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DELIGHTED . . . Julie Davies, lead radiographer at the new centre

Cancer centre set to launch

Christie Hospital’s pioneering new £17m radiotherapy centre will open its doors to patients at the Royal Oldham next month.

The new facility will launch only 12 months after the Chronicle’s £100,000 Christie’s at Oldham appeal began and signals a mammoth step forward in cancer care for the borough.

Now, readers who helped make it happen are being invited to take a look around the hi-tech unit before treatment gets started.

Date published: 09/02/2010

Brrr-ace yourselves for the return of winter

FLASHBACK to last month as a snow plough clears Grains Road, close to the Black Ladd pub near Shaw

Oldham is bracing itself after weather forecasts warned of snow tomorrow.

Temperatures plummeted across the borough last night and traffic on the notorious A62 was reduced to a crawl...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Homes revamp leads to third worst rating

Figures distorted by Oldham’s massive improvement project

Work on Oldham’s massive contract to improve all sheltered homes pushed the borough into third worst place for empty social housing properties.

In April, 2008, Government figures show 572 social housing homes were empty for more than six months, 2.9 per cent of the 20,044 housing stock.

But 480...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Police hunt for sex offenders

WANTED: Mamod Korbani

THESE two men are among 15 missing sex offenders being sought by police.

Attif Hussain and Mamod Korbani are registered sex offenders who have vanished after they were released from...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Death driver charged

AN 18-year-old man has appeared in court charged with causing the death of Moorside teenager Christopher Dale, who would have been 16 today.

Danny Lee Pattinson, of Trows Lane, Rochdale, appeared before Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

His trial has been fixed to start on September 6 and he will...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Man bailed over hit and run

A 24-year-old Royton man was arrested and bailed in connection with the death of a teenager in a hit-and-run incident nearly three years ago.

Promising rugby player Adam O’Toole, from Holmfirth, was hit by a Rover 200 as he crossed Salendine Nook, Huddersfield, on March 6, 2007.

The 18-year-old student died from his injuries.

Police believed the driver may...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Beer garden smoking ban ‘draconian’

EXTENDING the smoking ban to beer gardens could be the final nail in the coffin for already struggling pubs, MPs are claiming.

Shipley MP Philip Davies and Leeds North-West MP Greg Mulholland fear Government proposals to extend the ban to areas outside pubs including the gardens would damage an already stretched industry.

Mr Mulholland, chairman of the All Party...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Fears for jobs as store seeks buyer

STAFF at Ethel Austin stores in the Oldham area were left fearful for the jobs today after the 76–year–old discount retailer called in administrators for the second time in two years.

Ethel Austin has stores in Market Street, Shaw, Chadderton Precinct and the Arndale Centre in Middleton — part of a network of nearly 300 stores and its sister homewares chain Au Naturale....

Date published: 09/02/2010

Love is on the air

SAYING “I do” again . . . civil partners Mary, left, and Judith

Mary and Judith join 99 other couples for Valentine’s Day radio ‘wedding’
A FAILSWORTH couple who became Greater Manchester’s first civil partners will be saying...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Life in the fast Lane

TOOTHY grin . . . Saddleworth dentist Andrew Lane with his gold medal

Dentist goes through pain barrier to complete epic rally

SADDLEWORTH dentist Andrew Lane is all smiles after coming out on top in an epic rally.

He scooped one of only two gold...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Police name badges will cost £21,000

POLICE officers will wear name badges to make themselves more open and accountable to the public.

All of Greater Manchester Police force’s 8,100 officers and 4,000 civilian staff will wear the badges, which will display their full name along with their rank.

The cost of issuing all members of staff with the magnetic name badges will be £21,000.

Chief...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Artists reveal their work

FROM left: Ann Parkin, David Edwards, Sue Hannam, Steve Tringer, Ron Etherington, Ian Norris, Margaret Hinchliffe and John McCombs (seated).

MEMBERS of an art class run by Saddleworth painter John McCombs have put their best work on display.

The exhibition includes figure and landscape paintings and drawings and will run at...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Success is suite for CSL

MORE than 1,000 suites a day were being sold by CSL — which has a store at the Centre Retail Park, Broadway, Royton — during the festive peak trading period.

Such was the demand for furniture, the Wigan-based retailer has reported a 51 per cent increase in total sales for the year to December 31, with turnover reaching a record £72.5 million, up from...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Thugs steal bikes from youngsters

A PAIR of 13-year-old boys were threatened with a metal dog lead before having their BMX bikes stolen in Hollinwood.

The victims were approached by a group of around nine boys in the skate park on Hollins Road at 3pm on January 31.

The offenders were aged between 17 and 19, and wore scarves to cover their faces.

PC Andrew Davies said: “We would like to appeal...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Poorest pupils get free school trips

OLDHAM’S poorest pupils will receive £1.1 million to take part in after-school clubs and trips.

The money will pay for children whose families cannot afford extra-curricular activities.

The borough will receive £1,116,975 of Government funding through Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) with £25 million going to the North-West as a...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Sportsman Ian refuses to be beaten

IAN TAYLOR: overcoming barriers

PARKINSON’S Disease can cause shaking, muscle stiffness and slow movement in sufferers making everyday life difficult.

We look at how former Latics goalkeeper and Oldham Rugby...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Dancers back on their toes

CUTTING the ribbon . . . Sheila Carter at the new Samantha Jayne School of Dance, with owner Sharon Greenwood, front, second left, and some of the pupils

Famed founder reopens school

A homeless dance school has pirouetted into new premises — with an official opening by a famous choreographer.

Sheila Carter, who has worked on...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Make a point of ballet!

BUDDING ballerinas . . . dance teacher Nicola Reynolds with her young recruits

BUDDING ballerinas are needed to swell the ranks of a Mossley dance school.

The group, which meets every Saturday morning at the community centre in Roughtown Road, is for anyone aged...

Date published: 09/02/2010

On your marks for pancake race

Saddleworth’s restaurants and pubs are being urged to enter a new fundraising Pancake Race this month.

The relay race will take place at the White Hart at Lydgate on Pancake Tuesday, February 16, at 3pm, with the first race starting at 3.30pm.

Organised by Saddleworth Rotary Club, entrants are required to bring frying pans with pancakes and are recommended to...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Festive concert raises £1,000

Pictured (from left): Rotarian Colin Higgins, Rotarian Frank Murphy, Rotary President Phillip Hibbert, the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Jim McArdle, Youth Mayor Mohammed Adil, Mayoress Councillor Kay Knox and Rotarian Cyril Hall.

A Christmas concert secured a £1,000 donation to the Mayor of Oldham’s Appeal Fund.
The Rotary Club of Oldham Metro staged the event at St James’s Church in Derker in...

Date published: 09/02/2010

Homes switch on to water power

Water power: Bill Edwards (left) and Mike Rooke, secretary of Greenfield and Grasscroft Residents’ Association, at the site of the planned water turbine at Dovestone

Dovestone go-ahead for hydro electric project

UP to 100 homes could be powered by water in a groundbreaking hydro electricity project.

Landowners United Utilities, have given...

Date published: 08/02/2010

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