Mayor’s Column: Councillor Mike Holly

Mayor of Rochdale Councillor Mike Holly

Councillor Mike Holly was sworn in as the Mayor of Rochdale in May 2023.

This column is about the places he has been and the people he met in February 2024.

It was with great sadness that, at the recent budget council meeting, I had to announce the sad passing of former Mayor Councillor Peter Rush. Peter was first elected as a councillor for Heywood in 2006, at the same time that I was elected to the council. We always got on famously and I considered him to be a friend. He was ‘Mr Heywood’ and was so passionate about Heywood and also Rochdale Hornets. A lovely man who will be sorely missed.

I also noted that the Member of Parliament for Rochdale, Sir Tony Lloyd, had passed away subsequent to the previous council meeting. I and many councillors, together with senior Labour politicians, attended a very moving funeral service for Sir Tony the previous week. He was clearly much admired by his colleagues and a thoroughly decent man, as witnessed by my dealings with him as a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee when he was interim mayor. At the council meeting, we held a minute’s silence for Sir Tony, followed by a separate minute’s silence for Peter. Some fine words of tribute to both of them were made from across the political divide.

Continuing the sadness theme, the Mayoress and I attended three particularly moving events in the month, in remembrance of members of the Armed Forces who lost their lives serving our country.

The first was the 50th anniversary of the bombing of a coach by the IRA near Hartshead Moor Services on the M62. The coach was carrying service men and their families back from leave. Despite atrocious weather conditions, the turnout was unbelievable. It was so moving to attend the service and witness relatives of the lost lay wreaths to the memory of their loved ones, followed by representatives of the Armed Forces, rescue services and civic dignitaries also laying wreaths, including myself.

The next event was a memorial service for the 11th (service) Battalion the East Lancashire (The Accrington Pals) in St John the Evangelist Church in Accrington. Civic Mayors and consorts from areas connected with the Regiment took part in the formal procession, before a solemn service. We both found it very moving as we have been to the Somme battlefield where so many Pals paid the ultimate sacrifice in the carnage of that battle.

Finally the simple and dignified Turning of the Leaves ceremony at Manchester Cathedral.  The leaves of the seven books of Remembrance were turned by veterans and civic dignitaries, including myself, and the Collects were read of Manchester, Kings and Duke of Lancaster’s regiment. Names were also read out in the memory of recently deceased veterans, followed by short prayers. Very moving.

On a more upbeat note, I visited Harry Bell & Sons premises to present some long service awards. Whilst there, they made donations to two local charities and also gave me a generous cheque for my Mayor’s charity. They are a true supporter of so many good causes in the borough and a very successful business. I also had a tour round J.W. Lees Brewery, one of my favourite beers. They really have evolved as a fantastic hospitality company but have also preserved their heritage in the lovely old offices within the brewery. It was a pleasure to welcome the Springfield Park Miniature Railway enthusiasts to the parlour, to recognise the fantastic voluntary work they do and pleasure they give so many children and adults on their trains and to thank them for a donation made to my charity.

The Mayoress and I were guests of NEEVA at the Hop and Vine in Norden in celebration of all the wonderful charitable work NEEVA do in Norden, particularly in support of Norden in Bloom. We also attended a lovely pantomime, Robinson Crusoe, put on by St. Gabriel’s Amateur Dramatics Company.

Finally, on an education theme, in its widest sense, we attended the launch, at the Reel Cinema, of the council’s serious violence strategy to educate children about the horrors of knife crime. The film, Silence the Violence, was performed, directed and acted in by young people from the borough. It really got the message over. We also attended an event put on by Living Well, to educate people about cardiovascular disease and prevention.

Finally, I attended an event in the Grand Hall of Rochdale Town Hall to launch the Atom Valley education challenge consortium, compromising the council, Rochdale Development Agency, Cambridge University, St John’s College, Cambridge, St Peter’s College, Oxford, Hollingworth Academy and Rochdale 6th Form College. The aim of the project is to try to encourage more children from the borough to apply to Oxbridge and, as an alumni of Jesus College, Oxford, I completely support the noble objective. Hopefully it will lead to more ‘Rochdalians’ returning to participate in the opportunities that we all hope the Atom Valley project will create. Council leader, Councillor Neil Emmott, signed a memorandum of understanding, together with all the other parties, and he and their representatives, including the vice-chancellor of Cambridge, spoke. This is a great initiative for Rochdale and is an important part of achieving our ambition of being a major force in high-tech manufacturing and materials science.