Clay Cross Update Magazine 2019 Summer
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Clay Cross Summer 2019 updateClay Cross Parish Council News Clay Cross Gala see page 4 Summer 2013 CLAY CROSS UPDATE 1 From The Chair Welcome to Update It’s been a successful summer of activity in the Social Centre regularly attracting 70 to 80 Clay Cross, and I must start with the Gala people, starting from 6.30pm, first call 7.30pm. at Sharley Park in July which was greatly The Tuesday Senior Citizens Lunch Club continues enjoyed by all, partly because of the to provide a meal and good company for our excellent compère, vocalist Blue Savannah Parish residents. who went on to entertain a sell-out It’s good to see McDonalds open and busy, audience at an evening concert held at the employing local young people. The Parish Council has Social Centre. Thanks to all who took part resurfaced the area around the chapel at Clay Cross and who helped organised it. Cemetery, using money raised from the sale of land I want to thank Councillor Mick Holmes for formerly used as a bus turning circle in Danesmoor. raising thousands of pounds by organising charity Finally, the Parish Council continues to pay £25 events. The Social Centre continues to be the towards TV licences for Parish residents aged centre of entertainment and activity, and I must over 60. thank staff including two new Caretakers Andy Councillor Gerry Morley and Neil. Wednesday night is Bingo Night at Cllr. Gerry Morley, Cllr. Brian Wright, Cllr. David Rossiter and Sebastian Johnson, the Director of Johnson Surfacing, inspect the work in the Cemetery. 2 CLAY CROSS UPDATE Summer 2019 Kenning Park Looking Good! August saw a great deal of activity in Kenning Park as the Community Group met a company that provide new play/ fitness equipment for the toddler to teenage group. The running/cycling/walking path is now finished along with the toddler play area and the Group are planning to create a woodland path to run along the side of Press Brook that runs through the park. In the woodland area bird boxes will be set up for owls and smaller birds. A spokesperson said: “Hopefully this will be finished this year, along with new picnic tables, seats and bins, so next year we can concentrate on Pictured creating a hard standing around the picnic other items such as refurbishing the two bridges tables, seats and on the activity track are Andy and the pot holes in the car park.” Rouse and Carl Wakefield of AB Developments. The fitness track is finished. Daffodil planting proved successful with this display in Spring. Summer 2019 CLAY CROSS UPDATE 3 Gala Fun at the Gala Clay Cross Gala was another huge success, with dozens of people enjoying the parade to Sharley Park, where more enjoyed an afternoon of entertainment and activities. The Parade started at the Social Centre, including a replica vintage car which carried Gala Queen Ellie-Mae Hartshorn, and Princesses Izzygrace Bladon and Fraya Barksby, with the Prince, Thomas Murtagh. It was led by Neil Greatorex, President of the Rotary Club of Clay Cross, and the City of Sheffield Pipe Band. After the opening of the Gala, by the Gala Queen and Mr Greatorex, spectators watched a performance by the Pipe Band and by Clare Sale School of Dance. There were family fun races and a tug of war competition. Stalls featured face painting, balloon modelling, Stilt walker Sam Davey hit new heights as he rescue donkeys and birds of prey – the cover chatted to children at the showground and picture shows Imogen Simmons, 16, with an Eagle along the route of the Parade. Owl, one of several owls displayed by Darren Brunt of Yorkshire Owl Rescue. Neil Greatorex, President of the Rotary Club of Clay Cross, led the parade and performed the opening ceremony. 4 CLAY CROSS UPDATE Summer 2019 Gala The Gala Queen, Ellie-Mae Hartshorn, and Princesses Izzygrace Bladon and Fraya Barksby, with Prince Thomas Murtagh. Dawn Kershaw, Secretary of the Gala Group, with Mick Holmes, Chair Group, with Sam Davey and Chris Rushforth of Regency Cars which provided the 1930 Ford replica in which the Queen and her Compere for the afternoon vocalist Blue Savannah, entourage journeyed in the parade. who did a great job, entering into the spirit of the occasion. Sirenna Clayton, aged four, Levi Clayton, seven Jase Hartshorn, aged 8, a clown, was the winner of and Blake Jerrison, 9, had their faces painted by the fancy dress competition. Lisa Wood. Summer 2019 CLAY CROSS UPDATE 5 Heritage Gala The Heritage Gala Clay Cross Heritage Gala, which featured displays and entertainment linked to the war years, is linked to, the publication of a special book focussing on the involvement of residents in the war both on the battlefield and at home. The Heritage Gala, held at Kenning Park, was attended by over 500 people. A beautiful poppy display made with decorated paper poppies featured poems and drawings from local school children, and visitors could add to the display by decorating a poppy. Many people wore uniforms Holly Crossett making a Remembrance poppy to be included or period costume. in the display hanging in the gazebo on site on the day. Leicester Print workshop brought along a period printing press which visitors could ink and press their own WWI poster. Stories collected from the public were added to a commemorative book, 900 of which were published after the gala, and some given away at a special launch evening, where actors read excerpts from the book. Primary Schools were presented with copies of the book. The gala was a joint project between Junction Arts and Clay Cross Parish Council, a project managed Cllr Brian Wright presents Junction Art with a cheque by Rachel Carter, who also edited the book. from the County Community Leadership Scheme. Private John Robinson, known as Jack or Robbo, was a miner before and after the Great War. His daughter Nancy, the youngest of six children, sniper out of a tree, but he was later taken prisoner. recalled cleaning his fingers with a penknife at Conditions at first were terrible but was then moved their home in Cellar Row, demolished in the mid- 20th Century. to a German farm where he was treated like one of the sons. Jack was awarded the Mons Medal for serving in France or Belgium between August 5 and November He wrote to his sister who ran a butchers shop in 22 1914. He came under enemy fire and shot a Clowne asking for a ‘Woodbine pie’. So she filled a › 6 CLAY CROSS UPDATE Summer 2013 6 CLAY CROSS UPDATE Summer 2019 Heritage Gala Children from Sharley Park School with the War Book, produced for the community with £400 provided by Clay Cross Parish Council. › pie with tobacco and baked it and when it reached and on another he went out a rescued a number of Germany Jack shared the tobacco and the pie with wounded under shell fire. There are no Unwins on other POWs. They ate the crust and were then all the war memorial so they may have survived. sick! When the war finished Jack told the farmer Five May brothers from Pilsley served in the Great to look him up if he was ever in Clay Cross. He War, and three were killed. One, Joseph, wrote a returned to the mines and was badly injured in an series of verses in the trenches, one of which read accident, and couldn’t work again. “He got ten shillings (50p) a week compensation but rent was ‘Your grumbling cease, and just think awhile, six shillings, so we had four shillings to live off,” and, thinking, you’ll understand explained Nancy. if we in the midst of Hell can smile, During the Second World War Clay Cross was a garrison town and there was a Prisoner of War why not you, in the Old Homeland.’ camp at the Drill Hall. One day one of the POWs - He did from wounds caused by an explosion in Italy one of the sons from the German farm - knocked on in August 1918, aged 24. Cellar Row looking for Jack. Sadly, the family told him their Dad had died in 1940 aged 59. The first Clay Cross soldier to die in the Great War was Alec Purdy, who was a keen sportsman and The Derbyshire Courier reported in June 1916 that worked in the office at Clay Cross Works. He was one Clay Cross family, the Unwins of Holmgate Road, engaged to his girlfriend Winnie. He enlisted with were doing more than their share for the war effort. the Sherwood Foresters on his 21st birthday, and Five sons were in the army and a sixth intended to fought on Hill 69 in Belgium as part of a forward follow them the following month. One son, Sergeant machine gun unit. He was killed by a shell in the M J Unwin was a time expired soldier, but after trenches on May 5, 1915’ still only 21. a well earned rest from the trenches he intended to rejoin the Sherwood Foresters. He had been Clay Cross war memorial commemorates the awarded the Military Medal for his bravery - on one residents of Clay Cross who were killed or missing occasion he rescued five of eleven men who were in World War I (187 names) and World War II buried by the blowing up of a sap (a trench wall), (34 names). Summer 2013 CLAY CROSS UPDATE 7 Summer 2019 CLAY CROSS UPDATE 7 The Church Clock The Church Clock St Bartholomew’s Church is in good company.