ST GEORGE’S flag is flying high above Uppermill once more thanks to the dedicated Oldham Mountain Rescue Team.
Four brave members of the team scaled the lofty heights of St Chad’s church tower to spend 90 minutes carrying out maintenance on the flag and its pole.
Denzil Broadhurst, OMRT member who led the project, explained: “The team has had links with St Chad’s for many years. The main role has been to assist with the flag and flagpole on the top of the church tower.
“This time the halyard had suffered damage and needed replacing, which meant the flagpole had to be taken down to allow the new one to be fitted.
“Four team members did the job on Saturday morning, replacing the halyard, re-erecting the flagpole and fitting a new St George’s Cross flag.”
OMRT has a longstanding connection with St Chad’s as around 25 years go OMRT ran a sponsored abseil off the tower to raise money for Holy Spirit of Oshandi in Namibia which they have links with.
Then 20 years ago the church wanted to repaint the clock faces so team members cleaned and painted the black faces using rope access techniques before Oldham Council’s ‘clock man’ did the finishing touches.
And around 10 years back the church wanted to replace the flagpole on the tower, so the team took down the original pole to help save on the cost of the work.
In 2014 the halyard needed replacement so the team lowered the mast and replaced the halyard, which was completed again this time around by Denzil Broadhurst, Mike Porritt, Matt Torr and Phil Davies.
The latest project was captured by a drone operated by an OMRT member who also does professional photography and the video can be viewed at: https://vimeo.com/223895588
Find out more about Oldham Mountain Rescue Team on their website: www.omrt.org
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