In September 2007, Frank Sidebottom organised several tours of Timperley in an open-topped bus. Phil Stubbs joined in the madness.
I first came across Frank Sidebottom in the mid-1980s. He was a regular fixture on Piccadilly Radio in Manchester, where I loved his inventive short broadcasts and interview appearances – on the Mark Radcliffe and James H Reeve shows. I first met Frank in 1987 at the British Monopoly Championships, in which I was one of 50 finalists. I also, separately, met Chris Sievey at the event, once the Frank outfit had been removed.
I subsequently followed the ups and downs of his career, buying records and attending his concerts and lectures. In 2005 I got to know Chris when I worked with him on some filmmaking projects.
In 2007, Frank launched his bus tours within his home village of Timperley, Manchester. I lived in Timperley at the time, and I went along, taking the photos below.
I will write more about Frank and Chris on this page, but for now, please enjoy these pictures of his Magical Timperley Tour!
