Local Focus Features

Focus on Norden: PC Sarah Firth

PC Sarah Firth, 30, has been a police officer for 10 years. She has worked on the Norden Neighbourhood Policing Team for 4 years.

Before joining the police, PC Firth studied Ethics at university and was awarded a 2:1, she also worked part time as an optical advisor at Boots Opticians.

Date Published 21/01/2011

North West motorists most worried about cost of driving

Motorists in the North West are more worried about the cost of driving than in any other region around the country.

More than half of the regions’ motorists (52.8 per cent)...

Date Published 05/12/2013

Focus on Bamford: Councillors

This month (January) Rochdale Online is focusing on Norden and Bamford.

Reporter Laura Wild caught up with Bamford Councillors to find out a little bit more about why the...

Date Published 30/01/2011

Focus on Norden: Councillors

This month (January) Rochdale Online is focusing on Norden and Bamford.

Reporter Laura Wild caught up with Norden Councillors to find out a little bit more about why the...

Date Published 17/01/2011

Focus on Bamford: The Elephant and Castle

The Elephant and Castle on Bury Road opened under new management in November 2010. It has been completely stripped and refurbished and the new owners aim to bring in casual dining...

Date Published 10/01/2011

Focus on Norden: Norden studio

Norden Studio was opened in 2009. Owner Graham Sivills spent 38 years in IT and worked in various parts of the world. Before and in-between his travels Mr Sivills lived in...

Date Published 03/01/2011

Focus on Milnrow: Carpet Creations

Carpet Creations-Carpet and Bed Centre was started by Philip Holt in 1996 after he was made redundant from the Lanebottom Co-op.

Mr Holt had worked at the Lanebottom Co-op...

Date Published 27/12/2010

Focus on Milnrow and Newhey: PCSO Angela Smith

Angela Smith, 48, has been a PCSO for the past two years.

Before joining the police Ms Smith worked for the Oldham Youth Service and taught dance and drama in theatre schools...

Date Published 23/12/2010

Focus on Milnrow: The MAD Theatre Company

In September 1971 Margret Hopkinson and her friend Jean McIntosh decided to set up a dramatics society.

A meeting was called and a committee was formed and in April 1972...

Date Published 17/12/2010

Focus on Newhey: St Thomas’ Church

St Thomas’ Church, Newhey, was built by the Heap family in 1876. It is a replica of Holy Trinity Church in Weston-super-mare, Somerset which was built 15 years before.

The...

Date Published 14/12/2010

Focus on Milnrow and Newhey: PCSO Alan Shaw

Alan Shaw, 43, has been a PCSO in Milnrow and Newhey for over four years.

Mr Shaw joined the police because he wanted to make a difference in the community. Before joining the...

Date Published 08/12/2010

Focus on Milnrow and Newhey: New starters

As part of Rochdale Online’s Focus on Milnrow and Newhey month we have been visiting schools to meet the new reception class children.

The children have all settled in very...

Date Published 03/12/2010

Focus on Milnrow and Newhey: Councillors

As part of Rochdale Online’s Focus on Milnrow and Newhey month this December reporter Laura Wild has been finding out more about the ward’s Councillors, why they became a...

Date Published 01/12/2010

Focus on Middleton: Middleton's new starters

As part of Rochdale Online’s Focus on Middleton month we have been visiting schools in Middleton to meet the new reception class children.

In our photo gallery we have...

Date Published 22/11/2010

Focus on Middleton: John Migael

John Migael is a men’s clothes shop situated in the heart of Middleton.

The business was set up by John Berry almost 40 years ago. At that time the shop sold shirts, trousers...

Date Published 22/11/2010

Focus on Middleton: The Probus Club of Middleton

Probus is a world wide organisation with groups across the globe. The word Probus is an abbreviation of Profession and Business, hence, the group is made up of retired businessmen...

Date Published 19/11/2010

Focus on Middleton: Middleton Popstars Academy

The Middleton Popstars Academy (MPA) started in 1998 by director Anne Marshall and her best friend Grace Mckeown.

They asked young people from Middleton what they would do to...

Date Published 17/11/2010

Focus on Middleton: The Middleton Civic Association

The Middleton Civic Association was set up in 1974. It was formed during boundary changes in a bid to protect the identity and heritage of Middleton.

Current chairwoman Audrey...

Date Published 15/11/2010

Focus on Middleton: PC Rob Smith

Have you ever wondered why your local police officer decided to join the force, or what they did before they were a police officer, or even what they do when they are not fighting...

Date Published 11/11/2010

Focus on Middleton: The Rotary Club of Middleton

The Rotary Club of Middleton is now in its 77th year. It currently has 27 members and four ‘Friends of Middleton Rotary.’

The members meet weekly at the Norton Grange Hotel...

Date Published 09/11/2010

Focus on Middleton: Councillors

As part of Rochdale Online’s Focus on Middleton month this November, we have been finding out more about Middleton’s Councillors.

Reporter Laura Wild caught up councillors...

Date Published 05/11/2010

Focus on: Jim Dobbin MP

Jim Dobbin has been a member of parliament for Heywood and Middleton for the past 13 years. He is originally from Scotland and has been married for 46 years to Pat Dobbin with who...

Date Published 04/11/2010

Where is Ted?

As part of Rochdale Online’s monthly feature ‘Focus on....’ Ted, the office bear, has been visiting locations across the borough.

This month as the weather has turned colder...

Date Published 03/11/2010

Focus on Middleton: S.Wellens and Sons Ltd Funeral Directors

S. Wellens and Sons Ltd Funeral Directors began in 1870. To date five generations of the Wellens family have been involved in the business, with one member of the Wellens family...

Date Published 03/11/2010

Focus on Middleton: Middleton Heartline Club

The Middleton Heartline Club was founded in 1990 by six heart patients as a continuum of the rehabilitation they had received at the North Manchester General Hospital.

The...

Date Published 01/11/2010

Focus on Heywood: West Heywood Councillors

As part of Rochdale Online’s Focus on Heywood month this October reporter Laura Wild has been finding out more about the town’s councillors, why they became a Councillor, what...

Date Published 31/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: Heywood Local Committee – Cancer Research UK

The Heywood Committee of Cancer Research UK is one of many local committees across the country. It is currently made up of 11 committee members, who are all ladies who have either...

Date Published 29/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: New Heart for Heywood

Almost 10 years ago, New Heart for Heywood was set up in a bid to improve the quality of life of those living and working in the town.

The project is a part of the New Deal...

Date Published 27/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: Wigwam Acoustics

Wigwam acoustics Ltd is one of the World’s leading sound companies and it is based in Heywood.

Wigwam Acoustics was originally created in 1968 by Mick Spratt and Mike Huck to...

Date Published 25/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: Favourite things

Throughout October Rochdale Online has been focusing on Heywood. Features have included the Heywood BMX Club, the Rotary Club of Heywood, Heywood Model Railway Group and there’s...

Date Published 24/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: Gilwood Fabricators Company Ltd

Gilwood Fabricators in Heywood was set up in 1964 by Luke Gilmartin and his partner Mr Heywood.

The firm was set up to service the textile industry, of course, as the textile...

Date Published 22/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: Heywood BMX club

Almost one year ago the Heywood BMX track situated in the award winning Queen’s Park was officially opened by the then Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Keith Swift.

Twelve months...

Date Published 20/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: Beddoes of Heywood

Beddoes of Heywood, situated on Market Street, is a friendly, family business, which has been in the Beddoes family for many years.

The business started in Failsworth and...

Date Published 18/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: Heywood Probus Club

Depending on who you speak to, retirement is something that should be either cherished or dreaded. Weekday afternoons can be the perfect time to finally take up fishing, or an...

Date Published 15/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: Heywood's new starters

As part of Rochdale Online’s Focus on Heywood month we have been visiting schools in Heywood to meet the new reception class children.

With half term coming up it seems that...

Date Published 14/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: PC Shahid Shah and PC Gareth Steward

It seems the public are always quite intrigued when it comes to police officers, why they became a police officer, what is their favourite part of the job and so on.

So, as...

Date Published 13/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: North Heywood Councillors

As part of Rochdale Online’s Focus on Heywood this month Laura Wild caught up with the town’s Councillor’s to find out a little bit more about who they are and what they do....

Date Published 11/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: Heywood Model Railway Group

When most people think of model railways an image probably comes to mind of sitting on the floor of a loft or above the garage at a young age, with a single train running in a...

Date Published 08/10/2010

Littleborough competition winner: David Felton

The winner of September’s ‘Where is Ted?’ competition visited the Rochdale Online studio today (Thursday 7 October 2010).

David Felton, 44, correctly guessed that Ted the...

Date Published 07/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: The Rotary Club of Heywood

The Rotary Club of Heywood was set up in 1933. It currently has 18 members who meet every week and each year one of the members holds the role of club president.

The club is...

Date Published 06/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: Heywood Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society

Organising children as young as eight and adults in full-time employment to put on a week-long stage show is no mean feat, but that is the task taken on by the Heywood Amateur...

Date Published 04/10/2010

Focus on Heywood: The Friends of Queen’s Park

On 9 August 1873, a Heywood man named Martin Newhouse died without making a will, as a result Queen Victoria purchased land and had it laid out as a park, it was then given for...

Date Published 01/10/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Wardle and West Littleborough Councillors

Following the first instalment of Rochdale Online’s Littleborough Councillors feature here is the second instalment.

Here you can find out about Wardle and West Littleborough...

Date Published 28/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Littleborough’s new starters

As part of Rochdale Online’s Focus on Littleborough month this September we have been visiting Primary Schools in Littleborough and meeting the new reception class children....

Date Published 27/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Littleborough and District NSPCC

The NSPCC is a national charity with branches all over the country.

In Rochdale it is one of the main charities which people support on a regular basis as people across the...

Date Published 26/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Favourite things

Throughout September Rochdale Online has been focusing on Littleborough. Features have included the Littleborough and District Lions Club, George Kelsall’s bookshop, Fielden Farm,...

Date Published 25/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Neighbourhood Constable Kay McCaffrey

PC Kay McCaffrey has been a police officer in Rochdale for the past 25 years.

This year she joined the Littleborough police force because she wanted to see another part of...

Date Published 20/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: A place that hasn’t changed

During the Middle Ages, Littleborough was a small centre of domestic woolen cloth production - an industry which was stimulated as a result of Littleborough's proximity to the...

Date Published 24/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Littleborough and District Lions Club

When I set out to write features about Littleborough somebody mentioned the Littleborough Lions to me. The what? I asked, followed with a blank stare.

The Lions Club...

Date Published 22/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: The Friends of Hollingworth Lake

Another well known friends group based in Littleborough is the Friends of Hollingworth Lake.

Hollingworth Lake was built over 200 years ago to supply water to the Rochdale...

Date Published 20/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: TaxAssist Accountants

TaxAssist Accountants has recently opened on Church Street in Littleborough and despite the economic doom and gloom the husband and wife team who run the business have had a very...

Date Published 16/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Littleborough Civic Trust

In 1971 the Littleborough Civic Trust was set up by a group of people keen to conserve and enhance the environment of Littleborough.

The trust is a voluntary body registered...

Date Published 14/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Fielden Farm

Last week a new Eco-friendly, self catering holiday cottage opened in Littleborough. The cottage is one of two in the pipeline and is situated up in the hills on Blackstone...

Date Published 12/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Friends of Hare Hill Park

The second in Rochdale Online’s Littleborough friend’s features focuses on the Friends of Hare Hill Park.

The group was set up ten years ago to restore the park which was very...

Date Published 10/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Performance Doorset Solutions Ltd

In 2003 three men left one Rochdale company behind to set up their own business where they could be in control and where they made the rules.

Now, seven years on, the...

Date Published 08/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Littleborough Coach House

The Littleborough Coach House is one of the most significant buildings in Littleborough, situated at the heart of the village on Lodge Street.

The building, as the name...

Date Published 06/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Littleborough Lakeside Councillors

Have you ever wondered why your local councillor became a councillor? Or what they did before they took up the role, or even what their hobbies are?

Fear not, as part of...

Date Published 03/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Friends group remain on the right track

In Littleborough there are three distinctive friends groups, not those that are at opposite ends of the playground but groups that have a joint interest: Littleborough.

The...

Date Published 02/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: George Kelsall's secondhand bookshop

George Kelsall’s secondhand bookshop situated on Littleborough Square is well known to people from far and wide and has been in the same location for the past thirty years.

Date Published 01/09/2010

Focus on Littleborough: Who is behind Littleborough’s important diary dates?

Have you ever wondered who organises the Littleborough Rushbearing Festival, or who gets everybody together to celebrate the Christmas Lights switch on in Littleborough?

The...

Date Published 01/09/2010

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