OLDHAM CHRONICLE REVIEW OF THE YEAR

January

5 — PLUCKY motorist Niall Beard passed his driving test first time with a completely clean sheet after scoring no major or minor faults.



6 — WOOLWORTHS stores in Shaw and Oldham town centre closed their doors for the last time as the national chain ceased trading.



7 — LEES farmer David Mort named a newborn llama Obama to mark the new US president’s inauguration.



8 — OLDHAM glamour girl Michelle Marsh made a surprise appearance on “Celebrity Big Brother”.



9 — CHADDERTON lovebirds Stan and Joyce Overy celebrated their Blue Sapphire wedding anniversary after clocking up 65 years of marriage.



9 — PUPILS at St Mary’s Primary in Greenfield won the Best Attendance award for the second year running.



13 — MOORSIDE gym owner and former “Coronation Street” actor Scott Wright was credited for helping shamed reality TV star Kerry Katona to shed her excess flab at Heavenly Bodies in Ripponden Road.



14 — INQUISITIVE tot Harvey Mills faced a hepatitis test after his parents found him sucking a used needle that he found in an unlocked cupboard at Cannon Street Health Centre.



15 — GREEN-fingered Alf Bridge was shocked to find a tree in his garden bore more than a striking resemblance to Bart Simpson.



16 — LITTLE Freya Williams celebrated her first birthday after surviving against the odds when she was born three months early to parents Ann Murray and Jeff Williams. She weighed just 2lbs 11ozs and spent four weeks on a life support machine.



14 — MOTORISTS were shocked to see an unidentified big cat roaming across Saddleworth Moors.



21 — FITNESS fanatic Sam Widdall collapsed during a football game after suffering a heart attack. The 22-year-old was given first aid by team mates Ryan Bailey and Chris Tetlow and made a full recovery after having a pacemaker fitted.



22 — GREENFIELD residents were outraged by signs put up to advertise special deals at new restaurant The Kingfisher saying they were a road nuisance and not in keeping with the area.



26 — TRIPLETS Jason, Jessica and Katie Booth celebrated their 13th birthdays with a trip down memory lane to the place where it all began - the special care baby unit at the Royal Oldham Hospital.




FEBRUARY



2 — OLDHAM Choral Society marked 125 years of song with a celebratory concert at Oldham Parish Church.



3 — MOTORISTS were left stranded and hundreds of schoolkids got an extra days holiday as Oldham battled with the worst snowy weather conditions for 18 years.



4 — A CREDIT Crunch War Cabinet was set up by Oldham Council to tackle job losses and recession in the borough.



5 — ROYTON decorator Christopher Taylor paid a visit to Downing Street to tell Prime Minister Gordon Brown about the benefits of being an apprentice. The 22-year-old was named apprentice of the year in 2007.



6 — PUB manager Stuart Haigh discovered a man buried in a snow drift at the Rams Head in Denshaw following a 70mph blizzard. The quick thinking 22-year-old dug the man out and got help straight away.



9 — ROYTON pensioner Arthur Proudley declared war on retail giant Comet after they refused to refund him £600 for a faulty Sat Nav. He took his case to Oldham County Court and won.



11 — LATICS swopped their traditional blue kit for shocking pink shirts and shorts for their televised home clash with Leeds in support of the Victoria Breast Care Unit at the Royal Oldham Hospital.



12 — JANE Proctor gained a new lease of life after suffering a stroke while on holiday in Gran Canaria. The 42-year-old enrolled at Oldham College to rebuild her confidence and make new friends.



13 — A GIANT England flag bearing the name of former Latics player Ernie Cooksey was stolen from Latics fans during an England game in Spain. Ernie lost his battle with skin cancer in 2008 aged just 28



16 — ROMANTIC pair Shirley Hartley and Brian Armstrong chose Valentine’s Day for their wedding ceremony at Chadderton Town Hall.



17 — LITTLE Charlea Armstead’s dreams came true when she was invited to perform with the cast of Swan Lake at Manchester’s Opera House thanks to the Make a Wish Foundation. The six-year-old suffers from rare genetic disorder Niemann Pick Disease.



18 — DETERMINED Wayne Gresty refused to let his disabilities get in the way of his dreams when he qualified as a driving instructor.



20 — PENSIONERS were given a boost thanks to the announcement of a £400 million revamp of the borough’s sheltered housing complexes.



25 — TREASURED Oldham dance hall The Pennine Lounge closed its doors for the final time after almost 80 years of tangos, waltzes and rhumbas.



26 — GROTTON businessman Paul Meredith won a David and Goliath style battle with British Gas who claimed he owed them £7,000 for gas used at Pickwick’s, a bar he runs in Yorkshire Street. He won the fight and eventually paid £1,000.




Farewells



:: Peter Law (77) of Mann’s Furnishers

:: Grasscroft climber Brian Roberts (61)

:: Oldham Chronicle advertising manager Jim Whittingham (60)

:: Martin Glazier-Macrae (12) who suffered heart failure following an asthma attack

:: Janet Huxley (41) who suffered from cerebral palsy

:: Nellie Wood (105)

:: Former teacher and Guides leader Barbara Anderson (72)

:: Rev Donald Berry (83) of Healds Green Methodist in Chadderton

:: Alwyn Garforth (91) founder of Garforth Glass in Springhead

:: Local football stalwart Martin Buckley (68)






March



2 — DETERMINED Clarksfield homeowners scooped a lottery grant to revamp a dilapidated alleyway behind their properties when council chiefs refused to fund the work.



3 — LEGENDARY veteran cricketer Cec Wright supported Oldham Athletic’s Link4Pink fundraising campaign by dying his hair bright fuschia for Latics’ televised home clash with Leeds United which saw them wear shocking pink kits.



4 — YOUNGSTERS were given a £5 million government boost for a brand new state of the art youth centre after a group of dedicated teenagers had their bid for funding accepted.



5 — LUCKY Chaddertonian Gilbert Clarke was able to tear his electricity bills up for 12 months thanks to a Key 103 competition win which saw the Manchester-based radio station fund all his energy costs for 12 months.



6 — A FAMILY who narrowly avoided serious injury when yobs threw bricks from a flyover in Oldham Way called for tough action to prevent similar incidents in the future.



9 — TEENAGER Rhys Wareing turned into a hero when he saved the life of Nicola Crawley as she choked on a piece of toast. The 15-year-old was walking to Royton and Crompton School when he spotted the damsel in distress. His quick thinking actions dislodged the toast and saved Nicola’s life.



10 — LITTLE Dylan Grant suffered serious injuries when a garden wall he was walking along collapsed in Hollinwood. The seven-year-old’s mum, Joanne, said he was lucky to be alive.



11 — THE Oldham Chronicle teamed up with the Christie Hospital in a bid to raise £100,000 for the new radiotherapy centre. The £17 million project will be home to two linear accelerators which will offer lifesaving treatment to patients.



13 — OLDHAM’S 1,000th alleygate was installed in Shaw Road, Royton, meaning more than 10,000 homes benefited from the £1 million scheme.



19 — OLDHAM born actress and former “Coronation Street” star Sarah Lancashire was honoured to become Honorary Doctorate of Letters.



23 — OLDHAM Choral Society celebrated its 125th anniversary with a special concert at Oldham Parish Church and an exhibition at Gallery Oldham.



25 — LOCAL tourists were forced to cancel a pilgrimage trip to the Vatican after Chadderton-based Magnum Holidays went into administration.



27 — A WOMAN was injured when a 12ft garden wall collapsed on top of her in Brook Lane as she walked to Alexandra Junior School.



30 — HEALTH bosses struck a £108,000 deal with Latics to create an extra 500 parking spaces behind the Rochdale Road stand at Boundary Park.




Farewells



:: Drama teacher Peter Entwistle (68)

:: Soroptomist International President Doreen Walker

:: Jessie Tittensor (101)

:: Former boxer and Labour Councillor Stanley Skinkis (77)

:: Former nurse Jennifer Thompson (70)

:: Local pub expert Rob Magee (71)






April



3 — MOORSIDE millionaire Tommy Cone spread a little Easter cheer at the Royal Oldham Hospital when he donated dozens of chocolate eggs.



6 — HUNDREDS of runners put their best foot forward for a half marathon around Oldham town centre raising £1,000 for the Mayor’s Appeal.



7 — BINGE drinking was the target for Oldham Council when they vowed to review the licences of all town centre pubs, bars and clubs.



8 — CUSTOMERS got more than they bargained for at Denshaw pub the Junction Inn after landlord Daniel Cressey started stocking groceries as well as running a dry cleaning service when the village post office and general store closed down.



10 — CHOCOLATE fans old and young descended on Royton’s Tandle Hill Park for an Easter egg rolling competition.

14 — LATICS mascot Chaddy the Owl was stretchered off the pitch when a stunt on a bicycle went wheelie wrong.



16 — OLDHAM’S restaurants, takeaways, caterers and cafes were reviewed and rated under the council’s Scores on the Doors scheme.



17 — SADDLEWORTH band Twisted Wheel popped into HMV’s Oldham store for a live performance. They also signed copies of their self titled debut album.



22 — kitchen trader Vance Miller was forced to sit and watch as his business went up in flames when Maple Mill in Hathershaw burned to the ground.



24 — OLDHAM Cancer Support Centre was officially opened by the Mayor, Councillor Shoab Akhtar, in Failsworth to give patients help, advice and the chance to meet people in the same situation as themselves.



29 — DOBCROSS world champion whistler Dave Morris was forced to cancel a dream holiday to Cancun as swine flu fears forced travel companies to stop customers making the trip.




Farewells



:: Fundraising stalwart Thelma Coburn (70)

:: Former Freemason Duncan Maclean (93)

:: Oldham’s longest serving female Councillor Elsie Shaw (91)

:: George Holcroft (102)

:: Elsie Firth (101)

:: Motorcyclist Leon Shirreff (41)

:: Golfer and accountant Norman Ayrton (97)

:: Crown green bowler Eric Raynor (83)




May



1 — OLDHAM’S former top cop David Baines swopped windswept England for sunnier climes when he became Commissioner of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service.



5 — A MOTORIST escaped death when his car ploughed through the wall of a Roundthorn house and ended up in the front room.



6 — DOCTORS were forced to amputate a man’s arm in front of his horrified colleagues when he became trapped in a machine at Print Right in Roscoe Street, Oldham.



8 — A SHORT stroll to the shops became a long trek for homeowners in High Crompton thanks to a huge hole in Dorset Street caused by a collapsed sewer.



11 — KEEN shoppers Elaine Boyd and Mark Turner were the first through the doors of Tesco’s new store in Huddersfield Road which is one of the biggest in Europe.



13 — CELEBRATIONS were held as transport chiefs did a U-turn and agreed to fund Metrolink through the heart of Oldham despite a no-vote on the congestion charge referendum



14 — CELEBRITY chef Ainsley Harriott chatted to shoppers and baked cakes in the canteen at Tesco’s Failsworth store as part of his nationwide tour.



15 — OLDHAM Council was accused of being Scrooge-like for charging local schools £95 to fly their eco flags.



18 — THE list of 94 candidates competing for the chance to represent the North West in the European Parliament was revealed and included British National Party leader Nick Griffin who went on to win a seat thanks to the proportional representation system of voting.



19 — A TRIO of Oldham pubs were celebrating after scooping prizes in the JW Lees Pub of the Year Awards. The Hunt Lane Tavern in Chadderton won the top accolade while the Cross Keys in Uppermill won Cask Ale Pub of the Year and the Morning Star in Shaw won Food Pub of the Year.



20 — SICK yobs blinded Milo the cat after shooting at him with an air rifle as he dozed outside his home in Deepdale, Clarksfield.



21 — WATERHEAD Councillor Jim McArdle took over the Mayor of Oldham title from Councillor Shoab Akhtar.



22 — SPRINGHEAD lorry driver Gerry de Maine took up his role as Mayor of Austerlands during a ceremony at the villages Red Lion pub.



22 — THE corridors of Oldham Sixth Form College came alive with movement as students mimicked the Flash Mob from the T-Mobile advert. The craze which swept the country involves starting a dance suddenly in a crowded area with no warning.



26 — DOBCROSS businessman Phil Savage got a pleasant surprise when his sister Elaine Butterworth invited 60 of his friends for a secret party in Spain to mark his 60th birthday.



27 — TALENTED Rachel Jones Hind’s film depicting life for disabled students at University Campus Oldham was nationally recognised and shown to students across the country.



28 — QUICK thinking Chronicle snapper Tony Miller caught armed raiders in action when he took photographs of them brandishing weapons and threatening staff at Coral bookmakers in Shaw. Tony had been in the shop taking pictures of a cheque presentation when the criminals burst in.



29 — OLDHAM’S first ever Youth Mayor, Mohammed Adil from Coppice, was officially sworn in. The 19-year-old has been a member of Oldham Youth Council for three years.




Farewells



:: Cricketer Brian Derbyshire (70)

:: Former Mayor of Oldham Norman Bennett (80)

:: Joanne Mayall (35) who bravely fought cancer

:: May Perrins (101)




June



1 — THE sun shone down on the streets of Oldham as thousands of families and churchgoers went on the annual Whit Walk parades throughout the borough.



2 — FORMER postmen Geoffrey Dixon and Peter Jackson were reunited after decades apart when they both signed up for a silver surfer computer course at Oldham’s Highway To Opportunities.



5 — CROWDS gathered as a construction worker Vass Ahmati was rescued by firefighters as he got stuck 120ft from the ground on the new health care centre in Oldham.



8 — ALE-loving fundraisers made a record breaking £25,000 in sponsorship money during the annual Saddleworth Beer Walk.



10 — HIGH Crompton lovebirds Alexander and Emily Andrews celebrated 70 years of wedded bliss after meeting at a dance hall in Horsedge Street as teenagers.



12 — STRUGGLING business owners in Shaw Road feared they would be forced to close after a sharp downturn in trade due to extensive roadworks leaving their premises inaccessible to customers.



16 — CHADDERTON residents formed an action group in protest to plans to open a massage parlour in Broadway just yards from a primary school.



17 —FIREFIGHTERS were attacked with air rifles as they tackled a blaze at Broadbent Autos in Watersheddings.



18— TROUBLE-causing youths were put off from running riot in parks across the borough thanks to Mosquito devices which emit painful, high pitched tones that are only audible to young ears.



19 — CONFECTIONERY lover Jade Taylor (19) won the prize for best hat at Royal Ascot’s Ladies Day when she wore a headpiece created entirely from pink and white marshmallows.



24 — AUSTRALIAN supermodel Elle McPherson popped into the Royal Oldham Hospital to meet new mums and babies as staff celebrated 10 years of being Baby Friendly. Elle, dubbed The Body, is a UNICEF UK ambassador.



29 — OLDHAM was submerged in water as freak rain storms bore down on the borough. Jamie Scott’s fifth party turned into a swimathon as guests raced outside to make the most of the unseasonal weather.



30 — SADDLEWORTHIANS got the news they were waiting for - permission to display the White Rose emblem of Yorkshire rather than the Red Rose of Lancashire on road signs in the villages.




Farewells



:: Chadderton coach driver Grahame Collinge (64)

:: Alice Briscoe (102)

:: Chris Dale (15) who was knocked down by a car in Lees

:: Teacher Bernard Grogan (81)

:: Chadderton Rugby League stalwart Gerard Maloney (79)

:: Ray Southern (85) who was the Chronicle’s oldest paper boy.

:: Latics car park attendant Harry Fullalove (81)

:: Former Oldham Carnival Queen Hilary Keefer (58)




July



1 — FRUSTRATED Grotton couple Gerry Matley and his wife Catriona Howard-Smith became fed up of their phone ringing after their number appeared in the video for hip hop star Soulja Boy’s smash hit “Kiss Me Thru The Phone”.



3 — TORRENTIAL rain put a dampner on a trip to Asda Living at Elk Mill when customers were evacuated after water began pouring into the store.



6 — BARRIERS put up to deter non-shoppers from using Sainsbury’s car park were stolen during a night time raid just days after they were installed.



8 — BRAVE bride Lisa Veal planned her dream wedding in four weeks after partner Anthony Russell proposed. The 34-year-old of Chadderton temporarily halted her chemotherapy treatment for small cell lung cancer so she could look her best for the big day.



9 — FEARLESS war veteran Sidney Bannister (83) won a National Police Public Bravery Award for his attempts to thwart an armed robbery at a Lees betting shop.



15 — CHADDERTON Conservative Councillor Jack Hulme received cross party support when he was forced to step back from his civic duties after he suffered a heart attack.



17 — BRAINBOX Joseph Connally shot to the top of the class after scoring a perfect 100 per cent on his Mathematics Key Stage Two SAT test which he sat at Hey with Zion Primary in Lees.



21 — MOSSLEY Corporal Joey Etchells (22) was killed during an explosion while on duty in Afghanistan.



22 — THORNHAM lovebirds Louis and Hannah Butler celebrated their Blue Sapphire anniversary - 65 years of marriage - after meeting at Froggats Dance Hall at Mumps when they were teenagers.



25 — BIRTHDAY celebrations filled the town centre as Oldham’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender forum hosted the fifth Pride Parade.



29 — DERKER tots Tyla and Luca Gartside had a lucky escape when they were hit by heavy bar stools which toppled off a shelf at B&M Home Store in Huddersfield Road.



31 — OLDHAMERS said a very wet and rainy goodbye to July as the borough experienced one of the worst summers on record. Hopes of the barbecue summer predicted by weather experts were washed away with constant downpours.




Farewells



:: Amateur goalkeeper Ian Green (48)

:: Andrew Curwell (18) who was found at the bottom of a cliff in Cornwall

:: Stephen Jones (28) who was killed in a car crash in Nottinghamshire

:: Rugby League stalwart Bernard Ganley (82)

:: Werneth Post Master Clifford Jackson (96)

:: Springhead milkman Harold Ripley (79)

:: Cpl Joey Etchells (22) on duty in Afghanistan




August



3 — PINT-SIZED Delph superhero Lynne Clayton (64) risked her life to save an elderly woman who had fallen into the River Tame.



6 — A PAIR of £1.3 million high -tech cancer fighting radiation machines — known as linear accelerators — were installed at Oldham’s new Christie Centre.



10 — SHOPPERS were celebrating after Oldham Council slashed parking prices in Yorkshire Street in the hope of boosting trade in the area.



11 — CULINARY kings and queens at the Royal Oldham Hospital won the North West’s Catering Team of the Year at a prestigious ceremony.



12 — THOUSANDS of mourners lined the streets of Mossley as 22-year-old Corporal Joey Etchells was laid to rest.



13 — FIREFIGHTERS found themselves dealing with an emergency right on their own doorstep when the Lees Road station flooded because of a burst water main.



18 — ROYTON lovebirds Frank and Dorothy Smith celebrated 70 years of marriage — their platinum anniversary — after meeting at Oldham’s Savoy Dance Hall.



19 —CHADDERTON football fan Mark Savage helped his wife Beckie deliver their daughter Lucy in a hospital car park.



20 — FORMER Failsworth School pupil January Woodhead’s dreams of stardom were put on hold when she was kicked off the “X Factor” at Boot Camp stage due to a mix up over her song choice.



21 — PEOPLE’S champion Frank Rothwell attempted to bring a touch of LA glamour to the hills of Hollinwood with a replica of the famous white Hollywood sign on the M60 embankment.



26 — SHAW puzzler Roy Taylor (64) was chosen to battle it out with fellow brainboxes at The Times Sudoku Championships in London.



27 — TEENAGERS were flying high as they ripped open their GCSE results. Schools across Oldham reported their best ever grades which broke all records set in previous years.



31 — AN exhibition at Gallery Oldham paid tribute to the borough’s top women such as artist Helen Bradley, suffragette Annie Kenney, actress Anne Kirkbride and supermodel Karen Elson.




Farewells



:: British Red Cross stalwart Vera Read (79) who ran a camouflage clinic at the Royal Oldham Hospital

:: Chadderton Special Constable Ray May (63)




September



2 — PRESENTERS on Oldham Community Radio stepped back in time to mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War.



3 — WHEN Kaye Dixon made a last minute decision to call off her wedding at the White Hart in Lydgate she didn’t want to let the room go to waste. So the brave 26-year-old hosted a charity dinner and raffle for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice on what would have been her wedding day.



7 —ALEXANDRA Park’s beautiful conservatory was given a £93,000 revamp.



9 — PLUCKY Chadderton great grandmother Mary Brown enjoyed all the nines when she celebrated her 99th birthday on 9/9/09.



10 — ENTREPRENEURIAL pensioners in Royton set up a shop at their sheltered accommodation selling clothes, books and CDs in Tandle View Court to raise funds for tenant activities.



15 — CHADDERTON dance troupe the Buckley Belles had a lucky escape after yobs fired a shot gun at their bus as it travelled along Broadway. The shot shattered windows showering young dancers with glass.



16 — INTERNATIONAL visitors from as far afield as Australia, Canada and Japan flocked to Daisy Nook Garden Centre to search for Britain’s finest garden centre for a competition run by the International Garden Centre Association.



18 — HEROIC Steph Merritt rescued two children from a raging fire at their Chadderton home when she heard them screaming for help.



24 — GREAT grandmother Barbara Dignan (73) was named as Woman of the Year for her sterling work at Oldham Community Radio and her tireless charity work.



25 — ENTREPRENEURIAL Royton teenager Amy Brocklehurst set up an online portrait service in a bid to raise funds for her degree course.



28 — OLDHAM’S pot hole mole scheme was unveiled giving residents a hotline to call if they spotted holes in the road. Council chiefs promised repairs would be carried out the same day.



30 —FOUL mouthed funnyman Roy Chubby Brown delighted fans at the Queen Elizabeth Hall after council chiefs lifted their ban on him coming to town.




Farewells



:: Disabled rights campaigner Lisa Humphries (39) who died on holiday in Florida

nGP Jagjit Kapur (53)

nFormer landlord, golfer and rugby player Leslie Eyre (83)

nFailsworth football coach and landlord Billy Grogan (69)

:: Former Shaw headmistress Rhona Crabtree (94)

:: Robert Fletcher-Wild (92) who owned Wild and Brierley Funeral Directors






October



2 — STUDENTS at University Campus Oldham created a hard hitting wall of debt as part of a campaign against plans to lift the cap on tuition fees.



5 — TRANSPORT in Oldham was changed forever when the Loop Line closed for good after 140 years of train travel to make way for Metrolink.



6 — PASSPORT To Summer, the council’s programme of events for youngsters throughout the school holidays, was hailed a huge success after reports showed a 27 per cent drop in anti-social behaviour.



9 — PLUCKY Crompton schoolgirl Jessica Hart (7) battled serious illness to become part of the retinue for her church’s Harvest Festival.

12 — OLDHAM’S crumbling old Town Hall was named on a list of the nation’s Top 10 endangered buildings which was drawn up by the Victorian Society.



13 — SHAW brainbox Stephen Gordon (23) was named as Oldham’s first ever chess Grandmaster — the highest level a player can reach apart from World Champion.



14 — THE fantastic fundraising efforts of Oldhamers meant that the £100,000 target for the Christie at Oldham campaign was hit five months early.



16 — DEDICATED Glodwick doctor Alan Nye was crowned Man of Oldham for his pioneering work and fundraising efforts.



20 — ROYTONIAN shopworker James Dean was stung by a scorpion as he unpacked a box of Columbian bananas at Morrisons.



20— IT was a case of third time lucky for newlyweds Melvin and Marion Davies after the smoke alarm at Chadderton Town Hall went off three times as they waited to tie the knot.



23 — FRIENDS and family of Winnie Johnson, who’s son Keith Bennett was murdered by Brady and Hindley on Saddleworth Moors, set up a trust fund to help search for the 12-year-old’s body.



26 — OLDHAM was crowned Best Town Centre in the 2009 North-West in Bloom competition.



28 — WATERSHEDDINGS couple George and Rose Oddie raised a glass to 70 years of marriage as they celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary.



29 — OLDHAM-based toy supplier Character Options secured the rights to two of the top 12 Christmas toys — Go Go Pets Hamsters and Princess Peppa’s Palace.



30 — OLDHAM Register Office — which was one of the UK’s first to offer civil funerals - was named as one of the best in the country following it’s move from Hobson Street to Chadderton Town Hall.




Farewells



:: Magistrate Harold Murray (62)

:: Ballet dancer Olwen Anderson (90)

:: Ethel Long (104)

:: Singer Dave Allen (69)

:: Conservative Councillor Ray Whitehead (84)




November



3 — TODDLERS at Moorside Nursery were left heartbroken after yobs vandalised their building in Haven Lane for the fourth time this year.



4 —FAILSWORTH Sgt Richie Maddocks teamed up with two fellow servicemen to form pop group The Soldiers who’s album “Coming Home” stormed the pop charts.



5 — A STUNNING 200ft wall of poppies was unveiled on Oldham Civic Centre to form the town’s tribute to fallen soldiers and to pay respects to servicemen on tours of duty.



6 — A PAIR of proud Chelsea Pensioners were welcomed to Oldham as the borough geared up for Remembrance Sunday.



9 — FIRST time Royton parents Nick and Donna Saunders were gobsmacked when their bouncing baby Jack came into the world weighing a whopping 12lbs 2ozs — one of Oldham’s biggest-ever babies.

10 — OLDHAM became the first council in the North West to trial an environmentally friendly electric car which cost just £1 to charge overnight for a full days use.



12 — CHADDERTON scientist and former D:ream member Brian Cox was chosen to front a new BBC2 show “Seven Wonders of the Solar System”.



13 — SADDLEWORTHIANS were horrified to hear of convicted paedophile Gary Glitter’s plans to buy a house in the area.



16 — ANGELINA Ballerina danced into Oldham to switch the town centre Christmas lights.



17 — PUPILS at Kingfisher Special School in Chadderton were given an early Christmas present in the shape of a £29,000 mini bus thanks to donations from charities the Variety Club and the Fence Club.



18 — GOLF mad Harry Green, who was paralysed from the waist down following a work accident, was able to get back on to the greens at Werneth Golf Club thanks to a £16,000 machine.



19 — PARTS of Oldham were affected by severe floods after record levels of rain fell across the country.



20 — TAXI firms across Oldham were tested on a series of factors and given a star rating.



24 — OUTSPOKEN Failsworth resident Warren Bates and Tory Councillor Paul Martin had a vicious spat over dog dirt leading to the immediate closure of a public meeting after foul language was used.



25 — PUPILS at North Chadderton School kept unwanted visitors out when they employed a security guard to watch the gates during school hours.



27 — OLDHAM MP Phil Woolas became one of the first to try out brand new facial recognition scanners at Manchester Airport.




Farewells



:: Former Magistrate James Stansfield (78)

:: Arthur Balmforth (101)

:: Minister David Williams (81) of Oldham Baptist Church

:: Alice Mann (100)

:: Hubert Dupont (98) who was managing director at Mossley Woolcombing and Spinning Company




December



1 — LEES landlady Sharon Hirst reported losing £1,500 profit a week after stinking sewage seeped through the cellar of The Swan in High Street.



2 — CREATIVE Oldhamer Alex Bidolack put skills learned in childhood to good use when he reached the final of a competition to become Master Model Builder at Legoland in the Trafford Centre.



3 — THE borough celebrated the achievements of local heroes at the eighth Pride in Oldham Awards at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Prizes were given out in 11 categories including Sporting Achievement, Education and Readers’ Choice.



4 — LOCAL singers stripped off for a saucy calendar to raise funds for the Armed Forces. Moorside crooner Louise Harper masterminded the project and calendar giants Danilo designed and printed 1,000 for free.



7 — ANXIOUS parents launched a desperate campaign to save Our Lady’s RC Primary - Moorside’s only Catholic school. Salford Diocese planned to close the school and merge it with Sacred Heart in Derker but mums and dads said the closure would leave a massive hole in the community.



8 — FOOTBALLERS at Hulme Grammar School travelled to Guernsey for a special celebratory match to pay tribute to the child evacuees who were taken in at the school during the Second World War. The evacuees became known as The Guernsey Boys.



9 — SECURITY staff at Oldham Magistrates Court were voted the best in the North West. The team - Malcolm Kay, Kenneth Turner and Linda Williams - beat off stiff competition from 74 other organisations.



10 — ANIMAL lovers were horrified to hear of three kittens and their mum who were sealed in boxes and dumped with rubbish outside the RSPCA’s Rhodes Bank Centre. The cats - christened Holly, Noel, Rudolph and Prancer — were saved when driver Glen Tough when he was moving rubbish to the bin and felt the boxes moving.



14 — SHOPS in Shaw were destroyed following a devastating arson attack at Crazy Fast Foods Takeaway which gutted the building and caused serious damage to surrounding businesses.



15 — ONE lucky punter at family-run Failsworth bookie Bob Johnson in Partington Street won £200,000 - the bookie’s biggest ever pay out - thanks to a bet on the Irish Lottery.



17 — PLANS to install speed cameras in Lees Road — a notorious accident blackspot which has claimed nine lives in 11 years — were announced.



21 — OLDHAMERS endured the coldest temperatures since 1995 when the mercury dropped to -8.7C and the borough was covered with more than four inches of snow.



24 — THE wedding of Rachel Milestone and John McAdorey was saved after heavy snow threatened to put a spanner in the works. Volunteers from Saddleworth Round Table used their 4x4 vehicles to ferry guests from the church in Stalybridge to the reception in Lydgate.



29 — TAXI driver Mohammed Azeem was able to return to his Clarksfield home after three years in a rehabilitation centre following a car accident which left the 39-year-old father of three with a broken neck.



31— EUPHONIUM-playing great-grandmother Grace Barnett (79), of Failsworth, was recognised in the New Year honours. Grace was awarded an MBE for services to the community.


Farewells

:: Former Oldham Cricket Club chairman Len Jump (61)

:: Paul Lomax (48) chairman of AVRO FC.

:: Allan Taylor (60) former boss of Car Tax Radio Cars.

:: Leslie Hull (88) who was awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur for his heroic deeds in Normandy during the Second World War.