HISTORY was made when the chains of office for the Mayor and Mayoress of Rossendale were handed over to the first married couple who are both serving council members.

Couns Lawrence and June Forshaw have taken over as Mayor and Mayoress from Coun Alan Fishwick and his wife, Marie, who in their year attended 915 official engagements and raised more than £6,500 for local charities. In accepting the office, Coun Forshaw said he would not be setting himself targets to achieve in the coming year, but he appealed to members of the council to consider themselves Rossendale and fight for Rossendale, not just the town they represent.

Coun Peter Heyworth and his wife Lynn were elected deputy Mayor and Mayoress.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.