A woman who has lived near Dovestone Reservoir for almost 20 years has shared a shocking video of how parking and traffic in the area delayed a fire engine responding to a moor fire this week. The video, shared with The Oldham Times by Ella Trow, shows the fire engine as it heads up to the reservoir. The fire engine making its way past vehicles parked on yellow lines (Image: Ella Trow) As the engine travelled up the lower part of the road, it managed to get through fairly quickly, and several cars were able to move out of the way so that it could pass. When it reached the car park, the fire engine was forced to slow down while it squeezed through a gap between cars parked in spaces on either
Three more fires ripped through the moors around Saddleworth yesterday (April 8), with firefighters on scene at one overnight. Fire crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) were first called to a fire near Blackstone Edge Reservoir at around 1.30pm. They began to tackle the fire with crews from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. The fire and rescue service then received a second call to another fire, this one near Dovestone Reservoir, at around 3.40pm yesterday. The fire near Dovestone (Image: Ken Bennett) The Dovestone fire saw crews tackling flames for around five hours and required several fire engines from across Greater Manchester. Images from the scene showed a large
The death of the four-month-old son of former Oldham Athletic player Matt Smith is a "tragic reminder" of the "urgent need to protect the title of nurse", experts have said. It comes after a coroner criticised the "misleading" use of the title "maternity nurse" after the death of Madison Bruce Smith. Madison was found unresponsive by his father on the morning of October 18, 2024. The infant could not be resuscitated at the family home in Trafford, Manchester, and was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Mr Smith and his wife, former Manchester United player Steve Bruce's daughter Amy, had employed a maternity nurse through a company named Ruthie Maternity Services aft
Allotment holders say they are devastated after a fire broke out at an Oldham site. Several sheds and a greenhouse have burnt down at Oakbank Allotments on Laurel Avenue, Chadderton, with some allotment holders left "disappointed and discouraged". Now, a clean-up is set to be organised as the allotments look to recover from the blaze. The fire at Oakbank Allotments broke out at around 9pm on Saturday (April 4), with firefighters called to the scene. According to Adrian Shuttleworth, secretary of Oakbank Allotments, the strong winds during Storm Dave caused the fire to spread "rapidly" and inflict damage on several allotments. Strong winds over the weekend made the fire spread "rapidly" (Imag
Oldham has been announced as Greater Manchester's Town of Culture for 2026-2027. With the accolade comes a £50,000 grant to fund a 12-month programme of community events, festivals, performances and exhibitions that celebrate Oldham's arts and culture scene. The Greater Manchester Town of Culture project is inspired by the national City of Culture scheme, which was introduced by Mayor Andy Burnham in 2009, when he was Culture Secretary. Council leader Arooj Shah has described the accolade as a "huge moment of pride for Oldham and a real vote of confidence in our town". She said: "With over £450 million of regeneration transforming our town centre, this recognition shows that Oldham's future
Three Oldham pubs have made the latest edition of the 'Manchester's Best Beer, Pubs, and Bars' guidebook. Released by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the book features more than 200 pubs from across the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester. It also offers a detailed history of beer brewing in Manchester, dating back to the eighteenth century, and celebrates the region's new independent brewers, such as Cloudwater and Track. The second edition of the book is about to be released on April 2, with dozens of new pubs and several new areas added to the line-up. It has been written by Manchester-based freelance photographer and writer Matthew Curtis, who also authored the 2021 CAMRA book 'Modern
Several others were injured in yesterday's smash Everything we know after man dies in three car crash in Oldham A man in his 50s has died following a three-car collision on Broadway in Chadderton, Oldham. The crash occurred at the entrance to the Elk Mill retail park yesterday evening. Emergency services, including fire crews from Chadderton and Oldham, responded quickly to the scene. The incident resulted in significant damage to a Mercedes, a Toyota Prius, and a Ford, with debris scattered across the road. Broadway was closed for much of the evening as crews worked to make the area safe. The exact number of other people injured in the crash has not been disclosed.
A man from Oldham has been disqualified from being the director of a business after he exploited a Covid Bounce Back Loan (BBL) by 'overstating' his company's turnover. Stephen Cornwell-Dobson, 44, provided incorrect turnover figures in order to access a greater loan, according to the Insolvency Service. He has now been disqualified and the company, XS Rentals Ltd, has been liquidated. During the Covid pandemic, the previous government introduced the BBL scheme to help companies try to survive. The terms of the scheme were that businesses could apply for a loan of between £2,000 and £50,000, subject to a maximum of up to 25 per cent of turnover from the previous calendar year, or an estimate
Oldham is getting ready to launch its new market. After a six-month delay, the council is throwing all its energy into the grand opening of 'The Market'-the new home for Tommyfield traders. The new site on Yorkshire Street, attached to the Spindles shopping centre, will officially open its doors to the public at 9am on Saturday, March 28. The new hall will open with around 45 traders, ranging from butchers' and sweets' stalls to bedding, gifts, and hardware. Tommyfield's much-loved cafes will also be serving up their renowned fry-ups and pastries from the new centre, and there will be a number of new features such as a Thai food stall. Council leader. Arooj. Shah said: "This is a huge moment
An online food reviewer has caused a stir on social media after being turned away from a promotional event at the new Popeye's restaurant in Oldham. Content creator Peety Scranz, who travels around the north west trying and reviewing food spots, has divided opinion with his actions after he was denied entry to the American fried chicken chain's latest branch at Elk Mill Shopping Park. In a post on Facebook, Peety Scranz said he had been invited to an event for the recent opening of Popeye's in Oldham "to help promote" the fast food spot, but said he was turned down at the door because he was late. The food reviewer said he was 15 minutes late due to traffic, which he said was his fault befor
After delays and uncertainty, an opening date for Oldham's new indoor market has finally been announced. It has been described by council bosses as a "huge moment" for Oldham and the latest step in the town's grand £450 million regeneration plan . Announcing the news of a March 28 opening, council leader. Arooj. Shah said: "We know how much markets mean to local people. It's a modern, vibrant space that puts local talent at its heart, exactly what Oldham deserves." Council leader Arooj Shah and some of the market traders moving at the new Spindles space (Image: Oldham Council) The market had originally been slated for a September 2025 opening, but it was postponed until the new year while wo
It is the latest in a string of recent Greater Manchester openings for the fried chicken chain, which also recently launched in Bolton and is now preparing to launch at Piccadilly station. When we arrived just before 10am, there were a handful of dedicated chicken fans in the queue, however the crowds slowly gathered as it drew closer to the 11am opening. The top prize for the first four customers on foot and in the parking bays was free deluxe chicken sandwiches for a year, while the first 50 got some Popeyes merchandise and the first 100 a free deluxe chicken sandwich. Gym manager Ross Gallagher, from Shaw, was the first in the parking bays at 2am. Ross Gallagher was the first in the queue