Who comes from Oldham?

THE 50th anniversary episode of “Dr Who” is broadcast tomorrow, but did you know that his deadly foe the Daleks are from Oldham?

At least Roy Skelton — who did the original voice for the Daleks — is.

This is just one of the offbeat facts about borough life which are being brought to light in a new social media campaign masterminded by Oldham College.

The college has worked with industry professionals to create the Institute of Public Information (IofPI) which is producing a series of thought-provoking public broadcasts and posters.

These are posted on the internet, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube and highlight Oldham’s extraordinary history — such as the fossilised forest discovered at Oldham Edge in 1870.

Others facts unveiled include the rare Hoopoo bird which visited in 1866 (which was then shot and is now on display at Galley Oldham) and a photograph of Miss World DJing from a cauldron at the former Henry Afrika’s nightclub in Clegg Street.

John Eccles, digital production manager at Oldham College, explained that the aim was to provoke debate around the topics and pride in the town — and also change people’s perceptions of the college, which is currently undergoing a £25 million development.

Quality

The issues will gradually become more serious to get people discussing the town’s future.

John said: “The students love it because it is something different. There is a big-city quality to the project. It has been done before but not in a North-West cotton town with fairly low self-esteem. We are provoking debate about where Oldham is and where it is going.”

To find out more visit www.iofpi.co.uk or search for IofPI on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (#oldhamcalling)