A DECADES old tradition is continuing as Susan Smith has been appointed as the 22nd Mayor of Austerlands of this era.
Susan, who has lived in Higher Springhead for more than 40 years, took on the silver clog iron chain of office at a special ceremony at the Three Crowns Inn, Scouthead.
She takes over as the civic head of Oldham’s smallest municipality from retiring mayor Stuart Cook.
The proceedings were conducted by ex-mayor Roger Fielding, complete with red tailcoat and white bow tie, and was attended by previous mayors wearing miniature clog-irons presented on their retirement.
Susan said: “I am most honoured and feel privileged to be asked and, not to say, a little surprised!
“But I am proud to be one of a select number following a tradition first established in the 1940-50s with George Corbett.”
Susan becomes the 22nd Mayor of Austerlands and fifth woman to hold the title since the tradition was reintroduced in 1998 following the discovery of the clog iron at the former Red Lion pub on Huddersfield Road.
The Mayor of Austerlands origin dates back to the late 1940s, with the clog iron being introduced in the late 1970s.
The investiture traditionally takes place before the annual Whit Friday brass band contest when the new Mayor leads the first band on to Dawson’s Field.
As part of the proceedings, Susan also became an Honorary Yorkshire Lass and received a white rose emblem infinity scarf presented on behalf of Saddleworth’s White Rose Society.
Susan, born in St Helens in 1956, trained as a schoolteacher in Liverpool in the mid-70s before moving to Oldham to take up employment with the Civil Service at Manchester and Oldham County Courts for seven years.
Later, while her children were small, she took on some part time jobs, including processing and cataloguing finds from the Roman Forts, at Castleshaw, in the late 1980s.
This was followed by casual work at the Oldham Museum and Art Gallery plus work at various local branch libraries.
In 1993 Susan gained a permanent post at Oldham Local Studies and Archives, where she worked for almost 30 years before retiring in 2023.
Since retiring, she is busier than ever, singing with the Oldham Choral Society, on the committee of the Friends of Castleshaw Roman Forts, as a member of Saddleworth Historical Society and also Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society. She is also a member of the congregation and CAFOD group of St Edwards, Lees.
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