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June 2010
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Election Court To Hear Woolas Case

One of the controversial leaflets.

A special court has agreed to hear a case that could lead to a new election in the Oldham East and Saddleworth constituency. The election court will examine whether Labour MP Phil Woolas broke the law when controversial claims about his Liberal Democrat opponent were made in some of his campaign leaflets.

The Lib Dem candidate, Elwyn Watkins, lost the seat in last month’s general election by […]

Hosepipe Ban Looms As Reservoirs Run Low

The impact of the hot, dry weather on our reservoirs can be seen in these images of the Chew Valley Reservoir on Saddleworth Moor. A hosepipe ban could be announced for the north west of England in the coming days unless there’s significant rainfall.

The pictures were taken by Twitter user Steven Croft. He posted: “Don’t let anyone say we’ve loads of water,” adding that “all the black should be covered with water.”

It’s not just the last couple […]

No Change Yet To Parish Council System

The way in which Saddleworth Parish Council selects its Chairman and Vice Chairman each year isn’t going to be changed for the time being. That’s despite a suggestion made at Monday night’s meeting at Uppermill Civic Hall by current Chairman Cllr Keith Begley, that a group of councillors should look at ways in which the system could be improved.

Last month’s installation of Cllr Begley and the new Vice Chairman, Cllr Bill Cullen, who are both members of the 17-strong […]

Delph And Dobcross Win Again In T20

Delph and Dobcross made it three wins out of three in the T20 Cup last night, as they beat Linthwaite by 99 runs. D&D made 211/9 from their 20 overs. The home side never looked like reaching their target, and were bowled out for 112.

D&D have one more match to play in the group stage, against Micklehurst next Tuesday.

You can read a full report of last night’s game at the D&D website here.

Councillors Clash Over Civic Hall Extension

Uppermill Civic Hall

The row over the planned extension to Uppermill Civic Hall flared up again at last night’s meeting of Saddleworth Parish Council. Independent member Cllr Ken Hulme revealed he’d written to the district auditor outlining his concerns over the tendering process, while senior Liberal Democrat Cllr Brian Lord accused Cllr Hulme of making “grossly misleading claims to the public” about the issue.

Cllr Lord began by updating his fellow councillors on how the process […]

Sun Shines For Brass On The Grass

The crowd enjoyed the weather and the music in Church Fields on Sunday.

Dobcross Silver Band performed at Church Fields in the middle of the village on Sunday afternoon, for its Brass on the Grass event. There was a good turnout of local people who basked in warm sunshine while listening to the music, as you can see from these images of the day.

Several members of the band did solos, and […]

Smoke Drama On Train In Standedge Tunnel

The Standedge Tunnel at the Diggle end.

There were anxious moments for rail passengers earlier, as smoke was seen coming from their train as it passed through the Standedge Tunnel between Marsden and Diggle. The train stopped inside the tunnel to allow fire crews to deal with the smoke, before the train was allowed to continue to Manchester Piccadilly.

According to the Greater Manchester Fire Service, the alarm was raised shortly before half past one. Fire […]

Pictures From Diggle Charity Concert

The Diggle Band take a bow. (all pictures: Susan Lever)

Here are some images taken at Saturday night’s charity concert held at Diggle Band Club. The band itself performed, along with guest soloist Mark Walters on the flugelhorn, local mezzo soprano Rachel Colley, and Dobcross-based whistling legend David Morris.

All money raised is going to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The pictures were sent in by reader Susan Lever, so many thanks for those Susan!

Double Victory Takes Delph And Dobcross Third

Delph and Dobcross are up to third in cricket’s Huddersfield League, following two impressive victories over the weekend.

On Saturday, D&D won away at Skelmanthorpe by eight wickets. The home side were restricted to 198/8 from their 50 overs, with four wickets each for Bilal Khiljee and Matt Norvall. D&D reached their target in the 37th over for the loss of just two wickets, Irfan Zahoor top scoring with 101.

There was another away win for D&D yesterday, as Kirkburton […]

Staying Warm With The Odd Shower

Another few days of good weather is in store, although it won’t be quite as warm as it was over the weekend.

Today will be fairly typical with plenty of sunshine along with the odd bit of cloud and the occasional shower. Top temperatures are expected to be 25C.

Tuesday starts a bit overcast with some lights showers around, although it’ll brighten up later. It won’t be quite as warm but highs of 22C are still very mild.

Wednesday might […]

July’s Dobcross Diary

July’s edition of the Dobcross Diary newsletter has been completed and will be popping through letterboxes around the village over the coming days. There’s news on how a Dobcross choir will be appearing on Radio 4, and a reminder that the closing date for entries for next year’s Dobcross Calendar is 30 June (this coming Wednesday).

It’s also worth stressing that tomorrow’s Brass on the Grass event at Church Fields with the Dobcross Silver Band has been brought forward because […]

Charity Concert In Diggle Tonight

A reminder that the Diggle Band will be performing at a charity concert at the Band Club in the village tonight. All money raised is going to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

As well as the band itself, there’ll be performances from guest soloist Mark Walters on the flugelhorn, local mezzo soprano Rachel Colley, and Dobcross-based whistling legend David Morris.

Tickets costing £6 are available from the club and Diggle Post Office, or by calling 01457 874792.

There’s more information […]

Family Unhappy Over Greenfield Man’s Death

The family of a Greenfield man who was found dead in the street last month are refusing to bury him, because they’re unhappy at how the authorities have dealt with the case. The daughter of 75-year-old Trevor Chappell suspects he was assaulted, even though the official post-mortem found he died of a heart attack.

She’s spoken at length to the Oldham Advertiser, and you can read that article here. The article includes responses from the NHS Trust and the police.

[…]

Saddleworth Schools Could Become Academies

Saddleworth School has expressed an interest in becoming an academy.

Two Saddleworth schools have told the Government they are interested in becoming so-called academy schools. Academy status would allow Saddleworth School and St Chad’s C of E Primary School, both in Uppermill, to opt out of Oldham Council control.

Academies are funded directly by the Government, and are able to get additional cash from groups such as churches, charities and private companies. […]