STOKE UPON TERN

NEWSLETTER Issue: 4

Keeping in touch with communities

within the local parish. September 2014

Welcome to the fourth of our quarterly newsletters, designed to keep you in touch with local activities and our communities within the Stoke upon Tern Parish. As a reminder the parish covers five rural villages, Stoke upon Tern, Stoke Heath, , Eaton-upon-Tern and Ollerton. The newsletter is self funded and we would like to say ‘Thank You’ in advance for the donations and sponsorship that support the publication. We hope that you enjoy the newsletter and we welcome your feedback, news and any stories for future editions. If you would like to inform us of an event, advertise a local business or sponsor the newsletter please contact us by: [email protected] Sue: 01630 638 348

Stoke upon Tern Parish Council

Council Cllr Pete Waters (Chairman) - 01630 638911

Cllr Sandra Birchall – 01630 684237 Notification

Cllr Richard Wright – 01630 638520 There will be a road Cllr Percy Farmer – 01952 541252 closure for 5 days Cllr Chris Rollinson – 01630 684044 th on the 14 November. Cllr Phil Butters – 07976 295299

Cllr David Moore – 01630 685226 This will be along the

Cllr Keith Newby – 01952 541601 Stoke-on-Tern to

Cllr Sue Bartram – 01630 638348 Ollerton Road heading from the church. Cllr Carole Meade - NA

For more details see The Clerk Mr Graham Bould may be contacted the parish website at [email protected] (stokeupontern.info) The next Meetings will take place at the Parish Hall on : 17 th September, 5 th November, & 17th December all at 7.30pm

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Wistanswick Fete & Horse Show July 2014

Despite choosing the only wet day for weeks, Wistanswick Fete went off with a flourish. The entries to the Horse Show and Gymkhana were undaunted - in fact the standard of the fancy dress competition was so high the judge had a really hard job deciding on a winner. A record number of entries in the Cooks and Gardeners saw Lucy Austin successfully defend her trophy and in the Junior section Katie Ross was the winner. Congratulations to all! The marquee looked and smelt fantastic with flowers, cakes & veg in abundance. The Dog Show was well attended with proud owners sporting colourful rosettes! The Institute was a welcome bolt hole with it's delicious mix of home made cakes and cups of tea. Despite the damp weather local people were very supportive and amazingly around £1400 was raised which goes towards the upkeep of the Institute.

Thanks to the organisers who work so hard and thanks too for the support of the many local people who helped in any way and came and enjoyed meeting old and making new friends on the day.

Pictured is Chris Ebben and Liam winning the fancy dress pony competition at the fete.

Wistanswick Chapel

Hold regular chapel services on the 1 st & 3rd Sundays of every month at 4.30pm. Rev David Cassidy Wistanswick Institute Telephone: 01691 658 016 Wistanswick Institute, Chapel Secretary Liz Dodd 01630 655 404 Bank, Wistanswick has different

events held throughout the year For more info contact Richard Wright on 01630 638 520

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St. Peter Church,

For information regarding normal times of church services, please see the Church Notice Board.

Rev Andy Ackroyd Telephone: 01952 840 554 [email protected]

Harvest Celebrations

Friday 3rd October at 7.30p.m. Concert in church with Of One Accord A Shropshire Choir of mixed voices £10.00 to include finger buffet

Sunday 5th October at 11.00a.m. Harvest Thanksgiving

In Remembrance

Saturday 8th November

To commemorate 100 years since World War 1 we are hoping to have an exhibition in church on of photographs, memorabilia, anything about World War 1 especially anything connected to the parish. We will have the exhibition and then have an afternoon tea in church.

Sunday 9th November

We will have our Remembrance Service Everybody is very welcome at this service when the names of all those who gave their lives in the two world wars and subsequent battles are read out from the War memorial.

This service is normally attended by officers from RAF Shawbury and from Clive Barracks.

If anybody has any memorabilia that they would be willing to lend please contact Sandra Birchall on 01630 684237 or

Janice Bradley on 01952 840707.

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Stoke on Tern – Parish Hall

The Parish Hall, Langley Dale, Stoke on Tern

Chairman Peter Speight, For bookings or more information contact: Jane Lloyd on 01630 638 238

The Parish Hall is self funded and all proceeds from the Bingo go back in to the running and the up-keep of the Hall.

Prize Bingo is The Tractor Club played every meets on Monday the first Tuesday of Eyes down at every month at 8pm – All welcome! 7.30pm until 9.30pm.

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Women’s Institute

The local WI meet at the Wistanswick Institute on the first Tuesday of every month at 7.30.pm.

We offer the opportunity to learn, develop and pass on new skills, to belong to something special, make new friends, work as a team and have fun with events such as:

2nd September - A Tale to stir the Heart - R. Jopling 7th October - Autumn Exhibition followed by a quiz 4th November - A speaker from the neuromuscular Centre 2nd December - Christmas Party

For further details, call Christine on 01630 638620, Liz on 01630 638520 or Tracy on 01630 638505

This Month’s Recipe - Joy's Lemon Cake

For the cake you will need: Place all the ingredients

4oz/100g soft margarine together in a bowl and 6oz/175g self raising flour whisk together.

pinch of salt Put mixture in a 2lb loaf 6oz/175g castor sugar tin. Bake for 45 minutes at 2 large eggs 160. 4 table spoons milk grated rind of 1 lemon Make the topping by mixing lemon juice and sugar. Topping Warm mixture and pour 3 table spoons lemon juice over loaf when it is still hot 3 table spoons icing sugar

In August 2013 Wistanswick W.I. lost one of it's long standing members, Margaret Clifton.

We have now commissioned a trophy to commemorate Margaret's years of service to the W.I. The trophy will be awarded each year at the Autumn Exhibition to the member gaining the most points in the preserves section.

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Mobile Library – times for the parish

Buntingsdale Park - 11.25 - 11.45 Rosehill Road by school Alternate Tuesdays 11.50 - 12.20 September 9th, 23rd, October 7th, 21st, Wistanswick, Red Lion November 4th, 18th and 12.30 - 12.45 December 2nd, 16th , phone box 14.35- 14.50 Alternate Thursdays September 11th, 25th, October 9th, 23rd For more information please November 6th, 20th and phone: 01743 255 024 December 4th, 18th

Walking Group

Meets the third Sunday of the month at 11am at the Red Lion Pub.

It would be nice to have a few more members for the Sunday walk, so please come along next month.

We wondered whether to introduce a mid-week walk as well, perhaps a Tuesday morning, which may be more popular – please ring Sue if you’re interested.

Please check the website (stokeupontern.info) or phone Sue on 01630 638 348 for more information.`

All are welcome, why not come and join us for a stroll across our parish.

Stoke on Tern School and Nursery

Stoke-On-Tern Primary School Rosehill Road, Stoke Heath Telephone: 01630 638 332,

Back to School - 2nd Sep Half Term - 27th October

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bBerry Family Bible Maurice Chandler Sports Centre

The Maurice Chandler Sports Centre, Warrant Road, Stoke Heath, is a registered charity and

is run by a volunteer committee.

Most sporting activities We have been contacted are catered for including

by Mrs EB Robson to tell  badminton,

us that she has the  5-a-side football,  roller skating and a family bible of Joseph  cardiovascular gym. Berry of Stoke-on-Tern, Shropshire, 1840, and Opening Times are: Mon – Fri 2pm – 10pm & Sat 10am – 2pm the prayer book of Hannah Berry, his For more information contact the team on: mother, dated 1815. 01630 638 508 or email: infomauricechandler.org.uk Would anyone Car Boot Sales researching this name or Stoke history like to have Take place all year round on the third them? Sunday of every month For availability and

postage costs please Sellers from 7.00am & Buyers from 7.30am write to Mrs Robson, 135 No need to book a Balderton Gate, Newark, space, Notts NG24 1RY. £5 per table (bring your own)

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Story from the Parish With special thanks to John Taylor for this issues’ story

THE IMPACT OF RAF TERN HILL UPON THE PARISH OF STOKE UPON TERN

Tern Hill Airfield is Shropshire’s oldest airfield. The 1899 Ordnance Survey map shows a predominantly agricultural area bordering the A41 and the development of the present airfield complex resulted in large scale construction activities together with many RAF personnel being stationed in the area and the associated high air traffic levels. In 1906 a hot air balloon trip from flower show terminated on the present runway area. A passenger Major Atcherley who was the chief constable of Shropshire and a military man, recommended it for development as an airfield and in 1916 the RFC commenced operations with a training school. Due to government cutbacks and a catastrophic fire when almost the whole complex was burnt down in 1919 the station was sold in 1920 and sublet for horse race training.

With the threat of war looming reconstruction commenced again in 1935 with the creation of No.10 Flying Training School (FTS) and accelerated activity in 1938/39. The main contractors were “Kent & Sussex Building Contractors” from Erith in Kent. The late Joan Warner (nee Wall), whose father was an RAF Warrant Officer, was employed by these contractors and settled in the area, latterly at Hill House Farm. As can be observed from the site map Stoke Heath took the brunt of the construction sites with a resultant high ratio of “brownfield” sites to this day.

For all the construction work of the airfield, hangars and accommodation a construction labour camp was erected at Boughey’s Common (opposite to Helshaw Grange entrance). The late Jim Ward who worked in the construction site canteen as a school leaver said that he could remember in excess of 50 coaches loaded with workers from the Stoke-on- Trent area arriving every day at the site. The rabbit infested grass runways were frequently flooded and in desperation were superseded in 1941 by concrete.

The RAF accommodation camps and buildings in our parish are: “Longford Camp” – Rosehill Industrial Estate “Sutton Park” – converted to a poultry farm/tyre dump “Stok e Camp” – midway down Warrant Road – Originally the billet for Site A of 24MU, together with the canteen & NAAFI “Tern Camp” – lower Warrant road – currently let by Healds as poultry battery egg units - The Poplars “24 MU Site B” – Engine repairs – HM Prison “Scrapyard” – Dutton Close 12 “Electrical Distribution” – Halfway House, Chester Road The sites situated in Sutton Parish north of the A41 are: “The Armoury” “Buntingsdale Park” complex “Roman Camp” – Rosehill Brick & the aviation fuel depot opposite - Gem Green “C Site” - A R Richards & Ed Weetman “D Site” – British Army “Warren Camp” – WAAF accommodation - Timberlink “The Cinema and Amenities” - Grove Feeds “The Hospital” - now “Warren” retirement park - The Paddocks “10 FTS Technical & Communal Sites” – British Army Clive Barracks “HQ 24 Maintenance Unit (MU) Site A” – Latterly Spitfire & Lancaster repairs /Sports Centre & Greenvale

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The movement of RAF and civilian personnel around the site to and from their workplaces to their sleeping and eating accommodation resulted in high volumes of pedestrian and cycle traffic. Such a location existed in Chapel Lane, Stoke Heath where the “Silver Slipper Café” (a greasy spoon cafe otherwise known as the “Gum Boot Café”) was set back on the south side of the lane by the two lower gates leading up to Boughey’s Common. This café closed in the early 1960’s and the original foundations were recently exposed due to ploughing. After 1940 Tern Hill became a “Two Engine” aircraft station. At Tern Hill in April 1941 alongside the FTS there were two squadrons of Defiant fighters tasked with the job of protecting Liverpool & Manchester from German bombing raids which sometimes affected the area as the bombers jettisoned bombs at random to escape the fighters and also due to a decoy airfield lighting system at Hales. The airfield hangars at the FTS were bombed on 16 October 1940 destroying one of the ‘C’ type hangars and numerous training planes.

After the ’Battle of Britain’ the threat of German bombers receded and Tern Hill became a repair station and eventually in the 1960’s helicopters arrived. Tern Hill closed as an RAF station in December 1976 and the airfield became a helicopter satellite landing ground for RAF Shawbury with the British Army occupying the FTS complex. Originally the name was proposed as Borneo Barracks but the CO had it changed to Clive Barracks as he did not want to be dubbed “The Wild Man of Borneo”.

On a rather sad note both the early days of flying training and subsequent repair station activities resulted in numerous fatal accidents in the surrounding area with many young lives being lost as the military graves in Stoke upon Tern cemetery testify to. The combination of the pressures of war, lack of on board radar and with instrumentation little improved on household barometers, mid-air collisions, navigational, pilot and maintenance errors were inevitable.

One of the most poignant accounts of all incidents refers to two bombers crashing at Blore Heath, just over the border in Staffordshire on 19 June 1941. A Hampden (AD747) arrived from Waddington with two crews to collect a repaired Hampden (AD904) from Tern Hill.

It is reported that whilst waiting on the ground for the repaired plane to take off the visiting plane engine plugs became oiled up on one engine and the pilot made the error of taking off without full power being available.

This resulted in the AD747 losing height at Blore Heath, eventually stalling and crash landing in flames with serious injuries to all the crew.

This disaster story is further compounded in that the repaired Hampden AD904 came back to look for the crashed plane and it banked too steeply, stalled and dived into the ground with the loss of all crew.

Ack: The late Jim Ward, The late Joan Warner, “Shropshire Airfields” by Toby Neal, “Wings Across The Border” by Derrick Pratt & Mike Grant, “Pancakes & Prangs” by Thomas Thorne JPT 15/08/14

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A public meeting was held on the 1st May in the Institute to discuss a proposed residential development of land in front of the Red Lion Public House.

Following the meeting, Fieldcrest Associates have amended the scheme in order to respond to residents’ concerns and comments.

Specifically, the amended scheme includes a number of changes and a further th public meeting is to be held on Wednesday September 10 at 7pm in the Parish Hall Stoke on Tern (not the Institute) where further plans will be available for inspection.

Residents will have a further opportunity to comment on the amended scheme. If you would like to know more information prior to the meeting please contact a member of the parish council or see parish website: stokeupontern.info

CEMETERY EXTENSION

It was brought to the Parish Council's attention a few years ago that the cemetery in Warrant Road, Stoke upon Tern was becoming full. Although the cemetery is not under its administration the Council then decided to embark on the possibility of creating a new extension based on the mandate given to the Council by the parishioners in their response to the 'village plan' consultation.

It has been a long and edifying journey with yet more to come but with perseverance and dedication planning permission was granted by last year, a long term loan was obtained from the Public Works Loan Board.

The Parish Council managed to save many thousands of pounds by undertaking the planning application and the extensive investigation of the ground condi tions of the land (required by the Environment Agency) themselves.

The Glebe Committee of the Diocese of Lichfield very kindly agreed, in June this year, to sell one quarter of an acre of land adjacent to the existing cemetery to the Parish Council for the purpose of providing an extension.

Solicitors for both parties have been recently appointed and conveyancing is currently in progress.

Further progress reports will be given in future editions of the newsletter. Keith Newby

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Puzzle Time – Hedgerow Word Search

Stoke upon Tern Parish Website

In addition to our newsletter, the website can be accessed to find out what’s going on in the parish. Once on the website (stokeupontern.info) the various links will take you to other pages where you can find out more, and get notice of events taking place in your parish.

This site is run by a team of volunteers who would like to hear about anything of interest in the area. If you have any stories or news from the parish please email: [email protected]

The current newsletter committee are; 'Any views expressed within this publication are not necessarily the views of Sue Bartram, Helen Tyler Stoke upon Tern Parish Council.' and Marie Speight.

Thanks for reading the newsletter, we hope that you have found it useful and of interest. If you would like to get involved in the next issues and its production, or have a story or activity to tell us about then please get in touch by the 10th November 2014

The next newsletter will be out in December.

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