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Frog wall tribute

Penny Coles
27/12/2006

AN UN-FROG-ETTABLE Mottram legend has been kept alive and set in stone!

Tameside Council sprung into action following massive interest after an article in the Advertiser in August about the Mottram Frog.

We investigated the slippery subject of why a green frog was re-painted every year on the wall of the deep cutting between Stalybridge and Mottram.

The definitive explanation seemed to be that it was to mark a fossilised outline of a frog found when the stone was cracked open years ago by stonemasons.

Now it has emerged that the council has marked the spot with a special plaque.

And as the local legend is not based on absolute historical fact, the council has to-ad the line and used a green rather than a blue plaque!

Longdendale District Assembly chair Councillor Sean Parker-Perry said: "Because, strictly speaking, it isn't fitting to have a blue plaque, it was decided to make it green - the district assembly's colours - and, of course, you would assume, the same colour as the poor frog who was trapped there for all to see.

"We decided to put a commemorative plaque on the wall near the frog last week as part of the borough-wide drive to celebrate all aspects of Tameside's heritage.

"And the recent public interest obviously meant it had caught residents' imaginations.

"As a listening council we have responded to their wishes and put forward an explanation, based on local legend, of how it got there in the first place."