A CROONER and an angel will be honoured for decades of dedication to Bolton at the town hall tomorrow night.

Former Mayors Noel Spencer and Linda Byrne are to have the titles of honorary alderman and alderwoman bestowed on them at a meeting of the full council.

Appointed Aldermen — literally “elder men” — are second in status to the Mayor, the but honorary title can also be given as a reward for long service.

79-year-old Mr Spencer, is also renowned for his singing prowess, and will tonight be performing big band favourites at Farnworth Labour club.

The Frank Sinatra fan was first elected to represent Halliwell in 1970 and from 1974 served Farnworth until his retirement in May this year.

And he said his nomination had brought back memories from his early days on the old Bolton County Borough Council.

He said: “There used to be something like 69 councillors and 29 aldermen at all the council meetings It’s a massive privilege and honour to join that very, very distinguished bunch of people.Looking back brought back a lot of really happy memories.”

The grandfather of six says his achievements in housing are his proudest. He said: “Being chair of the the old housing committee, Bolton at Home and the North West Regional Forums, was something that something I was really really chuffed about and really proud of. And securing very considerable amount of money invested in the north west is something I look back on with pride.”

And Mrs Byrne, who was a nurse and now volunteers at Bolton Hospice, will become the borough’s first ever alderwoman.

The grandmother-of-five, who was also the first Labour and woman councillor to represent Bradshaw ward, whom she served between 1994 and 1998.

She went on to represent Crompton from 1999 to 2003 and Breightmet between 1994 and 1999 before retiring in May,

Mrs Byrne said it was a “great honour” to be nominated and she looks back with pride at her time as a councillor and year as mayor.

She said: “You have to give yourself to the people and serve the people you represent and I’m delighted they gave me the opportunity by keeping voting me in.”

But she now wants to pursue other interests. She said: “I took up art and painting and working at the hospice. I was a qualified nurse and just wanted to give something back. I do one day a week on the wards and look after the relatives as well — they are in just as much need as the patients. It’s a lovely place to be, they do a lot of good work and I wanted to help them carry on doing that.”