Over the Christmas period there was a feast of musical activity as our talented residents of all ages entertained us. They gave pleasure to all who heard them and from the comments I received people are already looking forward to next year! Stockport has a long tradition of volunteering. It is due to the efforts of those who coach, teach and conduct at all levels, that our choirs and orchestras are so highly prized. I was able to speak to many of the performers and from the youngest members (some of whom had recently replaced those going on to High School) they were enthusiastic and confident. A huge thank you to everyone who was involved.

The last few weeks have seen substantial data loss. Reassuring words that in the main we have nothing to fear have not in many cases had the desired effect. This was clearly demonstrated when a cavalier attitude by a celebrity resulted in a £500 payment to charity being made from his account without his knowledge. Organised criminal gangs do not necessarily need to be involved; it could take just one person acting alone. I know from my postbag and telephone calls that many people are concerned. I have real reservations about the transfer of National Health details to a single database. The system and access to it will be dependent on so many facets. Not least the way in which staff leaving the various departments are debriefed and the procedures to ensure that they do not retain anything which they would later use to obtain or pass on information will have to be very tightly controlled.

Some of my friends who live in London decided one year to spend their holiday in the City to get to know it. They were shocked at just how much there was. I think all of us probably experience the same thing. How much do we know about the famous citizens and sites around the Borough? One excellent way of finding out is the Blue Plaque trail.  A walk of just over 2 miles around the town centre will enable the stroller to see many of our sites, with others scattered around the Borough. The leaflet showing them all is available to the public and gives a potted summary of each one. On New Years Day the latest one was presented to Stockport County. A long standing football club (the only one in the country to hold a blue plaque) with many records under its belt. In 1934 they beat Halifax 13-0, in 1946 the longest game took place which lasted 203 minutes, the first black professional Arthur Wharton played for the Hatters in 1901 and so the list goes on. Do try to make time to visit some of our heritage spots this year.

This article, by Cllr M Walsh, was first published by the Stockport Express 16/ 01/2008.