Inside Poynton Issue 79

inside poynton february - march 2019

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Issue 79

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inside p o y n t o n Is it too late to say Happy New Year? I think it’s just about acceptable given that this is the first issue of INSIDE Magazine you’ll receive this year! It’s the middle of January as I write this, often perceived to be a bit of a miserable month. Also, it’s the time of year when lots of people start a new regime, often involving deprivation of some kind, such as a restrictive diet, or ‘dry January.’

At risk of being annoying to some people, my approach to January is a bit different. I see it as a positive month; I enjoy the fact that it’s staying light just that little bit longer every day. It’s a great month for sorting things out for the year ahead, and especially for planning holidays! I do make resolutions, but I always keep them positive. I might choose to do more of the things I enjoy, to do them better, or challenge myself to try something new.

Or I might ‘eat more vegetables’ rather than ‘stop eating cake.’

It’s so much more fun to enjoy the anticipation of the year ahead, than it is to wallow in the gloom of January. Try it!

What’s INSIDE this month 4 7 8 11 12 15 16 19 23 28 31 32 34

39 40 42 45 47 58 61 62

Poynton People Men in Sheds Diary of a Geeky Knitter Jake’s Perspective NGS Snowdrop festival perfect primulas Stockport Young Musician rspb dee estuary In Touch beer and book club Poynton Live The Walk how pcds can transform your garden do you need a fitbit?

Children’s Activities Just 4 Kids Puzzles

INSIDE Guide Puzzle Solutions Useful Numbers Classified Index

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Editor: Claire Hawker

Tel: 01625 879611

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Inside Magazines, 352a Park Lane, Poynton, Cheshire SK12 1RL. email: info@insidemagazines.co.uk www.insidemagazines.co.uk Lord Vernon’s Wharf

by Claire Hawker.

Copy deadline for the next issue: monday 11 march

Inside Poynton is produced by Inside Magazines Ltd. We cannot be held responsible for views expressed by contributors or any advert content, including errors or omissions, or endorse companies, products or services that appear in this magazine. We endeavour to ensure that all local information given in this magazine is accurate, but we cannot always guarantee this. © Copyright Inside Magazines Ltd 2019. Material from this magazine may not be reproduced without prior written permission from Inside Magazines Ltd.

Design and artwork by Spring Creative | www.spring-creative.co.uk | 01925 714203

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‘You and Yours’ Counselling – Poynton Jenny Cooke talks to Jean McLaren, Senior Counsellor for a local NHS Psychological Therapy Service Today mental health awareness is very much an ‘in-topic’, but for many, whether younger or older, a struggle with mental health can mean isolation, unhappiness or even despair. It’s difficult for family members to know where to turn.

Jean got involved with ‘You and Yours Counselling’ in 2005 when she and her family first moved to Poynton and she was doing her counselling training. ‘I approached ‘You and Yours’, a Poynton-based charity, for a counselling placement,’ she says, ‘and started there as a volunteer counsellor.’ When her counselling training finished, she started working for the NHS. ‘But I’d found that ‘You and Yours’ was such a lovely organisation to work for that I stayed involved.’ Although not now working there as a counsellor she is a trustee and the Vice-Chair.

To contact You and Yours, ideally people can visit the website, then self-refer by phoning and leaving a message. No one answers immediately but the call will be returned usually within 24 hours. At an initial meeting an assessment takes place and a person can discuss their needs with the assessor. They’ll be put on

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by Jenny Cooke

a waiting list to be matched to a counsellor. This ‘talking therapy’ is a high-quality service that’s affordable and it takes place at the Civic Centre in Poynton. As it is a charity all the counsellors are volunteers, well trained, well supported and well supervised. Usually there’s not a lengthy waiting list and it costs less than private counselling.

Jean explains, ‘We don’t prescribe and we don’t diagnose. The GP does that. We offer person-centred counselling, where an individual is given the space and time to work through perhaps difficult issues which are causing distress. We see people individually or as couples.’

‘I didn’t plan to go into counselling professionally at first,’ she says, ‘but I found I used to spend a lot of time sitting at my kitchen table with a box of tissues and the coffee pot listening to people I’d met perhaps at the Toddler Group, or friends, or people from church.

I remembered that when I managed a bookshop, the same thing had happened there too.’ As she also worked part-time as a nursing assistant in a psychiatric intensive care unit whilst her children were young, Jean began to think she ought to get some training in active listening skills.

Personal difficulties for people can present as anxiety or depression but the reasons for these are varied. Often there’s been a loss: of a person, or a death, a job, or a relationship. ‘People may begin the conversation by saying, “I don’t want to waste your time …” but they need to gain understanding of things that have happened in the past and the impact it’s had on them.

A counsellor can enable them to work through the issues and find their own solution.’

‘I know about all the effective work being done by our counsellors. Clients who feel they were trapped in a dark tunnel, or under a dark cloud, lost and with no way out, can be enabled through counselling to be set free from their distress. They often say, “I wish I’d got help years ago”. It’s hugely satisfying to see that change.’

You and Yours Counselling www.you-and-yours.org.uk Tel: 01625 874225

Expansion Plans for Poynton Men in Sheds Poynton Men in Sheds is a bustling community of ‘Gentlemen’ from many varied backgrounds, who meet regularly at the Centre in Poynton. Our aim is to provide meaningful activities which men can enjoy in order to have company and some purpose after finishing full time employment.

In January 2015 Trish Hill, Geoff King and Howard Murray from Poynton Town Council met with Val Burlison from Cheshire East to discuss the formation of a Men in Sheds group in Poynton.

An independent group was launched in February 2015, with help of a donation of tools from AGE UK, money from Peaks & Plains Housing Trust, Poynton Town Council and Cheshire East Council. The Poynton Youth & Community Centre at 107 Park Lane was chosen as the venue.

After much needed remedial work to the premises, late in 2015 the group started to get their small workshop organised. It soon became a very busy place and now opens its door three mornings a week. Mainly the men make small wooden items to sell, to pay their way and maintain tools and equipment. We are fortunate to have members who are highly skilled in this area!

The members of the Shed are proud to be able to carry out projects in the community. One of the first jobs undertaken by the group was the refurbishment of a small railway truck donated by Chris Halsall which now stands proudly on its rails at the Poynton Green village gateway. This led to the next major challenge which was to refurbish the Santa Sleigh used annually by

Poynton Round Table. The men learning new skills all the time.

In 2018 Men in Sheds were approached by the PTA from Lostock Hall Primary School with an idea to build a ‘sensory garden’ for the school. For the men this was a massive challenge in their small workshop. Serious planning was needed. The build took place as a series of modules which were then assembled on site, but once again the challenge was met, and the result is spectacular.

In addition, to mark the 100 years of the end of WW1, the ‘Shed’ produced life-size soldier cut outs that featured in the commemorations and also contributed the story boards used to carry the biographies of the fallen of Poynton.

The ’Shed’ now has 28 regular members and is open three days a week. The group also has a waiting list of 24 people, who cannot be accommodated safely in the current workplace. The Centre has agreed, therefore, to an expansion of the workshop to help reduce the list, with plans being drawn up by Poynton Architect John Albutt.

We will be working with the Centre on funding options to allow the work to proceed as quickly as possible and address the need that Men in Sheds groups all over the country has ie community spaces for men to connect, converse and create. The activities are like the ones you might do in your own garden shed, but for groups of men to enjoy together. They help reduce loneliness and isolation, and improve wellbeing, but most importantly, they’re fun.

If you can help with funding for this expansion, we would love to hear from you.

Call Geoff King on 01625 876966

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Diary of a geeky knitter No doubt you’ve seen that’s it’s been a busy couple of months (well, last year) for me - planning and executing a wedding was amazing, and something that I say I only wish to ever do once in my life (I’m sure Mr. Geeky Knitter won’t let me down!), but at the same time, if I could do it all again I absolutely would. Perhaps without the unavoidable stresses and expense... but really, to have the whole amazing day again would be fantastic.

on a hot day, with a frozen coke and rum in your hand, with a hot dog in the other. One of the best, and most unusual things, you get to do at Disney though is wear a badge to say why you are there for that trip, be it a birthday, your first visit, or of course a honeymoon! So many strangers took a few seconds to smile at us and wish us congratulations, without us even needing to say why we were there, and it just made us feel so special on what will be, I imagine, the most special holiday we ever take together. Indeed, it spoiled us a little so that when we spent one day out of the parks shopping and didn’t take our badges, we were quite deflated to not receive the smiles and congratulations again. We put the badges right back on as soon as we were back on the resort.

The thing that almost, just about, nearly topped the day however was the honeymoon! We went to that traditional newlyweds’ destination, Disney World in Florida, in keeping with our usual style.

Unsurprisingly, we had so much fun - being the land of fun and magic of course. Not just for families with kids, being just the two of us we could do every ride, sample every meal, and of course have some drinks.

There’s something special about Hollywood Studios

I heartily recommend that if you are planning a honeymoon soon you wear badges to tell the world why you are there. What the heck, make your birthday last two weeks if you want to! Though it might work a little differently in a Spanish resort or a walking holiday in the Lakes than it does in the most magical place on earth. jennythegeekyknitter@gmail.com www.thegeekyknitter.co.uk www.etsy.com/uk/shop/geeksgamesandknits

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Jake’s perspective Politics, Politics, Politics I ended 2018 right at the heart of it in the Houses of Parliament as Youth MP for Cheshire East. It was a great day, but I have to say the debates were interminable – almost as long as the Brexit process – and the less said about that the better! As I write this at the beginning of January I have a great sense of trepidation as no one knows what is going to happen. By the time you read it I can only hope some progress will have been made.

gave a motivational speech on the importance of young people getting involved in politics.

I particularly enjoyed spending the night in a Westminster hotel where I thought it necessary to take advantage of the lovely facilities by having seven showers in one night and maxing out on the ‘all you can eat’ breakfast. The free parliament week T-shirts featuring Suffragettes were also rather nice – all my family and friends now have one! Ah – the perks of being an MP. It’s just a pity I didn’t get to meet Theresa May – but she was still shuffling back and forth to Brussels!

Speaking of Shame...

As I walked into the huge building, past the statue of Oliver Cromwell, the cold was bouncing off the stone floor and walls. That soon changed. After seven hours of debate in the chamber I was sweating cobs. I noticed the toilets had really fancy gold handles (probably not relevant but something I always take note of). The actual debating chamber is far smaller than when you see it on TV and it reeked of leather. Something else that was way smaller than I imagined – Jeremy Corbyn - who shuffled into the chamber in a very unimpressive fashion. If I walked into school assembly like that I’d be for the high jump! I also met Andrea Leadsom who

I went to see the band Shame again at The Ritz (last saw them at YNot). It got quite wild when the lead singer came out and crowd surfed. We had a cracking time. No shame for Manchester City in the first week of 2019 as they beat Liverpool 2:1 in the Premier League and then proceeded to totally batter Rotherham United at The Etihad on the 6th. We had brilliant close up seats and I got to see most of my favourite players like Phil Foden, Sane, De Bruyne and Kyle Walker. Later in the same week they went on and showed no mercy to Burton Albion, thrashing them in a 9-0 demolition.

With this the biggest defeat for a side in the League Cup since September 1986 and the largest ever in the semi-final, I can only stand back, take a bow and watch as my team go on to ever greater glory!

Have a great New Year everybody – speak to you soon, Jake

by Jake Crossley

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National Gardens Scheme

Snowdrop Festival 2019

After last year’s long, cold winter and scorching, dry summer (ah remember that?) who knows what the coming late winter and spring will be like?

But one thing is for sure: all garden visiting fans will be just desperate to get out and about, as the days lengthen, to see what is coming up.

The National Garden Scheme is again launching its new 2019 season with a 4th Snowdrop Festival, which is always very popular with visitors: a chance to get out, stretch your legs and admire the variations in these small neat flowers.

So here is what we have on offer this year across Cheshire. For more details of how to get there etc, visitors should check with the National Garden Scheme website (www.ngs.org.uk) or App.

Here are two gardens of very different character, reflecting their owner’s gardening style. Although suburban, they are surrounded by mature trees and have a secluded feel.

Rich variety of planting throughout the year including ferns, hostas with clematis, roses, astrantia at their best. Home-made teas at no.6. Opening in February for displays of hellebores and snowdrops.

RODE HALL Church Lane, Scholar Green, ST7 3QP, enquiries@rodehall.co.uk , www.rodehall.co.uk . 5m SW of Congleton.

Snowdrop Walks: 2 Feb to 3 March, 11am to 4pm, Tues - Sat (Closed Mons). Extensive woodland, lake and lovely café in the barn. And whilst you’re there, walk around the extensive walled garden to see the preparations being made in the garden for the coming seasons.

ROSEWOOD Old Hall Lane, Puddington, Neston, CH64 5SP, 0151 353 1193, angela.brabin@btinternet.com. 8m N of Chester.

All year garden; thousands of snowdrops in Feb, Camellias in autumn, winter and spring. Rhododendrons in April/May and unusual flowering trees from March to June.

Visit by arrangement anytime from 1 Feb BUT RING OWNER TO ARRANGE BEFORE VISITING.

West Drive Gardens

THE WELL HOUSE, Wet Lane, Tilston, Malpas, SY14 7DP. 01829 250332. 3m NW of Malpas.

Naturally planted gardens and meadows with stream and ponds. Visit by arrangement anytime from 1 Feb BUT RING OWNER TO ARRANGE BEFORE VISITING. WEST DRIVE GARDENS 6, 9 West Drive, Gatley, Cheadle, SK8 4JJ. 01614 280204, Davidjgane@ btinternet.com. Sun 17 Feb (1pm to 3pm). Combined admission £3, child free. Light refreshments. No need to ring beforehand – just turn up!

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by John Hinde www.ngs.org.uk

TRAFFORD HALL Ince Lane, Wimbolds Trafford, Chester, CH2 4JP. The National Communities Resource Centre, 01244 300246, c.spencer@traffordhall.com Sat 16 Feb (11am to 3pm). Admission £4, child free.

Visits also by arrangement for groups of 5 to 20. The grounds and gardens of this conference venue are managed using organic methods with sustainability in mind. New to the NGS this year.

BUCKLOW FARM Pinfold Lane, Plumley, Knutsford, WA16 9RP. 2m S of Knutsford. M6 J19, Sun 24 Feb (12.30 to 4pm). Admission £3.50, child free. Light refreshments and Mulled Wine in February. Carpet of snowdrops and spring bulbs. Featured in Cheshire Life.

Perfect Primulas The name primula comes from the Latin for “first” and the native Primrose (Primula vulgaris) is a herald of spring in many woodlands. There are many types of primrose, some common and easy and others rare and requiring special conditions. This month I’m going to focus on some I’ve found easy enough for most gardens provided you meet the general requirement for a moist soil and some shade from the hot sun.

Primulas can be easily raised from seed but do best from very fresh seed, collected as soon as (or even just before) the seed pods open and sown immediately. If you need to keep seed, then its best in a sealed jar in the fridge. The seed compost must not dry out and a humid atmosphere helps – cover the seed tray with a sheet of glass or a clear plastic bag. In the right conditions seed can germinate in three weeks or so.

after flowering. One of my favourite types is the Gold Lace Polyanthus with its yellow centre and gold-edged almost black petals.

Some of the most dramatic and easy to grow are the candelabra primulas with their multiple whorls of flowers along upright stems. There are many colours and hybrids to choose from including Bessiana (pink), Bulleyana (orange), pulverulenta (deep pink) and the dramatic Inverewe (burnt orange). These definitely need damp conditions and are traditionally grown next to streams and ponds or in woodland boggy areas. If allowed to seed, they will mix and produce plants in many colours.

Another favourite is the Drumstick Primula (P. denticulate) with its short flower stems topped with a ball of flowers in white, blue or pink. These tolerate slightly drier conditions but must not dry out completely if they are to do well.

Once the plants have clumped up it is best to divide them after flowering, or perhaps in early autumn in a cooler spell of weather. Dig up the clump and break it into individual rosettes. Shorten the leaves by about half to reduce water loss. Replant or pot up the small plants and keep moist and shaded while they get established.

There are lots of British native Primulas, including the woodland Primrose. The Cowslip (Primula veris) is one of the most accommodating, even growing on dry, sunny banks and seedling around to form large colonies naturalised in grass. Hybrids of these natives gave us the Polyanthas – well-loved bedding plants that are nonetheless perennial flowering every year if divided

by Martin Blow > www.specialperennials.com

Primulas can be subject to a few pests and by far the most devastating is vine weevil which seems to have a special liking for fleshy roots. Apart from that most gardeners will find primulas easy to grow and trouble free.

Janet and I run Special Perennials, our website www.specialperennials.com is full of colour photos and growing tips. We sell by mail order and at Plant Hunters’ Fairs throughout the season.

Please see www.planthuntersfairs.co.uk Locally we will be at the Plant Hunters’ Fairs at Bramall Hall, on Sunday 7 April 2019 and at Adlington Hall, Macclesfield on Sunday 12 May 2019. We are happy to bring orders to plant fairs for you to collect.

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International Young Musician Competition Returns!

The search has begun for Stockport’s International Young Musician of 2019 which comes to a climax with a Concerto Final on 30 March 2019.

The first Stockport International Young Musician Competition, run by Stockport Symphony Orchestra, took place in 2017 and drew instrumentalists from across the world, with the final featuring French, Japanese and German players.

“Once again we have been absolutely overwhelmed by the standard of these young players,” said competition director, David Lund. “The level of performance two years ago was astonishing enough but the judges this year say it is even higher.”

So, what is in store this time? At the time of writing auditions have narrowed down the entries to twelve young players: four are British, and the others come from as far away as Brazil, Korea and Australia! The three finalists will be selected by a panel of distinguished musicians including the world-renowned concert pianist, Peter Donohoe, on 16 February. The results will be posted on the website www.siymc.co.uk in preparation for the grand final on 30 March when the judges’ panel will include competition patron, Jennifer Pike. Jennifer, who originally hails from Cheadle Hulme, was herself once a BBC competition winner and is now a violinist of international repute.

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The three finalists each perform a full concerto at Stockport Town Hall on 30 March at 7.30pm, with the SSO under the baton of Philip Ellis, conductor of the Birmingham Royal Ballet and chair of the final’s judges’ panel. The results will be announced at the end of the concert, and the prize for the winner is £1000 and a return visit to play as soloist with Stockport Symphony Orchestra in their next season.

Competitions like this provide an important opportunity for young aspiring soloists to gain experience and recognition and it is a credit to our local orchestra and to Stockport to see it return.

Stockport Symphony Orchestra is an accomplished amateur orchestra now in its 41st Season at the Town Hall which has been providing opportunities to young musicians, including young conductors, for many years.

The Stockport International Young Musician Competition is a natural development of the orchestra’s ethos and they aim to make it an increasingly important fixture in the cultural life of Stockport and in the nation’s classical music calendar.

Tickets for the Final can be purchased online at www. ticketsource.co.uk/sso and are £15 full price, £13 concessions with children and students £5. Free parking in the town hall car park is included in the ticket price and is available all afternoon and evening.

Pictured is SIYMC 2019 Patron, Jennifer Pike. (Credit: Arno)

RSPB Dee Estuary The RSPB Dee Estuary nature reserve celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2019, and in that time has become one of the best places for wildlife in the region. From family-friendly walks, to photography, birdwatching and delicious refreshments in Burton Mere Wetlands’ visitor centre, there’s an outdoor adventure waiting for everyone at one of the RSPB’s largest and most diverse nature reserves.

The well-known nature conservation charity first purchased an area of saltmarsh and mudflats the size of 2000 football pitches at Parkgate in 1979. Doing so created a protected area for the tens of thousands of water birds that flock to the estuary from Arctic regions, to spend the cold winter months in the UK. Their numbers had been falling there during the preceding years and were at further risk from proposed development and disturbance.

Since securing the initial part of the reserve on the estuary, originally known as Gayton Sands, the RSPB land holdings have expanded significantly, particularly around the village of Burton, four miles from Parkgate.

In 2011 visitor facilities were opened at Burton Mere Wetlands, and since then, the RSPB has welcomed almost a quarter of a million visits from people wanting to experience the nature that makes its home on the estuary. The welcoming attraction serves as the beating heart of the wide and wild expanse of tidal habitat

spanning the Cheshire-Flintshire border that is one of Europe’s most important wetlands for wildlife.

Various locations near Neston on the Wirral peninsula offer access to experience unrivalled wildlife spectacles, so if you are looking for something different this year, why not try one of these fantastic experiences and enjoy the fruits of 40 years of dedicated nature conservation on the Dee Estuary?

Enjoy a brew with a view The visitor centre boasts panoramic views across the vibrant reserve with a backdrop of the Clwydian Hills in Wales. As well as being a great spot to sit and watch wildlife, it also makes it one of the best places to enjoy a brew with a view – or more, given the RSPB sell delicious locally made sandwiches and a variety of Fairtrade snacks. It’s kept cosy with an eco-friendly wood pellet stove in the colder months, plus there’s always a warm welcome from the staff and volunteer team all year round. From here alone, it’s possible to see kingfishers, marsh harriers and in the spring glimpse the fluffy chicks of some of the most important breeding wading birds like avocets and lapwings from the minute they hatch.

Hear the egret orchestra The reserve is teeming with ever growing families in spring - with baby mallards, mute swans and blue Continued over

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tits everywhere, but something special Burton Mere Wetlands is renowned for is its thriving colony of little egrets in the treetops of Marsh Covert. Having first appeared in this area a little over two decades ago, numbers have swelled to a remarkable 84 breeding pairs, and peak numbers of almost 400 birds in late summer. The location of their nests makes them difficult to see once the trees have come into leaf, but their strange gargling chatter through April and May is what fascinates visitors the most. The best time to see the egrets is in early summer when the young birds gather in their dozens on pools close to their nests, learning how to catch fish and frogs to eat.

vast saltmarsh formed, leaving the water a distant sight on any normal day. Yet a handful of times a year, the tide can still flood the saltmarsh and reach Parkgate’s historic sea wall. In doing so, it causes a showcase of the 100,000 wetland birds making their winter home here, flushes small mammals from the saltmarsh grasses, and attracts the many birds of prey that the Dee’s marshes are renowned for. Early 2019 happens to have a number of favourable tides when the RSPB are running events at Parkgate to help you spot what’s going on amidst the frenzied activity around the marsh.

Bathe in bluebells

Encompassing the area of over 7300 football pitches, the Dee Estuary reserve is the fifth largest the RSPB manages, and the charity’s largest coastal wetland reserve. Whilst the Welsh shore is heavily industrialised in places, there is still plenty of places to surround yourself in nature, such as on a stroll at Point of Ayr, looking out across the epic expanse of the estuary.

The English side is a largely undeveloped wilderness stretching four miles from Burton to Parkgate. This entire length can be explored along a public right of way that borders the saltmarsh and takes in a tidal reedbed, with an abundance of wildlife to be spotted along the way, not least the numerous birds of prey and huge flocks of geese in winter. It’s hard to find a more perfect place to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of nature, whilst taking in some of the most pristine views of Cheshire’s wonderful coastline.

The reserve is not all about the wetland wildlife, also boasting areas of semi-natural ancient woodland and wildlife-friendly farmland. Part of the woodland springs into life in April with one of the best bluebell carpets in the local area, and a nature trail taking visitors into the heart of the hue. At this time of year, the trees are alive with the constant trill of birdsong, making it all the more tranquil to admire or photograph the flowers.

Connect your kids to nature As well as exciting walks of discovery, there’s plenty more for families to enjoy here. A rustic wild play area in Gorse Covert is great for den building, and there’s always a seasonal self-guided quiz trail to follow. Even better, you can hire an explorer backpack from the visitor centre, which contains everything needed to head out on a bug hunting mission, plus some mini binoculars and other intriguing equipment for kids to get closer to nature. Why not register your family for the RSPB Wild Challenge? With over 30 activities to do at home and out in your local wild space, there will always be something for you to explore.

Be wowed by the high tide phenomenon The oceans’ tides are an intriguing phenomenon, one of the most visible and reliable of Mother Nature’s routines. The Dee Estuary has one of the highest tidal ranges in the country, which can make for some exciting birdwatching especially in autumn and winter. The quaint village of Parkgate was formerly a thriving port and seaside resort, before the shore silted up and the

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Take a walk on the wilder side

For further information on events and wildlife at RSPB Dee Estuary, visit rspb.org.uk/burtonmerewetlands Location and opening times: RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands, Puddington Lane, Burton, Cheshire, CH64 5SF. The reserve is open every day except Christmas Day, 9am to dusk (up to 9pm in summer).

Our visitor reception is open 9.30am to 5pm (4.30pm from November to January)

Photo by David Morris: Aerial image of Burton Mere Wetlands and the vast expanse of the Dee Estuary nature reserve behind it.

in touch your local community noticeboard

february - march 2019

THE GREATEST MUSICAL WORK OF ALL TIMES AND NATIONS Few people today would disagree much with the view of Hans Georg Nägeli, the first publisher of Bach’s B minor Mass, despite the almost 200 years of musical history that have passed since he put it forward. Bach’s music is now so loved and revered, it seems incredible that 150 years ago it had fallen out of fashion and was known to only a few music specialists. It might have been lost to us altogether if it was not for the efforts of Felix Mendelssohn who recognised Bach’s genius and brought his works back to the attention of a wider public.

www.pbauerphotography.co.uk

There has been much discussion about why Bach wrote the B Minor Mass as it is unsuitable in content and far too long for any Lutheran or Catholic church service. It was composed just one year before he died in 1750 and incorporated shorter pieces Bach had composed in earlier years, so many experts now feel that he probably composed it for his own satisfaction and to be handed down to posterity as a summary of all his incredible musical achievement over 40 years. In fact, the Mass was never performed in its entirety during Bach’s lifetime, the first documented complete performance took place more than 100 years after his death.

The B minor Mass is widely recognised as presenting the Everest of challenges for choral performers. St George’s Singers are delighted to be climbing the mountain again under the guidance of Musical Director Neil Taylor after a break of ten years, and particularly thrilled they will be joined at the summit by a line-up of five fine soloists including former Assistant Musical Director Marcus Farnsworth who is now very much in demand at home and abroad as an operatic bass and recitalist. With the Northern Baroque Orchestra in the magnificent Gorton Monastery this is going to be a memorable concert.

The performance will be held on Sunday 31 March 2019 at Gorton Monastery, Manchester, 7.30pm Tickets £16/14 concessions/7 students and children/ group discounts from the ticket secretary on 01663 764012, email tickets@st-georges-singers.org.uk or online www.st-georges-singers.org.uk. Coach transport is available from Poynton and Hazel Grove.

WW1 SOLDIERS OF POYNTON – REQUEST FOR PHOTOS AND INFORMATION Following the events last November to commemorate 100 years since the ending of World War 1, a lot of interest was shown in the display at the Civic Hall on each of the soldiers named on the Poynton War Memorial. The Poynton Local History Society is hoping to produce a publication containing this information and also details on the soldiers who fought and returned from the war.

The publication produced by Sandy and Judy Broadbent in 2014 is in need of updating and so we are appealing for any further information and photographs that people may have found recently that we could use.

We have already received new information, but we feel there may be more.

If you can help in any way, please contact Susan Knight: 01625 872068 or s.knight124@btinternet.com Continued over

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in touch - your local community noticeboard

MIDDLEWOOD RIDING FOR THE DISABLED Middlewood Riding for the Disabled were delighted to receive £1,100 recently from the Vernon Building Society in their 2018 Community Awards. Thanks to the Vernon’s generosity and to the public for taking the time to vote for them, the charity, which has been running since 1986, can continue to give free riding lessons to 24 primary school children from the local area who have a wide range of disabilities.

Group volunteer Stephanie Wilkinson said: ‘’Through mounted exercises, games and proficiency tests our young riders benefit both mentally and physically and gain a strong sense of achievement. They enjoy interacting with the ponies and our volunteers, and the progress they make over the weeks is amazing.’’

Middlewood RDA meets at Bank Farm Riding School in Poynton on a Thursday morning in term time and new volunteers are always welcome. It is entirely funded by donation and relies on the generous support of the local community and volunteers who freely give their time.

If you’d like more information or to donate to the charity please contact 01625 824911, email: rdamiddlewood@gmail.com or visit www.justgiving.com/rda-middlewood

POYNTON GOLDEN MEMORIES This self-funding group, run by three carers whose loved ones are affected by dementia, have had a terrific second year thanks to our lovely members, wonderful volunteers and the generous donations and grants received. As well as our fortnightly meetings we had five trips on the Mary Sunley Canal Boat, a trip to Trentham Gardens, several outings to Brookside Topiary Restaurant and a trip to the pantomime.

Our Christmas party was a tremendous success; 66 sat down to a turkey dinner followed by entertainment, games and a magician.

Gerald, Edith and Judy are truly grateful to all our members and volunteers for joining us on our journey of coping with this dreadful disease and helping to make the days pass with understanding, laughter and most importantly friendship.

New members are warmly welcomed, the only criteria being those affected by dementia must be accompanied by a ‘carer’ or spouse. The next meetings will be 13 and 27 February the same dates in March.

For more information call Judy Hatton 01625 879376 or 07768 160095 or Edith Clark 01625 875372 or 07460 725082

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Continued over

in touch - your local community noticeboard

CHRISTMAS TREE COLLECTION RAISES OVER £1 MILLION FOR EAST CHESHIRE HOSPICE 2019 has got off to a record-breaking start for East Cheshire Hospice, with its annual Christmas tree collection raising over £1 million since its launch, to support the Hospice’s vital work in and around local communities.

Over one weekend in January, thanks to the generosity of local residents, more than £85,000 was raised from this year’s collection of nearly 7,000 trees, pushing the total raised since this much-loved initiative first took place 19 years ago to over the £1 million mark. As ever, all the funds raised from the collection will go towards enabling the Hospice to continue its vital work supporting local patients and their families across the East Cheshire area.

This impressive achievement would not be possible without the commitment and goodwill of East Cheshire Hospice’s 300-strong local volunteer team, who worked tirelessly over the weekend, covering over 2,000 miles of road in 40 vans, to complete the collections. Upon collection, the Christmas trees themselves are taken to local recycling facilities where they are ground into mulch before being mixed into compost for recycling back into the soil.

VERNON BUILDING SOCIETY COMMUNITY AWARDS The Vernon’s Community Awards have donated over £70,000 to community groups and charities local to the Stockport area since 2012. This year, 14 finalists petitioned for votes in order to receive the most amount of funding. The Vernon Building Society recently visited two of the 2018 Community Awards winners to see what impact the funding is making to the charities.

Stockport County Community Foundation received £850 towards their Mental Health Project which offers weekly coaching sessions and monthly football tournaments for those living with serious mental illness. The donation helped to purchase equipment and cover coaching and training costs. The cheque was presented at County’s match against Chester.

Mandy Torkington and Alex Deakin present £850 to the Stockport County Community Foundation at Edgeley Park

Vernon Marketing Manager Alex Deakin said, ‘It was great to see the mental health project in full swing at the match, with some of the people suffering from mental illness collecting donations around the stands on the day of the match.’

Signpost Stockport for Carers supports carers in the local area by providing them with advice and information as well as time to recharge from their taxing job. They received £750 funding to host more of their wellbeing days which offer therapy and treatments to carers, alongside refreshments, in order to boost their morale and emotional wellbeing. The Vernon visited one of the wellbeing events in Stockport’s Alma Lodge and sold copies of their 2019 calendars featuring photographs of Stockport. All proceeds from the Vernon calendar sales will also go to Signpost Stockport for Carers.

Vernon’s Marketing Assistant Adam Pemberton said: “The Signpost wellbeing event offered us an amazing opportunity to view the funding we provided in action. Witnessing the carers receiving much needed respite was refreshing for me, especially as my mother is a carer.”

Continued on page 36

27

including how Lale felt some guilt in his own survival, when so many had died like animals. Another weighed in by telling us he had mixed feelings; he found it hard to be critical when the subject matter was so important, but felt the book was not particularly well written, like something a teenager might submit for a creative writing competition.

The Beer & Book Club recommends The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris This was our newest member’s first choice for the group and to say it provided plenty of discussion is putting it mildly. It was virtually last orders before the debate was halted and even then, one member was still muttering about a YouTube video of Lale (the main character in the book) and how it had reduced him to tears.

This member turned out to be the main supporter of the book, announcing early doors that it was the best book he’d read for a very long time.

Amusingly a fellow reader suggested that this was not surprising as the last book the other protagonist had read all the way through was The Hungry Caterpillar. Such witty banter has kept The BBC going for several years of reading now.

For those who have missed all the publicity surrounding this book, it is a love story set amid the horrors of a Nazi death camp, based on interviews conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov.

Our first contributor said he found it harrowing, emotional and gripping. He marvelled at how Lale’s love for Gita was so strong that he risked everything to meet with her. And he thought it an incredible read overall,

28

One member agreed it was a good story, but the prose lacked sophistication; it gave no impression of the physical emaciation of the camp’s inhabitants, or how cold they must have felt.

We discussed the use of poetic licence in what apparently was originally to be a screenplay and not a novel. Historical inaccuracies such as the mention of substitutes in the football match, and penicillin being brought into the camp, both led to eyebrows being raised by our members.

Many found the aspect of Lale being a collaborator most interesting, but the absence of any detailed suffering, whilst a potential strength of the novel, also highlighted the weakness of the writing, suggesting that the book only worked through the power of the events it had to depict.

On the positive side, we found the book easy to read and gripping. It flowed well and lines like, ‘if you wake up in the morning it’s a good day’ were much appreciated as was the mention of singing aloud because there was a time when you thought you might be dead in five minutes. The overall lightness of approach to the subject probably permitted easier access to what could have been much more harrowing.

The main let-down was the writing; it was as if the book was set in an imaginary world, rather than one which we know was so real. Despite this, we all ‘enjoyed’ the book, at least to some degree, and we were all glad we had read it as this is a fascinating and fascinatingly true story of a man who had endured so much, experienced so much and had so much to tell.

Unfortunately, here was an author seemingly a little out of her depth; unable to bring a richness of description to this amazing tale, unable to really take us to Birkenau and have us feel the cold, experience the misery, sense the suffering.

For the cricketers amongst us, she dropped what might have been a simple catch.

n to n y o P in ic s u m e v li f o e m o h e Th FORTHCOMING EVENTS FEB/MAR 2019 It’s all a bit quiet at the moment what with recovering from the festive season, winter weather to contend with and all the usual gloomy news on TV! Still there’s plenty to look forward to on the entertainments front so make sure you get these dates in your diary!

Phoenix Folk Club at The Legion

BY POPULAR REQUEST!

Fri 1 Feb at 8.30pm

We’ve found that many of our events regularly sell out quickly and people are always asking when these popular shows are coming back. So, to make sure you don’t miss out, here’s a little advance notice on some of the regularly-requested favourites. Keep your eyes on Poynton Live and make sure you get your tickets in plenty of time!

Singer/songwriter Roger Davies supported by Grace Notes.

Doors 7.30pm £10 on the door.

Barefoot in the Park at Poynton Players Mon 4 Feb to Sat 9 Feb at 7.45pm Romantic comedy about a pair of newlyweds in a tiny apartment More info at www.poyntonplayers.co.uk

Manford’s Comedy at The Club (formerly Workmen’s Club) Fri 8 FEB at 8pm Four brilliant UK comedians, personally selected by Jason Manford. £12.50 from venue or www.manfordscomedyclub.com

Ceilidh Dancing Sat 23 Feb & Sat 30 Mar - Poynton Civic Hall Joyful and energetic dancing with a caller to guide you. All welcome. £9/£4.50 (under-16) on the door or from www.eventbrite. co.uk

Phoenix Folk Club at The Legion Fri 1 Mar at 8:30pm Outstanding harmony singing trio Other Roads plus Grace Notes. Doors 7.30pm £10 on the door.

See www.poyntonlive.uk for more details.

The Haley Sisters Fri 12 Apr 8pm £12.50 – Poynton Legion The sweethearts of song return to Poynton with the legendary Brian ‘Slidey’ Smith on guitar to deliver spine tingling harmonies like only sisters can!

Dylan Revisited Fri 10 May at 8pm £12.50 – Poynton Legion Rik Roberts and Les Renshaw are joined by poet/narrator John Lindley to deliver a compelling presentation of Bob Dylan’s work in a striking multi-media performance.

Desert Wind Fri 14 Jun 8pm £12.50 – Poynton Legion Andy, Jim and Pete return with another outstanding performance of Americana and Country music to help Poynton Men in Sheds raise funds for their revised workshop at The Centre in Poynton.

See www.poyntonlive.uk for more details.

The free-to-use, not-for-profit website with its own Facebook and Twitter feed!

See www.poyntonlive.uk for more details

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CIRCULAR WALK FROM MELLOR CHURCH VIA HIGHER CHISWORTH Walk description: A 3 to 4 hour circular walk with some rewarding views. The route has only a few ascents, is largely off-road and, for the latter half, crosses open fields and farmland. For most of the walk conditions are firm and on a variety of surfaces, but there are some muddy sections. The route involves quite a number of stiles. Some of these are in poor condition, and care is needed when climbing over them.

Distance: 6 miles Starting point: Mellor Church car park (Grid Reference: SJ983889, Postcode: SK6 5LX). The large car park is free.

Map: OS Explorer OL1: Peak District: Dark Peak Area Leave Mellor Church car park and head towards the Church entrance where four paths meet. Take the lane signed “Old Vicarage�. After a short distance (before a white house on the left) go through a small wooden gate on the right, by a tree. Cross a (ramshackle) stile on the immediate left. Walk down the field, keeping close to the stone wall boundary on the left. Go through a metal gate into a second field and head towards the left-hand corner. Turn left on to a grassy lane for 70 yds and go through a metal farm gate. Head towards the farm buildings, but turn right before reaching them, climbing 100 yds uphill to the second of two telegraph poles.

Worth stopping at the top to admire the view.

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by Stephen Hyslop, Poynton Rambling Club

Descend the field half right to a stile (next to a metal gate) in the corner of the field. Follow a distinct path with barbed wire on both sides, and then with a wall on the left. On reaching the back of some farm buildings turn right at a sign post for Mill Brow. After 100 yds pass through a cobbled farm yard, then turn right and follow the lane uphill. After a short distance go through a wooden gate on the left, then follow the path heading right to another wooden gate. Follow the high narrow path to a further gate by a disfigured tree stump. Go through the gate and follow the path, with a pond on the left. Go over the stile next to a small gate, under some trees. Follow a narrow track and turn left down a tarmac road. Pass the entrance to Primrose Mill on the left - this is the last of four former cotton mills along Mill Brook - and follow the road over the bridge, before turning immediate right up the hill.

After passing a brown-gated drive reach Mill Brow, a conservation area, and the Hare and Hounds pub at the top. Turn right on the road and after 250 yds, fork left up Gird Lane, passing a large converted chapel on the left. Ignore a number of footpath signs, and continue as the road narrows to become a stony track with a steady climb. Pass a pair of gates on either side of the track, with views to the left of Stockport, and of a white house with a fully glazed gable to the right. Continue on the track to reach Sandhills Lane at its junction with Ernocroft Lane.

Turn right for 20 yds to reach a footpath sign and stile on the left. Climb over this stile into a field. Stay close to a wall/fence on the right and climb 500 yds to reach a stile in the corner of the field, then 150 yds to reach a

further stile in the field corner, having passed an enclosed woodland to the right (this is a sanctuary for Brown Low, a Round Barrow ancient burial tumulus).

Cross this stile into a field and head towards a further stile, keeping close to the wall/fence on your left. Cross this stile and go 300 yds diagonally across the field towards an eroded earth mound with a stone wall/ fence on top. This area is known as Ludworth Intake, a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Cross the stile to the right of the mound, passing a small pond to the right. Cross the next field diagonally, heading 200 yds towards a stile next to a telegraph pole. Pause here to admire the view. The next stile should be visible from here, with pylons beyond. Cross this and head for a second smaller, newer pylon. From here walk downhill towards Higher Chisworth, with a metal farm gate in view. Cross the stile to the right of the gate then turn right up the road and continue to reach Hilltop. At the T junction turn right to head uphill for 150 yds, then turn left on to a gravel lane, with a sign for the “Old Cowshed” on the right, and “Moorside Barn” painted on the left wall of the lane entrance. After 600 yds there is a left-hand bend leading to the Old Cowshed. Don’t follow this round, but instead turn right on the bend into a grassy lane. At the end go through a metal gate/stile, and then through a further metal gate straight ahead.

Cross the field diagonally, keeping a large barn to your left. Reach a small ladder stile in the wall. Climb over this and follow a distinct path through a marshy field towards two metal farm gates, side by side. Cross the stile by the gate on the right. Walk across the field, with a high wall some distance on the right. Head towards the end of the high wall where there is a stone wall stile in poor condition.

Cross this stile with care, and stay left, towards farm buildings. Before reaching the farm there’s a stile to the right of a metal farm gate. Cross this to reach a stone

The Walk

track. Turn right and arrive at Pistol Farm and a road junction. Bear left and continue 330 yds to reach the second footpath signpost on the left. Turn left on to a rocky dirt track bending round to Ringstone Farm. Go between the farm buildings on the left and a disused small stone barn on your right. Continue downhill along the tarmac road to reach Hollinsmoor Road.

At the T junction turn right uphill to a small row of terraced houses on the right. Opposite these is the entrance to a lane to Hollins Farm. Cross the stile to the right of this lane entrance. Go diagonally and uphill across the field, then down to a gate in the left corner of the field to Newbarn Farm. Note: This is a rickety and heavy wooden gate with an electrified wire strung across some 2yds above it - take care.

Once through, go beyond the farmyard, with the farmhouse on the right. Turn left to reach a wooden farm gate and stone wall stile with a small mesh gate.

Go through this, taking care when stepping over a small length of plastic pipe protecting an electrified wire. Head uphill towards a telegraph pole and continue to a fence on the right. Cross a very ramshackle stile into a field.

Cross the field diagonally uphill a little, to a stile in the corner. Go diagonally across the next field to a further stile in the corner and enter a narrow enclosed path to Shiloh Road. On reaching the road turn left until after some 75yds there is a metal gate on the right with a footpath sign - pass through the gap by the left gate post.

Go across the field diagonally to reach a stone stile, and cross this. Go diagonally across the next field to reach two wooden posts. Head diagonally across the next field towards farm buildings. Climb over a stone stile, then turn right onto the lane. After 50 yds continue straight on an unmade track, ignoring a private driveway to Hambleton Farm on your right. Follow the lane and path uphill for around half a mile through several gates and fields - the tower of Mellor Church (St Thomas’s - a Grade 2 listed building) then comes into view. Return to the church car park.

For further information about our friendly and welcoming Club please visit our website - www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk and learn more about our programme of walks, social events and walking holidays.

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HOW PCDS CAN TRANSFORM YOUR GARDEN It started out as a simple idea, but things never stay simple for very long – PCDS is a great example of this!

We started out as A1 Superkleen, mainly solving issues some customers had with flooded gardens. Our background was in drainage, both commercial and domestic, and we reinvented a little-used traditional practice, namely installing French drains in gardens.

Although popular in agriculture they seem rarely used in domestic gardens. However, when United Utilities began clearing drains for free, we were left with very little work and a bleak future.

contractors were getting the opportunity to do the fun part - installing patios, paving, flags and gravel and re-turfing or installing artificial turf.

So began a long and steep learning curve over a four-year period, which brings us to now when we are offering that final stage in your garden makeover!

We have three local teams, all experts and qualified in a variety of aspects of landscaping. All are dedicated to providing a first-class service from the vehicles they drive, to the support from our sales team and operations team.

At PCDS, we are all working together with a single aim - to provide you, the customer, with a quick and tidy completed job. The right way is not always the easy way, and this is always uppermost in our minds when we are advising you.

So, with the choice of giving up or trying something new, we rebranded ourselves as Pure Clean Drainage Solutions (PCDS) and arranged some advertising in INSIDE Magazines. At the time this was something of a shot in the dark, but thankfully the phone began to ring, and we quickly realised that there really was a future in drainage - land drainage.

The skills needed were simple, mainly involving hard work with a shovel and a wheelbarrow. The problem was, once we’d worked our magic and provided a well-drained garden ready for a makeover, different

34

If you are thinking of any landscaping work in the future please call 0161 430 5390 and speak to BEN OR REBECCA to arrange a free, absolutely no obligation, quote.

0161 430 1110 YouTube PCDSOL www.pcdsol.co.uk

in touch - your local community noticeboard

SUPPORTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES The Poynton Area Community Partnership is part of a wider network of partnerships across Cheshire East and is an independent group of like-minded volunteers who represent the interests of Poynton, Adlington, Disley, Mottram St Andrew, Prestbury, Kettleshulme and Pott Shrigley. Cheshire East Borough Council is also represented. Thanks to funding from Cheshire East the PACP has produced and distributed a useful “Guide To Local Interest, Activity and Hobby Groups”, with 56 entries. In addition, it has also paid for transport to enable residents to attend falls prevention classes; funded room hire for a care group’s singalong sessions; made a contribution towards some furniture for a village hall; helped fund a community minibus and is helping with the costs of running a local youth club.

The PACP’s vision is to make its residents and neighbourhoods better connected, to support civic pride projects, to promote health and wellbeing, and to help reduce social isolation. Voluntary groups and organisations in those parishes listed above can apply to the PACP for modest grants. Projects need to be aligned to the aims outlined above, and grant applications are evaluated fairly by a PACP sub- committee.

For more information and grant application forms please e-mail val.burlison@cheshireeast.gov.uk or call her on 01625 374950.

MIDDLEWOOD HOUSE COMMUNITY HALL Nestling in its own grounds in a tranquil setting between the Middlewood Way and the Macclesfield Canal sits a little gem. A small community hall primarily serving the residents of Middlewood and Higher Poynton, Middlewood House is also open to members of the wider community. It is run entirely by volunteers in the local neighbourhood and is a registered charity.

Built in the early 1920s Middlewood House was once a café and has also been home to a branch of TocH, an international charity and membership movement which emerged from a soldiers’ club in Belgium during World War 1. The name TocH is an abbreviation for Talbot House, ‘Toc’ signifying the letter T in the signals’ spelling alphabet used by the British Army in World War 1.

Over the years the ‘House’ has held lots of events both indoors and outdoors and for many years has been the home of the Middlewood and Higher Poynton branch of the Women’s Institute. It hosts regular events such as Christmas, Easter, Summer or Michaelmas Fairs, summer garden parties and scarecrow competitions, a monthly meeting of Middlewood Wine Society, a local neighbourhood social club, a pop-up tea room and various social get togethers such as themed meal evenings, quizzes, etc.

Rooms are available for hire and the building consists of a modest sized main hall with an open fireplace, a separate meeting room, kitchen, cloakroom and toilets, including a disabled access toilet. The building is wheelchair accessible. There is an outdoor garden area overlooking a large pond. It is ideal for children’s parties, meetings, hobby classes and social events. The capacity of the main hall is approximately 40 people seated for a meal and up to 60 for meetings etc. Our rates are extremely competitive, and we would welcome enquiries. Please visit our Facebook page for details of forthcoming events.

If you are interested and would like to visit Middlewood House, please e-mail us at: middlewoodhouse@gmail.com

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Do You Need an Activity Tracker?

Activity trackers have become very popular in recent years. Fitbits are the device that everyone has heard of but there are many others. If you’re thinking of buying one, ask yourself these questions.

Do you exercise regularly?

Lots of people buy a Fitbit or its equivalent because they think it will help them to exercise consistently. Hopefully it will, but these devices are not magic bullets. If you make any and every excuse NOT to exercise then a Fitbit won’t change that, you will simply make excuses to avoid exercise whilst wearing a gadget! Having said that, it does have useful features such as a ‘reminder to move,’ so, if you’ve been sedentary for 50 mins it will nudge you to get up and take a brief walk, aiming to achieve 250 steps an hour. This doesn’t feel like serious exercise, just a little prompt to do something small that has great benefits. For more serious exercisers, you can track running and other types of fitness activity, giving you a way of keeping yourself accountable.

such things fascinating! Clearly, if you don’t care about specifics and are happy with just eating a bit less and exercising a bit more, an activity tracker might be a waste of money for you. However, if you have a medical condition, are in training for an event, or just enjoy looking at data, then having organised and detailed information at your fingertips is a great resource.

Would you wear it, and use it?

Would my phone do the job instead?

For a fitness tracker to give you actionable data you need to wear it most of the time. Many even have an inbuilt sleep tracker if you don’t mind wearing it to bed, but you can just as easily ignore that function.

Some people can’t wear watches or jewellery at work, others hate the feeling of anything on their wrist, and others have sensitive skin which is irritated by straps.

Obviously, it’s only worth having one if you will wear it and take notice of it.

There are hundreds of fitness, pedometer and cycling apps on both Android and iOS. If you’re unsure about whether an activity tracker is the right purchase for you try using one or two of these apps for a month. You might find they give you all the data you need. Also, if you find you can’t be bothered to use the apps, then you are very unlikely to benefit from buying an activity tracker.

Will you use the app?

You’ll need to download the app to your phone and use it if you want to make use of the data your activity tracker collects. Interacting with your device and the app is the only way to make full use of the device.

Are you a data nerd?

The basics of losing weight and becoming healthier are simple, but the specifics for our own body can vary wildly. Some of us love to monitor our sleep, our heart rates, the number of steps we do each day. We find

Are you competitive?

Some activity trackers (particularly Fitbits) are social.

You can add friends, compare step counts and earn milestone badges. You can also create groups and engage in competitions and challenges; these are good features, but they aren’t for everyone.

Activity trackers are useful devices and many people enjoy them and benefit from using them. Whilst they are unlikely to turn a reluctant exerciser into a highly motivated one, they could just give you the nudge you need to get moving!

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Children’s Activities Things to do with pre-school kids

Monday

friday

Playaway 9.30-11.30am Poynton Baptist Church. Contact 01625 859036

Rugbytots (For Boys & Girls 2 to 5yrs old) Come and have lots of FUN at the World’s favourite Rugby Play programme! Building confidence, Social Skills, Coordination, Teamwork, Colours, Numbers, Shapes and much, much more!

tuesday Rhyme Time 10-11am Term time only, open to all preschool aged children and babies.

Come and join in the fun of rhyme, music and song.

Expand your social network and meet new parents.

Pay per week, no termly commitment. Please call 01625 87115, email pmcpreschool@hotmail.co.uk or visit www.poyntonmethodistpreschool.co.uk Poynton Methodist Church Room 3, off Park Lane, opposite Poynton Civic Hall, next to Waitrose

Wednesday Bright Stars Toddler Group 9.30-11.00am Term time only, St Georges Church, Poynton. For more information contact Joe Hadfield 01625 879277 or email youth@poyntonparishchurch.org Pre-School Dance 2-2.30pm Term time only. St Martin’s Church Hall, Shrigley Road North, Higher Poynton. All children welcome from age 18 months.

Contact 07903 727763 or email missstephanie1@hotmail.co.uk

Thursday Parent & Toddler Group 9.30-11.30am Term time only, Poynton Methodist Church. For more information contact the church office on 01625 871592 Rhyme Time 10.30am Poynton Library. No booking necessary and no charge. All babies and toddlers welcome with parents/carers. Contact 01625 374818 Kickstarters – Age 2-3 9.30-10.15am Age 3-4 10.30-11.15am A world of pre-school football with a superhero twist. Join the miniature recruits, enter the goaliverse, and earn the super power stickers.

Civic Hall, off Park Lane, Poynton, SK12 1RB. Register on first day of attendance, all sessions pay as you go £5.

Website: www.kickstartersfootball.co.uk Contact: 07853 273578

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Sessions: 2-3 ½ yrs (10:15 am and 11am) 3 ½ -5 yrs (9:20am & 11:40am) at the Civic Hall, Off Park Lane, Poynton, SK12 1RB. Term time only. Contact Alick for a FREE TASTER SESSION (subject to availability) on 07961 045330 or Email alick@rugbytots.co.uk website; www.rugbytots.co.uk

Saturday Baby Ballet & Tap 9-10am The Hockley Centre, Park Lane. Step Ahead School of Dance, contact Natalie on 07799 614260 for further details.

Methodist Who Let The Dads Out? 9-11am 4th Saturday each month for dads and grandads with their children aged 0-7. £2 per family which includes toast for Dad and healthy snacks and juice for children. Just turn up.

Contact church office 871592.

Who Let the Dads Out? 9.30am-11am Second Saturday of the month during term time, St Georges Church Hall, Poynton. For dads, grandads and other male carers and their children aged 0-7 years. £2.50 per family which includes bacon butty and coffee for the dads and toast & juice for the children. For more information contact Joe Hadfield 01625 879277 or email youth@poyntonparishchurch.org Kickstarters – Age 2-3yrs 9.30-10.15am Age 3-4yrs 10.30-11.15am See Thursday. Poynton Sports Club, London Road, Poynton Website: www.kickstartersfootball.co.uk Contact: 07853 273578.

sunday Richmond Rovers JFC Young Ballerz 18 months - 5 years. For more information email youngballerz@richmondroversjfc.co.uk Or ring 07411 632114.

If you run a local activity for young children and email would like to be included on this page please c.blackie@insidemagazines.co.uk

Compiled by Clare Blackie > email: c.blackie@insidemagazines.co.uk

Answers: slopes, boots, ski lift, gloves, snowboard, goggles Extra letter answer: helmet

42

S D I K 4 JUST

quick crossword Across 7 Gambling emporium (6) 8 Char, sear (6) 9 Wind instrument (4) 10 Backpackers, hikers (8) 11 Large houseplant (6,5) 14 Matching pants and jacket set (7,4) 18 Without penalty, got off ____ ____ (4-4) 19 Animal prized for its fur (4) 20 Tear-inducing vegetables (6) 21 Incorrect, false (6)

down 1 Sheltered place to moor boats (7) 2 Climb, ascend (4) 3 Medic (6) 4 In addition, also (2,4) 5 Props to keep paperbacks tidy (4-4) 6 Frightening (5) 12 Pub seating (3,5) 13 Junior king of beasts (4,3) 15 Civil disorder (6) 16 To make equal, balance (4,2) 17 Perfume, fragrance (5) 19 Nocturnal insect (4)

sudoku How to play Sudoku Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the numbers 1 through to 9 with no repetition.

You don’t need to be a genius. These puzzles use logic alone.

Watch out! Sudoku is highly addictive.

Solutions on page 58 45

inside guide

february - march 2019

selected events in your area

Monday 4 to Saturday 9 February

Saturday 9 February

Poynton Players present Barefoot In The Park by Neil Simon A romantic comedy focusing on a pair of newlyweds, Corie and Paul, as they begin married life in a tiny, 5th-floor apartment in a Manhattan brownstone. Presented by special arrangement with Samuel French Ltd. Book online at www.poyntonplayers.co.uk Poynton Players Theatre, Georges Road West, Poynton, SK12 1JY

The Northern Chamber Orchestra will be joined by guest lutenist Matthew Wadsworth Tickets available now, prices from £16. For more information, visit www.ncorch.co.uk.

The Heritage Centre, Macclesfield

Wednesday 6 February Poynton Philatelic Society We welcome our Guest Speaker Mr Eddie Dunn, who will be displaying his interest in French Art & Postal History. This is a very colourful display and will suit those who collect European stamps.

Ron Phelps 01625 877643 North Room, Poynton Community Centre, Park Lane 7.30pm

Wednesday 6 February Poynton Local History Society ‘S & J Watts - The Founders of a Great Wholesale Empire & Kendal Milne’ is the title of the presentation to be given by Diana Leitch. Annual membership of the society is £12. Guests are always welcome at £3 per visit. Tel: 01625 872068.

St Pauls Community Room, Marley Road, Poynton, SK12 1LY 7.30pm

Thursday 7 February Would you like to meet new friends? Thursday Group is a social group for unattached people of mature years, with several activities run by the members every week. These include walking, dancing, badminton, theatre and restaurant visits. For more info see www.thursdaygroup.co.uk or ring Bill on 07505 076838, or just come along to new members night on the first Thursday in each month where you will be met by group members.

The Bulls Head Pub, 30 Wilmslow Road, Handforth, SK9 3EW 8.30pm

stand out from the crowd

with our paid INSIDE Guide listings.

Call 01625 879611 or email info@insidemagazines.co.uk for further details.

Tuesday 12 February East Cheshire Association of the National Trust Lecture – How a cotton weaving mill worked – Judith Atkinson Brookdale Club, Bridge Lane, Bramhall, SK7 3AB 2pm

Wednesday 13 February The Arts Society North East Cheshire The Smiling Painter - Élisabeth Vigée le Brun by Dr Angela Smith, lecturer and historian. In an exhibition in Paris in 1787, was a self-portrait by Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun that caused consternation. This lecture presents an overview of Lebrun’s career and explains why she portrayed herself smiling.

Potential new members are welcome. To attend as a visitor please contact Maggie Schofield on 0161 427 9451 or info@theartssocietynortheastcheshire.org.uk Brookdale, Bramhall 10.30am with coffee from 9.45am

Thursday 14 February Wilmslow Guild Natural History Society Brief AGM followed by An Orchid Odyssey by Judith Lovelady Visitors very welcome £4 Further information from Chairman, David Warner 01625 874387 Wilmslow Guild, 1 Bourne Street, Wilmslow, SK9 5HD 7.30pm

Thursday 14 February Poynton Home Gardeners Club A talk by Craig Bailey regarding the workings of Reaseheath Agricultural College, near Nantwich, one of the premier such colleges in the country. Visitors welcome at cost £3. For further information contact Elaine on 01625 871603 or visit www.poyntongardenclub.co.uk Royal British Legion Club, Georges Road West, Poynton, SK12 1JY 7.30pm

Continued over

47

Thursday 14 February

Friday 22 February

Worth Probus Club Gordon Greenwood will speak to us on ‘Gettysburg Part 2’ Please contact Peter Owen on 01625 871574 or peterowen49@btinternet.com for further details.

St. George’s Church Hall 2pm

Hazel Grove Musical Festival Classes for 5 to 18-year olds in Speech and Drama, Instrumental including Piano, Strings and Woodwind and Vocal Solo.

Friday 15 February

Hazel Grove Musical Festival Adult classes in Piano Solo and Duet and Vocal Solo and Duet

Stockport Historical Society “Grim Manchester: terrifying true tales of riot, murder and crime from nineteenth century Manchester” by Dr Michala Hulme. Visitors very welcome Admission £3. Further information from Tony Nightingale 0161 440 0570 Stockport Sunday School, Nangreave Road, SK2 6DQ (Next to Aquinas College) 7.45pm

Saturday 16 February Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra Playing a very popular and much-loved piano concerto Rachmaninov’s Concerto No. 2, as well as Verdi’s Nabucco Overture and the delightful Firebird Suite by Stravinsky.

Tickets £12, concessions £10 and under 18, £2. They are available from ticket secretary 01925 756144, Bang and Olufsen, Alderley Road, via www.wilmsloworchestra.co.uk or at the door.

Evans Hall at Wilmslow Leisure Centre 7.45pm

Tuesday 19 February Poynton U3A General Meeting Estelle Weiner will give a talk entitled: History, Mystery and More, The Many Faces of Abney Hall.

Entrance £1 including refreshments. For more information contact enquiries@poyntonu3a.org.uk At Poynton Civic Centre, 2pm to 4pm

Wednesday 20 February Poynton Philatelic Society This evening sees yours truly giving a display on my new collecting interest of stamps of Zanzibar. I have put this collection together over the last four years or so and I hope that all members will attend to offer their ‘critique’.

Ron Phelps 01625 877643 North Room, Poynton Community Centre, Park Lane 7.30pm

Thursday 21 February Poynton Townswomen’s Guild Tax Care and Toy Boys with speaker Matthew Martin.

Members £1 - Visitors £2 Poynton Civic Hall 10am to 12 noon

48

Saturday 23 February

Saturday 23 February Poynton Ceilidhs - Albireo, caller Steve Hodgskiss Traditional dancing to live music. Tickets £9 on the door, cash only, under 16s are half pricewww.poyntonceilidh.co.uk.

Poynton Civic Hall 8pm to 11pm, doors open 7.45pm

Saturday 23 February Stockport Symphony Orchestra Brahms Hungarian Dance no 5, Korngold Violin concerto, Rachmaninov 2nd Symphony After her unforgettable debut with the SSO last year Jennifer Pike is back with another romantic masterpiece for violin, this time by Korngold. Conductor Matthew Wood. www.stockportsymphony.co.uk, tickets available at box office, online or on the door.

Stockport Town Hall 7.30pm

Wednesday 27 February David Nott – War Doctor: Surgery On The Frontline. Join us for an evening in the company of David Nott, one of the world’s most experienced trauma surgeons. For over 25 years David has taken leave from his job as an NHS surgeon to volunteer in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones. Tickets: £8 (redeemable against a signed copy of War Doctor)To book: call 0161 439 1436 email events@simplybooks.info or book online at www.simplybooks.info Simply Books, Bramhall 7.30pm

Thursday 28 February Worth Probus Club Brian White will speak to us on ‘Rhinos and Battlefields of South Africa’ Please contact Peter Owen on 01625 871574 or peterowen49@btinternet.com for further details.

St. George’s Church Hall 2pm

Saturday 2 March Hazel Grove Musical Festival Junior Choir, Vocal Ensemble and Choral classes.

Saturday 9 March is the Winners’ Concert – not to be missed!

Continued over

FIXED FEE SERVICE FOR PRIVATE LANDLORDS Keoghs Nicholls Lindsell & Harris LLP have launched a fixed fee service for private landlords who need to issue Court proceedings against their tenants. The landlord and tenant team is headed by housing law specialists Joshua Stolberg and Natalie Kidd.

New legislation passed by Parliament since 2015 has imposed more obligations on landlords both during tenancies and even before they have begun. If a landlord fails to comply with those obligations, then this means they may be unable to evict their tenant in certain circumstances.

Natalie explains “There are a variety of reasons that landlords may seek to bring a tenancy to an end.

However, if ending this agreement is not done properly and legally, it can become time-consuming, costly and a landlord may even find themselves having to defend legal proceedings.”

Possession proceedings can often be defended on technical grounds such as a mistake or omission within the notice the landlord sends to the tenant before the proceedings are issued.

Joshua added “It is so important that landlords seek expert advice before trying to evict a tenant. Obtaining early advice means future problems and delays can be avoided which is so important to private landlords, especially when a tenant is in rent arrears.”

The firm has recently celebrated its 285th anniversary – a significant milestone in the current economic climate when many law firms and solicitors are closing their doors. They have offices on Commercial Road in Hazel Grove and on Market Street in Altrincham.

Monday 4 March

Tuesday 12 March

Mart Rodger Manchester Jazz £7 entry, enquiries 01663-763532 High Lane Conservative Club, Buxton Road, High Lane.

SK6 8DR 8pm

East Cheshire Association of National Trust Lecture – They should have asked me husband!

Brookdale Club, Bridge Lane, Bramhall, Stockport, SK7 3AB 2pm

Tuesday 5 March

Tuesday 12 March

“Ian Stewart – Drone Photography “ Ian has recently been granted a PfCo Certificate from the CAA and will be talking about his experiences of using a drone to take photographs. Hosted by North Cheshire Photographic Society. Non-members £5 on the door. For more information visit www.ncps.org.uk and www.iwsphotography.co.uk Poynton Civic Centre 7.30 for an 8pm start

“Ashley Cooper – Global Warming – the Photographic Evidence “ In 1990 Ashley won the climate change category of the Worldwide Environmental Photographer of the Year Competition. His work is published widely around the world, and for the last 13 years he has been travelling extensively, documenting the impact of climate change. Hosted by North Cheshire Photographic Society. Tickets: members £7, nonmembers £10 on the door and online at www.ncps.org.uk www.ncps.org.uk and www.imagesfromawarmingplanet.net Poynton Civic Centre 7.30 for an 8pm start

Wednesday 6 to Saturday 9 March Entertaining Angels A funny, poignant and genuine thought- provoking play by Richard Everett Box office 0161 302 2302 Brookdale Club and Theatre, Bramhall 7.45pm

Wednesday 6 March Poynton Philatelic Society Guest Speaker Mr Nick Rolfe, displaying his interest in GB GEORGE V – Seahorse Issue. These iconic high-value stamps were used for diplomatic bags going to the four corners of the world, one for the GB aficionados. Ron Phelps 01625 877943 North Room, Poynton Community Centre, Park Lane 7.30pm

Wednesday 6 March Poynton Local History Society Claire Moores on ‘Reading the Landscape’. Annual membership of the society is £12. Guests are always welcome at £3 per visit. Tel: 01625 872068.

St Pauls Community Room, Marley Road, Poynton, SK12 1LY 7.30pm

Thursday 7 March Would you like to meet new friends? Thursday Group is a social group for unattached people of mature years, with several activities run by the members every week. These include walking, dancing, badminton, theatre and restaurant visits. For more info see www.thursdaygroup.co.uk or ring Bill on 07505 076838, or just come along to new members night on the first Thursday in each month where you will be met by group members.

The Bulls Head Pub, 30 Wilmslow Road, Handforth, SK9 3EW 8.30pm

Wednesday 13 March The Arts Society North East Cheshire After Magna Carta by Dr Jonathan Foyle, writer, broadcaster and historian. This talk explores the politics of church and state in the 13th century and their unfolding expression in the arts of Canterbury, Salisbury, Peterborough (then an abbey), Wells, Lincoln and Lichfield cathedrals, and the royal palace and abbey complex at Westminster. Potential new members are welcome. To attend as a visitor please contact Maggie Schofield on 0161 427 9451 or info@theartssocietynortheastcheshire.org.uk Brookdale Club, Bramhall 10.30am with coffee from 9.45am

Thursday 14 March Worth Probus Club Liz McConnell will speak to us on ‘Growing Pains’ Please contact Peter Owen on 01625871574 or peterowen49@btinternet.com for further details.

St. George’s Hall 2pm

don’t forget!

Copy deadline for the next issue is Monday 11 March Call 01625 879611 or email info@insidemagazines.co.uk to secure your space.

Continued over

51

Friday 15 March

Saturday 30 March

Stockport Historical Society “Still Leaning on a Lamp-post” by Mr Brian Hallworth.

Visitors very welcome Admission £3.

Further information from Tony Nightingale 0161 440 0570.

Stockport Sunday School, Nangreave Road, SK2 6DQ (Next to Aquinas College) 7.45pm

Stockport International Young Musician Competition Stockport Symphony Orchestra, conductor Philip Ellis An evening of three well-known concertos played by three stunning young musicians in the final of our 2019 event.

Details of the finalists will be available on the website after the semi-final in mid-February www.siymc.co.uk and www.stockportsymphony.co.uk Tickets available at box office, online or on the door. Free car parking available 4pm-midnight Stockport Town Hall 7.30pm

Tuesday 19 March Poynton U3A General Meeting The Annual General Meeting will take place at this meeting and we hope you will come along to vote for Committee Members. This will be followed by an update of parish news from the Town Clerk. We are always in need of new committee members especially as there will be vacancies in the near future. If you are interested, please speak to an existing committee member to find out more. Entrance free.

For more information Contact enquiries@poyntonu3a.org.uk Poynton Civic Centre, 2pm to 4pm

Wednesday 20 March Poynton Philatelic Society Guest Speaker Mr Mike Roberts, on The White Rajas pf Sarawak. This display is a fascinating study of the history of this Far Eastern country. Ron Phelps 01625 877643 North Room, Poynton Community Centre, Park Lane 7.30pm

Thursday 21 March

Saturday 30 March Poynton Ceilidhs - Ledebek, caller Simon Loake Tickets are £9 on the door, cash only, under 16s are half price.

To reserve or purchase tickets in advance please follow the links on the website: www.poyntonceilidh.co.uk Poynton Civic Hall 8pm to 11pm, doors open 7.45pm

Sunday 31 March St George’s Singers perform Bach Mass in B minor Tickets £16/14 concessions/7 students and children/ group discounts from the ticket secretary on 01663 764012, email tickets@st-georges-singers.org.uk or online www.st-georges-singers.org.uk.

Coach transport is available from Poynton and Hazel Grove.

Gorton Monastery, Manchester 7.30pm

Poynton Townswomen’s Guild AGM Headway Charity - presentation of cheque and talk Poynton Civic Hall 10am to 12noon

Thursday 21 March Wilmslow Guild Natural History Society Life on the Seashore by Hugh Jones Visitors very welcome £4 Further information from Chairman, David Warner 01625 874387 Wilmslow Guild, 1 Bourne Street, Wilmslow, SK9 5HD 7.30pm

Thursday 28 March Worth Probus Club Karen Corcoran will speak to us on ‘the Lady Policeman’ Please contact Peter Owen on 01625 871574 or peterowen49@btinternet.com for further details.

St George’s Hall 2pm

52

stand out from the crowd

with our paid INSIDE Guide listings.

Call 01625 879611 or email info@insidemagazines.co.uk for further details.

Compiled by Claire Hawker > email: claire@insidemagazines.co.uk

TODDLER FUN IN POYNTON If you’re like me and have a preschooler on your hands most/some of the time, you’ll probably already be aware of the magic of toddler groups. But, if not, let me tell you about Brightstars based at St. Georges church hall, just off London Road South. It has all the things you’d hope to find in a toddler group. Well for a start it’s not just for toddlers; it’s for kids from birth to preschool age. There’s plenty for the babies as well as the ones who want to charge around with a shopping trolley. When I had my little boy, who is two now, I wanted to find somewhere I could let him play without worrying about safety, as well as somewhere that his excited outbursts wouldn’t cause annoyance to those hoping for a quiet coffee. To be honest, toddler groups became a bit of a godsend. I looked for somewhere friendly with plenty of room and where I could get a good brew (they even make your brew in an insulated cup, so you can actually drink a hot cuppa for once!)

I found a place that is warm and friendly, where I don’t feel judged if I want to sit and scroll on my phone for a little bit while my little one plays happily, yet also offers the chance to meet other mums too - something that’s been truly priceless. The Christian values of friendship and support run through the veins of Brightstars, but EVERYONE is welcome. They offer a safe environment for our kids to play, learn, explore, create, socialise, sing and laugh. And as you know, there’s really nothing more satisfying than seeing your child develop and grow and have a cracking good time too!

Brightstars is on Wednesdays from 9.30am to 11am, term time.

By Sophie Coles

Carry On Peter Butterworth Recently researching the Carry On films (don’t ask!) I was delighted to find that one of the team’s mainstay performers originally came from round these parts.

Okay, Peter Butterworth was not the sort of actor who was ever going to be top of the bill, but he was one of the Carry On team’s most enduring players – he appeared in 16 of their films, many of which were amongst the very best of the series.

Butterworth’s real name was William Shorrocks Butterworth and he was born on 4 February 1915 at a property called Bank House on Bramhall Lane (whether that was the Bramhall end of the lane or in Davenport I’ve not been able to ascertain). Nobody seems clear as to when he started to be addressed as Peter, but it is possible he simply acquired that moniker in his formative years to distinguish him from his namesake father.

Butterworth joined the Carry On team in 1965 when he played the slightly tipsy Doc in ‘Carry On Cowboy’.

In real life Butterworth was apparently a shy and gentle soul and this was reflected in his roles, which were rarely overbearing but often quietly eccentric and usually a bit potty. He was often cast as somebody else’s stooge and that suited Butterworth’s talents perfectly. As Detective-Constable Slowbotham in ‘Carry

On Screaming’ he was the bumbling fall-guy for his incompetent, thick-headed superior Detective-Sergeant Bung (surely one of the greatest character names in cinema history). Bung was memorably played by the son of Steptoe himself, the great Harry H. Corbett who (I feel compelled to add) was brought up in Ardwick and then on a Wythenshawe council estate.

Butterworth was also memorably cast as Citizen Bidet in ‘Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head’ (1966), set during the reign of terror following the French Revolution, where he has to stand by in helpless exasperation while his senior Secret Service officer, Citizen Camembert (Kenneth Williams) continually bungles his attempts to capture The Black Fingernail (Sid James), who is popping up all over Paris rescuing the French aristocracy from the dreaded guillotine. Perhaps Butterworth’s most memorable part in the Carry On series was in the 1969 classic ‘Carry On Camping’ where he plays Joshua Fiddler (the clue is in the name), the shifty manager of the Paradise (ha!) campsite who fleeces all his visiting campers by charging extra for just about everything.

He then played three small roles in ‘Carry On Again Doctor’ (1969), ‘Carry On Loving’ (1970) and ‘Carry On Henry’ (1971) but it wasn’t simply a case of Butterworth’s appearances diminishing in importance.

On the contrary, his performances were valued so highly by the producing and directing team of Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas that they agreed to insert

56

by Stuart Bolton

specially written roles to accommodate Butterworth’s restricted availability on those occasions when he had already signed-up to play a part elsewhere or on stage.

‘Carry On Abroad’ (1972) saw Butterworth return with a more substantial role – that of Pepe, the incompetent manager of an unfinished hotel who greets his unexpected guests in a variety of different guises: as builder, porter, receptionist and telephone operator.

He spends the first half of the film desperately trying to placate and accommodate his British guests, and the second half furiously trying to save the poorlyconstructed building from flooding whilst being nagged by his battle-axe of a wife, played by Hattie Jacques.

Butterworth remained with the series until the final (proper) film of the series, the rather disappointing ‘Carry On Emmanuelle’ (1978). All told, Butterworth turned out to be the sixth most prolific performer of the Carry On team, with only Kenneth Williams (25), Joan Sims (24), Charles Hawtrey (23), Sid James (19) and Kenneth Connor (17) appearing in more.

When the Carry On films finished in 1978, Butterworth began to concentrate on straight roles, taking a small part in the feature film, ‘The First Great Train Robbery’ starring Sean Connery. When the film went on general release in early 1979, Butterworth was starring as Widow Twankey in the pantomime ‘Aladdin’ at the Coventry Theatre. When the show finished, he went back to his hotel after the evening performance. His failure to return for the following day’s matinee caused alarm and he was found dead in his room from a heart attack, just a few days before his 64th birthday.

As I was researching this article I was surprised to find that Butterworth was married to the actress and impressionist Janet Brown (they’d married in 1946 in London). Brown later became famous for her television impersonations of Margaret Thatcher during the 1970s and ‘80s. Talking of television it is worth adding that Butterworth also appeared in some our greatest ever TV series: he starred opposite William Hartnell in the very first ‘Doctor Who’ series in 1965/66 playing a character called the Meddling Monk; he appeared in an episode of ‘Catweazle’ in 1970; and he also featured in the ‘Dad’s Army’ episode ‘The Face on the Poster’ in 1975.

That’s one heck of a CV for the Butterworth boy from Bramhall Lane.

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Don’t forget!

Copy deadline for the next issue:

Monday 11 March Tel: 01625 879611 email: info@insidemagazines.co.uk

58

useful numbers

Leisure Centre

Churches

Library

Lostock Christian Fellowship Poynton Baptist Church Poynton Christian Fellowship St Paul’s RC Church Poynton Methodist Church Poynton Parish Church (St Georges with St Martin’s)

01625 260728 01625 859036 01625 859170 01625 872606 01625 871592 01625 879277

Poynton

Poynton Library

01625 876442

01625 374818

Local Government MP’s Constituency Office E. Cheshire Council Info Services Poynton Town Council

01625 422848 0300 123 5500 01625 872238

Pharmacists

Dentists Poynton Dental Surgery Wish Dental Practice Chester Rd Dental Care Mydentist

01625 850828 01625 874667 01625 876900 01625 875 074

Well Pharmacy L Rowland & Co

01625 872214 01625 873955

Police Station (non-emergency)

101

Post Offices

Doctors Priorslegh Medical Centre McIlvride Medical Practice Poynton Clinic

01625 872299 01625 872134 01625 875618

Helplines Alcoholics Anonymous Al-Anon Childline Crimestoppers RSPCA Samaritans Citizens Advice Bureau Directory Enquiries You & Yours Counselling

0800 9177650 02074 030888 0800 1111 0800 555111 0300 1234999 116 123 03444 111 444 118 500 01625 874225

Poynton Post Office

01625 850262

Schools Lostock Hall Primary School Lower Park Primary School St Paul’s RC Primary School Vernon Primary School Worth Primary School Poynton High School

01625 383838 01625 872560 01625 877688 01625 872556 01625 875900 01625 871811

transport Open Hands Transport Traveline Bus & Train Information National Rail Enquiries Manchester Airport

01625 878589 0871 2002233 0345 748 4950 0808 169 7030

Utilities

Hospitals Macclesfield District General Hospital Stepping Hill Hospital NHS Non-Emergency

01625 421000 0161 483 1010 111

Electricity – Power Loss Gas – Emergency Water Floods Water Leaks Environment Agency Floodline

105 0800 111 999 0345 672 3723 0800 330 033 0345 988 1188

COMPUTER PROBLEMS? Broadband setup, Wireless Networking, Virus and Spyware removal, Software reinstalls, Upgrades and Custom builds Free friendly advice NO CALL OUT CHARGE

NO FIX NO FEE

Mike Knibb 01625 267422

07956 134900

61

classified index ADULT EDUCATION The Seasons Art Class

DRIVEWAY CLEANING 25

ACCOUNTANTS

EDUCATION & TUITION

Lloyd Piggott Chartered Accountants 37

Mathnasium

BOOKSHOPS Simply Books

29

SCZ Electrical Services

26

Stratagem Wealth

Whitehall Builders

53

FIRES Brilliant Fires

BUILDING SOCIETIES 22

The Butcher’s Block

30

CARE HOMES & SERVICES Abney Court

46

Alice Chilton

37

CARPETS & FLOORING Carpet Creations

13

CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Safeclean

The Back Clinic

Poynton British Legion

43

COMPUTER & INTERNET Mike Knibb SR Computers

61 49

COUNSELLING You and Yours Counselling

4

DRAINAGE Pure Clean Drainage Solutions

38

35

ROOFING 59

SECURITY Crimeguard Security

5

53

SOLICITORS / LEGAL SERVICES Keoghs Nicholls Lindsell & Harris

Robinsons Garden Maintenance

53

McAlister Family Law Slater & Gordon

HAIR & BEAUTY 49

STAIRCASE RENOVATIONS

57

The Stair Shop

Carrier Travel

Trevor Garner

52 52

Dream Doors

21

Matt Finish

59

Transform Your Kitchen

17

LOFT LADDERS 44

MILK 30

PAINTING & DECORATING Dean Wilson

ASAPP Cars

49

TRAVEL 58

Hopewall Farm

54

TAXIS 6

ICAN Handyman Services

More Than Loft Ladders

18

Inside Back Cover

The Cut

Trevor Garner

50

Back Cover

Carl Howard

KITCHENS

CLUBS & ENTERTAINMENT

14

Poynton Roofing

JOINERY 30

RESTAURANTS

Manners Pimblett

HOME IMPROVEMENT & PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

29

43

14

41

CLEANING SERVICES Alice Chilton Cleaning

9

HEARING SERVICES

CHIROPRACTORS

49

Metro Rod

NRG Garden Services

Cheshire Hearing Centres

35

David Hanson

Grade

GARDEN MAINTENANCE & LAWN CARE

41

CHILDCARE Kids Zone

58

FUNERAL SERVICES Adlington Memorial Park

BUTCHERS

Pure Clean Drainage Solutions

PLUMBING & HEATING 10

FINANCIAL ADVISORS

JS Services

Vernon Building Society

PATIOS 55

ELECTRICIANS

BUILDING SERVICES

62

Wills Driveway Cleaning

53

Inside Front Cover

TREE SERVICES Swift Tree & Arboricultural Services 14

TUITION Nigel Burin

61

WEIGHT LOSS Slimming World

29

WINDOWS & CONSERVATORIES Pate & Lever Windows

44

WINDOW & CONSERVATORY REPAIRS The Window Repair Centre

60

YOGA Yoga Life

29