Snappers’ enthusiasm ‘touches’ Mayoress

SNAP happy . . . the Mayor’s attendant Konrad Zielinski gets in on the act

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THE Chronicle welcomed a very special guest photographer when Oldham Mayoress Yasmin Toor left her civic chain at home for the day and swapped it for a camera as she shadowed our photographic team.

Councillor Toor and her husband, Oldham Mayor, Councillor Ateeque Ur-Rehman, are coming to the end of their Mayoral year. They have appeared at hundreds of events, and the chances are one of the Chronicle’s photographers were there capturing each moment.

Councillor Toor paid tribute to photographers Vincent Brown, Tony Miller and Darren Robinson, who between them have worked at the Evening Chronicle for 101 years.

Not to forget freelancers Paul Sterritt and Tim Bradley.

She said: “This year, as Mayor and Mayoress, we have been to hundreds of events and at nearly all of them there has been one of the Chronicle’s photographers.

“We see each other so often, we have built up a friendship.

“I have been observing them for a long time now and I really appreciate their work. They have such an important job in representing the town, they have a real skill in showing all the positives of Oldham and its people.

“When I’m at these events, I can’t help but appreciate how hard-working all the photographers are. They never just turn-up and take a picture, they show a real interest and don’t leave until they have taken the picture which tells the whole story.

“For me, it is the personal touch they have. For them, it’s not just a job they turn up at, take a quick picture and leave. They care and that shows in the way they act at every job and the pictures we then see in the paper. Having said that, it’s incredible how quickly they are able to get what they need. It’s a real skill to be so efficient but thorough at the same time.

“They play such an important role in telling, not just Oldham but the rest of the world, what is happening here.”

Councillor Toor remembered one event in particular where she was invited to look around Christie Oldham ­– one of this year’s Mayor’s charities ­– to view the facilities and Chronicle photographer Tony arrived.

Councillor Toor said: “Tony could have just turned up, taken a picture and gone off to his next job but he followed us around for the whole visit, making sure he didn’t miss a thing. There was a new machine that has just arrived at the centre and Tony wanted to know everything about it. It touched me, that level of enthusiasm they all have, and it’s the reason I asked if I could follow the photographers for the day.”

Speaking about her day with the photographers, Councillor Toor said: “The experience has been fascinating. I think it’s the element of anticipation that at any moment you could be called out to breaking news.

“On top of that it’s how much contact the photographers have with the public, they’re out every day meeting the people that make our community what it is.”

Vincent, whose mother Mary served as Mayoress of Oldham herself in 1991, has been a photographer at the Evening Chronicle for 44 years.

He said: “I’m really intrigued by Yasmin’s perception, she’s clearly been observing us for some time.

“She’s picked up on passion, thoroughness and efficiency. That is the art to our job, getting in and getting out but without missing anything.”

Councillor Toor and Councillor Ur-Rehman have both thoroughly enjoyed their Mayoral year and now the Mayoress is in the process of writing a book about their year in the spotlight.

She said: “I work full-time, we have children and on top of that I’m a councillor so it has been a very busy year but I wouldn’t change it.

“It opens your eyes to the level of respect Oldhamers have for the Mayor and everything the role stands for.

“We’ve loved the experience and loved meeting so many people through the year and we will really miss it.”