ATHERTON'S late elder statesman, Cllr Joe Clarke, has received a posthumous honour from the transport authority he served for a decade.

The former mayor, who died last month aged 80, never sought public recognition, but would have been delighted that HRH The Princess Royal unveiled the new "Joe Clarke OBE" tram at the official opening of the Salford Keys-Eccles Metrolink extension. The decision to name the memorial tram after their former chairman was made recently by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority.

His wife, Minnie, who was invited along with her daughter-in-law of 31 years, Margaret, to ride with Princess Anne on the special tram, said: "He didn't know about this tribute but he would have been so proud. All the family is."

It was the latest accolade for Joe, who died just weeks after being made a Freeman of the Borough after 31 years as a councillor.

He will long be remembered for his dedication to improving the region's public transport system, making a significant contribution to putting Manchester back on the tram track with the Metrolink system.

And he and Minnie, his wife of over 50 years, were no strangers to encountering royalty, meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace garden parties, while receiving his OBE last year and at the opening of the first Metrolink line.

Minnie has also been congratulated on her dress sense by the late fashion queen, Princess Diana, who picked her out from all the mayoresses at a function in Manchester during Joe's mayoral year and told her how nice she looked.

Margaret said: "Meeting royalty is old hat for Minnie, but I'm chuffed to bits to have been invited. I loved Joe very much.

"Obviously Minnie is missing him every day, but she is being very brave. She is an outgoing person and has some very nice family and friends who are helping her through."