Saddleworth butcher’s shop wins Christmas lights competition

The annual competition sees Saddleworth Parish Council judges pick out the best shop window, pub, and community and residential properties.

This year, Neil Mellor’s butcher’s shop won the prize for the shop with the best lights. Highly commended were O’Donnells Solicitors, NK Hair Studio, and Saddleworth Crafts.

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The pub with the best lights has been judged as Uppermill’s The Waggon, with The Diggle Hotel highly commended.

The residential property with the best lights goes to Jodie Simpson, on Huddersfield Road, with high commendations going to Jo Jacombs of Clifton Holme, Tracy Buckley of Huddersfield Road, Paul Chapman & Clare Russel of Burnedge Lane, and Gary Kershaw of Lowerfields.

Inside the shop (Image: Neil Mellor)

Joint winners of the community award were the two Sues, on Belmont Street.

Celebrating 40 years in business last year, butcher Neil Mellor thanked his wife 63-year-old wife Michelle for working hard on the Christmas decorations, saying she’d had to do it ‘really last minute this time’.

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Speaking to The Oldham Times, Neil was grateful for the award, which comes after a few months of illness.

He added: “We always put them up on the first week in December, which is the Christmas lights switch on in Uppermill.

“It’s Michelle who needs to be taking all the credit for it, definitely.”

Michelle, who noted her son Joshua was born on Boxing Day, says she has always enjoyed decorating for Christmas.

Michelle said: “It comes as a nice surprise. I didn't expect it. It was a nice surprise after the past couple of months we’ve had.

“A lot of people said how nice the decorations were, they always do. I don’t think we’ve entered before.

“The shops are lovely at Christmas in Uppermill, I think they’re all nice, but obviously they must have liked what I did.”

A presentation evening for the winners will take place on Monday, January 29 at 7pm at Uppermill’s Civic Hall.

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