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May 2026 Page 3 AD SALES 01204 478812 TO ADVERTISE IN THE INDEPENDENT CALL OUR TEAMON 01204 478812 Covid grant fraudster sentenced POPULAR DJ Dave Sweetmore will host the main stage at this August’s Rochdale Feel Good Festival. It will be Dave’s 13th appearance at the sum- mer event and he says he’s buzzing to be back. Dave, from Roch- dale, said: This festival has always held a spe- cial place in my heart. Growing up locally and now coming back year after year to host it is something I never take for granted. “There’s such an incredible atmosphere, and it just keeps get- ting better every time. I can’t wait for August, the line-up is absolutely bril- liant this year, with some amazing acts I’m really excited to share with the crowd. It’s always an hon- our to be part of it.” The club, radio, concert and festival DJ is a famil- iar face on the northern and UK music scene, nationally-renowned for his indie tunes and has spent more than two dec- ades DJ-ing at venues across the country. The BBC Radio Man- chester presenter is also a regular commentator on North West music, championing new bands and live music. The festival returns on Saturday, 8 August 2026, for another showcase of live entertainment head- lined by pop and soul icon Gabrielle, rock band Ash, and Starsailor. There will be live music across indoor venues, a main stage against the backdrop of the Grade I-listed town hall, plus quality food and drink a quality food and drink village and other entertainment. A MAJOR exhibi- tion about Victoria Wood has opened to the public at Bury Art Museum. Created to mark the tenth anniver- sary of her passing, it celebrates the life and achievements of Bury’s most famous daughter and much- loved entertainer. Courtesy of Victoria Wood’s Literary Estate, and her family mem- bers, the exhibition fea- tures original scripts, letters, song sheets and photos which all once belonged to Victoria. Among the items on display are notebooks full of Victoria’s ideas, and original lyrics for the song “The Ballad of Barry and Freda” (aka “Let’s Do It”). There are also scripts, some of which are handwritten and annotated by Victo- ria, including “Tal- ent”, “Victoria Wood Presents”, “Dinner- ladies”, “As Seen on TV”, “Housewife 49”, and “Acorn Antiques the Musical”. The exh i bit i on includes a video mon- tage, which shows ‘behind the scenes’ footage of the filming of “Victoria Wood’s All- Day Breakfast”, which was broadcast on BBC One on Christmas Day 1992, and a recording of a rehearsal of “Din- nerladies” before a live audience. Characters from her stand-up routine, such as Kimberley’s Friend and Hayley Bailey, the step aerobics instruc- tor, can be seen, as can Victoria performing the song “The Ballad of Barry and Freda”. The exhibition also features the work of photographers Andy Hollingworth and Harry Borden, whose work shows many of Victoria’s collaborators. Manchester artist Stan- ley Chow has created a new artwork of Victoria for the exhibition. A VIP reception was held before the full opening, when visi- tors were treated to a performance of Lucky Bags, a piece celebrat- ing the characters in Victoria’s work, and her relationship with Julie Walters. Susan Lord, museum and exhibition curator, said: “We are thrilled to hold this exhibition Remembering Victoria’s brilliance Homage: Performers in front of the exhibit’s Acorn Antiques display (Photo credit: Bury Council) in this most important year, and we are grate- ful to Victoria’s Literary Estate and her family for lending us so many unique items relating to Victoria’s award-win- ning career and her home life too. “Many of these items are never seen by the public, and we also have a range of exclusive items in our shop which have been created especially for this exhibition.” Bury Art Museum is open from 10am to 5pm (Tuesday to Friday) and from 10am to 4.30pm on Saturday. Admission is free. The Victoria Wood exhibition is expected to run until late summer. Dave takes centre stage A ROCHDALE man who claimed a £10,000 Covid grant he was not entitled to has been sentenced after pleading guilty to fraud at Manchester and Salford Mag- istrates’ Court. Jake Gorton,41, of Raneley Grove, Kirkholt, claimed a £10,000 small business grant almost as soon as they became available as the Covid crisis started to unfold in April 2020. He claimed that he was running Festival favourite: Dave Sweetmore a café called The Little Diner, in New Road, Littleborough, to get his hands on the money which was meant to keep businesses afloat during the Covid lockdowns. The council’s fraud team began to investigate after receiving a tip off which revealed he had vacated the premises in October 2019. As part of their investigation, the team set up interviews with Gorton three times, but he failed to attend. His actions ultimately landed him in court, where he was ordered to pay the £10,000 back, alongside £1,500 in court costs and a £90 vic- tim surcharge. He was also ordered to under- take 150 hours of unpaid com- munity service within the next 12 months. Speaking after the case, Saman- tha Smith, Rochdale Council’s director of corporate services, said: “These grants were designed to ensure that hard working business owners could get through a time of national crisis without losing their livelihoods. “Unfortunately, Jake Gorton chose to exploit this emergency situation for his own benefit and took money from the public purse that he was fully aware he was not entitled to. “We won’t hesitate to take action against people who are dishonestly claiming money from the pub- lic purse.” Ready, Teddy, go! CHILDREN starting recep- tion class in September are being encouraged to ‘Get ready with Teddy’ as part of a new school readi- ness campaign. As the new school year fast approaches, Rochdale Council is keen to ensure all children have the key skills they need to make the best possible start at school. This includes practical skills such as being fully toilet trained and having the confidence to join in group activities. To kickstart the campaign, the council is giving every new recep- tion pupil a comforting teddy bear companion to take with them on their school readiness journey. Families were invited to ‘Teddy Saturday’ across selected Best Start Family Hubs for an offi- cial launch event to learn more about how they can get involved in the campaign. A dedicated programme of activities is also underway to support families with their child’s development in the lead-up to their first day of term. Rachael Bentham, principal at Norden Primary Academy, said: “School readiness is not about children knowing everything before they arrive, it’s about help- ing them feel confident, curious, and prepared for the exciting jour- ney ahead. “Working together, we can cre- ate a smooth and joyful start to school, helping every child feel ready, valued, and excited for the journey ahead.”