Twitter Facebook-f Instagram Youtube Tripadvisor Envelope
Twitter Facebook-f Instagram Youtube Tripadvisor Envelope
Sign up for our newsletter
  • 01298 79648
  • 07530 457755

All Roads Lead to Buxton

Esme Hand was a well known organist who lived in Buxton from 1968 and immortalised the town in the extraordinary song All roads lead to Buxton.

 In my constant search for further inspiration about our lovely town I recalled hearing about a fascinating woman called Esme Hand. Esme had a glittering musical career including providing musical accompaniment for many MGM films. She played at the famous Belle Vue circus in Manchester and was also the organist at the Tower ballroom in Blackpool. She eventually moved to Buxton in 1968 and played first at the Pavilion Gardens before becoming the resident organist at The Palace Hotel. This song was recorded in the beautiful ballroom of the hotel and I believe was never originally intended for public release. The song did however make it out into the wider world and was once given the accolade the worst song ever on Jaspar Carrot’s radio show!!

She played at the Pavilion Gardens and at the old St Anne’s Hotel part of the Crescent. Many older residents of the town will remember her musical evenings sometimes playing with her brother. In fact they did bring out a record together called, interestingly, Two Hands at the Organ !! She died in 2016 at the ripe old age of 100 years.
You can hear the song here and judge for yourself.

I would be very interested in your views. Her lyrics list all the main radial roads (clockwise). After singing about the A53 and the A54, her crescendo line refers to the A5002, but Long Hill, to which we think she is referring, is the A5004. According to Google Maps, there is no A5002. However, they do occasionally renumber the roads. Long Hill used to be the A6, and it was/is the most direct road from Buxton to Whaley Bridge. Later (I think to divert freight) LH was renumbered because the A6 was rerouted via Dove Holes and Chapel, and then rerouted again when they opened the Chapel bypass!! All roads, whatever they are called lead to Buxton, and certainly Esme’s heart belonged to Buxton.

 
Back to Blog