STOKE UPON TERN

NEWSLETTER Issue: 3

Keeping in touch with communities within the local parish. June 2014

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Welcome to the third 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

The parish council currently have 10 councillors who are made up from local people within the community.

Next Meetings will Cllr Pete Waters – Chairman take place at the Cllr Sandra Birchall Parish Hall on Cllr Richard Wright th 25 June, Cllr Percy Farmer th 6 August, Cllr Chris Rollinson 17th September, Cllr Phil Butters and Cllr David Moore 5th November Cllr Keith Newby all at Cllr Sue Bartram 7.30pm Cllr Carole Meade

The Clerk Mr Graham Bould may be contacted at [email protected]

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Wistanswick Fete & Horse Show

Saturday July 19th

With the Horse Show starting at 9.30am and the main events starting from 1 o’clock, it will be, as ever, a great day out for all the family, including children both young and old with a host of other attractions to cater for all interests.

For dog lovers there is planned a Companion Dog Show with

many classes, not just for pedigrees but fun classes for family

pets, for example the dog with the prettiest face. This will be

from 1 o’clock, with entries being taken from 11.45, while in

the marquee there will be Cooks and Gardeners competitions

and many other stalls, with a wide range of goods and

demonstrations.

Outside there will be a poultry exhibition and other small animals for the young ones; with vintage machinery for the older ones.

There will be lots of great prizes in the raffle, a first prize of either £100 or the chance to win a flying lesson, plus many other exciting prizes.

There will be plenty of games and sideshows for all the family, plus a giant inflatable slide to work off the ice cream.

Refreshments will be available with both a barbecue and teas and cakes available throughout the afternoon.

We need helpers to run either sideshows (for example roll a penny or splat the rat), or stalls (tombola), either in the marquee or outside, or if anyone has any other ideas or suggestions

Details and a timetable of events will be put the web site www.wistanswick.info or for offers of help or more info please contact Richard Wright on 01630 638520 or [email protected]

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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]

“A Big Hello from Gems and Pebbles!”

Gems and Pebbles is a Christian group that meets in St. Peter’s Church every Monday in term time (i.e. Stoke-on-Tern school term).

We start at 1pm and enjoy craft activities, music, singing, stories, prayers and of course lovely refreshments which are enjoyed by adults and children. The contents of the day sessions vary but we do follow the same basic structure which the children enjoy.

We welcome all pre-school children with parents, grandparents, child minders etc.

Even if your little one is very tiny, you are welcome as they soon grow into the routine.

We are always finished in time for the afternoon school run. There is no charge for Gems and Pebbles but we each take a contribution towards refreshments.

To find out more call Barbara Hatton 01630 638366, Gwyneth Hill 07535 418492 or Margaret Butler 01630 638836.

Wistanswick Chapel

Hold regular chapel services on the st rd 1 & 3 Sundays of every month at 4.30pm.

Rev David Cassidy

Telephone: 01691 658 016 Secretary Liz Dodd 01630 655 404 Wistanswick Institute

Wistanswick Institute, Chapel Bank, Wistanswick has different events held throughout the year.

For more information please contact Richard Wright on 01630 638 520

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Stoke on Tern School and Nursery

Stoke-On-Tern Primary School Rosehill Road,

Stoke Heath Telephone: 01630 638 332,

School Holidays - Summer – from 22nd July 2014.

Walking Group

Meets the third Sunday of the month at 11am at the Red Lion Pub Weather permitting we will be walking to Wollerton in July (20th) via Helshaw Grange and the wetlands, with the opportunity for a visit to Wollerton Old Hall Gardens. (admission £6.50)

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 strol l across our parish.

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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:

3rd June – Growing and Cooking with Herbs - Sue 1st July - A Flower Workshop - Janette Harris 5th August - Summer Outing to the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter 2nd September - A Tale to stir the Heart - R. Jopling

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

This Month’s Recipe - Christine's Coffee and Walnut Cake

For The Cake: For the Coffee Icing: 6oz/175g Soft marg, 3oz/75g soft margarine 6oz/175g sugar 8oz/225g icing sugar 3 large eggs 1 tablespoon milk 6oz/175g self raising flour 1 tablespoon coffee- 1½ tsp baking powder, essence 2oz/50g chopped walnuts, 8 walnut halves 1 tablespoon coffee essence

Place all the ingredients for the cake in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Alternatively use an electric mixer.

Place in two 8 inch/25m greased and bottom lined sandwich tins. Bake in the middle of the oven (325f/160c/gas mark 3) for 35-40 minutes. Turn out, remove the papers and cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.

To fill and ice, sandwich together with half of the icing. Spread the remainder on the top and decorate with the walnut halves.

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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 June 3rd, 17th, July 1st, 15th, 29th, Wistanswick, Red Lion August 12th, 26th, September 9th, 23rd 12.30 - 12.45 , phone box 14.35- 14.50 Alternate Thursdays June 5th, 19th, July 3rd, 17th, 31st, For more information please August 14th, 28th, phone: 01743 255 024 September 11th, 25th

Shropshire Council

The Council can be contacted via their website www.shropshire.gov.uk or by telephone: 0345 678 9000

Our Shropshire Councillor is: Karen Calder Cabinet Member for Health Division 01630 685236, [email protected]

Dutton Close Play Park

Welcome to Dutton Close Play Park!

We opened our play park in November 2011, after starting up the Dutton Close Residents Association back in 2009 to raise funds for a play park on our estate. We are proud to see local residents and people from our local parish and families from further afield using the park. We would love to hear from anybody who may have any good ideas for fund raising or who can help with the upkeep of the park.

If you would like to get in touch our email is: [email protected]. 9

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 The Tractor Club proceeds from meets on the Bingo go back in to the the first Tuesday of running and the every month at

up-keep of the Hall. 7.30pm until 9.30pm.

Prize Bingo is played every Monday Eyes down at 8pm – All welcome!

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A warning for all of us!

Residents are being warned about a phone fraud where victims are being duped out of cash by people posing as police. West Mercia and Warwickshire Police have recorded 70 of these offences across the midlands since March this year with unsuspecting victims falling for the scam. In many cases a person claiming to be a police officer will contact an elderly or vulnerable victim by telephone and inform them that their bank card has been used fraudulently. The victim will then be tricked into thinking they are either calling or being put through to their bank, but in fact they are still speaking to the fraudsters.

If you receive a phone call of this nature, police advise you to not give out any information and end the phone call immediately.

Anyone with any information about this fraud can contact police on 101

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 are catered for including badminton, 5-a- side football, roller skating and a cardiovascular gym.

Openin g Times are: Mon – Fri 2pm – 10pm & Sat 10am – 2pm For more information contact the team on: 01630 638 508 or email: infomauricechandler.org.uk Car Boot Sales take place all year round on the third Sunday of every month Sellers from 7.00am & buyers from 7.30am No need to book a space, £5 per table (bring your own) 11

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With special thanks to Story from the Parish John Taylor for supplying this month’s story. Brief History of Gallantry House, Stoke Heath The 1840 tithe map of Stoke Heath shows the area to the east of the present Warrant Road as predominantly wooded parcels of land or plantations with isolated properties such as the ‘Poor House’. The heathland soil is quite shallow in places lying over a strata of soft red sandstone alternating with beds of sand contaminated with specks of lignite making it unsuitable for construction use. There is a hard crust over the sand called the “fox bench” which prevents foxes burrowing into the sand. The late Jim Ward used to joke that ‘once you got on to the heath you would never get off’ indicating that from a farming point of view it was light soil, hungry for nutrient and sensitive to drought The Primitive Methodist Chapel constructed in 1841 was probably one of the first brick buildings of its type in this immediate locality. The later construction of the North Staffordshire (Knotty) Railway from Newcastle to which first carried passengers and goods in 1872 presented further opportunities to develop the countryside. Gallantry House was built in 1871 on a parcel of land purchased in 1820 from the Tayleur Estate at Buntingsdale Hall using material from Lowe’s brickworks situated north of the Squirrel Inn at Wollerton. The house & stables were constructed for Samuel Cartlidge, a Newcastle-under-Lyme ropemaker, who unfortunately died in 1873 at the age of 59. Residents who followed the Cartlidges were the Eardleys relocating from Tunstall, Stoke on Trent where William Eardley was cashier at Ravensdale Ironworks and later manager of an earthenware teapot factory. Mrs. Eardley was taken ill and apparently only lived for one year after moving here. They were also raising orphaned grandchildren at this time. William “Tipper” & Lillian Simpson succeed ed the Eardleys. ‘Tipper’ was a horse dealer who is believed to have supplied horses to the War Department during WW1. He also sold ‘Tipper’s’ animal medicines such as the old fashioned ‘drench’ preparations hence his nickname. We have excavated bottles and screw stoppers with the name ‘Tippers Birmingham’ on them. The family were Ben, Edith, twins Mabel & Lily and Mary. Son Ben founded the local Griffiths & Simpson (Wynnstay) animal feeds firm. Mary Sims was at one time the sister in charge at Market Drayton Cottage hospital prior to emigrating to work for Avro in Canada Daughter Edith Basford, husband Arthur and bachelor brother Fred Basford succeeded “Tipper”. They rented small parcels of land from more than 20 landlords. Jim Ward came here as a 16 year old to work in 1939 and stayed until he married Margaret in 1948. Margaret Ward (nee Thorley of Springhill Farm) also worked here looking after the twins Miles & Jennifer from around 1943. Jim advised us that they did not initially start the romance when both working at Gallantry House but clicked later at the RAF cinema on Chester Road whilst watching the film ‘Rose Marie’. Up to 600 pigs were kept here during the Second World War. Some 70 bins a day of canteen waste (swill) were taken from the RAF camps and steamed in two large vats situated on the concrete pad behind the garden shed, hence the finds of RAF cutlery.

When we first came to live here in November 1990 local residents had already advised us that Gallantry Hill had a connection with gallows although we have yet to locate proof other than the property deeds. On the property deeds the wording Galow Tree Hill & Galow Tree House is used prior to 1898 whereupon William Eardley changed the name of the house and hill from ‘Galow Tree’ to ‘Gallantry’. It is suspected that around 350 years ago it was a local “hanging hill” with a gallows tree. References to the English Civil War do confirm that convicted criminals were brought out of town to remote areas to be hanged to avoid civil unrest in the more densely populated areas. Mill Green lower down the A41 at Hinstock was also used for this purpose. The altitude of Gallantry Hill is 83 metres (273ft) being 30 feet higher with respect to the Chapel Lane road level of 74 metres at the redundant OS bench mark by the house. The hill was the site of a Bofors anti-aircraft gun in WW2 which is the subject of a further article.

JPT16/05/14 Ack: The late Jim Ward and Margaret. 13

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Possible future development of our parish.....

As you may be aware, there have been two approaches to the Parish Council about proposed developments in the Parish – one for about 20 houses at the old camp on Warrant Road, and one for about 11 houses on the field opposite the Red Lion in Wistanswick.

In both cases the developers have held public meetings at which they presented possible plans - they appear keen to gauge local opinion and take comments into consideration.

If you have not already completed a questionnaire and would like to do so, they are available to download on the website stokeupontern.info – the suggested plans are also there to view.

Or you can contact the developers directly; for the Warrant Road site, Advance Land & Planning, 6 Stafford Place Shropshire TF11 9BH, tel: 07976 080813, email: [email protected] or for the

Wistanswick site, Fieldcrest Associates, 22 Kingsland Road, ,

SY3 7LD or email [email protected]

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Puzzle Time

Find the 14 local words hidden in the box below.

H G D A O R T N A R R A W H A C H A P E L B A N K P N E HATTON ROAD WARRANT ROAD T S M E O L L E R T O N A L CHAPEL LANE T E E N A R R O W L A N E E ROSEHILL ROAD O N A A Y F L S I D L S P N SANDY LANE N A T L E N A L L E P A H C VILLAGE ROAD EATON ROAD R L O T W T M T I W V P S R POORHOUSE O Y N S T L N M G H S T U O LANE

A D R R R L L O F E E F E A HURST LANE YEWTREE D N O U E N A L S A U S P D CHAPEL BANK Z A A H E E N A L T N U O M MOUNT LANE A S D A O R E G A L L I V R NARROW LANE OLLERTON H P O O R H O U S E L A N E

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]

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

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 do get in touch by the 10th August 2014

The next newsletter will be out in September.

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