Rick's St Mary's Diary

The other day I received a hand-written letter from Hampshire, from a man asking about his grandfather, who had been a Liberal Councillor in Ramsbottom in the early part of the 20th century. Last night I penned a reply saying that, after asking around likely party archivists in the area, I’d had little success. Most of our archives relate to Prestwich, and there’s not much that goes back more than about 40 years.

I referred my correspondent to our party President in the Borough, and one of our members in Tottington who may have some older archives from Bury North. But this is an online appeal to anyone who may have information about the Ramsbottom UDC in the 1930s, and particularly a Cllr Longworth who served as a Liberal member for many years. It would be lovely to find out more about the party’s past in the Borough, especially since we had some very dedicated Councillors very many years ago. It would be a shame to have lost information about them.

But thoughts of the past must turn to thoughts of the future today – it is Annual Council today, when the Council meets for the first time since the election to formalise appointments and hold the State of the Borough debate. For the first time in 21 years, there is the chance that Labour may lose control in Bury. They are no longer the largest party on the Council, and today’s vote on who will form the administration is bound to be very interesting. As a lifelong Bury resident, it is a privilege to be involved in the decision as to who runs our Borough, and rest assured it is not one I will be taking lightly.

Rick