Mayoral night raises thousands for charity

BIG night out . . . the Mayor and Mayoress, Councillors Jim McArdle and Kay Knox (centre), with guests

OLDHAM’S Mayor celebrated his Irish roots with a good old knees-up which raised thousands of pounds for his charity.

Councillor Jim McArdle and the Mayoress, Councillor Kay Knox, hosted a sparkling Emerald Ball at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

The novel idea was attended by 480 revellers, including half-a-dozen of Oldham’s young carers, who were invited as special guests of honour.

The evening began in good style when a lone piper from Oldham Scottish Pipe Band led the Mayor and Mayoress into the hall.

The piper was then joined by the rest of the band, in a splendid display which set the tone for the rest of the evening.

“They were fantastic, absolutely fabulous and it was an excellent night,” said the Mayor.

The audience also enjoyed music from a ceilidh band and rock band The Intervention.

There was an auction and local companies supported the ball by sponsoring 20 tables of between eight and 12 places. The final amount is still being totted up, but the event raised several thousand pounds for the Mayor’s charity. “I was born in Oldham but my father was born in Ireland, and I am equally proud of both my Oldham and Irish roots,” said Councillor McArdle.