From the Reporter files - Thursday 14th August 2025

Willing volunteer Paul Muir was given the wet sponge treatment at St Mary’s Nursery and Infant School, Droylsden, summer fair, courtesy of Kirstie Whitehead, the town’s carnival queen.

A great turnout of families and friends made it one of the school’s most successful fairs ever, raising a record total of more than £500.

Homes, schools and businesses in Stalybridge and Mossley were without power for two hours after North West Water roadworks contractors  accidentally hit two 33,000 volt cables underneath Egmont Street, Mossley.

With their electric tills out of action, staff at the Co-op and Kwik-Save supermarkets in Stalybridge were sent home. Burneys bakers on Melbourne Street were faced with a major headache.

The sudden loss of power happened at 11.20am, ahead of the busiest time of the day with pies already in the oven and the warmer and stock in the freezer also at risk.

An hour-long power cut failed to quell the sparkle of Ashton Soroptomists’ 46th birthday celebrations.

The Reporter described the scene: ‘As the lights failed, the sun filtered through the clouds adding an extra warmth to a candlelit room already glowing with friendship and fellowship.’

Soroptomist clubs across the region and friends from near and far  joined local members for the anniversary dinner in Ashton Masonic Club’s banqueting suite.

Methane gas emissions had been plaguing residents of Ruby Street, Denton for months in 1989.

Two families had been temporarily rehoused after being forced to move out. Investigations were still underway at the former tip site to discover the full extent of the problem and to make the area safe.

Tameside Council appealed to the government to step in with emergency funding.

Amid fears Tameside could lose out on a £200,000 Sports Council grant, councillors were holding ‘secret’ talks with the British Cycling Federation to find an alternative site for the Olympic-size velodrome due to be built in Ashton.

The site earmarked at Silver Springs, near Stamford Park had fallen out of favour - with Richmond Street now seen as the most likely location. Federation officials were pressing for a quick decision.

‘Game-changing’ new facilities for spectators including more spacious changing rooms, a supporters’ refreshment area and a directors’ suite to receive guests and sponsors were included in a planned £1.5m revamp at Stalybridge Celtic’s Bower Fold ground.

A new 400-seat grandstand would replace the wooden structure built in 1911. 

Town halls, council-run social centres, day nurseries, libraries and meals on wheels came to a standstill as members of the local government workers union NALGO went out on a day’s strike in support of their claim for a 12 per cent pay rise.

Housing, social services and information services were also affected.

Pub landlords in Droylsden put aside their usual friendly rivalry in 1989 to support a ‘first’ for the town - a charity folk festival.

The all day event at the Railway on Lumb Lane offered a feast of traditional music and dance in aid of multiple sclerosis research.

Visitor numbers for a Denton church’s centenary exhibition exceeded all expectations.

Father Vincent Cavey, parish priest at St Mary’s RC Church on Market Street said the exhibition was originally due to open for a weekend but had been extended until Wednesday due to the level of interest.

Parishioners had sourced hundreds of photographs of former priests, rose queens, Whit walks and other notable events. 

Pupils from St James’ Primary in Ashton  made an historic boat trip on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.

The youngsters were the first party through the restored locks on the first section of the canal to be connected to the Cheshire Ring.

They had supported the waterside planting of a large number of oak saplings, nurtured at the school from acorns - and as a thank-you were invited to board the Greater Manchester canal boat for the filming of a Granada TV programme.