Bridge design earns rosebowl

BOWLED over . . . students (from left) Morgan Gibson, Shiria Banu, Rachel Bramah and Heidi Yip with outgoing Mayor and Mayoress, councillors Jim McArdle and Kay Knox, and college principal Nick Brown

TOP students from Oldham Sixth Form College are the first to win a sliver rosebowl left to the borough by a well-known businessman and secret millionaire.

They won the science, technology, engineering and maths masterclass held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Teams from schools across the borough had to solve real-life problems, with the sixth form college students impressing the judges with their designs for a bridge.

They were presented with the George V bowl, which was left to the council by Frank Ainsworth, by the outgoing Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Jim McArdle.

Mr Ainsworth was best known for running The Black Ladd pub in Buckstones Road with his long-term partner Ronnie Forbes. They also set up a series of businesses in Huddersfield Road before retiring to Wales 20 years ago. Mr Ainsworth died last June aged 78 and left £600,000 to charity. The council decided to put the bowl to good use.

Councillor McArdle, said: “It is fitting to present the bowl to young entrepreneurs.”