I took a risk with a punchline at a gig in Rochdale

In Rochdale Town Hall, the mayor invites me into her parlour. These are the perks of showbusiness.

On the wall, the coats of arms of all the previous mayors. They start simple, but as the 20th century progresses, each individual design tells more of a story, gives us a greater glimpse into the life of that mayor.

Perhaps the most important story is told not by the shield but by the lack of a name above it.

This was Cyril Smith’s. Smith was seemingly an avuncular figure, close to his mother, shaped like a seaside cartoon, and known for advertising cream buns. The slogan at the time was “naughty but nice”, but Smith was neither of those: he was criminal and cruel.

In 1979, the Rochdale Alternative Press reported on Smith’s sexually abusive behaviour towards children but, as so often, it