FREE You can now read The Voice online at:
www.uttoxeter-voice.com Covering the whole of Uttoxeter
Issue 18
Plus Rocester, Denstone, Beamhurst, Stramshall, Bramshall, Marchington, Kingstone, Leigh, Combridge, Crakemarsh, Gratwich, Loxley, Lower Loxley, Willslock, Doveridge, Draycott-in-the-Clay, Spath, Kiddlestitch, Highwood, Scounslow Green, Checkley, Lower Tean, Tean, Cheadle, Draycott, Forsbrook, Blythe Bridge and villages in between
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If you are responding to an advertisement in The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, please let the advertiser know. Thank you for your support.
Now available online! Do you have family and friends living out of our area perhaps even abroad? Well, now they can read The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice colour magazine online at: www.uttoxeter-voice.com This fantastic new innovation also means our advertisers are hitting an even larger readership!
Contents Indulgence guests enjoy Titanic opulence
Plus • Marchington Singers’ Wonderful Year Continues • Just The Perfect Day for Local Couple
Record amount raised for charity at superb Beer Festival
• Huge plans to honour our Barry • All your favourite columnists have their say Open House at Redfern’s Cottage
• Plus lots more to read and hopefully enjoy!
To Advertise in The Voice Telephone: 01538 751629, Mobile 0776 784 6937 Email: uttoxetervoice@hotmail.co.uk BOOK YOUR ADVERT NOW FOR ISSUE 19 OF THE UTTOXETER & CHEADLE VOICE Businesses get results from their adverts ask them!! Each issue of The Voice is distributed to 13,000 local homes within the area on the map.
How to get in touch Email: uttoxetervoice@hotmail.co.uk Telephone: 01538 751629, Mobile 0776 784 6937 By post: The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, 3 Spode Close, Cheadle, Staffordshire ST10 1DT The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice is wholly independent. Each month 13,000 copies are distributed free to homes and businesses in the Uttoxeter and Cheadle areas - clients are welcome to view our distribution figures.
Publisher and Editor: Nigel Titterton The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice is published by Community Voice Publications Ltd Telephone 01538 751629 e-mail uttoxetervoice@hotmail.co.uk The views expressed in this publication are those of our contributors and are not necessarily those of the publishers, nor indeed their responsibility. All Rights Reserved. Copyright Community Voice Publications Ltd.
Let The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice take your business to 13,000 local homes. To advertise, call 01538 751629 or 0776 784 6937.
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W N DAVIES CARPET SPECIALISTS Carpets, vinyl, rugs, door mats Carpets available from most manufacturers including Brintons, Ulster, Axminster of Devon, Penthouse, Brockway, Georgian and Victoria A wide range of stock and end of rolls in store Free estimates and free fitting Beds, headboards and also bedroom furniture We pride ourselves on being a family-run independent business At Smithfield Road, Uttoxeter ST14 7JB Tel: 01889 564 090 Mob: 07825 664 491 Fax: 01889 564 090 www.wndavies.co.uk
Standon Bowers is a big hit! chool camp is one of the lasting memories of any child’s time at school. Ryecroft is proud of the fact that the children have two opportunities to experience the wonderful outdoor education facilities that are offered by Staffs County Council. Mrs Brewster, Head of P.E. and Mr Goodwin accompanied thirty seven pupils from Year 7 on a residential trip to Standon Bowers. The children were able to try out their skills at bouldering over The Roaches, orienteering in Swynnerton Woods, kayaking and canoeing down the River Trent to name a few. The weather was brilliant, no rain and a fantastic time was had by all as you can see from the photos.
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Student Awards our students from Thomas Alleyne’s High School have won the STEM award at the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Education and Business Awards 2010. This award recognises the achievement of students from Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. The team, comprising of Y12 students, Harry Glover, Carl Williamson, Dan Cotterill and Michael Ardron worked with an engineer from JCB to develop a valve assembly clamping jig. This device allows research engineers to replace valves on a cylinder head far more efficiently than the current system being used. The project was run as part of the Engineering Education Scheme which is a national scheme that links education and industry, allowing students to work on real time design problems with an engineer. The team met once a week after school with their teacher Mr Swindlehurst and link engineer Alan Curtis from JCB Power Systems. Mr Curtis, who took part in the EES scheme himself whilst a student at the school, has been supporting the project for a number of years. Once the team had researched and designed their device they took part in a three day residential at Loughborough University. This gave them the opportunity to experience University life and access to specialist engineering workshops and technicians to enable them to make their prototype. Following the residential the team put the finishing touches to the device before
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fully testing it at JCB. They then presented to a panel of EES judges in Birmingham, a busy day of verbal presentations and interviews which involved the development of a display stand and detailed written report, all of which were used as part of the final assessment. The hard work and dedication of the team earned them the highest overall grading in the Midlands region. Following this success the team then received Gold Crest Awards from the Staffordhsire STEM centre in recognition of their hard work. Mr Malcolm Eyre, director of the STEM centre, nominated the team to receive the Education and Business award due to their mature, committed and professional approach to the project. The team received their award at the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Education and Business Awards 2010 which took place at the Staffordshire County Showground, Stafford, recently.
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Evolution Ecology Protected species surveys, habitat evaluation and bespoke mitigation Paul Keeling BSc (Hons) MIEEM Park Hall Farm, Brookhouse Road (Trimpos), Cheadle, Staffordshire ST10 2NJ
Tel: 01782 367848 / 07838 377 612 www.evolutionecology.com
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Gift rs vouche le b availa
Now open after major refurbishment The Ultimate Dining Experience in Indian & English Cuisine
Restaurant Tickets £10.00 Under 16 years £5.00 Drinks available in Interval. Raffle.
Tel: 01538 703308 Mob: 07970 194003
19 Cheadle Road, Forsbrook, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST11 9BX 15 minutes from Uttoxeter, 5 minutes from Cheadle
TABLE OF 4 OR MORE £10 DISCOUNT WITH THIS VOUCHER 20% DISCOUNT OFF TAKEAWAYS Telephone 01782 388 328 to book your table or to order your takeaway Established 1998
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The Friends of St. Mary and All Saints Church, Checkley, Staffordshire
Antiques Roadshow Saturday 9th October 2010 10 am - 1 pm in Checkley Church
Environmentally Friendly Hygiene & Infection Controlled NVQ & BICSc Trained Trustworthy & Professional Staff High Standards Continuous Customer Satisfaction Pinnacle “providing safe, secure and superior cleaning”
Valuations and talk provided by Charles Hanson (as seen on TV!) and colleague of Hansons Auctioneers and Valuers Please bring items to be valued Ceramics, Glass, Toys, Books, Coins, Pictures, Clocks, Watches, Jewellery, Textiles, Silver Admission free - items valued £1.50 each Proceeds towards the Church fabric, Refreshments available More details from Brian Morley 01538 723303; Wendy Carr 01538 722071; Margaret Johnson 01538 722529; Jim Wood 01538 723576
For more information please contact us on
01283 540 121 Or email us via info@pinnaclecc.co.uk Pinnacle Domestic Cleaning Ltd Suite 10, Barberry Court, Parkway, Burton Upon Trent DE14 2UE
TIMBER DOORS & WINDOWS • PORCHES • HARD WOOD SOFT WOOD • CIRCULAR WORK • GATES BESPOKE JOINERY • SLIDING SASH WINDOW SPECIALISTS Unit 2, Hillside Industrial Park, Draycott Cross Road, Cheadle ST10 1PN T: 01538 755 454 M: 07791 891 393 E: sales@ksbwoodcraft.co.uk
Exciting times for the Heath Chorus ttoxeter based singers The Heath Chorus are enjoying a short summer break after a successful and exciting end to their 2009/10 season On June 29th the Chorus presented their annual Summer Concert ‘Leading Ladies’ to a packed house at the Heath Community Centre. This year monies raised have been split between the Alzheimer’s Society and the Dove Valley Community First Responder and following a fantastic evening some of the Chorus girls were happy to be able to personally present community first responder Cliff Bailey with a cheque for just under £400. The girls enjoyed a night off from performing when a small contingent (chorus+friends!) travelled to Birmingham to see ‘The Sound of Music’ at the Hippodrome and of course the hankies were in short supply particularly thanks to the nuns and a moving and vocally powerful rendition of ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’. The girls are hoping that their next outing to see ‘Carmen’ in February will be just as thrilling, although with fewer nuns! And on Sunday 11th July Chorus appeared for the first time at the Tutbury Festival. The girls were invited to take part after organiser Dave Kennedy heard them sing at last year’s remembrance concert. MD Helen Morgan gave her verdict on how things went “the girls delivered 2 half hour sets in a very hot marquee and did really well, we had a slightly shaky first set thanks to a condition common to singers (!) – Environmental interference leading to disruption of voice/brain interface - also known as “help…we’ve never sung here before” syndrome! But they got on with it as they always do and finished the second set with style, singing an encore to a packed marquee” The Chorus began rehearsals on August 17th are are looking forward to once again travelling out side of Uttoxeter for their next concert, this time to St Peter’s Church, Alton on Saturday October 16th and then back to Uttoxeter for this year’s Concert of Remembrance with the Uttoxeter Town Band and others on Saturday 13th November. Helen and Chorus would like to thank all those who have supported them through this season in particular their wonderful and enthusiastic audiences.
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Above: Helen and members of Chorus present Cliff with cheque Below: Chorus mid-song at ‘Leading Ladies 2010”
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Marchington Flower Festival and Art Exhibition Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th September ver the past few weeks a group of willing flower arrangers have been thinking and planning hard to come up with a theme for the arrangements for St peter’s Church Annual Flower Festival. So if you come along to Marchington to St Peter’s Church you will find that Billy Bunter, Alice, Harry Potter and Farmer McGregor are putting in an appearance. The theme is children’s books. Also over the weekend an Art Exhibition is to be held in the Village Hall. Both venues will be open on Saturday 4th September from 10am to 5pm and Sunday 5th September from 11am to 4pm. Art work in the village hall will be for sale and the arrangements of flowers will be auctioned at 4pm on Sunday, bids for the flowers are invited throughout the weekend. Refreshments will also be available. Do come and see the flowers and the paintings.
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Come and Sing! f you enjoy singing in the shower you will already know about the uplifting feeling that singing can bring, but did you know there have been proven health benefits? Uttoxeter Choral Society are inviting people to join them in a ‘Come and Sing’ event designed to get everybody singing together and feeling wonderful. Research has identified that singing with a choir can offer key physical benefits. It is an aerobic activity that improves the efficiency of your heart and lungs encouraging you to take more oxygen into your body which is linked to stress reduction and better overall health. Many people worry that they can’t sing, but everyone has something they can offer to a choir. If you’ve been inspired by Gareth Malone and want to get that feel-good feeling for yourself, then come and join Uttoxeter Choral Society on Saturday September 11th at St. Mary’s Parish Church in Uttoxeter. Under the direction of conductor, Anthony Rose, singers will rehearse movements from John Rutter’s Feel the Spirit, a cycle of spirituals which includes Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and When the saints go marching in. Rehearsals start at 12 noon and there will be an informal concert at 5pm. To book a place, visit Uttoxeter Choral Society’s website at www.uttoxeterchoralsociety.co.uk. Tickets for the day are priced at £8 which includes score hire and refreshments. Ella Fitzgerald once said that ‘the only thing better than singing, is more singing’. Uttoxeter Choral Society is a friendly choir with a simple single objective - to enjoy singing together. We have a good mix of voices and ages, but are always looking for new singers to join us. Come and sing – it may be the start of a healthy, new interest!
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Uttoxeter Choral Society
Come & Sing
John Rutter
‘Feel the Spirit’ Saturday 11th September 2010 St Mary‘s Parish Church, UƩoxeter
Conductor: Anthony T Rose RegistraƟon: 12 Noon Rehearsal: 12:15pm - 5:00pm Informal Concert: 5:00pm
UCS
register online at: www.uƩoxeterchoralsociety.co.uk Registered Charity No: 1094168
Let The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice take your business to 13,000 local homes. To advertise, call 01538 751629 or 0776 784 6937.
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You don’t even have to sell your current home to move to Barton Mews. Our Part Exchange Service * can help you avoid the hassle of selling your own home, making a move to Barton Mews even easier.
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Take the (B5016), Barton Under Needwood turning off the A38. Turn left at Efflinch Lane then second right onto Short Lane
EXTRACARE SALES OFFICE: 01283 713962 Opening times: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10am-5.30pm Saturday 10am-1pm (other times available by appointment) e: Bartonsales@Shaw.co.uk l t: 0800 731 8470 l w: www.shaw.co.uk Visit our marketing suite on Short Lane, Barton Under Needwood, Staffordshire DE13 8LT
House for Sale 86 High Street, Cheadle, Stoke on Trent ST10 1AJ Tel: 01538 752470 www.buryandhilton.co.uk Email: cheadlehomes@buryandhilton.co.uk
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8 BRAMSHAWS ACRE, CHEADLE Offers Around £119,950 Semi Detached Well Presented Two Bedrooms Sought After Location Parking For Three Cars Conservatory Garden No Upward Chain
Kevin Ford & Co. Ltd. Chartered Surveyors, Estate Agents & Valuers
19 High Street, Cheadle, Staffordshire ST10 1AA Tel: 01538 751133 www.kevinfordandco.co.uk 27 The Sidings, Cheadle, ST10 1YD
£142,500 Subject to Contract
A well presented modern three bedroom detached house situated in a well established residential area. The accommodation is spacious and briefly comprises: Entrance Hall, Kitchen, Lounge/Diner, WC, Three Bedrooms and a Family Bathroom. The property has the added benefit of Gas Central Heating with a combination boiler and Sealed Unit Double Glazing throughout. Externally there is a drive which provides off road parking and leads to a detached single garage. To the rear of the property there is a pleasant enclosed garden area.Viewing is highly recommended to appreciate all this property has to offer. NO UPWARD CHAIN.
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A Modern Semi Detached House situated in a sought after cul-de-sac location offering attractive accommodation suitable for the First Time Purchaser. The Accommodation Comprises: Entrance Hall, Lounge with Adam Style Fireplace, Fitted Kitchen with built in appliances, Stairs from the Lounge lead to the First Floor where there are Two Bedrooms and a Bathroom. The Property has the benefit of Gas Central Heating and Upvc Double Glazing. A driveway from the road leads to on-site parking for three vehicles, there is a small front garden and a good sized garden to the rear with paved patio area.
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Kevin Ford & Co. Ltd. Chartered Surveyors, Estate Agents & Valuers
19 High Street • Cheadle Staffordshire ST10 1AA Tel: 01538 751133 www.kevinfordandco.co.uk
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*Harron Homes terms and conditions apply and reserve the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Pay 85% of the value of your apartment and we’ll fund the remaining 15% with a deferred loan. You can pay us back any time over the next 10 years, or when you transfer or sell the home.
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Kevin Ford & Co. Ltd.
Tel: 01538 751133
Chartered Surveyors, Estate Agents & Valuers
www.kevinfordandco.co.uk We now advertise all our properties on rightmove.co.uk
Honeysuckle Close, Tean ST10 14LZ New Build Four Bedroom Detached House Offers in the Region of
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Black Lane, Whiston ST10 2JQ Four Bedroom Detached House Offers Over
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Fole Bank Barns, Hollington Lane ST14 5EE Three Bedroom Barn Conversion Offers in the Region of
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Draycott Road, Tean ST10 4JF New Build Four bedroom Detached Bungalow Offers in the Region of
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£219,950
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Welcome to our local area’s Hidden Gem! THE ROEBUCK INN
Radis Home Care provides care for vulnerable people in their own homes. We currently have full & part time vacancies for:
Just a short journey from Uttoxeter, The Roebuck Inn offers delicious expertly prepared, beautifully presented fresh food. Our menu is changed on a regular basis to give our customers a wonderful choice of meals. All Desserts are home-made - Seasonal Veg Extensive selection of Wines and Spirits Afternoon Teas - Full Coffee Menu Try our superb Cream Teas available 2.30pm-5.30pm EVERYTHING FRESHLY PREPARED AND ALL MEATS LOCALLY SOURCED WITH FULL TRACEABILITY
Care Workers Cheadle / Uttoxeter and all surrounding areas
Would you like job satisfaction? Do you enjoy helping people? A full driving licence and your own mobile phone are essential. Benefits include paid training from induction to NVQ, full support from fully qualified staff and a definitive career path. For more information please call 01785 212421 or email Stafford@Radis.co.uk Successful applicants are subject to a CRB Disclosure
New takeaway all day pizza service New African Gameburgers Menu Available
Draycott-in-the-Clay Tel: 01283 820973
Fantastic effort by fundraisers! fundraising walk to say a big thank you to a hospital and the Ronald MacDonald charity for their fantastic support for a local girl was a huge success! Little Claudia Cashmore, of Meir Hay, was born in 2009 with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, and also she was diagnosed with a duodenal astresia (a blockage of the bowel). Claudia’s mum and dad Natalie and Andy had to take their child to Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool where she required emergency surgery. At this time the local parents were so appreciative of being able to stay at the Ronald MacDonald House to give them instant access to their child.
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Claudia was discharged from Alder Hey before Christmas and has since received another operation with one more due in September. So Andy and Natalie decided to try to raise fund for the hospital and house by asking friends and family to sponsor a walk which was a great success. Natalie commented: “We would like to thank everyone who did the walk all the way to The Windmill, Werrington. They were fantastic because afterwards the BBQ and karaoke raised even more money.” “We have been so lucky that we have such a fantastic family and friends who are always there to support Claudia and us.”
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CARPETMART 12-14 Cross Street, Cheadle Tel: 01538 755586 or 07977 413 447
If you are responding to an advertisement in The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, please let the advertiser know. Thank you for your support.
CATS Gala Awards Night t the recent North Staffs Drama Association (NSDA) Gala Awards Night, held in Stafford, Cheadle Amateur Theatrical Society (CATS) received the following awards and nominations.
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Junior Trophy
Best Performance under 21 - Bexi Snow, for her role as Maggie Hobson in “Hobson’s Choice”.
David Pugh Award
Best Front-of-House - “Hobson’s Choice” & “Cinderella”
Nominations were also given to:-
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E & E Carpet and Furniture Store Cheadle’s Premier Home Furnishings Business Over 40 years experience - friendly personal service Fantastic range of carpets, beds, furniture and unusual gifts
Special Adjudicator’s Award
Alan Price for the writing of “Cinderella”
Best Comedy Performance
Ian Wood as Henry Hobson in “Hobson’s Choice”
Best Performance (Male)
Daniel Ede as Willie Mossop in “Hobson’s Choice”
• Free measuring and estimating service
Best Performance (Female)
Marjorie Stokes as Mrs. Hepworth in “Hobson’s Choice”
• Samples brought to your door for home selection
Best Performance Under 21
Victoria Wood, aged 18, as Ada Figgins in “Hobson’s Choice” & Crysandra the Fairy Godmother in “Cinderella”
Central Buildings, High Street, Cheadle
At the recent CATS AGM, Alan Price was elected Chairman and Margery Stanley President. Alan has been the bedrock of the group and after directing 15 pantomimes, 13 of which he actually wrote, he is now taking a break from directing this year’s panto. Recently Alan was involved with the St George’s Day Celebrations Concert which raised money for Cheadle Hospital and the cancer wards at North Staffs Hospital. CATS are currently rehearsing the October play which will be The Camel’s Back,’directed by Janice Bentley and next year there will be a pantomime and an entry into the All England Oner Act Festival.
• Free disposal of old carpet, beds and furniture
Tel: 01538 753690 NEW SHOWROOM OFFICIAL OPENING Monday 30th August From 10am
25% discount on the day for all fireside accessories Cooking demonstrations and refreshments available all day The Hot Spot is pleased to announce it is moving to brand new, purpose built premises in Uttoxeter. Now located at Dovefields Industrial Estate, just off Derby Road, the company has expanded its range of stoves and range cookers and has also introduced a whole new range of kitchen appliances, modular furniture and accessories from renowned brands including Britannia, Esse, Steel Cuisine and Hi-Grill.
Phone: 0845 2 606 404 Phone: 01889 565411
Left to right: Junior Chorus; Cinderella & Prince Charming (Diane Atkinson & Bexi Snow); Front of House Trophy Winners; Victoria Wood, Under 21 Winner; Ugly Sisters (Dan Ede & Ian Wood).
Email: sales@thehotspot.co.uk Web: www.thehotspot.co.uk
Let The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice take your business to 13,000 local homes. To advertise, call 01538 751629 or 0776 784 6937.
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From left to right: Martyn Whitehouse, Lisa Pedley, Karen and David Lockwood; Steve and Samantha Dowle; Samantha Fitchett, Kate and Dawn Copeland, Emma Watson and Linda Bailey; David Hunter; Gill Clemens, Phyll Clemens and Dave Cleans; Gemma Redfern, Chris and Roy Withington.
n 1912 the World waited, with enormous anticipation for the arrival of the largest and greatest steamship ever built. Commissioned by the White Star Line and built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast the RMS Titanic was an Olympic-class passenger liner. The Titanic surpassed all her rivals in luxury and opulence, offering a degree of comfort to be enjoyed by first class passengers never seen before. The ship was ahead of its time not only in some of the unique design and engineering features but the lengths they went to for first class passenger opulence. First class passengers paid a hefty ÂŁ4,350 one way (equivalent too around ÂŁ34,000 today) to enjoy the luxuries of an onboard swimming pool, gymnasium, squash courts, Turkish bath, electric elevators and ornate wood paneling and expensive furniture. Foremost among the luxuries they enjoyed was the ten course dinner served in the 1st class restaurant. It was to this theme that theguests of Uttoxeter’s Indulgence enjoyed a representation of the opulence of that great ship in the form of a special Titanic evening. On arrival guest were welcomed by David Hunter, a Partner in the coffee lounge with a champagne reception. The first course of an Indulgence five course Titanic meal was served at 7:30pm. Passengers of the Titanic enjoyed a choice of Cream of Barley or Vegetable Puree soup for starters as did the guests of Indulgence. The second course was either Roast Lamb in Mint Sauce, Roast Beef with Horesradish Sauce or Cauliflower and Broccoli with a Crunchy Crust, which was a bit of creative license from the chef Sue Hunter, also a partner in the lounge, who explains “There was no real vegetarian option back in those daysâ€?. Third course was a rather light and delicate Punch Romaine with the forth course a selection of either Peaches in Chartreuse Jelly, Chocolate Éclairs or Butterscotch Icecream. The meal was finished of with Fruit and Cheese. Rounding the evening off was Ray Taylor on the piano who had been playing in the back ground all evening and encouraged the passengers to join him in belting out old favorites like ‘Meet Me In St Louis,’ ‘By The Light of The Silvery Moon,’ ‘You Made Me Love You’ which were popular songs of that period. “I couldn’t believe the gusto with which some people got in to the mood of the songsâ€? commented Sue. Nobody was in a hurry to leave as guests continued to chat amongst themselves and new friends from the evening. Other guests were desperate to book in to the next black tie event. Indulgence arrange a variety of themed evenings including Tapas, Greek, Italian, Bulgarian food nights and occasionally much enjoyed black tie events. Any body wanting more details should check out www.indulgenceexperience.co.uk
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If you are responding to an advertisement in The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, please let the advertiser know. Thank you for your support.
School games
Nettlebank Memorials
Nettlebank Monumental Works Ltd. Memorials of Distinction yecroft C. E. (c) Middle School, Oldfields Hall and Windsor Park schools took part in the Middle School Games at Thomas Alleyne’s High School. Forty four Ryecroft pupils from Year 5 and 6 went to TAHS and took part in a variety of activities, which included rounders, kwik cricket, athletics and fussball accompanied by Mrs Brewster and Mrs Gill. Gareth Evans, who is 9 years old said, ‘I went to the Middle School Games at Thomas Alleyne’s High School, we did cricket and lots more fun sport.’ Kaitlan Williams, who is 10 years old said, ‘I also went to the games. I thought it was really fun and a good way to interact with other people. We all went in a circle and ran in the middle, it was a good warm up. When we finished we came first and won a trophy.’ The event was organised and supported by East Staffordshire School Partnership. Ryecroft Middle School were the overall winners During the day all the children had an opportunity to meet a world class athlete Daniel Caines, the world indoor 400m champion. Daniel presented them with their certificates and the shield for overall winners went to Ryecroft.
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Marchington plays at happy families ehearsals will soon be underway for Marchington Amateur Dramatic Society’s next production. The play “Happy Families” by John Godber has been cast and the members are already making preparations for what looks to be an enjoyable evenings entertainment. Affectionately and comically portraying the struggles of an ordinary, working-class family to cope with change, bereavement and the everwidening generation gap, Happy Families draws us right into the centre of the embarrassments, tensions, joys and sorrows of family life. John Godber, the award-winning playwright whose work includes the highly successful “Teechers” and “Bouncers”, wrote “Happy Families” based on his own angst ridden memories and experiences of family life. It is the most autobiographical of all his plays, and he has said that he believes it to be the best he has written! The cast of 8 bring John’s family to life brilliantly in this comical and highly entertaining play, which looks back on John’s life from his childhood through to his graduation day as he introduces us to the varied and frequently conflicting personalities of his family members and their eccentric characteristics. The play will be performed at Marchington Village Hall on 25/26/27 November 2010 and is ably Directed by Gill Scarlett. Members of the cast include Gordon Cooper (Vic), Angela Ratcliffe (Liz) and the welcome return of Liz Calladine who plays Dot, John’s mother. For further information and tickets please telephone the Producer, Janette Prince 01283 820353
Complete and Personal Service 30 year Guarantee of Fixing with Lok-Down Fixing System Renovations and Added Inscriptions Distance No Object Free Brochure 26 Chapel Street, Cheadle, S.O.T., ST10 1DT
Telephone 01538 750051 www.nettlebankmemorials.co.uk We also have a branch at 104 Junction Road, Leek Telephone 01538 383 236
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See how The Voice can publicise your business Give us a call on 01538 751629 or 0776 784 6937 Advert prices start at only £25and can hit over 12,000 homes
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Beer Festival Uttoxeter
Burton Bridge, Titanic and other well-known local breweries. All 550 tickets for the festival at Oldfields Sports and Social Club sold out. It is run as a charity fund-raiser by the sports club and Uttoxeter Lions Club, and the total raised this year beat the £2,000 donated last year by several hundred pounds. Burton and Uttoxeter’s new MP Andrew Griffiths, who had spoken during the election campaign of the need to support Burton’s brewing industry, showed his own support for real ale with a visit to the festival early in the afternoon. More than 500 people attended throughout the day. The Brian Collins Band were back by popular demand to top the entertainment bill, with support from Without Clint and local youngsters Chapter 7, fronted by Kelly Edwards, who dedicated her performance to her brother Danny,
who died in a road accident in February. Danny was a talented musician and also ran the disco at previous beer festivals. An afternoon’s cricket on the Oldfields ground was an added attraction, and many drinkers spent most of the day outside the festival marquee enjoying the sunshine and avoiding the occasional well-hit six. Steve Shields, of Uttoxeter Lions, said: ‘It was an excellent event, enjoyed by hundreds of people. I want to thank all our sponsors. With their help and the fact that beer sales were higher than ever, we beat last year’s target for the chosen charity.’ This year’s charity is Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity for rugby. Rugby clubs throughout Britain and Ireland support its programme of support for disadvantaged and disabled children and young people.
Gary Hudson
MP Andrew Griffiths, Katie Jo-Thomas, Maria Parslow, Mike Wood, Andy Stewart, John Moss
David Underhill, Ben Foster, Simon Large, Anthony Wain (SJL Landscapes)
Sandra Field, Ben Foster, Tony Fuller, Paul Field
John Woolley and Nev Jenkins (Uttoxeter Garden Machinery)
Clair Bagley, Bill Hayes, Chris Hayes
Record amount raised for charity ttoxeter’s Fifth Annual Beer Festival raised a record amount for charity – and produced a surprise favourite brew. Drinkers voted Bearskinful, from the Beartown Brewery of Congleton, their favourite beer on the day. It was the first year it had been available at the event, and it beat established favourites from
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To order a photograph reprint - Telephone 01538 751629 or email uttoxetervoice@hotmail.co.uk 14
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Alastair Carroll, Andy Ford, John Vickers
Dennis Parker, Robert Sunderland
Darren Price and Paul Chick are served by Uttoxeter Lion Tom Adams
Paul Chick
Thirsty drinkers order their favourite brews!
Tom Adams, Paul Hopkins, Ken Baxter (Uttoxeter Lions)
Jason Cabrera, Jamie Newton-Taylor
Seamus Clarke, Russell Davies, Phil Gibbins, Colin Reid
Simon Smith, Steve Shields, Lorraine Madge
Andy Moult (President Uttoxeter Rugby Club), Mick Davies (Captain), Jason Cabrera (Chairman)
Top notch beers were enjoyed by all!
What should we try next lads?
Eager quaffers queue for their next sample...
Ian Cooper, Matt Buckley, Ivan Wood
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RETAIL Doveleys Garden Centre for all your gardening needs all year round. Website: www.doveleys.com
LEISURE Cinebowl - Finest cinema and bowling venue in Staffordshire. Website: www.cinebowl.org
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Ryecroft School get involved in The Great Staffordshire Picnic any children at Ryecroft have been involved in The Great Staffordshire Picnic Project and Mrs Barker said that even though she has been teaching food a long time she didn’t know that you can roast an egg in the oven provided you make an hole in the shell first. Apparently Shakespeare makes a reference to roasted eggs in one of his plays and this research happened as a result of The Great Staffordshire Picnic Project. A couple of quotes from the children: “In my research for The Great Staffordshire Picnic, I have learnt about chickens living in a battery farm, but I think it’s a cruel life for them. So chickens should be free range and have a better life.” Josh Hollins Year 7. “Year 7 took part in an “Eggselent” competition, for The Great Staffordshire Picnic our focus is eggs.” Abigail Addison.
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Bridal Couture Every effort is made at Bridal Couture to ensure that the experience is as stress-free and enjoyable as possible We offer everything you need for your special day Bridal Gowns • Bridesmaids Dresses Veils • Tiaras • Shoes • Accessories Opening Times: Monday: 1pm-8.30pm Tue/Wed/Friday: 10am-4.30pm Thursday: 10am-7.30pm Saturday: 9.30am-5pm • Sunday: Closed Or make an appointment for a personal one-to-one service on 01538 755 550 email: info@bcjosephine.co.uk www.bcjosephine.co.uk 7 Cross Street, Cheadle, Staffordshire
10% Discount with this advert Valid until 26th September 2010
superb new bridal shop has opened in Cross Street, Cheadle, and it has received a fantastic response from delighted customers. Bridal Couture by Josephine will ensure that you receive a professional service second to none, in warm, friendly and elegant surroundings. We have a selection of beautiful bridal gowns available from top designers such as Amanda Wyatt, Demetrios, Cosmobella, Justin Alexander. They come in a wide range of sizes. We also stock Bridesmaid, Prom/ Eveningwear, Veils, Tiaras, Shoes and accessories. Feel free to pay us a visit and browse our bridal house, or make an appointment for a personal one to one service, we understand that many people work throughout the week and that is why we provide an after-hours service to make your life easier. We provide a professional seamstress service with in-house dress fittings, so that we can ensure that your wedding gown fits perfectly, or you may prefer to choose your own seamstress from a list that we have available. Alternatively should you wish to make arrangements yourself then it is vital that the services of a professional seamstress are employed. We also offer a Bridal Make-up service by Maria, one of our trained staff, who has 4 years experience as a make-up artist. She will travel to your home on your wedding day, so no trips out to a salon! Bridal Couture by Josephine is located just off Cheadle High Street in Cross Street, near to the town’s world famous St Giles RC Church, known famously as ‘Pugin’s Gem.’ If you are looking for a bridal shop in Cheadle, then Bridal Couture offers everything you need for your perfect day.
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alling all couples who have recently tied the knot! - let The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice create your magical Just The Perfect Day Special Wedding Feature in our next issue which is out in September!
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We can design a ‘Just The Perfect Day’ feature for all our recently married couples and your whole family will be so proud to see it printed in one of the best top quality colour publications in the county. This is a fabulous opportunity to see your Special Day within our full colour glossy pages, just like the world’s top social magazines! All you have to do is e mail uttoxetervoice@hotmail.co.uk or ring Nigel on 01538 751629 or 0776 784 6937! Your photographer will supply all the images and we can write your ‘Just The Perfect Day’ story or if you like, you can pen it yourself!
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Just the
perfect day... Bride: Katie Dunn from Tean, daughter of Steve & Yvonne Dunn Groom: Peter Haycock from Tean, son of Des & June Haycock Wedding Day: May 22nd, 2010 Ceremony: Gorsty Hill Church, Tean Reception: Chimney House Hotel, Sandbach Honeymoon: Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
The Bride: fter a good night’s sleep, I woke up at quarter to 7 on our wedding morning - the sun was shining and my mum brought us all a glass of fresh orange to start the day! Dad made us all breakfast before my 2 sisters, my mum and I all went off to our separate hairdressers to have our hair done. The Best Man, Ben, cam to pick my mum & I up from Cheadle so that we could go back and have our make up done by Laura Madeley. I almost cried when I saw my sister Sally-Ann with her hair and makeup finished, she looked so beautiful! I remember being a bit lost then while mum and my other sister Nic had their makeup done as I couldn’t really do anything. Little Ben, our pageboy, arrived about 10 so I got him ready in his suit – he looked so cute and just kept smiling! When my sister’s boyfriend, Andy, arrived I made sure that all our stuff was packed ready to fill his car as we were all staying at the Chimney House Hotel that night. Then it was my turn to have my makeup done in my favourite pink dressing gown! While I was having my face done, I could hear everyone getting ready and then the photographer came snapping away at us all. At one point, Laura had to stop doing my make up so I could see Nick & Sal coming down the stairs. I was so proud to have them both as my bridesmaids that I almost cried, again!! When I was finished, I put my dress on so that Nic could start tying the laces at the back. That was funny as she nearly pulled me over at one stage so Sal had to hold my hands to steady me! When I was finally ready with my dress, shoes and jewellery on we went into the garden where I put my veil on and then out came Dad with my flowers. It was such a lovely moment as he hadn’t seen me up until that point. After a few minutes of photos in the garden, the Rolls Royce pulled up and we were set to go. First Mum, Nic, Sal and Little Ben went & then it was mine and dad’s turn to go. The neighbours were watching from the gardens and the windows which was so nice. Dad had his “Dadcam” on to capture the moment as we went through Tean High Street and up to Gorsty Hill Church - plenty of people were smiling and waving at us. I walked down the aisle with my Dad and I was smiling so much! I remember seeing my friends and family, some of whom I haven’t seen for a long time! Then I saw Pete at the front and he looked so nervous! He did smile at me though which was reassuring!
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The Groom: remember waking up around 6.30 when my mum opened the curtains and asked me if I wanted a brew. I had a couple of hours to spare so I had a shower, got ready and chilled out with my brother, Dan who was an usher. My best man Ben Murphy turned up around half 9 with a nice bottle of whisky for the hip flask to calm the nerves. My other usher Chris Prince turned up at
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around 10. The photographer arrived at 10.30 so we had a few photos outside with my parents, grandparents, the best man and ushers. Then the car picked me up at 11.10 to take Ben and I to Gorsty Hill Church. When I arrived, that was when I started to get nervous because I had to wait for a while before Katie arrived. When Katie met me at the front of the Church, I thought she looked absolutely stunning and I was so happy.
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Just the
perfect day...
Both: he wedding ceremony was conducted by Reverend Ray Cummins. He made the service so personal to us that everyone kept asking afterwards if he was a friend of ours! Sally-Ann did a reading for us, which made us so proud. We signed the register and then clapped our way through Shine, Jesus, Shine at the end. We were now Mr and Mrs Haycock! After a few photos outside Church, we set off on our 55 minute journey to the Chimney House as husband & wife. It was really hot and we had the back down on the car for the whole journey. It was really lovely to have had that time on our own in the car as we didn’t get much time together on our own for the rest of the day! Arriving at the Chimney House, we had some photo time with the car, with our family and friends and then a few on our own. When we walked into the reception room, I was overwhelmed by how amazing the room looked. It had been completely transformed and was so much better than I expected. The flowers, the balloons, the chair covers, the table numbers, place names, everything looked more amazing than how I’d seen it in my head! At around 3.30pm the bridal party all stood in a line to greet the guests as they made their way into the reception room and then we were finally announced as Mr and Mrs Peter Haycock! After the speeches and the wedding breakfast, there was plenty of time for everyone to catch a few rays outside in the sun or simply chill out in reception area while the room was being prepared for the evening. It was a chance for us to finally chat to everyone. Pete and I also had 5 minutes to check in and see our lovely bridal suite! Then, 7.30pm came and it was time for the evening to start! A few more guests arrived and we cut the cake for everyone to see before taking to the dance floor for our first dance. Our song was “Amazed” by Lonestar – it’s been our song for the 10 years we’ve been together! Then it was time to party! The dance floor was full all night and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Everyone was happy, smiling and having a good time which is what we wanted when we were planning it all. At the end of the night we had chance to sit in reception and reflect on the day and how wonderful it had all been. It was hard to believe we were finally married and that the day had gone so quickly. Thankfully, I managed to take it all in and can remember it all! I never stopped smiling from the moment I got up until the moment I went to bed! It really was our best day ever!!!
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Photographs by Altimate Images
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For the day you will never forget... The Raddle Inn is situated in what is considered to be one of the most picturesque areas of the Staffordshire Moorlands with breath-taking panoramic views over Croxden Abbey, providing the perfect countryside escape for the wedding venue of your dreams. Our range of marquees can be tailored to suit the style or theme of your wedding - each is furnished and dressed to a high standard to your personal tastes. The Rocks Cottage is frequently used as the Bridal Suite - it is a self-catering traditional cottage with a lovely rustic feel and boasts a four-poster bed in the master suite, a garden terrace along with a fantastic hot tub and catering facilities. We offer a complete entertainments package for your special day: • • • • • • •
Champagne/Sparkling Wine Reception Musical Entertainment, DJ/Live Band Photographers Children’s Entertainment Casino Bouncy Castle Caricaturist
Your Wedding Package Catering will be created to suit your personal preferences. We will create a menu to suit you, whether it is a sit-down meal during the day or a buffet for guests in the evening. We also offer: • Canapes • 3 or 4 Course Meal • Evening Buffet • Hog Roast or Barbecue • Hot Roast Carvery • Chocolate Fountains Whatever your requirements, we will strive to arrange it for you. Our superb traditional Log Cabins are available for your wedding guests, sleeping 2-10 people. A number of the cabins even boast an outside hot tub! We can even arrange beauty therapy treatments and haidressing for guests using the log cabin accommodation!
Choose The Raddle Inn for your Special Wedding Day - we’ve got the complete package! Quarry Bank, Hollington, near Alton Towers
Telephone: 01889 507278 www.logcabin.co.uk Let The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice take your business to 13,000 local homes. To advertise, call 01538 751629 or 0776 784 6937.
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Simply the best! A friendly and welcoming atmosphere, where there are treatments to cater for everyone’s needs, whether you want basic beauty treatments or more advanced treatments - we have something for everyone!
You have to try our new Physique Ultima The most up-to-date body treatments, including muscle toning, cellulite and lymphatic drainage - great for water retention!
IPL hair removal and thread vein removal Advanced facial peels and Omnilux red light skin rejuvenation
Wedding packages available - tailor-made to suit your needs 4-6 High Street, Cheadle ST10 1AF Telephone 01538 750151 Email: info@secretsbeautysalon.co.uk www.secretsbeautysalon.co.uk
Beauty gets the professional treatment S
ecrets Beauty Salon has a fantastic reputation for professionalism and innovative treatments. We offer the most up to date technology such as intense pulsed light for treatment of hair removal, Thread veins, pigmentation spots and acne. The innovative red light treatment Omnilux for total skin rejuvenation. Priori advanced facial peels and the highly acclaimed St Tropez airport spray tanning booth. Pamper packages are available including use of sauna, aroma steam, relaxation suite and a choice of treatments. Packages can be customised to suit your needs and are great for birthdays, hen parties or just time to relax with your friends. Other treatments offered include: • Facials • Waxing • Manicure • Pedicure • Physique inch loss • Tooth Gems • Bridal Packages • Electrolysis • Eyelash tinting, perming and extensions • Acrylic/Gel Nails • A variety of massage treatments • Ear piercing • Make-up • Pre-Party packages Monthly clinics are held for collagen replacement, Botox and Sceratherapy. Tooth whitening is also available by appointment with our dentist.
Beautiful, handcrafted jewellery Take a look at our very unique range of bangles, pendants and brooches, designed and made locally. As a special offer to Voice readers, until September 30th 2010 you can obtain 20% off when ordering from the website. Just type voice in the promotional code box in the shopping cart section.
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Web Prices
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Welcome to Moorland Mobility Moorland Mobility keep in stock most requirements to help people regain their independence. We offer great levels of service to our customers from across the region. Pictured left staff: Gina (left) owner Terry (middle) and Amie (right) Equipment servicing and repairs, battery checks, insurance, warranties, hire purchase and finance, second hand equipment and the possibility of part exchange.
‘PIG OUT’ Hog Roast We also supply Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Venison & BBQ Rich and Heather - Local Butcher & Chef We cater for All Occasions, Weddings, Birthdays, Corporate Events etc.
Moorland Mobility Contact Terry at the Uttoxeter shop 4 The Maltings Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 7LN. Open 10am-4pm Monday to Saturday Telephone: 01889 564099
We also attend Fetes and Charity Events
Also at: No. 8 Moorland Mobility House, Cheadle Road, Leek Brook Tel: 01538 381515
www.moorlandmobility.com Part Exchange Welcome - All Major Credit Cards Accepted
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Contact us on: 0773 4355 274 or 0780 9865 162 www.pig-out.co.uk e-mail: heather.marsh38@virgin.net
N E W C A R S E RV I C E C E N T R E established 1975
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Derby Road, Uttoxeter, Staffs ST14 8EG • Tel: 01889 563448 Fax: 01889 569518 • bodyshop@angusmackinnon.co.uk Let The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice take your business to 13,000 local homes. To advertise, call 01538 751629 or 0776 784 6937.
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Redfern’s Cottage: Museum of Uttoxeter Life ecently the old timber-framed building on Carter Street, Uttoxeter, opened its doors for the first time in its newest incarnation as Redfern’s Cottage: Museum of Uttoxeter Life. The name Redfern’s Cottage was decided upon as the building was once the home and business premises of Francis Redfern, a cooper and local historian who published Uttoxeter’s first and most comprehensive history. The event was a runaway success with over 150 people through the doors and hundreds of pounds raised County Councillor Geoff Morrison presenting a £3500 cheque to swell the coffers of the charitable trust which now runs it. The museum to the trust from his local community fund to provide start was officially opened by our new MP funds for the venture Andrew Griffiths with a generous and eloquent speech in praise of the efforts of the volunteers and the community spirit evident by the number of towns’ people already streaming through the doors. Visitors were treated to sights and sounds from the St Mary’s Players re-enacting Samuel Johnson’s penance and the Town Crier letting people know about the days’ events. Inside the cottage visitors of all ages got involved in traditional crafts such as rag-rugging and spinning demonstrated by expert volunteers, upstairs children were invited to ‘step into my parlour’ by more volunteers running craft activities involving spiders and flies, story-telling and a drawing competition in celebration of the town’s famous poet Mary Howitt, who wrote the poem quoted here. Out in the courtyard garden visitors were treated to afternoon tea and cakes in the sunshine or the chance to browse the craft and plant stalls whilst being entertained by local musician Fred Hopwood. Many people were inspired to become members entitling them to free entry to the museum and other future discounts, or volunteers and have now started getting involved more actively in improving the services offered and the displays around the building. Volunteering is common in most museums even the larger national ones, and is a great way of meeting people, learning about your own heritage or a subject you’re particularly interested in, developing skills and giving something back to the community. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at Redfern’s Cottage contact us on 01889 567 176 or www.uttoxeterheritage.org
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Visitors taking part in the practical activities linked to the history of Uttoxeter including spinning and making models of a spider and fly to commemorate Mary Howitt the Uttoxeter Poetess.
Rag rug making – one of the practical activities from the day.
Former MP Mrs Janet Dean who donated plants as part of the fund raising effort with David Parkes Chairman of the trust.
Actors from the re-enactment group in full flow.
Laura Wigg-Bailey, Museum Curator, Ken Smith, Uttoxeter Town Crier, Andrew Griffiths MP who officially opened the Francis Redfern’s Cottage and Izzy Parkes, daughter of the museum trust chairman, David Parkes.
Members getting ready for opening
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Andrew Griffiths MP with the local re-enactment group who provided historical vignettes from Uttoxeter’s past.
Izzy Parkes dressed as a Victorian Maid.
Trust members celebrating the opening.
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PISCES Pumps Ltd Official UK agents for HOMA Pumps, Kessel Drainage Products and NIVA Float Switches.
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Book Corner by Tony Williams SAHARA by Michael Palin Published at £20 - Now £5.00 Not often do I read a book and feel my feet burning, but in reading Michael Palin’s experiences in crossing the African desert I felt that I was with him; feeling the scorching hot sands during the day and the bitter cold at night. This author meets people in their own settings and gets them to talk freely and openly, as a result the lonely Arab becomes someone we feel we know, the Bedouin chieftan is almost like the man next door. Michael Palin’s book – with its beautiful photographs -- makes this most inhospitable of deserts - and its inhabitants – somewhere to be visited. UTTOXETER LIVING MEMORIES Published at £14.99 - Now £6.99 After the desert sands, it is lovely to return home, and to those who live in or near Uttoxeter the Civic Society’s book is a pleasure to stroll through. So many photographs of times past – one shows the Market Place with my uncle’s old car parked opposite the Truefit shop – and the shop names alone conjure up memories of times past. Who remembers Masons the Grocers ? Or George Orme & Sons ? But all will remember and know The Old Talbot Inn, the oldest building in the area., and nobody will open the book without saying ‘ Oh I remember that…‘ A wonderful feast of nostalgia. Now available at Bargain Books of Uttoxeter, 49 Market Place
Visit our Shop for: • High Quality Gifts • Fresh Fruit and Vegetables • Home-made Pies • and much more to enjoy
In the Nursery we have an extensive range of Plants, Trees and Shrubs. We specialise in Hanging Baskets Open 7 Days for Friendly Service and Advice Come and give us a try!
01782 396027 Open from 0900-1700 Every Day Our superb new conference facility now also available for hire
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The
Marchington Singers’ Tour of Belgium and Northern France
Top: Our Lady’s Church Bruges Above left: Menin Gate Ceremony Above right: Mametz Wood
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he twenty fifth anniversary of The Marchington Singers’ initial gathering in 1984 has ignited a thrilling year of activity. From the publication of a booklet cataloguing the development of the Choir through a celebration dinner for members past and present which followed hard on the heels of a memorable summer concert which was supported by professional singers and instrumentalists to The Singers’ traditional Candlelight Concert in St Mary’s Church the year certainly became a special one. Through it all traditional bookings for weddings and celebrations as well as support in local funerals were readily accepted and fulfilled. Recently the year was seen out in a hugely successful tour of Northern Europe, based in Ypres in Belgium and focussing on the battlefields of the Ypres Salient and The Somme. Missing two ferry crossings as a result of traffic congestion hardly augured well for the success of the tour! Yet this turned out to be only a minor upset in a thrilling exercise. Singing at
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seven different places in a taxing four day stay in Ypres, the choristers were made so welcome at venues as varied as the bandstand in Poperinge’s park (to kick start the town’s annual Festival of Culture), the Church of Our Lady in the centre of Bruges (a church which is a major attraction for a steady stream of tourists wishing to view Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child), a restored church in a small French village, war memorials as varied as the huge Thiepval Memorial and the remote Welsh memorial overlooking Mametz Wood,the scene of the loss of thousands of Welshmen early in the War and even the hotel’s foyer! On a first memorable day, hosted by Hop Chora, a most accomplished local choir, The Singers followed their on - stage morning performance on a band stand in the park and subsequent commemorative tree planting ceremony by the town mayor and Singers’ chairman with a reception and barbeque lunch. Two communal hours of singing and chatting with our hosts followed in what had formerly been the hop store in the gardens of Talbot House (the wartime birthplace of Toc-H as a place of rest and recuperation for soldiers brought back from the fighting front). The tour of this superb living archive was as fascinating as Hop Chora’s beautiful recital when all gathered together to launch the reception. A long journey to The Somme proved to be marvellously informative as Simon Barber took the party of 30 Singers and 12 Friends of The Singers through the battlefields and memorial sites of the area. Singing beneath the arch of the colossal Thiepval Memorial was an unforgettable experience, its echoing qualities enthusing singers and audience as ringing tones could be clearly heard over 100 metres away on the fringe of the site! A contrasting site was equally evocative as the coach wended its way far from tracks more usually trodden to the Welsh Memorial, where a real sense of the atrocities of fighting in such open countryside leading to meaningless mass slaughter was so pointedly achieved. The singing of three Welsh tunes so dear to that nation and of the Welsh National Anthem led to a spontaneous two minutes of memorable silence broken only by the seemingly raised bird song from nearby bushes. Visits to Auchanvillers and its trench lines and tunnels in the German sector of the struggle and to the Newfoundland Monument memorial to Canadians who fought in the war and exploration of this harrowing site, the scene of a long and
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costly battle of attrition, were a prelude to a most wonderful experience at the tiny village of Guillemont, the scene of constant capture and recapture by Allied and Axis forces in the War. Here the mayor, with such justifiable pride, talked us through the recreation of this stunning church which has been totally restored in the last ten years, with over half of the villagers involved in the manifold tasks necessary to recreate this magnificent place of worship, a success recognised by a ceremony attended by many of Europe’s heads of state and leading figures such as President Mitterand and Rev Ian Paisley. A first rate meal put on by the villagers was followed by one of the most memorable singing experiences of the tour as The Singers exploited the tremendous acoustic qualities of the building , literally bringing tears to the eyes of the mayor and many of the host villagers. Sightseeing in Ypres and practice in the unique St George’s Church wherein every inch of wall space, every seat cover and kneeler was dedicated to particular members or groups of the British fallen. This was memorably followed by participation in the daily Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate, a ceremony which has taken place nightly since its inception in 1927.The bugles of the Last Post Association, two sung hymns by the Marchington choir, the reading of the Exhortation by Reg Wynniatt Husey, one of the Friends of The Singers, who also laid a wreath on behalf of the group, were followed by an impassioned rendering of Kymbayah
which echoed round the edifice on a dank night and brought earnest requests to return in the near future! With performance pressure off to some extent, the last day visit to Bruges, in beautiful weather, brought a marvellous climax to the tour. Singing a full programme of ecclesiastical music in the cavernous Church of Our Lady in the centre of this beautiful city, The Singers so much enjoyed the experience as incomparable acoustic support enabled them to provide a memorable performance, one clearly appreciated by audience members who recorded in the Visitors’ Book such encouraging comments as that by an American tourist –“The peace and tranquillity and the lovely choir were invigorating” or, from others, “Listening to the choir has made our day!”; “The wonderful Peace and Serenity of this Church is a gift from God. The singing of the Marchington Choir a gift from Man – via God!”! A weary party, much praised by its tireless conductor, Wendy Scott, recovered sufficiently to share the stage with the Uttoxeter Town Band in a performance of The Singers’ Summer Concert, Rule Britannia, in Thomas Alleyne’s High School’s hall recently . In the presence of The Deputy Town Mayor of East Staffordshire and the Town Mayor of Uttoxeter, a rousing night was enjoyed by all.
Top:The Marchington Singers and Uttoxeter Town Band pictured at the Summer Concert’s ‘Rule Britannia. Above left: Thiepval Memorial Above: Poperinge in Park Above: The Marchington Singers perform at the Summer Concert in Uttoxeter. Bottom: A packed audience enjoy ‘Rule Britannia’ - the Summer Concert held at Thomas Alleyne’s High School, Uttoxeter.
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A room with a view... The Perfect Venue for any Occasion ighfield, home of Leek Cricket Club with panoramic views over the Staffordshire Moorlands countryside, is the ideal venue for business meetings, seminars, small conferences, weddings and social events. The moden clubhouse and function room, which can accommodate up to 120 people, can be adapted to meet your needs. Outside, the extensive lawns can accommodate a marquee for up to 300 guests and there is ample car parking. You can provide your own catering or altenatively take advantage of our friendly catering and bar service to guarantee a successful event. The club built its modern clubhouse facility in 2001 and it is available for private hire throughout the year. The clubhouse is fully DDA compliant and is equipped with a large kitchen and licensed bar selling a range of beers from Hydes brewery. The clubroom has a bespoke cricket themed carpet and clock, together with a hardwood dance floor. Viewings of the clubroom can be arranged by appointment or on any match day. We are here to help you and are guaranteed of our personal attention to ensure that your booking of Leek Cricket Club exceeds your expectations. Business meetings and corporate events The clubroom is ideal venue for your
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meeting and conference. Measuring 13m x 13m, it can be configured to meet your individual needs. Examples of the room capacity by layout: • Theatre 120 • Cabaret 90 • Board 40 • Open ‘U’ 60 A range of corporate equipment is available on site, including: • Two flip chart stands • Television • White screen • Mains water cooler A choice of hot and cold menus is available should your booking fall across a meal time. Vegetarian and special dietary requirements can be catered for. If you require a break out room to the main room the dressing rooms can be set up for this purpose and our extensive grounds are at your disposal The club provides a regular training venue for a major financial organisation and is used by a broad range of private and public sector bodies for meetings and conferences. Wedding receptions Leek Cricket Club prides itself on meeting your requirements for this special day. You can tailor the day to personal tastes. You can
provide your own table and room decorations, choice of caterer and menu, together with your own choice entertainment; it really is your day. The clubroom can sit 100 guests for a meal or 120 guests for an evening reception. If you are in need of something larger several customers chose to have their wedding celebration in a marquee at the club. The extensive lawns can accommodate a marquee for three hundred guests. Alternatively it is possible to attach a marquee to the clubroom accessible from the patio doors. The mature grounds can provide a backdrop to wedding photographs. Special occasions Christenings, balls, proms, concerts, retirements, Christmas parties, bands, auctions and bingo Leek Cricket Club has hosted them all so whatever your requirement you are ensured of a warm welcome at Highfield.
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To find out our availability, please telephone booking secretary, Mr Stan Trafford on 01782 317795. Leek Cricket Club Highfield, Macclesfield Road, Leek Staffs ST13 8SG www.leekcc.co.uk
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Congratulations to Leek Cricket Club’s Highfield Clubhouse and Function Room the perfect venue for weddings, business meetings, seminars, small conferences and social events We offer a full range of financial services including: • Mortgage Advice • Pension Planning Service • Investment Planning Advice • Investment Management • Domestic Insurance • Commercial Insurance • Life Assurance Advice • Income Protection • Critical Illness Protection • Savings Advice • Annuities • Taxation Advice • Health Insurance
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By Steve ‘Lank’ Lavin Golden Memories from one of Uttoxeter’s Favourite Characters
The
Raddle Inn
Country Inn and Restaurant
OOD OLD NOSTALGIA PHOTO FOR ME THIS - A selection of my old boozing mates, some of whom have now sadly passed away. Taken in the Black Swan, Uttoxeter just prior to it’s major refurbishment in 1984 (Tragedy!!!). Left to Right: Roy Sedgwick, Ted Henshall, Chris Roebuck, Tony ‘Twink’ Hollins, Jim Phillips, Ernie ‘Laddie’ Hodgkinson, George ‘Jock’ Philip, Bill Shaw, Jnr., Heather Nash, Trevor ‘Dan’ Mellor, Ashley Rushton, Sid Williams, Duncan Elliott, Alan Nutt, Ray Mountford, Gurny Plant, Bill Shaw, Snr.
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The Black Swan in those days was typical of the traditional British pub serving only beer, wines and spirits. Food was limited to crisps and nuts and on some occasions the landlady would prepare you a sandwich. Opening times were also limited to 2 sessions a day going from 10.30 a.m. - 2.30 p.m. at lunchtime and re-opening again in the evening from 5.30 -10.30 p.m. Sundays were even more restricted with the opening sessions being 12.00 - 2.00 p.m. at lunchtime and 7.00 10.30 p.m. in the evening. Unlike today where the majority of town pubs are open for most of the day and have to provide food to survive, and the majority of the village pubs have also been turned into ‘Food Pubs’ offering a very comprehensive menu throughout the day, some with the standards of a first class restaurant. Sunday lunch time was a very traditional day for the pub trade with many of the old time regulars dressing up in their Sunday best and participating in a game of cards and a few drinks with their friends and colleagues. Most landlords would provide a few savouries free of charge on the bar for the enjoyment of his customers. These restricted hours made the pub a real meeting place where everybody used to congregate at the same time. Pub games such as darts, cribbage, dominoes, pool and quizzes were in abundance, the Black Swan alone could boast of having in excess of over 10 different participating sides in one season. Sadly with over 40 pubs a week closing in England these games are dying out with the exception of a few darts and cribbage sides in the few pubs that are left. Landlords also kept their pub for many years often having a full time job in the day and leaving their wives to run the pub in the day time and then taking over in the evening after they had done a days work. Today pubs change hands virtually within a few months, the landlord or manager finding the going too tough to make even a steady living out of them. The pub ‘Outdoor Dept.’ has also disappeared owing to the availability of cheap booze at the many supermarkets and off-licences throughout the area. Enjoying a cigarette with your pint is banned and large TV screens showing a manner of un-interesting rubbish has killed the art of conversation. Oh! for the return of the Good Old Days.
Take a drive out to one of the area’s most beautiful ‘olde worlde’ country inns and restaurants and savour a truly delicious experience! Enjoy wonderful views overlooking Croxden Abbey and the surrounding countryside. Open every day, 12-10pm Pensioners Specials Monday to Saturday 12-2pm Main Meal £3.50, 3 Courses £6.00 Sunday Lunches served all day Take your pick from Beef, Turkey, Lamb, Pork or Chicken Selected Evening Meals £3.50, Rump Steak or Mixed Grill £5.50 Traditional Cask Ales - Marstons Pedigree, Spitfire, London Pride, Black Sheep
Heated smoking area Accommodation in superb Log Cabins available, B&B and Self Catering. See website for further details.
Enjoy a great meal at The Raddle The Perfect Country Inn & Restaurant Quarry Bank, Hollington, near Alton Towers Telephone: 01889 507278 www.logcabin.co.uk
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Food on a Budget by Fiona Atkinson from Osmaston How to plan a budget-friendly picnic ummer time, what does it mean to you – holidays, day trip to the beach, summer fetes, getting out in your garden, or maybe it means getting out the BBQ or even having a family picnic in the park. Al fresco eating can be all too rare in this country, but you can’t beat it. But what do you eat or drink without spending too much? To me it means cooking slightly different to accommodate possibly transporting food out of doors! I prefer more lightweight food, but plenty of selection, food you can come back to without feeling it might spoil or pack up and eat another day. So to help you with deciding what to eat out of doors, I’ve chosen some of my favourites to help you including two different types of refreshing drinks apart from the norm. Home-made lemonade, a refreshing and perfect drink and is so easy to make: use 4-6 lemons, 1 cup water (for the syrup), 1 cup lemon juice and 3-4 cups cold water (to dilute). • Make a syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely. • While the sugar is dissolving, use a juice to extract the juice from the lemons, enough for one cup of juice. • Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3-4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it. Serve with ice, sliced lemons. Serves 6 For something a little special, make your own bubbly, try making Elderflower Champagne. Results
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may vary, dependent on the differences in elderflower crops, but I recommend using glass bottles with swing tops – try Emma’s Cookshop in Carter Street – but keep an eye on the brew! You will need: 4 litres hot water, 700g sugar, juice and zest of four lemons, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, about 15 elderflower heads (in full bloom), and you may need a pinch of dried yeast. Put the hot water and sugar into a large container (a spotlessly clean bucket is good) and stir until the sugar dissolves, then top up with cold water so you have 6 litres of liquid in total. Add the lemon juice and zest, the vinegar and the flower heads and stir gently. Cover with clean muslin and leave to ferment in a cool, airy place for a couple of days. Take a look at the brew at this point, and if it’s not becoming a little foamy and obviously beginning to ferment, add a pinch of yeast. Leave the mixture to ferment, again covered with muslin, for a further four days. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with muslin and decant into sterilised strong glass bottles with champagne stoppers (available from home-brewing suppliers) or Grolsch-style stoppers, or sterilized screw-top plastic bottles (a good deal of pressure can build up inside as the fermenting brew produces carbon dioxide, so strong bottles and seals are essential). Seal and leave to ferment in the bottles for at least a week before serving, chilled. The champagne should keep in the bottles for several months if kept in a cool, dry place. Makes about 6 litres So what is your choice of al fresco dining? I prefer to make a selection of kebabs: meat, fish (king prawns are ideal) with a selection of vegetables. Any kind of meat will do, chicken, lamb, pork, chopped and any kind of vegetables can be used but try and add
something different such as courgettes, red onion, avocado, baby sweetcorn, new potatoes cooked in chilli oil. For vegetarians I tend to grill Haloumi cheese on top of the veggies, then sprinkle with fresh herbs. You can marinade the meats overnight in a variety of dressings then just pop them on the BBQ. I always keep stock of wooden kebab sticks for this purpose, as well as using them for fresh fruit for dipping in chocolate sauce (these go down a treat with kids and encourages them to eat fresh fruit if normally they don’t – just be careful of the stick!) Kebabs also keep if wrapped in foil and kept in the fridge overnight – can also be added to the school lunch box. I always make a batch of cous cous, adding fresh herbs as it compliments the kebabs. Cous Cous is very cheap to buy (normally found with the rice & pasta selections) and very easy to make, just remember to add a dash of oil to the mix after adding hot water or it can be too sticky and clumpy. Try a different type of salad such as watermelon and feta, adding sugar snaps, grapes, chopped cucumber with pea shoots, lambs lettuce or red & white chicory for flavour. You can also include walnuts to give even more taste, chopped dates, sliced pear or apple. I tend to make my own salad dressing, try using 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp runny honey and 3 tbsp of a flavoured oil (such as walnut oil), mix together and add to the salad. Very tasty and just as good with a piece of warmed bread such as olive, walnut or onion bread. Just remember, if you don’t prepare your food beforehand and purchase on the hop, it can become expensive, as well as being less healthy if you stock up on packet food! Don’t forget the hamper and enjoy the summer.
Magisterial Memories By John Glandfield Uttoxeter’s Most Charismatic Solicitor here follows a tale, admittedly back in the Uttoxeter of the 1970’s, which I think transcends the wildest imaginations of the most progressive and attention seeking present day Crime Author, Dramatist or T.V. Script Writer. In my view it really does illustrate that truth can be stranger than fiction and it goes like this. Late on one dark winter’s evening - the weather was such that you would not even have deemed to put the proverbial cat out - a particular Police Sergeant of the time was the front seat passenger in a car driven by a Constable in the vicinity of what is now the Bradley Street Bus Station, Uttoxeter and en route to some sort of incident. As they went up Bradley Street towards the High Street, at the top they came across a well-known local Reprobate scantily clad and ambling along the adjacent pavement and on the passenger side of the vehicle. The Sergeant directed the constable to stop the car, and wound down the window to “Have a word” with said pedestrian. Such was the practice in those days when so-called preventative policing was allowed to have a practical application. Having then satisfied himself that, this time at least, all was well, the Sergeant wound his window back up and without a second thought, instructed the Constable to drive off in the direction of the High Street and so continue their journey. As the Police car moved off it was noted that said
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Reprobate’s body was angled inwards and with his face half pushed towards the car body. He was running alongside the front passenger door. His arms were outstretched. It was as if the poor fellow was trying to hug the vehicle. As the Police Car accelerated away so the Reprobate ran faster and faster. At that point, the Reprobate’s complexion having changed to a distinct purple coupled with a gross and obvious lack of breath, it came to the attention of the occupants of the Police Car that there was a lengthy portion of a neck tie inside the car and trapped at the top of the closed front passenger door window. On making such a momentous, if not life threatening discovery, the Constable immediately executed an emergency stop contemporaneous with the Sergeant opening the front passenger door window and so allowing the portion of neck tie to make good its escape and thus permit its wearer, poor fellow, to collapse in a semi-conscious and dishevelled heap at the side of the road. “Come on, Constable,” said the Sergeant, “Let’s pick him up and pop him in the back of the car. We’ll chuck him round the back of the Methodist Church (situated in the High Street and facing down Bradley Street) and have another look at him when we come back later”. On yet another occasion – having survived the above - said Reprobate was apprehended in broad daylight on the outskirts of Uttoxeter sauntering along with a sawn-off shotgun slung across his shoulder.
They don’t make them like that any more! When in Court if a case went over the lunch hour into the afternoon I always captioned Clients or witnesses against consuming alcohol. I am no prude but I believe that to stand up to the rigours of any form, let alone expert, cross-examination you need 150% of your wits about you. Alcohol does nothing to sharpen the wit. One particular Client who “imbibed” to excess at the slightest opportunity and chose, on this occasion to ignore my cautionary advice about lunch time drinking, was undergoing cross examination during the afternoon. As the questions being put by my opponent were far from searching I was not paying too much attention until after a particular question had been put there followed a prolonged silence whereafter the Court Clerk said to me, “Mr.Glandfield, I think that you might need to attend to your Client”. As I directed my gaze towards the Witness Box I was greeted by the unmistakable sound of someone gently snoring. The Witness Box itself appeared empty. On closer examination it was found to contain my Client prostate on the floor, sleeping peacefully and with an expression of total bliss. From the point of view of my Opponent, what greater insult can there be than for someone that you are cross-questioning going to sleep on you. I rest my case! See you in Court, John E.Glandfield
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ell here’s the perfect opportunity! The Uttoxeter Voice has teamed up with Eden Day Spa in Staffordshire to give one lucky reader the chance to win a pair of £69 Relaxed days in one of the country’s largest and most luxurious day spas. Eden Day Spa is a sanctuary for the modern man and woman. We take in the tense and weary, and with the help of our highly trained therapists, return them to the world refreshed and ready to continue with their life. Your spa day for two will include full use of the salt-water vitality pool, aqua detox centre, gymnasium, exercise and relaxation classes and a heavenly 3-course lunch in the Seventh Heaven restaurant. Whether you want to de-stress and revitalise or just relax and enjoy, Eden Day Spa is the perfect place for you and your friends. To enter, simply answer the following question: In which county is Eden Day Spa? Send your answer, with contact details, by post to: The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, 3 Spode Close, Cheadle, Staffordshire ST10 1DT; or by email to: uttoxetervoice@hotmail.co.uk To reserve your own indulgence time, to purchase gift vouchers, check Eden’s latest special offers, or simply to discover a little more about our exciting eden experiences, click onto www.edenspa.co.uk Good luck!
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The good old days
Above: Can you identify this top Uttoxeter jockey and one of a former local trainer’s stable staff? And what is the name of this 9-time winning racehorse which was owned by a hugely successful local syndicate?
Above: They don’t come any smarter than this lot of Uttoxeter lads photographed in the early 70’s! But who are they?
Left: Can anyone recognise this Uttoxeter chap and his friend from Lower Tean? Below: We’re off on a ‘jolly!’ All aboard for a great day out - can you name these local lads?
Above: He’s got to be one of the most well-known people in the area - can you identify him? Below: A glimpse into yesteryear - can you name the 2 local boys? Many thanks to all the readers who contacted The Voice identifying the photographs in Issue 17: This is the information we have received: The top left photo is Margaret & Mick Danks, Landlord and Landlady of The Black Swan Public House, Market Street, Uttoxeter from 1977-1984. Top right was Copes Butchers in Market Place, Uttoxeter, taken in 1904. No-one could name the boy on the horse or the staff though - unless you can! The football team left centre was Springfield School, Rocester, in the early 1960’s. The 4 horse riders were from Cheadle Equestrian Centre, owners Cathy and Ann Hyde, and sister and brother Aimee and
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Daniel Titterton. They were dressed to lead Cheadle Festival Parade through the streets of the town followed by 23 bands, groups and floats - no wonder the horses had to be bombproof and the riders needed to be confident! Centre Right photo was Wheatsheaf Athletic FC in 1978. Back row:Mick Harper, Owen Morris, Stuart Macfarlane, Willie McCombe, Chris Davies, George Line, Paul Esplin, Pete Ford. Front row John Charlesworth, Ken Nutt, Steve Leggett, Alan Whieldon, Brendan Phillips. The bottom photo of the ‘lady’ and friend was in fact Cheadle’s Painsley College teacher Chris Cooper, who as many readers know, is in actual fact a fine figure of a man! The photo was taken during a fancy dress competition on a school trip abroad.
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Ramble on My favourite walks by Peter Matthews
No 10 Marston Montgomery pleasant walk amongst fields and quiet lanes. Paths are relatively easy to find. From the car walk away from Marston Montgomery (SE) to locate a footpath on the right pointing half left. Take this over a stile and then across the field to a stile in the fence opposite. Continue on the same line over stiles to emerge on a road a little to the left of a farm. Turn right and where the road bends sharp right, take a bridleway on the left, which is a farm road. Pass the farm on your left and continue ahead on the track passing a pond on the left. The track bears slightly right down to a farm. At the cattle grid look for the bridleway sign to its left. Enter the grassy area (to the right of the barn) and head for the gate and fence ahead. At the fence do not take the track ahead but go through a small gate waymarked left and follow the left edge of the field, then when it breaks away, ahead, down to the bottom of a small valley. Locate the stile at the bottom and over. Climbing the other side follow along the left edge of the field and just before the top, by a partial line of trees on the right, locate a large gap in the hedge on the left and a bridleway sign. Go through this and immediately in front is a hedge. Although the map shows the path as being on the left side of the hedge, it is on the other side so go round the end of the hedge and keep to the left of the field. At the next gap, go left by the way mark and then shortly, at the
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Difficulty
A fairly easy walk but with one very wet section. Most of the paths are well marked and easy to find. Follow route anti route clockwise
Distance
4.2 miles
Time
2 ½ hours
Parking
Either in the village or on roadside verge just SE of the village. GR SK 136 377
Refreshments
Pub in Marston Montgomery.
next hedge on the right, right, keeping to the left edge of the field. At the end, go left (waymark) to enter an enclosed path. This soon emerges into a rather wet field. Cross the field to the hedge on the left and then bear right, soon to reach a gap and waymark. Through the gap and then keep to the right edge of the field to reach a gate close to the farm. Through this and emerge on a road. Virtually opposite is a no through road leading to North Fields. Follow this, passing houses on the left to its end. Go through the gate and follow the track ahead. This soon emerges into a field and a ruined building ahead left. Follow the right edge of this field and soon descend gently. Just before the end of the field there is a stile on the right, over this and a second one (which has its cross bar missing), and then head down the field to the far left corner by some trees. Over a small bridge then left, along the flank of the hill and a small stream to the left. After a short distance reach a stile which leads onto a quiet lane. Turn left and follow this lane for about a mile back to the start. Contributed by Peter Matthews, Publicity Officer for Staffordshire Area Ramblers’ Association. For further information, visit our website www.ramblers.org.uk or phone 01782 336556. Without the work of the Ramblers some of these walks would not be possible – we help to keep footpaths open and maintained.
Let The Voice Be With You By Les Humphries ell readers, here we are again. What do you reckon to that murderer Ian Huntley suing the Prison Service for not looking after him properly following an attack by another prisoner? If we had the death penalty there wouldn’t be a problem would there? Now we are well into the new government, and as usual the tories have already put the squeeze into motion with higher VAT. Their answer to unemployment - we can all work longer to keep the youngsters who don’t have jobs on the dole brilliant! Retirement will be a carrot on a stick keep adding a few years of work every so often so it’s just out of reach... Do away with the census, well they might as well, we don’t know how many immigrants we’ve got here illegally anyhow! Take away the funding for the less well off schools, and then take away unemployment benefit from the young unless they try to get a job, but everyone will be working longer so there won’t be any jobs coming vacant Oh Gawd it’s doing my head in!
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What about the Lib Dems I hear you cry - Yeah what about them? Apart from upsetting the population of Pakistan, the one positive thing the boy David has done is promise our troops more money for serving in Afganistan, excellent - and while we are on that theme - The Churnet Valley Male Voice Choir in conjunction with the excellent Uttoxeter Town Band will be putting on a concert in the JCB Social Club, with all proceeds going to the Help for Hero’s charity. It will take place on a Tuesday evening in either late October or early November, but at time of writing the date has yet to be finalised so watch this space. I am sure you will all agree it is a worthwhile charity, but without your support it will all be for nothing, so please come along when the time comes. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Continuing with patriotic thoughts, didn’t the Brits do well in the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona with a clutch of medals. Always nice to beat the French, but sadly
we lost out to them in the sprints, still they have always been keen athletes. The wife and I have been up to the North East for a few days break, travelling around the ancient monuments along Hadrians Wall. The area is infested with walkers and back packers, but they all appear to be pensioners, (bless ‘em), with veiny legs, big boots, funny hats, and green anoraks, and I’m allowed to say that cos I’m one meself! Then you go into the museums (best to go early), so we Brits can gaze with due reverence in silence at the artifacts on display. That is until the silence is broken by people yawping in foreign tongues at the top of their voices as if their companions are stone deaf , which somehow breaks the spell. Why oh why do they have to shout? Finally - The Rugby season is approaching fast Good Luck to Uttoxeter RFC in Midlands 3 West North under new skipper Mike Davies, and I did eventually get my kerb dropped! TTFN Les
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Ginny’s Gardening Guide By Uttoxeter’s Ginny Gibson he weather really is a canary thing isn’t it, last year it rained so much in July everyone thought it was never going to stop, as I write this the first hose pipe ban for 14yrs as just been announced in the Lake District and who knows by the time you read this it might have snowed... I have just come back from a very lovely afternoon meeting some great gardeners, firstly I went in search of Sudbury Nursery, kept seeing them at the farmers market, but had never visited, and the purple wallflower I bought from them at the farmers market in Uttoxeter has flowered all summer, so I knew they had loved that plant to life. When a plant has been loved to life and grown by people who care about what they are doing, you know the difference, so off I went to find them, I am not great at going places I’ve never been before, I get nervous and am sure that I will get lost, (that’s even with a Sat Nav), so when I drove past Sudbury Childhood Museum and came to the Vernon Arms and a lovely sign guided me to the back of the pub I was very relieved. They, Richard and Bob, are based in a small plot behind the pub, its actually the old pub garden and it’s a wonderful spot, behind a lovely old door. When you get through the door you are greeted to rows of lovely unusual plants that you don’t see in other places. They propagate everything themselves in their polytunnel and it shows. What they don’t know about gardening isn’t worth knowing, and they are very generous with their knowledge, as I have found with most gardeners actually. So for their plant of the month, they recommended Rudbeckia – Irish Spring variety, why, because it can be grown in any soil, any area of the
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David and Helen
garden, although sunny is best, but partial shade will do and it makes a great clump and it flowers from July all the way to September, so great value too, if it’s a damp winter then cover it so that it doesn’t rot in the ground, but other than that just enjoy it. They are well worth a visit and you can go to the pub for lunch afterwards, you can find them on Gibb Lane, Sudbury, DE6 5HY or ring them, Richard, 07971 548 734 or Bob, 07543 037 448, they are open Wednesday to Sunday in the afternoons from March to October – but they said you can ring them and discuss your requirements and meet them outside of these hours. Then I travelled back into town and went to Balance Hill allotments where I met with David and Helen, a lovelier couple you couldn’t wish to meet and by chance they were opening their garden for the Yellow Book Garden Scheme the next day, so had not only a guided tour of their new allotment but also of their wonderful garden and surprise surprise they use Sudbury Nursery
for their home garden plants, so am beginning to realise that it’s a small world in gardening terms. Anyway, David and Helen have only had the allotment for 2 yrs, so are just learning about vegetables and how they do it, but they advised that they will be planting oriental salad leaves, potatoes for Christmas and starting their onions for over wintering, they had some compost from the local council and it has really made a difference to the ground on the allotment, so they will be using that again next year. They will be harvesting Runner beans, French beans, Courgettes and lifting the red onions for storing. Apparently the Japanese over wintering onions that another chap grew on the allotments last year were really special, so they are going to try those this year too. Another month and another gardening adventure, happy gardening…. Richard and Bob
Povey’s People By Radio Stoke’s Owd Grandad Piggott Each month Radio Stoke’s Owd Grandad Piggott (Alan Povey) will write a unique insight into our local life and its many characters. His infectious, humorous slant on people provides a different and unusual mix which hopefully will bring a warm smile to the faces of our readers.
This month: BIG ALICE TURPIN ig Alice Turpin crashed out of the swing doors of Weston Coyney Village Hall and headed for The Weston Inn looking for trouble. Big Alice had had a bad night at bingo. She had wanted one for the jackpot when some nebulous prat had shouted house and then she had gone on to feed six pounds into the one armed bandit to no avail. In the Weston Inn, Billy Drummond was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Drummer tripped over a stray foot in the bar and knocked Big Alice’s pint over. A ham sized fist knocked him across the bar and by the time he had dragged himself back from the middle of the following week, Big Alice had him on the floor in a full Boston Crab and Drummer was howling in agony as Alice’s full twenty one stone weight tried desperately to snap his spine. There was a hard and fast rule when Big Alice Turpin was ‘in one’ - you didn’t mess! She had a fearsome reputation for violence, especially when she was in
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drink. She had a face which resembled a welder’s bench and could kickstart a Boeing 737. It took seven blokes to get her off Drummer whenceforth she was thrown out and headed for Meir Kings Arms where she put away another six pints of Joules’ bitter, then in the foulest of foul moods tramped off to the bus stop. It was approaching midnight when Owd Grandad Piggott turned the corner of the street in which he lived and wobbled homeward. Owd Grandad had had a very satisfactory evening. Club Paper Jack had won on the horses and Owd Grandad had accompanied him on a tour of the pubs and helped him spend it. With his head spinning pleasantly, he began to count doorsteps as he straggled along the road, which was his method of hitting the right house in the terraced street where all the houses were more or less identical. Owd Grandad had the misfortune of living next door but one to Big Alice Turpin which was a distinct disadvantage if you were in the habit of counting doorsteps to find your way home - and getting it wrong! Big Alice hadn’t closed the door properly and
“ Big Alice had
him on the floor in a full Boston Crab and Drummer was howling in agony...
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something woke her as Owd Grandad Piggott, having let himself in to what he thought was his own house, sawed at a lump of cheese downstairs in her kitchen. In common with a lot of the neighbours, Big Alice didn’t like ‘That Owd Piggott’ who lived nearby and under normal circumstances, Owd Grandad was careful to keep a degree of distance from her, but as a heavy tread crossed the floor above and a leviathan presence began to descend the stairs, Owd Grandad Piggott stopped chewing. It was like Godzilla meeting up with King Kong. As Big Alice Turpin spotted Owd Grandad Piggott travelling through a huge lump of cheese at her kitchen table, she emitted a snarl that my mate Ekka next door said made the floorboards shake. Big Alice moved fast. There was a loud industrial ‘thud’ accompanied by a primitive squeal and serious sounds of strife. Big Alice threw him across the room by his ear and top lip and he crashed into the sideboard, splintering it and almost swallowing the fruit bowl. Luckily for Owd Grandad Piggott, he was endowed with a solid head which stood him in good stead as Big Alice, holding an ear in each formidable fist, smashed his skull onto the tiled hearth. The horrible noises emanating from Big Alice’s house brought people out into the street and as Big Alice’s front door crashed open, Owd Grandad Piggott catapulted through it and landed hard in the gutter. ‘Next time yer come marchin’ in me ‘ouse – yer a dead ‘un’, grated Big Alice, and again, the ground shook as she slammed the door. Owd Grandad didn’t make the same mistake again. He painted his front door bright Kawasaki green so that it was impossible to miss and if Big Alice was coming towards him in the opposite direction, he would rapidly cross the road.
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Mick’s Magical Memories By Mick Harper
Recollections of a Legend Bartley Gorman Part 3 t was a late April evening back in 1997 and I was having a chat with Bartley Gorman in his trailer home at Wood Lane, Uttoxeter. He mentioned the fact that there hadn’t been much about him in the Press over the previous few months, which was somewhat unusual as he was rarely out of the news! Somehow we got onto the subject of gypsies eating hedgehogs and I could see Bartley’s eyes lighting up. “I know”, he said, “Lets put the word out I’m having a hedgehog barbecue up here in the summer, that will get everyone talking.” So with neither of us really thinking about the consequences, we drafted out a poster to advertise the ‘event’. By the time we had decided what to write down it all looked quite feasible. From top to bottom it read as follows:
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Gypsy King Bartley Gorman V invites you to join him for the world’s first ever HEDGEHOG BARBECUE at Fort Woodfield, Wood Lane, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire on Saturday July 5th 1997. Gates open 7pm. Delicious hedgehog steaks specially prepared by Romany Master Chef John Hearn available from 8pm. Tickets strictly limited only £12.50. Everyone attending will be able to take the famous healing waters of St. Bartholomews Well. Licensed bar applied for. Traditional gypsy music and singing around the camp fire. Don’t miss this unique occasion! I remember that the bit about the healing waters was my idea as Bartley had a well on his land. He thought it might give the game away but I persuaded him to leave it in. As for John Hearn, I am not sure if he was a real person or not. Bartley said that he was a bloke from the Burton area who couldn’t even boil an egg. The next day my daughter Sarah got her friend Jo to put all the details on her computer and then print it off. I pasted a couple of pictures of hedgehogs onto the poster before doing a number of photocopies on coloured paper. The end product looked impressive and Bartley and myself dropped one off at all the Uttoxeter newspaper offices. We then sat back to see what would happen, and we didn’t have to wait long. Without exception they all soaked it up like a sponge and splashed it across their front pages. Soon it was in all the local evening papers and on Radio Stoke. Then the Nationals and TV picked up on the story. Before you knew it, word had spread all around the world. The Seattle Times in the USA did a major feature about it, and someone sent Bartley a copy of the Hong Kong News where it was on the front page. One lady journalist in the Independent even embellished the story describing how the hedgehogs would be grilled on skewers and marinated in honey. Best of all were the comments from various hedgehog societies and sanctuary spokespersons. A Major Cole from the Hedgehog Preservation Society was outraged. He said that it was
disgusting and deplorable that human beings would stoop so low as to go around killing a native wild animal like the hedgehog. A lady who ran a hedgehog sanctuary said that the £12.50 Bartley was charging for a barbecue ticket was what it cost her to treat the average injured hedgehog prior to it being returned to the wild. I was driving one day when a guy came on the radio raging about it. He said that his organisation were doing their utmost to preserve an endangered species whilst Gorman and his cronies were butchering them for pleasure. I had to stop the car as I was crying with laughter. Bartley was in his element constantly in the demand of the Media. In one interview he issued an open invitation for Prince Charles and Tony Blair to attend the ‘Barbecue’. Some of the questions Bartley was asked by people were incredible, and his answers often more so. One bloke asked him where he was getting all the hedgehogs from and Bartley replied that he was getting up early every day and scraping them off the A50. In another reply to someone else with the same question, Bartley told him that they were being bred at a secret location in Wales. I have got 60 in the freezer already and should have at least 200 by July he added. The guy was taking it so seriously that Bartley was having a job to keep a straight face. “How big are they”, he said. Bartley replied that they were a good size as they were being fattened up on a special diet. Still not satisfied the bloke then asked if each person would get a whole hedgehog to eat on the night, to which Bartley replied that it would be best if they only had half a one as it was very rich and it wasn’t good for anyone to have too much. “Just ask for a medium sized steak and have some chips with it and you will love it”, he said. This seemed to satisfy him which was just as well as even Bartley might have run out of ‘fairy tales’ if he had gone on any longer. One evening I was up at Fort Woodfield and Bartley fancied a drink so he took me up to the Three Tuns. Before we had been there 5 minutes, 4
different people asked him for tickets. Bartley fobbed them off by saying that they wouldn’t go on sale until he knew how many hedgehogs he was likely to have. We left the Tuns and Bartley drove back into the town centre and parked on the White Horse car park. In the Horse, he again had to field requests for tickets and it was the same story in The Wheatsheaf and the Old Talbot. In fact a local chef we met in the latter offered his services on the night free of charge as he was interested in seeing how they were cooked. It was all starting to get pretty complicated and I could tell that Bartley was beginning to realise everything had spiralled out of control. We finished the night having an Indian meal and even the staff in the restaurant had heard all about it. In fact the Manager stood by our table throughout our visit talking about the ‘Barbecue’. When we left there, Bartley said I think he is worried that he will lose trade that night because he thinks everyone will be at the ‘hedgehog roast’. I suggested to Bartley that as he had had a few drinks it would be best if we walked back to his place but he said he was alright as the meal had soaked up enough for him to be okay to drive. We pulled out of the White Horse car park and believe it or not before we had reached the bottom of Bridge Street (less than 200 metres) there was a police car behind with a blue light flashing us to stop. Bartley stopped immediately and jumped out and before the copper had a chance to speak, he said “I haven’t been drinking officer.” Don’t worry, I know that”, replied the policeman. I only wanted to say to you what a laugh me and the lads down the station have had over the ‘Hedgehog Barbecue’. With that he apologised for holding us up, got back in his car and drove off into the night. If I hadn’t been there I would never have believed it, you just couldn’t make it up and for once even Bartley was lost for words. There was no doubt that the ‘joke’ had run its course but the problem was how to end it all without losing face. Bartley was due to have an interview with Radio Stoke one morning as they wanted to know how arrangements were progressing. We spent hours the night before trying to come up with a solution but neither of us could think of the answer. “I will sleep on it and hope I can find something to stuff them up with tomorrow”, was Bartley’s parting shot as I left for home. I tuned into Radio Stoke with some trepidation wondering what on earth Bartley was going to say. To my astonishment he said that he was conducting an anti-abortion campaign and that he wanted to prove that people were more concerned with saving animal life than human. He added that he had only used the idea of staging a Hedgehog Barbecue to highlight this fact. As Bartley was a Roman Catholic the explanation had credibility and in all fairness to the best of my knowledge he genuinely was against abortion. Of course more press coverage followed and the anti-abortion lobby even described Bartley as a devout Catholic who was championing their cause. So there it is, the true story of possibly the biggest and best practical joke that has been pulled off in the Voices circulation area. If anyone knows of a better one, I would be pleased to hear from them. In the next issue, I will describe how Bartley set me up a treat on one occasion without my realising he had until months later. Good health to you all. Mick
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The ‘Utcheter’ and beyond Football Diaries from 1979 onwards... By Tim Leech, our Uttoxeter man exiled in the Potteries Football Match Routines and Superstitions yself and my team mates would be lined up around the centre circle, heads bowed, hands behind our backs in the pouring rain or sleet and sometimes the occasional sunshine, A minute’s silence in memory to another of the lads who we had lost. The opposition and officials not quite sure why some of my team mates were either sniggering or tutting in frustration when we having a minute’s tribute having “lost one of the lads”. Unknown to them I used to ask for a minute’s silence whenever one of the “lads” had got married. At first it was funny but I kid you not I did this on every occasion and you can imagine some of the lads were not best pleased, freezing their nuts off on a cold January day down at the tip, with a hangover from the wedding. Happy Days, I don’t half miss the banter and crack of a Saturday afternoon and a Sunday morning. Such things as when a player has not called for the ball and there had been a collision between two team mates going for the same ball and the offended player lectures his team mates and says “next time put a big name on it” and the culprit then shouts “Kancheslki’s” before heading the ball away. Going off at a slight tangent, the best own goal I ever saw was executed by a fellow team mate while playing for Leigh Rangers in the Staffs Alliance league. Steve Parkes “Parse”, had commanded the pitch and had a great game in the centre of midfield and we were comfortably holding onto a 2 - 1 victory away at Cheddleton Hospital, a cracking pitch that I think now has had luxury houses built on the site of the pitch. Anyway back to “Parse”, he collected the ball on the half way line in the last seconds of the game, promptly carried the ball out to the right wing while riding a couple of challenges, he then headed back inwards towards the centre circle, again riding a couple of
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tackles with me and my fellow team mates relaxing thinking what a great job “Parse” was doing in running down the clock for the final few seconds and securing a fine victory. Well then with literally the last kick off the game and without looking up, “Parse” had a meltdown, because he decided to lob the ball 55 yards back to our ‘keeper Richard Amos. Richard was sunning himself on the edge of the 18 yard box, after having a relatively quiet 90 minutes but looked upwards in horror as “Parse’s” pin point lob went over his head and into the top corner of the net. It would have been unstoppable even if Richard had been on his line. Well we were all shell shocked, “Parse” wanted the pitch to open up and swallow him up and to compound matters we lost in extra time. Cheers “Parse”, not that I have been holding a grudge for the past 25 years or so. I played for the Wheatsheaf Athletic at a very early age, under the management of fellow columnist Mick Harper. Mick was a great, committed football man and gave his all for the ‘Sheaf. He had some great players over the years. Well Mick was excitable at times and I remember one game down at the Racecourse, when we were losing and Keith Brassington, the top striker was having an off day and ignoring Mick’s instructions to play on the last man. Well Mick was getting more and more frustrated and Brasso could sense Mick was not a happy bunny so drifted out to the left wing, well Mick raced around the pitch to give Brasso a piece of his mind, Brasso saw him coming so ran across to the right wing, Mick had now reached the left wing and was becoming red faced with rage as he spotted that Keith had legged it across to the right wing. Literally for about 20 mins Brasso kept running from wing to wing to avoid a demented Mick, who was running from side to side rather like a lion staking an antelope and Mick eventually kicked the medical
JCB 5
Trentham 10
Thursday 15th July 2010 JCB 5 is called a fun run, not sure how much fun it is as you go up Hollington Road for the second time. A great atmosphere from a well run race. Lovely to see the shorter fun run off-road and so many competitive young runners. An awesome run from JCB worker and Uttoxeter Road Runner, Jim Clark, who finished in a magnificent 5th place and 1st JCB employee. Another great turnout from Uttoxeter Road Runners.
Sun 18th July 2010 The 41st Trentham 10 mile race, formally the John Oultram race held on the 18th July. This race is probably one of the toughest and oldest in the area, and I remembered the 2 lap course included the climb up the Beech Dale Road, over the M6, and the hard hairpin climbs passed the Beech caves. The caves, the result of coloured sandstone mining during the 19th century, and later used for a munitions store during the 2nd world war, is a point in the race not easily forgotten. My strategy was to take the hard climbs steady, and hope that I could pick up the pace on the next recovery stage down the A519. However this stage doesn’t last long before a further ascent to Sandyford, and a final run down passed the old Groundslow TB hospital [closed in 1986] before the 2nd lap. I know the 2nd lap was the real test from previous years, and too much effort the first time round really sorts the men from the boys! Also at the 9.5 mile mark there is a final uphill pull back to Tittensor village hall where the calf muscles really take the punishment so a little in reserve helps the final push for the finish, all in all, it went to plan, and the cool weather was an added bonus.
Results (5 milr race) Jim Clark Steve Lindridge Simon Danks Rob Hall Steve Parsonage Grahame Cope Brian Mackey Russell Reid Steve Tunstall Keith Goss Sandra Durow Tracey Hughes Honor Cann Tracy Hodgins Lisa Lancaster Liz Goodwin Results (2.2 mile fun run) Fraser Parsonage Charlie Cope Ben Salt
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28.24 (5th Place) 29.51 31.09 31.11 33.07 33.46 36.45 38.25 40.57 41.27 41.37 43.27 44.39 46.56 47.30 49.56 15.02 (10th Place) 17.31 25.18
Results Jim Clark 1.00.41 (12th Place) Grahame Cope 1.11.36 Brian Mackey 1.15.17 Keith Goss 1.25.49 Trevor Clay 1.29.15 Pete Sarson 1st O/60 + Staffs gold medal (Running for Stafford Harriers) Brian Mackey 1st O/65 + Staffs gold medal
bucket onto the pitch to get the attention of the ref and promptly subbed Brasso. Brasso raced off to the changing rooms and was out of Mick’s radar until he had calmed down. What a picture, almost slapstick. Another time playing down at the racecourse for Mick, two of my teammates had a real punch up in the warm up with each other. Step forward Kevin Hurst and Dave Dyche, they banged hell out of each other, the opposition did not have a clue what was going on, I think Mick liked the fact that they were both passionate about their football. Brendon Phillips was like a magnet at finding dog pooh during a match, whenever we played on a pitch he had a regular habit of sliding into the unfortunate doings. Now way back then not every team had a shower, so you did not want to be in the same car back from the game with Brendon if we were playing away at Ashby. Well one sunny Sunday morning, we were playing away at Shobnall fields in Burton, Brendon was injured but went along to watch and support us and he was extremely well dressed. When asked it transpired he was off to a christening after the game. We were all in the Union Hotel opposite after the game and having the usual crack. Well Brendon had supped a few pints and slapped his leg and said “That’s the first time I’ve ever been to Shobnall Fields and never got covered in dog pooh !” Frankie Rowe then said “Bren, what’s that all up your leg?” You’ve guessed it , he was plastered in the doings of what must have been a very big dog ! Brendon’s response is not printable. Bad joke - A neighbour stopped me and said “I was going down to the paper-shop this morning and your dog went for me !” I replied “Well I’ve had him for 5 years and he’s never been for me, if I’d have known he could have fetched me a Daily Mail every day.” Happy Days. Regards, Roachy
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Huge occasion planned in honour of Barry Buxton massive day at Oldfields Sports Ground, Uttoxeter is being planned in memory of a young man who grew up in the town who tragically lost his life in Afghanistan. Lance Corporal Barry Buxton will be remembered on Sunday 3rd October 2010 when former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Mel Eves brings along a team of ex-players to face a special side assembled by the Arnold brothers Dean and Rob who manage Uttoxeter Town in the Burton Sunday Premier League. So a Uttoxeter Town squad of 22 will be put together that will include current players, former players, army colleagues and close friends of Barry, as well as a few ex-professionals like local man, Mark Sale, the one time Birmingham City striker. Players who could possibly be in the Wolves All Stars squad include quite a number of big names Mel Eves who once scored the winning goal for Wolves against Manchester United at Old Trafford will definitely be playing and he also manages the side. In goal may be Andy de Bont who went through the Wolves Youth system and made many Reserve team appearances. Full back Andy Thompson is a terrific guy, very popular and a Wolves legend who made a total of 451 appearances for the Club. He scored 43 goals most of them penalties and he was renowned for rarely missing from the spot. Chasetown Manager Charlie Blakemore, who played up front for Wolves Reserves, is a regular in the team as is former centre half and current Stafford Rangers Manager Chris Brindley. Striker Darren Roberts, who scored a hat trick on his Wolves debut against Birmingham City at St. Andrews, has also been named along with Don Goodman who scored 39 goals for Wolves in 142 starts. Midfielder Keith Downing made 200 starting appearances and registered 11 goals while fellow midfield man Phil Robinson appeared in 82 games scoring 11 goals. Other names mentioned are midfield man Mark Burke, striker Neil Edwards,
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central defender Peter Shirtliff and Paul Simpson who spent the best years of his career with Derby County before moving onto Molineux. Midfielder Tony Dinning is a regular as is former Wolves and Palace full back Jamie ‘Jink’ Smith. Striker Steve Mardenborough only scored 1 goal for Wolves but what a goal as it was the solitary strike in an incredible Wolves’ victory over Liverpool at Anfield in 1984. ExWolves youngster and former Port Vale man Shane Tudor could also feature. Pete Douglas who puts more into sport than probably anyone else in the area has agreed to officiate and give backing to the game. Pete is well known in the Horse Racing fraternity as an owner and also a major sponsor of Racing here in Uttoxeter. There is a Race Meeting on this day which Peter is going to miss as he wants to be part of this special occasion. He will be assisted by that wonderful unsung hero of the Uttoxeter Sunday League management committee, the one and only Allan Parker. Gary Capewell, another local man, will take the other line at the specific request of Barry’s family to whom he is close. The game will kick off at 3pm and later in the afternoon there will be a huge auction of various sporting related items. Details will be announced at a later date. A top quality programme costing £2.50 will be sold in advance and admission on the day, including the programme, will be £3. Parents are welcome to bring small children free of charge. Proceeds from the game will be equally divided between the Army Dependants Trust and Help for Heroes. A committee has been formed and many more people will be helping them out. The Chairperson is Barry’s widow Emma who is bravely doing this in honour of her husband of 3 years. Barry’s mother Sharon and stepfather Steve Hudson are playing a huge part on the committee as is Emma’s sister Laura. Long time family friend, Barrie Wain, is also working very hard to make the day a success. Alan
Brown will handle all the financial details as Treasurer and Mick Harper is doing the secretarial duties. It is likely that a number of people will, if they wish, be co-opted to the committee as they are already doing work for the big day. Dave Lawless for instance is already emailing numerous football clubs for auction items, and if anyone reading this would like to donate something he would be pleased to hear from you. It doesn’t have to be football related; it could be a signed cricket bat, a voucher for a meal for 2 at a local eating establishment or a day at a Health Spa. Literally anything would be welcome. Dave can be contacted on 01889 560610. Other key people involved are Bernard Holly who is in control of everything that takes place at Oldfields, his lovely wife Beryl and their son-in-law Gordon Richardson who does so much there too. Groundsman Dave Spittle is sure to make certain that Oldfields looks its best on the day and his hard work is appreciated by everyone. Uttoxeter Lions are fantastic fund raisers and supporters of good causes and they are going to be there in numbers on the day and they will almost certainly have a member joining the committee. Dean Arnold and Rob Arnold are pulling out all the stops to put their squad together and also coming up with plenty of additional ideas to help make the day a success. Literally scores of people are giving up time to make this event really special and they will be rewarded on the day just by seeing the huge crowd that is anticipated. If you would like to take up advertising space in the programme or sponsor anything i.e. Match Ball, buffet, kit etc., please contact Steve Hudson 07794 161434 (preferably in the evening). Mick Harper 07971 347322 will answer any queries anyone may have and he will be available to speak any day between 8am and 11pm. There is no doubt that this will be a huge event and it will be an emotional day for many, but Barry’s family want everyone attending to have an enjoyable afternoon as that is what Barry himself would have wished. Due to print deadlines, this article had to be put together before the middle of July so apologies to volunteers who may now be heavily involved in this project who have not been mentioned.
Adam Taylor and two wickets from Jamie O’Connor and two from Tom Benjamin gave Checkley the league winning victory they needed restricting Cheadle to 80. The following evening Checkley Travelled to face a strong Moddershall side in the Final of the John Davies Memorial Trophy. Checkley elected to field on a poor wicket getting the two Moddershall openers out early. Modershall then stepped up the scoring getting to 72 off 12 over’s with 8 remaining. Tight bowling from Maguire, Appelboam, Simpson and
Oconnor plus excellent Checkley fielding particularly Alex Woods restricted Moddershall to a modest 104. Checkley then took the field to bat but made a disastrous start with the normally clinical Woods, Lush and Appelboam all losing their wickets leaving Checkley 4 for 3. Next at The crease was Alex Hannon who positively made a superb maximum of 25 with some powerful hitting, this was then repeated in style by promising all rounder Patrick Maguire who also reached the maximum. This had given Checkley a small chance of reaching the Moddershall total. Gavin Hall son of local cricketer Mick was the next Checkley man at the crease playing the innings of his life; Gavin produced a cultured and measured match winning performance supporting his team mates reaching the total with a beautiful 4 with an over to spare bringing Checkley a victory to jubilant celebrations which looked way out of reach. The Trophy was presented by Mary Edwards sister of the late John to a jubilant team and large Checkley following. Alan Simpson under 15 Manager at Checkley said “I am very fortunate to have such talent to work with every week alongside a fantastic set of parents and Junior set up at Checkley, I would like to thank them all”
Checkley Under 15s complete League and Cup double Checkley under 15’s cricket team completed an amazing league and cup double. Firstly the side only needed to gain a batting point against Cheadle in the home fixture to win as they have remained unbeaten in the league all season. Electing to bat Checkley made a fine start with Alex Woods and Patrick Maguire both reaching the maximum of 35, they were then well supported by Alex Hannon and Peter Appelboam who also reached the maximum, Checkley finishing their innings on 154. Cheadle then made a spirited start to the innings only for the Checkley opening bowling attack of Maguire and Appelboam restricting Cheadles first 8 over’s to 22 runs. Checkley then took a firm grip on the game with promising swing bowler George Simpson bowling superbly finishing with figures of 3 for 16. Tight bowling and excellent fielding from
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All-time Local Soccer Hall of Fame Team By Roy ‘Razzer’ Astbury Each month Uttoxeter’s best known character Roy ‘Razzer’ Astbury will compile his very own ‘All-Time Local Football Team’ which in his opinion is the very best of players past and present. ‘Razzer’ will create a team in each issue of The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice which he believes incorporates all the ingredients of a football outfit which could be unbeatable! He will be delving into his thoughts to remember all the terrific players in years gone by whilst selecting those who are exceptional in our present day. It should be a fantastic talking point in our community and no doubt you all will have your views on ‘Razzer’s Hall of Fame team. If you have your own Hall of Fame team then get involved and just give Nigel a call at The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice on 01538 751629, 0776 784 6937 to tell him or send your team to: The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, 3 Spode Close, Cheadle, Staffordshire, ST10 1DT or email uttoxetervoice@hotmail.co.uk
Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice Boss Nigel Titterton selects his All-Time Local Soccer Hall of Fame Team:
Razzer’s Hall of Fame August Team
PAUL WOOD Rocester FC Top local keeper who was brave and a great organiser of his defence.
MICK CRUMP Cheadle Town
CARL ALLAN Rocester FC A terrific player who can slot into any position within the team. Great in the air, excellent passer, Carl is a fantastic player.
Top class defender who was always cool under pressure – even in the roughest of games his hair never moved!
KEITH CLAYTON Rocester FC A good, solid player who was extremely consistent and would always give 100%.
JOE CARPENTER Rocester FC CAPTAIN A really classy footballer with a great touch, Joe was respected by his fellow team-mates.
KEVIN BLACKWELL Uttoxeter Town A big strong centre forward who was a handful for any defender whilst regularly hitting the back of the net.
GRAHAM PRITCHARD Uttoxeter St Mary’s FC A terrific player, Graham could turn defence into attack with the quickest of accurate passes.
ALF BUNTY HUDSON Bamfords FC
PADDY KAVANAGH Uttoxeter Town Paddy possessed a great shot and was very strong in the tackle. An excellent team man.
RICHARD ASHMORE Uttoxeter Town
Very fast winger who Strong, all-out player who always looked for goals. ran for the full 90 minutes Integrated brilliantly and certainly gave opposing with the team and gelled players plenty to think players together. about!
IVAN ASH Rocester FC A superbly talented footballer who was one of the best players of his era. Ivan possessed great skills and he would have walked into any local team. We have inserted one football club each player has performed for. Obviously, many have played for several clubs in their careers.
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Goalkeeper: BARRY ALCOCK, Rocester FC Probably the best goalkeeper ever to come out of Tean, Barry enjoyed a fantastic career which concluded at Stafford Rangers – top man, top keeper. Back Four: NEIL BAKER, Cheadle United FC ‘Bake’ was a very classy player who always seemed to have lots of time on the ball, a trait which only the good players possessed. Great ambassador for local football and he is respected by all the local soccer fraternity. PETE ‘CURLY’ JOHNSON, Cheadle United FC There were few better halves around when Curly was in his pomp. Fantastic in the air, great reader of the game, and the most genuine person you could wish to call a friend. MICK GOODWIN, Boltons FC Mick always had the great knack of timing his tackles exquisitely and releasing his passes with great accuracy. Great team player. KEVIN ROGERS, Boltons FC Surely one of the great local players of his time, Kevin was a hard but fair player whose fitness levels were incredible. Midfield: BRIAN DODD, Wheatsheaf Athletic A terrific player who was very skilful and a great passer of the ball, Doddy enjoyed being part of a great Wheatsheaf team which was hugely successful in the 70’s. GRAHAM SAMMY ELKS, Boltons FC Sammy was the ultimate spoiler of the team, mixing it with opponents with great relish. But he was also an excellent footballer who got his share of the goals. PHIL UFTON, Uttoxeter Town Another player who loved the competitive nature of the game, Phil always seemed to come out on top after tasty challenges. Great team man. STEVE BREWSTER, Boltons FC Steve possessed a most lovely left foot which could put the ball on a postage stamp. His crosses were always inch perfect and the way he played the game was a lesson for all youngsters to take after. Forwards: TONY CROFT, Rocester FC A fantastic goalscorer, Tony was a formidable striker in his day and he always knew how to get past defenders to fire off his shots. BOB BASSETT, Rocester FC A bull of a forward who scared the living daylights of many a centre half! Another player whose goal record was exceptional.
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On and off the field By Alan Smith Alan Smith has enjoyed a lifetime of sport in the Cheadle and Uttoxeter areas. Here Alan delves into his memory bank to write his unique brand of humour on colourful sports and life comments with memories of past and present which we hope readers will enjoy... aven’t we had a much better summer this year? Actually seeing the sun for more than two days at a time is great but as a result we knew there would be the dreaded hosepipe ban!! Can someone explain to me how we are surrounded by water yet still need the ban? I never noticed bans in Cyprus! Still I suppose us Brits just get on with it don’t we. Nice to see our local sides doing well in the cricket. Simon Plant, leading Cheadle to the final of the Talbot Cup (although I believe the semi final against Wood Lane could be replayed at the time of writing this article). Anyway, best of luck to Simon you deserve it boy. Victory would be a great reward for the club and its stalwarts, Billy, Trevor, Terry, Ian and co. My brief association with Cheadle CC was perhaps 10 years or so ago and it was then that we set up the coaching system which I’m proud to say is still in place. Trevor Sellars, Terry Clarke, Dave Croft are doing sterling work and were instrumental in the young development of the now Worcester county player and this season’s pro at Cheadle Dave Wheeldon. But my mate Bill Pritchard claims responsibility for that saying its his relative so therefore in the blood! Must agree though Pritch, you were more than useful with the small red ball game, and you’re coming on at the smaller white ball game! You’ve taken a few quid off me this summer! But whilst on cricket and just a little up the road from Cheadle, Leek CC seem to have sorted things out and are heading if not by the time of reading this article have already gained promotion back to the Premier League. Can I say well done Brian, we go back a few years Mr Mellor, you were one of Bake’s boys for the Bulls Head in the Leek Sunday Football League and a great competitor. I shall always remember Pete Timmis, he was more than a useful bowler who captained Leek and represented Staffordshire on many occasions. And when my club Bramshall drew Leek in the Staffs Cup up at Leek Timmo always reckoned it was one of the best days they’d had at Leek, albeit they beat us on the square, not by much I add. But we thrashed them at the after-match antics and in the process swelled their bar takings quite substantially! Our Bramshall players were great at that but, dare I ask, do those after-match antics still go on? I very much doubt it, then perhaps we never took the world that seriously then, we always had a laugh after a hard game. I don’t really want to mention the big ball game after that debacle in South Africa. I had been confident foolishly I know but I’m forever an optimist who hates the knockers of this beautiful country of ours whose philosophy is ‘if we do well, the other side’s crap anyway, and if we lose we are crap’ – they make me sick! But I suppose the latter of these two phrases just about sums us up this Summer. These English players are on too bigger wage packets, too big ego’s, I bet the cost of material for
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international caps has sky-rocketed with their heads and now with Capello on how many millions it’s all gone crazy. Well I’ve just finished reading a couple of books, one on Bobby Robson’s life and the other on Brian Clough’s. Bobby did a much better job when he managed England and for a fraction of Capello’s salary and Cloughie was as it has been said before the best England manager that never was. I bet both would have been turning in their graves when they saw those performances in South Africa. That lovely FA front man Trevor Brooking and all his sidekicks, Capello, and all those players who put on the England shirts and called themselves England players all failed. God, we seem to be light years behind Spain, and the Germans are coming again – how many times have we heard that in our history? And we can’t dismiss the African countries as cattle fodder because Ghana, The Ivory Coast etc have come on leaps and bounds, so Alan’s father Melvin Talley have Japan and bloody hell the Yanks and Aussies are improving. If them 2 overtake us at our national game, close the game down and we’ll take up knitting! That though is a good lead into my concluding part of this month’s column, no not the knitting, the yanks! If you have been following my plight in contacting my relatives on the other side of the pond, you will be interested to know that my wife and I have just returned from visiting my sister Ann, her husband Chester and three sons, and they were everything I’d hoped for and more! We had arranged to meet outside our hotel, the reason being it was bloody massive inside and therefore not knowing exactly who to see and
Alan and sister Ann
where to go inside the best chance was for my wife and I to await their arrival at the entrance. 7.30pm was the time which ironically was the day of Ann’s birthday, which also made it that extra bit special. We well sat there as 7.30pm came and went as did 7.45 and 8 – oh I’d forgot to mention on our arrival when we booked in we were introduced to the hotel consiege, a very pleasant black lady who asked if our trip was business or a vacation, holiday to me and you. We said no not really and that we were over to meet my family for the very first time. ‘Oh gee,’ she said, ‘a real Oprah story!’ She said she must be outside the hotel when you guys meet, do you mind? No of course not I replied, but unknowing to us she had spread our story to her hotel colleagues! When 8.10pm approached doubts came into my mind, had something happened to my sister, had she changed her mind? I need not have worried because a sixth sense sent me running across the road as this car slowly pulled up by the hotel entrance, I ran across the road shouting Ann, Ann, sure in my own mind that this was my sister, my family I dream’t about all my life. The door shot open at the nearly stopped car and this lady ran into my arms. We hugged and hugged and squeezed and cuddled and kissed, what a moment! And all this in the middle of a busy road to the applause and clapping of the hotel staff. My wife by this time had crossed the road and along with my brother in law Chester the four of us just hugged, saying nothing and for the next five or six days I spent as much time as I could visiting my father’s house now owned by Ann’s son Jermille, and also meeting my sister’s other sons Anton and Tarik, great names aren’t they, makes the name Alan Smith sound quite boring (no comment). I also visited the place where my father was laid to rest which I found very, very emotional. But catching up on my father’s life, I now realise where I get a lot of my habits from. He was a bit of a guy I’ll tell you, I pale into total insignificance in comparison! We also visited in Philadelphia the Liberty Bell which coincided with the day of their July 4th celebrations and do they celebrate! But the Liberty Bell was supposed to be for freedom of the oppressed but believe me I saw areas where my sister lived which I’m sure don’t get the same opportunities as the wealthier white areas. But I am sure Donna my wife albeit perhaps the only white person on my sister’s street when we visited will endorse the fact after her early nerves she was made more than welcome by my family and the neighbourhood. But I did say to her, see you know now what it feels like to be nearly 100% overshadowed by another colour, and I’ve had nearly 65 years of it. I wouldn’t change a minute though, I love this country of England and it’s contents. When the time to say goodbye to my family in America was upon us at the end of our visit, Ann and I walked away from the party of people waiting to see us off. We held hands and cried and I told her that the book is not closed with us, hell we’ve only just started the first chapter! We agreed if possible I would help to get her over here and to see my family in England and so if you see me walking in Tean, Cheadle, Uttoxeter or wherever hand in hand with a black lady, no rumours, it’s my sister... Lovely talking to you Smithy
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See you at the far post! By Mick Cullerton ell, did you enjoy the World Cup? Because of work patterns I think I only missed one televised game but I felt it got to the stage where I was watching until I saw a good game! Watching teams play with a flat back four, two defensive midfield players and only one recognised striker can be hard work unless they have a Xavi or Iniesta in their team. Normally after a World Cup attendances at matches in this country are higher because of the profile of the competition and all the kids want to be a Pele, Maradona, Cruyff or Bobby Charlton. Sadly this year I cannot think of one player who has got near that sort of status. The number of high profile players who have under-achieved in ridiculous. Big names are what supporters pay to see not midfield hatchet men like De Jong and Van Brommel of Holland. The final was the worst example of a team playing to destroy the other team and the sad thing is that that team was Holland who are of the total football background. Holland have technically gifted players such as Wesley Schneider, who would grace the Premier League and Arjon Robben but the Dutch tactic of kicking lumps out of Spain and hoping for a breakaway thankfully did not work. You can be competitive without being brutal. By playing in this way the Dutch coach is virtually telling his players that they are not as good as Spain so let’s kick them off the park. The other major factor in the final was the poor performance of referee Howard Webb. He allowed far too many fouls early on in the game, trying to get the game to flow but it backfired on him as Van Brommel and De Jong should have been sent off in the first half for numerous challenges. De Jong’s challenge on Alonso was atrocious and Alonso was lucky to recover. Personally I was delighted when Spain scored the winner through Iniesta. He is one of the few players whose reputations have been enhanced, the others being Xavi,
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Forlan, Ozil and Schweinsteiger of Germany. The South Africans appeared to have done a great job in the organising of the first world Cup to be held in Africa, however memories of this moment in history will be that of Vuvuzelas, players falling over trying to get a fellow professional booked or sent off and the fact that FIFA agreed to play the world Cup Finals with a beach ball similar to the one you can buy from a garage for £2! As someone who spent a long time as head of commercial operations at football clubs I realise the value of commercial sponsorships. However no matter how good the commercial deal is nothing should detract from the game itself. Can you imagine how Ronaldo felt, having spent hours practicing his free kicks to arrive in South Africa and find the ball was like a balloon! Hence very few goals were scored from free kicks and not many were saved by the keeper either as they nearly all went over the bar. In my opinion after the first game Adidas should have been told to provide the proper equipment and dump their so called perfect ball. However because of the German bias at FIFA excuses were made by boffins who have never kicked a ball in their lives and commercial people whose only interests were monetary values. Can you imagine players turning up at Wimbledon or the Open to be given a tennis or golf ball different from the ones they have been practicing with and using – there would be uproar! Adidas say that balls were delivered to all qualifying nations but how many of these nations were at the same altitude as South Africa? That is one of the reasons that goalkeepers were kicking the ball the whole length of the pitch. One of the other talking points is the use of technology. I have always been against this in the past but having seen Hawkeye at Wimbledon and the technology used in cricket and rugby league I am now in favour. One
Cruises may be harmful to your health by Geoff Thompson After 30 years of marriage my wife finally wore me down against my better judgement to go on a Mediterranean cruise, I insisted on Early May so as not to interfere with the football season greatly and well before the World cup my chauvinism was to the fore all right, we booked a two week cruise embarking from Southampton sailing to such destinations as Barcelona, Rome, Naples, Corsica and calling at Gibraltar on the return to Southampton. I suppose the journey down was a sample of what was to come, the car acted as if it bore a personal grudge against us for leaving it in Southampton for a fortnight by refusing to continue on several occasions it finally gave up the struggle and we arrived early afternoon well in time for the journey. We then almost died with embarrassment when the man from the car parking firm tried to drive our car to the parking bay, suffice it to say that if you have ever been to the circus and seen the clown car then you would have some idea
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Football Match Day Summariser for BBC Radio Stoke Ex Professional Footballer with Hibernian, Port Vale and Derby County of the reasons I have changed my mind is that I think it would take some of the pressure off the referees. I have criticised Howard Webb in the final but I do feel referees have a very difficult job especially as the game is now so fast. I feel that a camera inside the goal should be introduced plus a replay of crucial incidents when requested by the referee if he and his officials are not sure of an outcome of an incident. Regarding the laws of the game one of the things I would like to change is defenders manhandling forwards at corners. Players should be told before the game that any contact with their hands in the penalty area will result in a penalty. Corners and free kicks have become a farce. Defenders now believe that they can put their arms around a forward and get away with it. Two or three penalties a game will soon put a stop to it. Fatigue seems to be a reason why top players did not perform at the World Cup. Rooney and Torres seem to be the best examples of this. Why not then play the world Cup at the start of the football season, when players are fresh and FIFA can still make their millions which is the way they seem to judge as to whether a competition is successful or not. Players should also be injury free at this time. The World Cup is too important a competition to be an add-on to the season. I know clubs pay the players wages but the World Cup is only played every 4 years and to play is the highlight of every players career. Therefore I believe the clubs would accept the change. Finally a subject I have touched on in earlier articles, players behaviour. When you have 6ft 2in centre halves like Lucio falling over and waving imaginary cards at referees something has to change. Every challenge had players rolling around on the floor and the next minute running around as if nothing had happened. Arjon Robben is a perfect example. He ran quicker after Howard Webb than he had ran during all the game then he had ran during all the game.
of the scene, as the car lurched away billowing thick clouds of black smoke from the exhaust we looked away as if not at all interested. We then queued for over two hours in a near sub zero temperature to board over an hour late. We were directed to our cabin which was a no expense spared internal room which would have been small even not allowing for the beds on the wall which made breathing out a problem, people in solitary confinement must have more room than this I thought. At least they had a sense of humour as the television came with a remote control ! it really was a most unnecessary accessory. We were by then both too knackered to attend the emergency evacuation procedure, what is it about these people no sooner are you on an aeroplane or ship and the very first thing they want to do is tell what to do if there is a disaster. Anyway we decided to skip it and gambled on the fact that an iceberg was probably even for our luck most unlikely. The weather started in an inclement mood and gradually deteriorated. The memory of rising early on the first day without the benefit of an outside window donning a pair of shorts and tee shirt and then rushing up to the outside deck only to be met by a gale which was so strong that it took both of us to open the door will forever remain in our minds. Then there was the
You could count on one hand the number of players who had to come off the pitch through injury. Why don’t FIFA fine players and tell them they are fined for cheating on video evidence. Cheating to gain free kicks has always gone on but now players are cheating to get players sent off. Finally, and it is finally as this is my last article for The Voice, in 1967 Sir Stanley Matthews told me that the next superstars of world football would be Africans. They learn their skills on rough football pitches and streets so their control and touch is excellent and they have a vibrant enthusiasm for the game. The one area that will let them down is defensive discipline and that is still true today. The number of top coaches going to Africa will also help their development. I will sign off with my thoughts on the FA. When an organisation is successful you normally look at the man at the top and think he is the reason to their success. Therefore it is no surprise to me that the FA is a complete shambles. The Chairman of the FA is David Roberts who left Sheffield Wednesday with debts of over £20 million I believe and I also think his own company went into administration just after he became chairman of the FA. The next most important is Trevor Brooking, who is a complete wet lettuce, Lovely footballer, nice man but weak. These are the people who Capello conned into giving him an extension to his contract making him unsackable. Their woolly idea of appointing a young English coach is a joke. How many coaches do they need? Now they appoint Jez Moxey to the international committee. Jez is to football what ice was to the Titanic. He was a basketball player whose first appointment at Stoke was Chic Bates. The world has gone crazy! To sign off I would like to wish Nigel and everybody at The Voice all the best for the future plus I hope you have enjoyed reading my articles. Mick
reason for the delay at Southampton apparently it was announced that there was a bout of gastroentoritis on board and the whole ship was constantly being swabbed down with disinfectant.The rest of the cruise was a mixture of discovery and wonder it rained in Spain, it also rained in Italy in fact we could not even dock in Naples as it was too rough, oh the magic of Italy, it left me wondering why there was no roof on the Colisseum. Corsica I found vaguely interesting for the reason of dog poop, firstly I have not seen so much for ages and secondly it came in all sorts of different colours a most colourful accessory to the footways of Corsica unless of course you had the misfortune to tread in any which was quite likely. The rest of the holiday was largely uneventful, the weather picked up and meant that by the end of the two weeks we could finally peel off the single jumper we had both packed. The food was superb and the entertainment was excellent also the prices on the ship were such that having more than one alcoholic drink each night was an option only for the very wealthy, this meant that we had a very healthy holiday, if a little dull. To finish with I think I would recommend cruising in May to anyone who yearns for the unpredictable, me I think in future I will stick to Whitby.
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• Open to the Trade, Retail and DIY • Supplying bathroom suites in Staffordshire for
85 years • Special offers for August & September
New Tile & Bathroom Showroom now open at jonesandshuffs (heavyside) Ltd Lightwood Road, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent ST3 4JQ Tel: 01782 599567 Fax: 01782 598298
www.shuffs.co.uk
jonesandshufflebottom Ltd Lytton Street, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2AG Tel: 01782 846881 Fax: 01782 414812
themoorlandbathroomcentre Leek Road, Kingsley Moor, Cheadle, Staffordshire ST10 2EH Tel: 01538 756333 Fax: 01538 755077