A J FINDLAY PROPERTY SERVICES AJ’S OIL BOILERS 19 Years Building and Landscaping Experience SERVICING – REPAIRS TO - Fully Insured OIL FIRED BOILERS Brickwork, Carpentry, Driveways, Fencing, 24 HOUR CALLOUT Landscaping, Patios 7 DAYS A WEEK No job too big or small. Reliable and friendly service. TONY PORTON To view examples of recent work and reviews please check our OFTEC REGISTERED Facebook page. Contact Alex to arrange a free HOME – 01630 684136 quote. 07500 009244 [email protected] MOBILE – 07773 413582 ajfindlaypropertyservices Page 2 Under the Wrekin magazine It’s great to be here again with another edition of the Under the Wrekin magazine. We are thrilled with the response to our relaunch edition and sure you’ll find plenty in this edition of local interest. We’re still developing some ideas so you may see a few changes as the editions progress. Thank you to those of you who have submitted contributions for inclusion. If you have a story of interest to people in our locality then please think about submitting an article for one of our future editions. The Editorial Team is pleased to launch a Spring into Summer photograph competition, and is asking you submit a photograph representing Springtime or Summertime in Shropshire. You can submit entries up to 11th May and the winner, who will receive a £50 prize, will be announced in the June/July edition of the magazine. The Editorial Team will also select runner-up photographs. You can submit your photograph via email or at our Facebook page (see below). Full rules are given on pages 70/71. We thank our advertisers for their support of Under the Wrekin. Editing team: Viv Amos, Nigel Bowen, John Wardle and Tricia Wilkin Proof reader: Alison Sloan Treasurer & Advertising: Ray Owen Distribution: Sheila Woodfield Email address for editorial: [email protected] Follow our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/UnderTheWrekin Please mention this magazine when responding to advertisements Deadlines for the next edition (April / May 2020) Advertising: 1st March Editorial: 15th March All material submitted to Under the Wrekin is published in good faith. No liability is accepted, implied or otherwise, as to the accuracy of information contained in articles Under the Wrekin circulation — 600 February & March 2020 Page 3 Under the Wrekin is a not-for-profit magazine. Our printing costs are met by income from advertising by commercial companies. We do not charge for publishing stories and adverts for not-for-profit organisations and events. If you’d like to make a donation towards our running costs, please let us know. Advertising rates (1 year i.e. 6 editions) £25 – quarter page £45 – half page £75 – full page For more details, contact: Ray Owen Email: [email protected] Tel: 01743 257357 Deadline for Deadline for Edition advertising editorial April - 1st March 15th March May June - 1st May 15th May July August - 1st July 15th July September October - 1st September 15th September November December - 1st November 15th November January February - 1st January 15th January March Page 4 Under the Wrekin magazine FREE FIRST AID & DEFIBRILLATOR WORKSHOPS These Workshops are for anyone who's interested in learning more about First Aid and how to use our new defibrillator installed on Buildwas Village Hall. The training will be delivered by Telford First Responders on Saturday 15th February 2020. There will be 2 drop-in sessions on the day - just turn up - no booking required. 9.30am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 3.00pm No previous experience of First Aid is necessary, and the training will be tailored to individuals or small groups and so, for example, if you have been previously trained and are only after a refresher we will do a shorter session with you. If you are coming with minimal or no previous knowledge of First Aid please allow ~30 mins to be trained and have a practice. The Telford First Responders are one of the charities that The Buildwas Players panto is raising funds for this year. Telford First Responders recently purchased a new 4 x 4 rapid response vehicle which needs funding to kit it out with the required equipment. February & March 2020 Page 5 MyShropshire MyShropshire is a new online account that gives you quick and easy access to a range of online services offered by Shropshire Council. This account is tied into Shropshire Council’s CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, which allows you to keep track of all the things you've reported to them, and makes it easier for you to interact with an ever- increasing range of services - whenever or wherever you wish to use them. Shropshire Council is adding new functions and content to this regularly to make MyShropshire even better, so check back and let me know what you think! What can I do on MyShropshire? Currently, you can access the following services: Make a comment, compliment or complaint • Report a pothole • Report a streetlight or illuminated sign issue • Report a spillage • Report an issue with a barrier or bollard • Report an issue with a manhole cover or drainage grid • Report an issue with road markings • Report an issue with a sign • Report an issue with kerbs or studs (cats eyes) • Report flooding • Report an issue with traffic lights • Report an issue with an electronic sign • Report an issue with a bridge, cattle grid or retaining wall • Salting and snow clearance. As time goes by more services will be added. Why have an online account? The MyShropshire account will give you access to a wide range of services at any time of the day. This gives you the freedom to report, request or pay for something when you have free time, rather than having to find the time to ring or visit the Council during normal working hours. It’s important to note that an online transaction also costs much less than a phone call or visit in person, with costs in the pence rather than pounds. The money saved can then be used for the services the Council offers, such as adult social care or Children’s Services. Every time you use MyShropshire you are helping the Council continue to provide quality services for the residents of Shropshire. Best wishes Claire Wild Councillor for the Severn Valley Division Tel: 01743 255 884 Mob: 07582 002 100 Email: [email protected] Page 6 Under the Wrekin magazine Cobblestone Paving Shropshire CRETEPRINT—WEEDFREE We have a wide range of patterns and colours to enhance your driveway, patio and paths, sealed with an anti-slip resin sealer. We also re-seal existing pattern printed concrete. For your free no obligation quotation Call Dave Lloyd 07976 016635 any time Shropshire’s 1st and No1 Paving the way since 1989 Beware of imitators ! Specialists in Pattern Imprinted Concrete Pool View Park Buildwas TF8 7BS February & March 2020 Page 7 AN INTERVIEW WITH MRS NELLIE HEATH This article was originally published in the July 2019 edition of the Buildwas Church 300 Restoration Project newsletter. Nellie sadly passed away in November 2019. Our condolences to her family. Your family have been involved with Buildwas Church for five generations: can you tell us in what ways they were involved? In 1937, at sixteen years of age, I was offered a job of looking after two small boys at Buildwas Vicarage. I received five shillings a week. You must have lots of memories of the church in general and its affiliation with the Women’s Institute (W.I.) - are there any services or events that stand out to you? My earliest memories of Buildwas Church are taking Communion at 8 o’clock in the morning with just the vicar and verger for company. It was the Reverend Arthur Davies; the verger was Mr Massey. There was then an eleven o’ clock service, where there was only one person in each pew. This could have been because each family had its own pew to sit in. The final service of the day was at 6.30, where the church had its own choir. That was where I met Ernie Heath, as he was in the choir. At that time, no one had a car, so all had to walk to church, even the vicar, although at one stage, a local farmer lent the vicar a horse to get around the village. Did the church and W.I. fundraise together? I joined the Mothers’ Union in 1948, when my son John was born. The Mothers’ Union did a lot to raise funds for the church, by holding cake stalls, rummage sales, etc. The Mothers’ Union flag is actually held in the church and was made by Mrs. Ralphs of Saplins Lane and Mrs. Newell of Abbey Grange. I joined the W.I. when it first started (date unknown), and the W.I. helped the Mothers’ Union to again raise funds for the church by doing pantomimes, dances, garden fetes and flower festivals in the church. These events all helped to bring the village together. August 1987 Flower Festival. The theme was ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ Three of the pictures below are of the flowers in the porch of the church Page 8 Under the Wrekin magazine And did you have any administrative or leadership roles within the group? My role in the W.I. was just a member, but I was always at the fore to help out. Priscilla Ellen Heath (Nellie), was born at Eaton Constantine on 7th September 1920 but she spent most of her life at Buildwas. She was an active member of the Church, Village Hall, Mothers Union, and Womens Institute.