Ray was born in Chorlton-Cum-Hardy but raised in Wythenshawe, the second eldest of four children. His father was taken prisoner of war by the invading Japanese army at Singapore in WW2 and suffered for the next four years as a P.O.W.
Ray’s father was repatriated by the Americans to Australia returning to England in 1945. He became a clerk in the textile industry before working on the Trans Canadian Railway and returned home in 1954.
After leaving school Ray joined North Western Gas Board as an apprentice gas fitter in 1966, qualifying in 1969. He met and married his wife Elaine, a school teacher, in 1975 and moved to Heywood the same year. After gaining qualifications, promotions in the industry followed - service technician, service officer, Network Operations officer and manager with Transco. A period of time followed outside of the gas industry when Ray took up the position of CCTV controller at the Trafford Centre where he remained for two years before being enticed back to the gas industry in 2000. Ray gained his assessing, training and teaching qualifications working at North Trafford College before leaving to follow his goal of teaching apprentices for a teaching/training company. He is now self-employed as a training consultant, working around the north west. Ray has been a trade unionist for most of his working life and a member of the Labour Party, for the past 40 years.
Ray says his greatest achievement was obtaining his teaching degree at the age of 55 followed by his election victory to become a councillor in 2011. He has chaired the council’s Heywood Township Commitee for the past three years and serves on the Audit and Regulatory committee, East Lancs Railway Trust, Heywood Magic Market Trust, and Charities Fete Board. He has also served for 25 years as a school governor at Siddal Moor Sports College and is the Chair of Governors at Newland Special Needs School Middleton and vice chair at Harwood Park Primary School. He is a communicant member of St Margaret’s Church, Heywood.
Ray has two children who are both teachers with three wonderful grandchildren. His hobbies include watching City and United, but he enjoys watching Rochdale AFC best!
Ray’s father was repatriated by the Americans to Australia returning to England in 1945. He became a clerk in the textile industry before working on the Trans Canadian Railway and returned home in 1954.
After leaving school Ray joined North Western Gas Board as an apprentice gas fitter in 1966, qualifying in 1969. He met and married his wife Elaine, a school teacher, in 1975 and moved to Heywood the same year. After gaining qualifications, promotions in the industry followed - service technician, service officer, Network Operations officer and manager with Transco. A period of time followed outside of the gas industry when Ray took up the position of CCTV controller at the Trafford Centre where he remained for two years before being enticed back to the gas industry in 2000. Ray gained his assessing, training and teaching qualifications working at North Trafford College before leaving to follow his goal of teaching apprentices for a teaching/training company. He is now self-employed as a training consultant, working around the north west. Ray has been a trade unionist for most of his working life and a member of the Labour Party, for the past 40 years.
Ray says his greatest achievement was obtaining his teaching degree at the age of 55 followed by his election victory to become a councillor in 2011. He has chaired the council’s Heywood Township Commitee for the past three years and serves on the Audit and Regulatory committee, East Lancs Railway Trust, Heywood Magic Market Trust, and Charities Fete Board. He has also served for 25 years as a school governor at Siddal Moor Sports College and is the Chair of Governors at Newland Special Needs School Middleton and vice chair at Harwood Park Primary School. He is a communicant member of St Margaret’s Church, Heywood.
Ray has two children who are both teachers with three wonderful grandchildren. His hobbies include watching City and United, but he enjoys watching Rochdale AFC best!
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