Grinch brings cheer and traffic management to Oldham

If you were out in the borough on Sunday, you may have spotted the Grinch in the town centre, where he visited Spindles shopping centre and posed for photos, causing people to ‘laugh their heads off’.

The Grinch, who hails from Moorside, also dabbled in some traffic management, taking to Ashton Road, where he decided to move road signs and cones near the junction with Copster Hill Road.

While the Grinch’s real identity remains secret for now, friend Jason Knight, who filmed the Grinch’s adventure through the town, spoke with The Oldham Times.

Jason, 50, said: “Me and my friend have had a bit of a problem with our missuses so we’re just trying to cheer ourselves up a bit, and it’s working. We went around Oldham, we just wanted to do a thing around Oldham town centre and that.

“Everyone loved him, they were all taking pictures of him and stuff.”

@theoldhamtimes The Grinch has come to Oldham - and he's been tackling roadworks. While the Grinch’s real identity remains secret for now, friend Jason Knight, who filmed the Grinch’s adventure through the town, spoke with The Oldham Times. While in the town centre, a member of the public even bought the Grinch a coffee from Costa, and Jason has since had people get in touch to say they should charge for pictures. On Ashton Road, the Grinch even dabbled in some traffic management, waving motorists through some completed roadworks. Jason said the pair are planning to take to Manchester city centre this Saturday, and they’re set to visit landmarks including the Arndale. #Christmas #Oldham #Grinch #TheGrinch ♬ original sound - The Oldham Times

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‘We’re not in it for the money’

While in the town centre, a member of the public even bought the Grinch a coffee from Costa, and Jason has since had people get in touch to say they should charge for pictures.

The Bardsley man has insisted that the duo is ‘not in it for the money’.

Jason added: “They were all enjoying it. A woman even said ‘are you back in Oldham tomorrow’ and I said ‘no, we’re working tomorrow, we’re just doing it for a bit of a laugh’.

“Other people have said to us we should charge people, but we’re not in it for the money, we’re just in it to have a bit of a laugh with it.”

The Grinch's friend Jason Knight, who filmed the escapades (Image: Jason Knight)

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Grinch takes to traffic management

On Ashton Road, the Grinch even dabbled in some traffic management, waving motorists through some completed roadworks.

Multi-way signals, as well as traffic cones and barriers, were in place at the junction for United Utilities roadworks, which took place over the weekend.

Jason, who works in the scrap metal trade, said: “The road was done, they’d kept them there. We went ‘go on, we’ll open it up and let the cars get through instead of holding all the traffic up’.

“They’d done some roadworks on the top of Ashton Road, they’d done the roadworks, they’d tarmacked it, but they’d just left all the cones and all the lights there.

“All day it was like that, so we just thought ‘come on, we’ll open it up and let the cars get through’.

“Everyone was beeping their horns at us and going past laughing at him going ‘go on Grinch,’ and all that.”

Those who did not see the Grinch haven’t missed their chance.

Jason said the pair are planning to take to Manchester city centre this Saturday, and they’re set to visit landmarks including the Arndale.

If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Oldham. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk or click to send me a message on WhatsApp or on Signal on 07517566383.