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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Channel 4 to air exclusive new documentary about the disappearance and death of Lancashire teen Jay Slater
Emily Sergeant
An exclusive new documentary taking an inside look at the the disappearance of Jay Slater is coming to Channel 4.
On the morning of 17 June 2024, 19-year-old Jay Slater – an apprentice bricklayer from the Lancashire town of Oswaldtwistle – disappeared on the island of Tenerife in Spain, after attempting to walk 14 hours back to his accommodation when there was no local taxi service available and no bus due for 90 minutes.
From then commenced one of the biggest missing persons cases in recent British history.
As the world’s media were following the story minute by minute last summer, producers at Channel 4 were in the incredibly-unique position where they had access to the Coronial process in Lancashire, and this has led to the exclusive documentary title The Disappearance of Jay Slater.
From Jay’s post-mortem to Jay’s inquest, the team have been with the family every step of the way over the last year, as they try and understand exactly what happened to Jay outside of the public gaze
Jay was ultimately pronounced dead on 15 July 2024 after Spanish police reported the discovery of a body in the vicinity of the area of interest, but before this discovery and eventual announcement, the internet became awash with public discourse, conspiracy theories, and more.
The Disappearance of Jay Slater is described as being ‘the family’s story’.
Channel 4 will air an exclusive new documentary about the disappearance and death of Lancashire teen Jay Slater / Credit: GoFundMe
The documentary is set to follow them as they search for answers about what happened to Jay, witnessing the conspiracy theories raging online and the subsequent horrific abuse they received as a family – which is an hourly onslaught that continues to this day.
These cameras were the only media in the world granted full access to film both Jay’s post-mortem and inside the church at his funeral.
But the broadcaster claims this documentary is not only the story of Jay’s tragedy, it’s also the story of ‘the new world we live in’ where so-called true crime armchair detectives run wild.
“The story of Jay Slater captured the nation last summer with a fervour and intensity fuelled by armchair detectives and internet culture,” commented Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor, Rita Daniels, ahead of the documentary airing.
“We are so glad to be working on a sensitively handled exploration of the family’s experience, and understanding the impact of being in the middle of a social media storm, amplified by grief.
“The film holds a light up to our current society and is exactly the story that is a necessity for Channel 4 to tell.”
Executive Producer Anna Hall added: “It is appalling what has happened to Jay’s family, and we hope this film will help to bring awareness of the real life consequences of online speculation. It is an unmonitored world where fake news runs rife, and this film shows the devastating impact this has had on one grieving family.”
The Disappearance of Jay Slater is expected to air on Channel 4 later this year, but no official dates have been confirmed as of yet, so keep your eyes peeled.
Featured Image – GoFundMe
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‘Best signing of the summer’: Stockport County fans react to Dave Challinor’s new contract
Danny Jones
Stockport County fans are buzzing with their first and arguably ‘biggest’ signing of the summer, as manager Dave Challinor has penned a new contract at Edgeley Park.
The majority of match-goers in Stockport have fallen in love with Challinor over the past few years, with the former County centre-back having now spent nearly four years as the boss and overseeing one of the best periods in their history during that time.
With seven promotions across four different clubs, three of those coming at Edgeley Park, he’s been touted as one of the EFL‘s most underrated and quietly successful coaches in recent times.
All that being said, and with the 49-year-old now signing a new deal at the club, supporters like those behind the popular The Scarf Bergara Wore fan podcast have said, “Could be the best signing of our summer, that” – a similar sentiment has been echoed in pretty much everyone’s reaction.
Congratulations to Dave, a superb manager – would expect Stockport to play in the Championship in that time. Not many can say they’ve had success everywhere they’ve been, but he can
As you can see, while some jokingly said they were waiting to hear former Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry had been re-signed, the overwhelming consensus is that this is “superb news” for the thriving Greater Manchester side.
Having only just missed out on yet another promotion, which would have seen SCFC back in the Championship after more than two decades (having last spent time in the second division during the 2002/23 campaign, lasting just one season), keeping him tied down wasn’t a certainty.
The Chester-born ex-pro turned manager has attracted plenty of interest since his heroics at AFC Fylde and now at Stockport County, but owner and Vita Group founder, Mark Stott, as well as CEO Simon Wilson and the rest of the board were more than ready to reward his efforts with a new three-year deal.
If all goes to plan, this will see him remain at the club until at least 2028 if they make it into the Championship as planned, who knows how much longer after that.
Speaking on the new contract, Dave Challinor said via an official club statement, “I’m delighted to extend my stay at the Club beyond the end of the upcoming season. Last season gives me even more motivation to improve and aim to meet the shared objectives we have.
“I’m still highly ambitious, and feel that what we have built here over the last three-and-a-half years makes County somewhere that I want to continue to build, alongside my staff, players and everyone involved at the Club.”
‘Chally’ went on to add: “Last season gives me even more motivation to improve and aim to meet the shared objectives we have.
“I’m still highly ambitious, and feel that what we have built here over the last three-and-a-half years makes County somewhere that I want to continue to build, alongside my staff, players and everyone involved at the Club.
“A manager’s tenure at any football club is getting shorter and shorter, and I feel proud to have been at Edgeley Park for as long as I have. That comes from the trust placed in me by Mark and Simon to come in and have a positive impact, and I thank them both for that.”
Emily Sergeant -
4th October 2023 
