Forget The Beatles! It was The Manglers, Trevs’ house jazz band, who graced the streets of Liverpool and serenaded the Scousers into 2026. On a drizzly Wednesday morning, the true workout began. The full Manglers’ entourage, headed by veteran Oli Matthews, dragged the instruments, and of course the cherished watermelons up the dreaded station stairs. Away we went… ready for three unforgettable days of saxophones, Spoons and some rare snippets of sun.

Overwhelmed by the sheer number of fast-food places which outshone the scarcity in Durham, we made our busking debut outside the beautiful Jollibee – a view which became far too familiar. Three Amy Winehouse songs later, we managed to draw in a lively crowd who very much appreciated the sound of Ethan’s unplugged piano! In pure Manglers’ fashion, we finished off the set with a cracking rendition of ‘Runaway Baby’, foreshadowing our very quick migration to the Michelin star Wetherspoons across the road.

Three days of saxophones, Spoons, and some rare snippets of sun

Heartbeats spiked, tensions rose as we began our daily ritual of kangaroo court. Presided over by the fair and honest judge Mary Bray, the feared jazz police were ready to hold those Manglers who had not fulfilled their tour role accountable. Unfortunately, our number one fan girl, Daisy, was not on great terms with her phone charger, hence the sparse Instagram content for the week!

Thursday was an utterly grey day, which even our energetic cover of ‘Walking on Sunshine’ could not rectify. However, it was the day that Liverpool fans got to witness the one and only Freddie Hagan deliver a crazy sax solo – looked like a bit of a knee killer. As hands began to shiver and stomachs rumbled, we embarked on a school trip to the Royal Albert Docks. Treasurer Luke only received a few odd looks, as he strutted confidently along in a beautiful red dress, courtesy of his one-legged stylist Carl.

Whoever said The Manglers were a refined and sophisticated lot was no doubt correct, and we crammed ourselves into Spoons, once again ready for a cheap and cheerful meal from the Curry Club menu. Senior Mangler and TCBC president, James Robinson, did not let his old age fail him, as he led us on a magnificent bar crawl through Liverpool. The real question is: were there more pints purchased, or mentions of rowing? My favourite spot had to be St Peter’s Tavern, a renovated 1788 church turned pub. £4 pints under divine supervision: could life get any better?

Whoever said The Manglers were a refined and sophisticated lot was no doubt correct

Greggs’ sausage rolls, endless pints, Spoons dinners – a fun yet unsustainable lifestyle. Sadly, on Friday morning we abandoned busking as a choir of yawns. Instead, in true Durham fashion, we sought out not one, but two cathedrals. Whilst certainly winning in quantity and size, they couldn’t possibly top our own. Reinvigorated in the afternoon, the busking wars began! Battled by street patrol, we retreated and formed the filling of a busker sandwich. It only took a smooth cover of Manglers’ classic ‘The Chicken’, and Ethan’s eloquent egg poem to get the crowds going! A final bar crawl followed in the evening, enhanced by the tragic death of Sam’s beloved watermelon, a short-lived visit to a karaoke bar, and some much-needed chill time back at the hostel.

On Saturday morning, we scrambled out of bed and said a heartfelt goodbye to the lively city of Liverpool! 2 smashed watermelons, 6 Spoons trips and 8 Bruno Mars’ songs later, it truly was a bonding experience. Special thanks must go to Oli Matthews for his commendable organisational skills and Niamh Connellan for MD’ing us under all conditions.

Don’t you fear; The Manglers, minus a few watermelons, will be back on 14th March for our annual charity gig in Trevs’ Bar! 

Image: Isabella Holden