Author Archives: JimfromOldham

During the course of the refurbishment of the Old Town Hall fixtures and fittings were removed from the then ‘safe room’, which was the former ball room with a steel door securing its contents from would-be-thieves. When work started on the Old Town Hall to create the wonderful cinema we see today the old fixturesContinue reading “Looking back: Old Town Hall fixtures”

I very much welcome the announcement by Oldham Council to invest £2m in the modernisation of Royton’s historic town hall to form a new community hub. Royton Town Hall was opened in 1880 and holds a commanding position on Rochdale Road greeting visitors from Rochdale and Oldham along the main road. Established as the homeContinue reading “Let’s welcome Royton investment”

MY OFFICE has received a number of emails from former employees and residents following the announcement that the Oldham Chronicle has been placed into administration. Much concern remains about the retention of the rich archive of photos and records covering much of the period since it was established 163 years ago. With over 1 million imagesContinue reading “Oldham Chronicle Archive”

SECURITY concerns at the Freehold Metrolink station have been an issue since the opening of the new Oldham line in 2012. Youths gather late into the evening both from the local community and much further afield as they use the tram network to ‘station hop’ without paying the fare.

NEWS that the Oldham Evening Chronicle has gone into administration will hit Oldham hard. More than a newspaper it is part of our heritage, our community and has worked hard to help build a future for us too. Observers of the media will have seen the demise of the printed press and with it theContinue reading “There is more at stake than a headline”

THE UK is rudderless as the weakened Tory government continue without a plan, a negotiating position or perhaps even more importantly a vision of what Britain can be after we leave the EU. Labour’s position on Brexit during the referendum was clear. We believed our country’s interests were best served as a full member ofContinue reading “Brexit smooth landing”