All steamed up about one of mayoral year highlights

AUGUST always has a holiday feel to it and this year was no different to many in the past. With families taking time out to visit sunnier climes, the mayoral appointments quieten off, but only a little.

My first appointment of the month was something very emotional, this was the dedication service of the pop-up garden that was originally situated on Gracie’s island under the Town Hall clock.

A decision had been taken not to dismantle and discard it, but to move it closer to the Cenotaph in the memorial gardens. It now will remain a permanent memorial to the fallen of the 1914-18 First World War and, in my humble opinion, rightly so.

The next big event of the month will leave me with something very special to remind me of my year in office.

This was the starting up of a rebuilt fully refurbished steam engine named ‘Irene’ situated in the Ellen Road Steam Museum.

When I was an apprentice engineer I was privileged to witness a mill steam engine actually powering a fully working factory in Castleton.

This cotton mill was known as the Ensor Mill and My Uncle Thomas worked there. The Engine house was spotless and you could have eaten your dinner off the floor such was the pride of those in charge of those magnificent living mechanical monsters that had driven the industrial revolution and brought prosperity to our country.

I can certainly recommend a visit to this live steam museum which opens to the public on the first Sunday of each month.

You cannot fail to be impressed by the engines and dedication of the volunteers who keep an important part of our heritage alive.

Another enjoyable responsibility of the Mayor and Mayoress is to welcome and open new businesses to our town.

Together we opened four this month. The first was the new shop for the Little Monkeys Charity in Heywood on York Street.

The second was McCarthy & Stones retirement apartments complex in Bamford, followed by the new B&M store in Heywood which brought 60 new jobs into the borough and finally MedicalScans in the Blue Pits Mill, Castleton, a provider of a diagnostic ultrasound scan service that aims to provide imaging and written reports, using the latest ultrasound technology.

The prize for the best pair of scissors for ●●This week’s Big Picture is A Red Kite by Terry Angus. Email your pictures to us at rochdaleobserver@menmedia.co.uk or upload them to flickr.com/groups/rochdalepics cutting the ribbon was MedicalScans the worst was McCarthy and Stone!

You really can’t cut a ribbon with a threemetre pair of plastic scissors that bend in the wind. I think however they were just for show.

This month is the most popular for garden parties and fun days, all that we have been attended have been enjoyable.

Springhill hospice, Cherwell Day Centre, The Feel Good festival and Robinsons common, to name a few.

What is really good I always win on the Tombola.

I would really like my face painted but Richard, the Mayor’s attendant, keeps advising me against it.

I really don’t know why?

Being a politician I have had egg on my face in the past so what’s wrong with looking like Spiderman for an hour or two?

TARNISHED TOWN STAR?

ROCHDALE nominated for a Rising Star Award (August 17). What for, a smelly river which has flooded the town, two half empty shopping centres, disabled parking bays removed, many well known shops have gone and the stigma of the child abuse scandal?

The Town Hall/ Memorial Gardens are outstanding. Rochdalian