From the Reporter files - 19th June 2025

‘Miss Reporter’ Christine Lewis came close to winning a national title.

Christine, from Mossley, finished second in the Miss Britain contest held in Birmingham, which attracted over 30 contenders from all over the country.

Shop floor workers stood shoulder to shoulder with senior executives to pay their respects to John Oldham OBE, company chairman of one of Denton’s biggest employers, Oldham and Sons, who had died aged 68.

Hundreds of people crowded into Christ Church for the funeral service, with every walk of life in the town represented. The company had recently celebrated its centenary with a gala dance at Oldham’s Sports and Social Club which, as the Denton Reporter observed, was ‘extremely well attended, even though tickets were expensive.’

The celebration ‘open to employees, their families and members of the public’ was held in a huge marquee with a barbecue doing a roaring trade. Dancing to the Red River Jazzmen and Bo Kelly and The Thingumajigs continued late into the night.

Controversial plans had been hatched by Cheshire County Council to build a second Manchester overspill estate of 2,500 homes in Hyde following on from the huge development already underway in Hattersley.

The latest scheme, which would swallow up a vast swathe of open space at Godley Green, was shelved after Hyde Council raised strong objections to any further large-scale development in the area.

Councillors were warning, however, that the battle was most likely far from over and they would need to be “constantly vigilant” against any future moves to develop Godley Green.

The abolition of grammar schools with all 11 to 16 year-olds attending secondary schools and older scholars then going on to sixth form college was the blueprint for the future, recommended by the education executive for Ashton, Denton, Droylsden, Audenshaw and Mossley.

The policy, subject to Lancashire County Council approval, would scrap plans to build a girls’ secondary modern school at Waterloo. Instead there would be ‘considerable extensions’ at Stamford Boys School on Mossley Road to accommodate male and female students.

More than 120 workers at one of the area’s oldest firms were facing an uncertain future. Audenshaw tanners and leather dressers Richard Noblett Ltd was set to be sold off, with bosses promising that the business would only shut down if a buyer could not be found.

Founded in 1854, Nobletts was best known for its factory hooter which went off every morning at 7.30 and 7.45am. For nearby residents it was their unofficial alarm clock.

The Bridgebeats were making all the right moves ready to hit the big time.

The five-piece beat group from Stalybridge, having built up a strong local following over the past two years, had just released their first single. Rhythm guitarist and organist Peter Quinn, of School Crescent, Stalybridge, had written both the ‘A’ side and ‘B’ side - ‘Goodbye’ and ‘Be Mine Some Day’.

The group also featuring Dave Bruce, of Knowle Avenue, Ashton (vocals), Cliff Plant, Ambleside, Stalybridge (lead guitar), Trevor Ferreira, St George’s Street, Stalybridge (bass) and Barry Bradley from Littlemoss (drums) had taken further steps on the road to stardom by winning a prestigious Mecca ballroom contest at Ashton Palais and auditioning for the TV talent show Opportunity Knocks.

The lads had lined up a residency at a top Manchester nightspot and were about to visit Stalybridge’s French twin town, Armentieres.

Police patrollers equipped with the latest ‘walkie talkies’ ensured the smooth running of the Roman Catholic Whit walks in Ashton town centre. 

Officers used the pocket-size radios to inform the St. Mary’s contingent when the other two churches, St. Christopher’s and St. Ann’s, were setting off, and to update them as the walkers made their way street by street to St. Michael’s Square.