Tinseltown sign: vote if you want it back
Date published: 17 August 2009
THE future of the Hollinwood sign could be in your hands, with the man behind the venture offering Evening Chronicle readers the opportunity to vote on whether to bring it back.
The sign attracted national attention after it was erected on the embankment on the M60 on Sunday, August 9, but the Highways Agency quickly removed it, saying it posed a danger to drivers.
Now local business man Frank Rothwell, who created the sign, says that if the public of Oldham want it back, he will re-create those famous letters and give it pride of place once again in a different location as a special gift to the people of the borough.
Frank, who owns Manchester Cabins, said: “We need something to be proud of here in Oldham. We never talk ourselves up and we really should.
“Oldham is an easy target for negative publicity and we didn’t look great in the ‘Panorama’ programme last week, so it’s about time we told people that it’s a great place.
“Thousands of people drive past Oldham every day on the motorway and they don’t know where we are. There isn’t a big sign saying ‘Oldham is the best place in the world’ or ‘Come and set up your business in Oldham’.
“I want to know what the people of Oldham think and if there is enough interest in bringing it back, I will rebuild the sign in more sustainable materials and we could look at an alternative position.”
Frank’s move to remaster the iconic Hollywood sign has garnered a groundswell of support, with a group called “Bring back the Hollinwood sign” on the social networking site Facebook attracting 301 supporters by this morning.
And Frank reckons the sky is the limit. He said: “I’m hoping to go global with this one.
“It would be great if they picked this up in Los Angeles.
“Now Manchester is friends with Los Angeles, Hollinwood should look to twin with Hollywood. I think that would be a great idea. l’ve had a huge number of people approaching me and telling me how much they loved the sign. I’ve had nothing but positive feedback.
“If we can portray Oldham in a better light, Oldham will prosper, because people will want to come here.
“It’s about time we put Oldham, and Hollinwood, on the map.”
Send us your views via feedback here on the website.
