Heroes of Heywood

The Annual Heroes of Heywood event, organised by the Rotary Club, saluted Walter Lomax for his hard work as Vice-Chairman of Friends of Queens Park.

The Rev Mike Huck, long-standing Heywood resident, Baptist minister, landlord, charity worker and Hero of Heywood, presented the Heroine of Heywood to Margaret Shackleton, former resident Director of New Heart for Heywood and Churchwarden of Saint Luke's church. In her warm speech she reminded people that Saint Luke's is a icon for the town and a resource to be developed for all.

The event was described by guests as: "An excellent evening and excellent idea; great meal and company."

There is concern that the event is getting smaller year after year. Last year it was held at the Civic Centre and attracted local businesses. This year it was in a much smaller local restaurant and, if it hadn't been for the contenders and their guests, local Rotarians, and a posse of Liberal Democrat councillors brought in from Rochdale to swell the numbers, there would have been a very poor turn out.

The evening also had a very controversial moment when Lib Dem Councillor Peter Rush turned what should have been a politics free tribute to the real heroes of Heywood into a party political broadcast for Lib Dem parliamentary candidate, Wera Hobhouse.

One very disgruntled guest, who does not want to be named, said: "Heywood Heroes is a great idea and deserves everyone's support. The food this evening was excellent and the restaurant did us proud. However, even though the Rotary Club is meant to be independent, the compere, Councillor Peter Rush, couldn't resist introducing one of the raffle prize winners as 'Wera Hobhouse, our parliamentary candidate; Liberal Democrat.'

"Maybe the reason why other local groups are no longer supporting Heywood Heroes in its present form is that it has been turned into another part of Peter Rush's election campaign.

"If we want Heywood Heroes to continue, free from such cheap party political stunts, then perhaps a group of genuinely independent local people might take over the running of it in future years."