Today's events in Tameside

A new display of Harry Rutherford’s television sketches have gone on display at the Rutherford Gallery in Hyde.

Harry Rutherford began his flourishing television career with the BBC in 1936 as the corporation launched its high fidelity service.

His quick eye for details and ability to rapidly capture a scene succinctly brought him to the attention of the BBC producer Cecil Madden who offered Rutherford his first job sketching the live acts on Madden’s variety show ‘Cabaret Cartoons’.

The display brings together Rutherford’s sketches from ‘Cabaret Cartoons’. Also included are his illustrations of Samuel Laycock’s Lancashire poem ‘Bowton’s Yard’ performed by Violet Carson, who is perhaps better known as Ena Sharples, as well as sketches from his own programme ‘Sketchbook’, broadcast in the 1950s.

These sketches reveal not only Rutherford’s eye for detail but also his sense of comic timing clearly illustrated in his own commentary displayed alongside the sketches.

Rutherford easily fell into conversations with people he met whilst sketching different towns across the UK and the exhibited drawings reflect not only his artistic brilliance but also his sociable character.

Harry Rutherford’s television sketches are on display at the Rutherford Gallery in Hyde until April 2010.

Gallery Open: Tues, Thurs, Fri: 10am-12.30pm, 1-5pm, Wed: 1-7pm, Sat: 9am-12.30pm, 1-4pm, Closed Sunday and Monday.

A new exhibition tracing the long and affectionate relationships of the Manchester Regiment with other units from across the world has started at the Museum of the Manchester Regiment.

Based in Ashton Town Hall, the museum's exhibition traces, through photographs and objects, the relationships the Manchester Regiment has developed over many years with units from across the world. The aim of regimental alliances is to promote mutual understanding and friendship between all ranks of both Regiments that are linked.

On public display for the first time is the uniform of Lieutenant-Colonel Nadir Khan, Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion (Scinde) The Frontier Force Regiment, Pakistan as well as that of Lieutenant-General Devraj Singh, Honorary Colonel of the 5th Battalion, The Sikh Regiment, India. Both these uniforms were presented to the Museum of the Manchester Regiment specifically for the exhibition by these officers.

The exhibition also includes a ‘No.1 Uniform’, as worn by a sailor aboard HMS Manchester, the Regiment’s affiliated Ship.

Among the other material on display for the first time are items from West Africa, Malaysia, Canada, Australia and New-Zealand.

The Museum would be interested to hear from anyone that served with the Manchester Regiment and has memories of their service days, souvenirs they may wish to donate to the Museum or memories of the Regiment’s allied units.