America, Barbados, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Fiji, New Zealand."

She added: "All entries are posted on the club's Facebook and we love to see where the mats been and wonder where they will end up next."

Email your entry with the location details and any other information, to: Info@DobcrossBandClub.co.uk.