Oldham Council has announced the news that a handful of its hardest-working salt spreaders are retiring this year.
After gritting more than a million miles between them over several years of “super service”, it’s now the end of the icy road for six of Oldham‘s famously-named gritting fleet, and a new wintery journey is gearing up to begin for the town’s replacements machines.
But, you know that that means – the the popular ‘name a gritter’ competition is back once again.
With the nights drawing in, and the weather getting colder and colder by the day, it won’t be long before local residents will be able to see the big yellow machines traveling around the borough spreading grit and salt.
Fan-favourites Winston Chur-chill and Nicole Saltslinger will be making welcome returns this year, but they’ll also be joined by six newbies, and it’s our job to name them equally-iconic names.
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Our famous name the gritter competition is back! 👷
It’s open to 4-11 year olds and like we have had in previous years we are hoping for an avalanche of entries.
Oldham Council‘s ‘name a gritter’ competition is now open, and it’s hoped that primary and junior-age children in the town will, once again, come through with “an avalanche of entries” like they have done in the past.
Brad Grit, Gritiana Grande, Snowbee One Kenobi, Nick Gritshaw, Leonardo de-ice-io, and Basil Salty are just some of the names of the gritters who’ve spread Oldham’s salt in previous years, so they should be able to serve as inspiration for what the Council’s looking for.
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The winning names from this year’s competition will be added to the front of the six new cabs.
“Oldham Council was one of the first local authorities in the country to name its gritting fleet, and since then many others have followed our lead,” Councillor Chris Goodwin, who is Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said as the competition opens.
“In the past, we’ve always run the competition as a bit of fun and it’s really captured the imagination of our young people, so please urge your children to get their thinking caps on and send in some names.”
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/ Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Unfortunately, Cllr Goodwin did stress that this year’s competition is only open to all children aged four to 11 who live in Oldham or attend one of the boroughs primary or junior schools, and that any “40-odd-year-old ‘comic’s who are thinking of sending in unfunny names” should thinking again, because they’ve “heard it all before”.
As social media suggestions “will not be accepted”, parents, guardians, and carers will need to help their little Oldhamers get their entries in on the Oldham Council website here, and you’ll need to make sure the child’s details are included, plus how the Council can contact you.
The closing date for entries is 11:59pm on Friday 3 November.
All naming suggestions will then be put to a panel of councillors and council officers to have the final say, and the lucky winners will be invited down to the town’s Moorhey Street depot to have their photo taken with the gritter they’ve named.
Featured Image – Oldham Council
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A full series of The Celebrity Apprentice is coming to UK screens for the first time ever
Danny Jones
Britain’s much-loved version of The Apprentice is getting its first-ever full celebrity season next year as the series is set to copy the spin-off format seen in the US.
The popular reality TV show competition, where game-show meets the world of business, has been running here in the UK since 2005.
Now coming up 20 seasons and already well over 200 episodes, including specials, the producers have just as much of a challenge coming up with fresh ideas as the contestants do.
With that in mind, the BBC has now ordered the first dedicated The Celebrity Apprentice series, separate from the mainline show and set to run longer than previous iterations.
The I'm a celebrity of the business world. Can't wait. Didn't watch the apprentice earlier this year for obvious reasons but really excited about this. Hope LS isn't soft on them because its charity. https://t.co/o7PK5e2N0w
As confirmed by multiple sources – including one of renowned businessman and host Alan Sugar’s own advisors, Andrew Bloch – the first proper Celebrity Apprentice season will air in 2026.
Bloch explains that it’ll come in the form of a six-episode series that “will see a new line-up of famous faces take on weekly business challenges set by Lord Sugar, competing to avoid the words ‘You’re fired’ and ultimately be crowned The Celebrity Apprentice winner.”
While previous instalments in the celebrity version have either been attached to Christmas specials or the likes of Comic Relief/Red Nose Day in March, this inaugural fully-fledged chapter is set to take place sometime early next year, though an official release date is yet to be announced.
Speaking of seasonal episodes, any viewers who’ve never seen the show or at least not with recognisable household names starring in it, the 2025 festive special will be airing across two parts later this month.
Speaking on the commission, BBC’s Head of Entertainment, Kalpna Patel-Knight, added: “The Apprentice is a much-loved part of the BBC’s entertainment offering, and we can’t wait to see how the celebrity candidates rise to the challenge when the series launches later in 2026.”
The lineup of special guests for next year’s series is yet to be confirmed, but the lineup for the upcoming Xmas episodes is as follows: AJ Odudu, Angela Scanlon, Charlie Hedges, Eddie Kadi, Jake Wood, JB Gill, Kadeena Cox, Matt Morsia, Rob Rinder, Sarah Hadland, Shazia Mirza and Tom Skinner.
Skinner actually took part in the regular show back in 2009, helping launch his public persona, before going on to get involved in social media, appearing on Strictly Come Dancing and even politics.
Have you seen the celeb version of The Apprentice before, and/or will you be watching this one?
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (via BBC Media Centre)
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Manchester United have been linked with a move for a Real Madrid legend
Danny Jones
Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing football legend and former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, over a decade on from the last time he was linked with the club.
Yes, after the notion of signing the Spanish defender first cropped circa 2009, and then again in 2015 (that time with the possibility of David de Gea famously going the other way), the European footballing veteran is set to be pursued by a number of teams next month.
One might even consider a third turn around the ‘could he?’ carousel towards the same club, not unlike the Wesley Sneijder-Man United equivalent of the transfer rumour mill.
Nevertheless, it appears as if it’s come round once again, though it remains to be seen just whether or not the story has any serious legs.
According to Spanish news outlet and radio station, Cadena SER, Sergio Ramos is now being eyed up for a potential move to Manchester, and the idea of him finally donning a United shirt might not be so far-fetched after all.
Now 39 years old and having personally announced that he won’t be signing a new deal at CF Monterrey, he will soon be available as a free agent in the upcoming January transfer window.
Ramos, a World Cup and Euros winner – not to mention serial La Liga and Champions League trophy collector – joined the Mexican club back in February after more than 16 years with the European giants, but his contract runs out at the end of this December.
Despite being set to enter his 40s and already well into the second decade of his professional career, the latest is that the Red Devils have now put forward a ‘formal offer’ to reunite the established, serial winner and senior star with his former and equally decorated teammate, Casemiro.
🚨🚨🌖| BREAKING: Manchester United have formally put forward an offer to bring Sergio Ramos to Old Trafford in the January window. [@La_SER via @goal] pic.twitter.com/QpOlL4izk2
It goes without saying that not only will numerous teams be throwing their hat in the ring to sign Ramos this January, but any side would benefit from having such a strong and experienced leadership presence in the dressing room, let alone Ruben Amorim‘s squad.
Better still, bringing in a player of his calibre on a free will be seen as an absolute coup by whoever eventually secures his signature.
However, as per GOAL (who also shared the claims made by Cadena SER earlier this week), while the Spaniard is said to have no intention of hanging up his boots just yet and still wants to try and compete at the top level, it is thought he would like a second return to Sevilla.
The belief is that when Ramos does retire, it will be back at his boyhood club – but before that, we couldn’t really be about to see him in the red of a Man United shirt… could we?
Emily Sergeant -
4th October 2023 
