Browse Sections

• Education
• Special reports

The 1990s

11/ 6/2003

End of a terrible injustice

STEFAN Kiszko's mum and aunt wept tears of joy as he was cleared, on Tuesday 18 February 1992, of murdering Lesley Molseed.

Charlotte Kiszko and her sister, Alfreda Tosic, had campaigned for 16 years to prove his innocence.

Court of appeal judges headed by Lord Chief Justice Lord Lane, said his conviction was "unsafe and unsatisfactory" after hearing scientific evidence that ruled him out as the killer.

Simon says: 'I feel so proud'

PARTIALLY-sighted judo star Simon Jackson completed a golden hat-trick in August 1996 by winning his third Paralympic tile in Atlanta, USA.

Simon, unbeaten in nine years of competition, was favourite to win the under-78kgs class and came out on top against Argentine Fabian Ramirez in the final. It added a third gold to those he won in Seoul in 1988 and Barcelona in 1992.

Simon, from Littleborough, was given the honour of carrying the British flag into the stadium at the opening ceremony. He said: "When I carried that flag something went inside me. I was all right until I spotted my dad in the crowd, then I felt a tear coming down my face, I just felt so proud."

Hospital saved by people power

PEOPLE power helped keep a hospital in Rochdale, and helped secure backing for a £20M redevelopment of the Infirmary.

More than 100,000 people signed the Observer 'Save Our Hospital' petition as part of months of campaigning to keep a main hospital with full accident and emergency service in Rochdale.

The protection of Rochdale's hospital services was confirmed at a special public meeting of Bury and Rochdale Health Authority in September 1996. Authority members also gave backing for the Infirmary redevelopment, which would be paid for partly by private cash.

Authority chairman Alan Maden said the petitions and interest shown by Rochdale people through the Observer campaign had mattered, when making a decision to keep a main hospital in Rochdale.

Town stands still in Diana's memory

ROCHDALE town centre came to the virtual standstill on Saturday 6 September as people paid silent tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales.

Shop were closed until 2pm as a mark of respect on the day of her funeral and sports fixtures were cancelled throughout the town.

Thousands of tributes to Diana poured into the Observer's offices and are being sent to the Lord Chamberlain's Office at Buckingham Palace's request, after being printed in the Observer.

Almost 15,000 people signed the official books of condolence and hundreds of floral tributes adorned war memorials. All the cards on the flowers were kept as a permanent reminder of Rochdale's grief over the death of the 'queen of hearts'.

About 45 men, women and children in Ansdell Road, Turf Hill, held a street vigil in memory of Diana. One of the organisers, Karen Atkinson, said they decided to hold the wake because no-one in the street could go to London and see the funeral procession.

Mum's dream becomes real GEM

A ROCHDALE woman's amazing dream became a reality in August 1999.

Karen Hoather set up the GEM Appeal in 1994 to fund the building of the world's first research centre into genetic diseases.

Her own two sons Simon and Michael suffered from the incurable genetic disease Hunter Syndrome - both boys died when they were 12 years old. Karen's fundraising efforts while caring for her own children inspired hundreds of people to raise money for the centre. Around £300,000 was collected, the vast majority by Rochdale people.

The GEM Appeal Centre was built at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in Pendlebury, next to the Willink Biochemical Genetics Unit. The area where most of the research is done was named the Simon and Michael Hoather Metabolic Unit.

Mrs Hoather said: There were times when I thought we would never see the centre and it's wonderful to have finally achieved what we set out to do. It's great having the metabolic unit named after the boys, as this means they will be remembered forever."

Key events - 1990 to 1999:

1990 - Rochdale Football Club reaches the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time and lose to eventual finalists Crystal Palace; 14-year-old Anna Friel and her 11-year-old brother Michael head for stardom after landing roles in television shows; Raymond Grieve and Brian Crowder are freed after being held hostage in Iran and Kuwait.
1991 - Parking fees introdced on virtually every street in Rochdale town centre; Unemployment in Rochdale said to be higher than in any other comparable area in the country; Gulf War hero Simon Bakkor awarded Queen's Gallantry medal.
1992 - Allah Dad becomes the first man in the North West to have electronic device to control his heartbeat implanted; Cyclist Julie Hill selected to represent Great Britain in Barcelona Olympics.
1993 - Rochdale inventor Michael Gore was looking for a backer for his latest creation, a drinks can with a pop-up straw; Coronation Street star Ken Morley, alias Reg Holdsworth, provoked a storm of protest at Hamer Lane firm Acton and Acton, suppliers to the waterbed industry, when his waterbed in the programme burst and flooded Rita's shop; £1M refurbishment started to derelict and vandalised flats in Ashfield Valley.
1994 - Princess Anne opens Wheatsheaf Library; Twelve-year-old cancer victim Sheryl Fielding fulfilled every girl's dream when she met heroes Take That; The Queen and Prince Philip visit Rochdale to help the Co-op's 150th anniversary celebrations.
1995 - Closed circuit television cameras start filming in Rochdale town centre; Thousands of people joined campaign backed by the Observer and Rochdale Council to stop the reopening of Ding Quarry, Rooley Moor Road; Canal project gets £11.8M lottery cash from Millennium Commission.
1996 - River Roch uncovered in town centre for first time in 91 years during work on £3.3M bridge restrengthening scheme; Labour leader Tony Blair opens new Co-operative Retail Services headquarters at Sandbrook Park; Rochdale window cleaner Stephen 'Moggy' Murray completes 222-mile charity walk from Rochdale to London.
1997 - Frances Done becomes Rochdale Council's first female Town Clerk; Lorna Fitzsimons becomes first Labour MP for Rochdale for 25 years; Twin spires put in at junction of Manchester Road, St Mary's Gate and the Esplanade to form 'Gateway to Rochdale'; Murder suspect named in book in Lesley Molseed case.
1998 - Littleborough cricketer Chris Schofield wins world under-19 championships with England; Princess Alexandra visits Springhill Hospice to mark its 10th anniversary; Rochdale County Court closed.
1999 - Residents win high court judgement to stop Kingsway Business Park development; Rochdale said to be third worst town in country for graffiti by Tidy Britain Group; Rochdale people shot by post office raid suspects in police chase which started just south of Lancaster and ended in the town centre.