ISSUE 52
£2 WHERE SOLD
Life
ISSUE 52 Editor s Letter ...................................5 Lions Club of Leek.............................8 Leek Town Crier................................8 Reader s Pics .....................................9 Staffordshire County Show..............10 Gig Review.......................................12 Open Studios ...................................13 Phoenix Singers ...............................14 Campaign For Real Ale ....................14 Foxlowe Films..................................15 Buxton & Leek College.....................16 Leek Arts Festival ...........................20
Leek Town Mayor............................22 What s On .......................................24 Women s Institutes .........................26 Quiz Corner.....................................28 Gardening .......................................29 Joke Time........................................30 Volunteer Awards............................31 Reflections Coaching.......................32 Patient Participation Group............32 Financial Matters............................34 Stone Food & Drink Festival...........35
EDITOR S LETTER
Community has stepped up to the mark
S Belinda Hargreaves Contents Editor life@timesandecho.co.uk Jane Walters Advertising Sales jane@timesandecho.co.uk 07817128582 Erin Tuckwell Tracey Redfern Design & Production Times, Echo & Life Publications 18 Tape Street, Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 1BD Tel: 01538 752214 www.timesechoandlife.co.uk life@timesandecho.co.uk
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o finally the coronavirus pandemic is no longer dominating the news obviously that is very good news after the past two years. However it has sadly been replaced by the awful news about war-torn Ukraine. It s just awful - I cannot imagine what it would be like living in fear of you, your family, and your home, possibly being bombed at any time. My heart goes out to all involved in this so unnecessary conflict which none of us expected to see in this day and age. Looking on the lighter side of the situation, such tragedy, alike to the pandemic, does bring out the good in (most of) humanity and once again, the Leek community is pulling out all the stops to help those in need. We have a number of kindhearted groups and businesses in our town who have stepped up to the mark and begun collecting, and some already delivering, donated items to those affected by the war in Ukraine. People of Leek and surrounding areas have been donating tonnes of items from nappies to bandages, and from camping gear to wipes all essential items needed by those still in Ukraine and those who
have become refugees after fleeing. I have purposely not featured any of these collection groups, as yet, in our Leek Life Magazine, mainly because they are popping up all over the place, and those already collecting are also having to pause in taking collections on occasions due to being overwhelmed by donations. However, we are reporting regularly about such initiatives in our sister publication of the Leek & Moorlands Echo so please do keep an eye in that, our weekly publication for Leek, for updates on such initiatives. Also if you have started such a kind-hearted scheme to help those in and from Ukraine please get in touch with me at news@timesandecho.co.uk. But for now, I do hope you enjoy reading our Leek Life Magazine in this edition, as the pandemic restrictions in our country have now all been lifted, we feature a number of events which are making a welcome comeback plus much more. Do you have an event coming up? Again please do get in touch, and also with any story you may have to tell about life in Leek.
Front cover photo by Brett Trafford Photography www.bretttrafford.com
LIONS CLUB OF LEEK
Club diary is filling up
W
e met up on February 3 for our first meeting of 2022. Unfortunately Lions Garry and Amanda Meadows are relocating to Scotland in the coming weeks. They will be missed and we wish them all the best. We recently received a large donation of food which we promptly delivered to the Community Cupboard at the Haregate Community Centre which is open to all. Future activities for the coming year were high on our agenda. Scooterfest on May 22 is the first date in our diary and we are looking forward to a day of fun, laughter and live music. The next date in our diary is June 25 when the Lions Clubs of North Staffs Zone G hold their Annual Lions Family Fun Day at The Foxfield
Railway for the benefit of children and young people attending special needs establishments and their families. This is a free event as the Lions Clubs of Cheadle, Gnosall/Newport and District, Leek, Newcastle under Lyme, Stokeon-Trent, Stone and Uttoxeter cover the hire costs. Unfortunately, our Beach Party which should have been held at Waterworld in Stokeon-Trent did not go ahead this year. Believe it or not, we have been taking bookings for Santa already. If you need our Santa please contact us.
Report by Lynda Demaid-Jones
LEEK TOWN CRIER
I
have been the town crier for Leek for over six years now and I have to say that, when most of the local youngsters see me, they always say Hi to me. Some don t, some
do. I m very happy with that because it shows respect for the town crier in my role of ambassador for Leek. I find my role is very satisfying in that it helps to bring people s good nature out. I think that so many people accept that all youth are bad and get into bad things. Let me tell you that is not the case from what I have experienced. Maybe a youth club etc would be one answer but no-one would take that on. My honest opinion, for what it s worth, is that we should put on more events that would aim at the youth of the town. I have been hoping to hold a junior town
crier competition in Leek for a few years now and I know that there are some young people who would be interested in this. This could be held on the Sunday Supplement Market in the summer with maybe three age group prizes available for this. It could become an annual event in the town. Prizes awarded by the Mayor of Leek. This would attract favourable media interest for the future. It s also something that children could learn about the history of town criers. These are good for the children/youth of the town and an interest. What do you all think of this?Oyez, Oyez, Oyez! Leek Town Crier Bill Lomas
READER S PICS
Beautiful scenes of the
Moorlands W hat a most lovely area of Middle England we live in! Isn t it just fantastic to be able take a quick drive, or in some cases even a walk, out of town, to be instantly greeted by the luscious green countryside of the Moorlands? Here we have some fantastic photos of our Moorlands scenery which have been kindly sent in to us by reader Cliff Salt. Have you snapped a stunning local scene recently? Email your pictures to news@timesandecho.co.u k.
STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY SHOW
Packed programme for county show
T
he Staffordshire County Show will be held on our traditional dates of Wednesday, June 1 and Thursday, June 2. Here is a round up of this year s community extravaganza from one of the organising team members: This year s show will be held during Jubilee Week, accordingly, we are working on some very special events at the Show to celebrate the Queen s Platinum Jubilee. More information about what these events are will be revealed in the press and on our social media platforms over the coming weeks. The show offers something for visitors of all ages. Youngsters will enjoy riding on the narrowgauge steam railway or traditional attractions such as Punch & Judy and donkey rides. Teenagers and adults will be thrilled by the Monster Trucks - Big Pete and the Grim Reaper, when they leap into the air and land on a row of cars. Whilst the next generation of farmers will be inspired by the first-class entries in livestock competitions across the Showground that are at the heart of this traditional agricultural show. The show at the County Showground on Weston Road, some four miles from Stafford, is one of the area s major events of the summer and is expected to attract more than 65,000 visitors. During the school half-term holidays the County Show offers a full day out for all the family. A packed Main Ring programme includes a range of attractions that includes, in addition to the Monster Trucks, the Young Farmer s Floats which this year has a theme of West End Musicals, show jumping, the Grand Parade of Livestock and the Parade of Hounds. In the Country Pursuits Arena visitors can watch the birds of prey display, the ferret roadshow, have a go at fly casting or sit back and learn all about pigs with the Hogg Show. Around the Showground there will be demonstrations of traditional rural crafts such as thatching, coracle making and drystone walling as well as view a display of vintage cars and agricultural machinery. However, at the heart of the Show is livestock with over a thousand cattle, sheep, pigs and goats and over fifteen hundred horses and ponies. There are a number of competitions and shows within the show including the Sheep
Shearing and Wool Handling Competitions, the Farriery Competition where blacksmiths compete to make the perfect horseshoe before using it to shoe a horse, the Fur and Feather Show with a vast array of poultry, waterfowl, cavies (hamsters and guinea pigs) and rabbits as well as the Bee & Honey Show with its working hive. In addition the dog show will attract around 2000 dogs representing every breed of dog in the UK so if you are thinking of buying a dog this is an ideal opportunity to compare the various breeds and talk to their owners. Children of all ages are especially well catered for with a children s farm, fairground rides and the opportunity to have their picture taken with the giant tortoises. Shopaholics will be able to browse over four hundred trade stands selling everything from cars to hot tubs. In addition there is a food hall with a further fifty stands selling a range of mouth-watering local produce for immediate consumption or fresh and packaged items to take home. When it s time to take a break what better way to relax than having a picnic next to the bandstand listening to the brass band or the jazz band. However, for something more tranquil there is a twenty-acre wood ideal for a walk in the shade or a quiet picnic. Once again we are delighted that Rea Valley Tractors and Dunstall Holdings will be the event s main sponsor. Advance tickets, which offer a substantial saving on the gate price, go on sale from April 1 to print at home or download to your phone. Further details about the Show and details of how to purchase advance tickets are available on the website at www.staffscountyshowground.co.uk or follow us on Facebook@staffscountyshow.
GIG REVIEW
The music scene in Leek is fantastic
A
Unlucky Strike
Canadian rock band recently called in to Leek to headline a special gig at the Foxlowe Arts Centre.
Montreal rockers The Damn Truth, came to town in February stopping off between gigs at the O2 Academy in Glasgow and Leeds Lending Room. The show was something of a coup for The Foxlowe Arts Centre, proving that the venue is bringing in some of the up-and-coming stars of the international music scene and placing itself alongside venues such as the Leadmill in Sheffield and The Bristol Exchange. The Damn Truth are PY Letellier on bass, drummer Dave Traina, guitarist Tom Shemer and guitarist and singer, Lee-La Baum. matter where you play, it s the energy that you bring and Guitarist Tom said: I loved it. It doesn t that the crowd give back to you and sometimes the energy is better in smaller towns than in bigger cities. People are people everywhere and whether we re Damn Truth playing in London or playing in Leek, we bring the heart all the time. Lee-La added: The people of Leek are extremely warm, inviting and we ve had beautiful hospitality. When you re touring what you see is through the van window, but the town looks gorgeous, I only wish we had more time to enjoy it. I was touched by all the green fields and small winding roads. It s beautiful. The Damn Truth were supported by Moorlands duo Unlucky Strike Chris and Gemma Rushton. Gemma said: The music scene in Leek is fantastic and it was a massive privilege for us to be part of a fantastic night with The Damn Truth. Chris added: We love playing at the Foxlowe and to play support for such a great band was just amazing it was definitely a night to remember.
OPEN STUDIOS Kim Bradford
A
fter two years of absence the Leek Open Studios and Art Trail is due to return in style. The concept of turning the main streets of Leek into a living art gallery, giving local artists the opportunity to exhibit their work in local shops and businesses, is returning in May.
In addition local artists and makers will be opening their studio spaces and galleries to the public, so that visitors can see them at work too. The diverse range of work is available for purchase and includes; watercolour and oil paintings, collage, photography, drawing, contemporary textiles, print
making, ceramics and glasswork. All work demonstrates the high level of professionalism, originality and imagination produced by over 25 local artists. Event organiser, Kim Bradford said: We are all so excited. We ve tried to be as creative as possible. We can t wait to show everyone just how vibrant the art community is here in Leek, it s becoming an established artisan destination. Leek Open Studios takes place on Saturday, May 7 and the Arts Trail begins on the same day, and finishes on Saturday, May 14. For more information visit www.leekopenstudios.org or go to the Facebook page www.facebook.com/leekopenstudios.
PHOENIX SINGErS The spokesman added: Vivaldi s masterpiece has been reimagined to fit the popular music styles of the 21st century. The work oozes blasts of rock, jazz and funk interspersed with lilting pop ballads and fast Baroque. It's an absolute joy to sing and listen to. The workshop will culminate in a performance, by attendees supported by the choir, for friends, relatives and music lovers or the just curious. The Junior Choir, Young Phoenix will welcome young people from the age of 7 to join them in an adjacent room to polish their distinct contribution. Don t miss nevertheless far from dormant 18 this you ll really love it so treat months, The Phoenix are now yourself to a truly uplifting bouncing back full of life and experience and Come and Sing. vigour. This Phoenix Singers event will Come and Sing is our be held on Saturday, March 19, in invitation to singers and wishful St Luke s Church, Fountain Street would-be singers to raise the roof in Leek. on St Luke s Church in March. It will begin at 9.30am for sign What is more, singing is in, workshop from 10am until 3pm good for your health and well with a lunch-break at midday. being making this a win win Refreshments set to be provided. event. The cost of participation is £10 Come and join in with the which includes £5 for hire of music, choir and let conductor Ashley this will be refunded if music is Thompson lead you gently returned. though The New Gloria. For further information and to Ashley, whose lively and register a place at the Come and accessible approach will Sing event, go online to: guarantee a friendly and www.phoenixsingersleek.co.uk. enjoyable day.
Celebrating four decades of choir
A
Moorlands choir is celebrating four decades of singing at a variety of events in the area and further afield. The Phoenix Singers are celebrating their 40th Birthday and they want as many folk as possible to join in on their celebrations. It s been 40 years of singing for the people of Leek and the surrounding Moorlands but trips to Italy, Holland, Spain and France have frequently featured on their calendar during this time too. A spokesman for the choir said: They say Life begins at 40 so after a restricted, but
CAMPAIGN FOr rEAL ALE
R
.I.P Travellers Rest in Leekbrook. I am always saddened to see a pub closed or even worse demolished.
I drove passed The Travellers Rest at Leekbrook a few weeks ago and saw it was in the process of being bulldozed. Most of the large building had already disappeared into a pile of rubble but enough of it was left to be recognisable, so I nipped home to fetch my camera, to record this piece of local pub history before it was lost forever. After taking a few pics I wandered around the back and to my astonishment, through a gap in the safety fencing I spotted an old copy of our branch magazine Potters Bar flapping about among a pile of bricks and broken roof timbers. It made me think of how these once mighty roadside hostelries were the mainstay of the huge brewery
interests that dominated the British pub scene for more than half a century. The very reason that the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA for short) was set up in the 1970 s was to stand up to what was then called the Big Six national brewing concerns, who between them had gobbled up almost all of the smaller local breweries, after takeovers and mergers, resulting in most of the smaller concerns being closed down and lost forever. A local example of this is Walkers Brewery of Leek was bought by Marston s, along with its ten tied pubs. Marstons was in turn taken over by Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries in 1999. In fact, by the 1970 s the Big Six were responsible for around 75 per cent of all UK beer production and owned or had a controlling interest of over 85 per cent pubs. CAMRA played its part in the early years to try and break this unfair monopoly of The Big Six, forcing the by then multinational conglomerates to split up the huge control they had over the British beer and pub trade. The
FOXLOWE FILMS
at the Foxlowe F oxlowe Films are back with a short season of films in the run up to Easter celebrating their ten year anniversary of screenings at Foxlowe Arts Centre in Leek.
The Father
The team have screened more than 280 films and have sold over 13,000 tickets since starting with their initial pilot season back in 2012 with Leek s filmmaker Gerald Mee providing equipment and his projectionist skills. A spokesman for the volunteer Foxlowe Films team said: The support from audiences has been fantastic, together with a committed band of volunteers who help with
running the bar, selling tickets and setting out chairs. Foxlowe Films was born out of a meeting in Foxlowe trustee Peter Kent-Baguley s living room in January 2012 when a likeminded group of film fans, enthusiastic to bring movies to our town, were given a brief to go away and work out how we could screen films in Leek. Within a few weeks they had corralled Gerald Mee to help, worked out the licensing arrangements, and programmed a short pilot season of five films to test the waters.
And Then We Danced
and still here ten years later with a lot of fun and memorable screenings along the way. Foxlowe Films are screened every Tuesday evening at 7.45pm, with bar open from 7pm. Tickets are available on line and usually at the door also, priced at £5. The next screenings are: March 15 - The Father (12a), March 22 The Sound of Metal (15), March 29 - And Then We Danced (15), and April 5 - The Farewell (PG). For further information, go online to: https://foxloweartscentre.org.uk.
The Farewell
The first screening of Jane Eyre on February 28, 2012 sold out with 70 coming along, setting the group off on a firm footing
The Sound of Metal
CAMPAIGN FO REAL ALE result was a new group of pub owning property companies (which were often subsidiaries of the giant brewing empires), which if anything gave an even worse rental deal to their tied estate pub tenants. Unfortunately, The Travellers Rest was owned by one of these pub owning property companies, who care nothing of their own pubs, their hard working tenant licensees or the customers and communities they serve. Any pub in the land which sits on a large piece of land or has a car park is now under threat from these kind of modern day rogues of the pub world, as any pub can soon be declared unviable and disposed of by the accountant led management teams of these companies and replaced by a dozen or so new build houses, to make a quick buck. The Flying Horse on Ashbourne Road
and Pride of the Moorlands on Junction Road are further local examples of this practice. I m pleased to say that on a more positive note, our very own great pub town of Leek is relatively cushioned from this phenomenon by the fact that most of its pubs and bars are either privately owned businesses or owned and run by locally based smaller breweries and pub chains who really do genuinely care about their tenants and the local communities they serve. That is why, dear reader, Leek is quite simply one of the best towns for pubs and bars in the UK. How lucky we are. Cheers Steve Barton Chairman of the Staffordshire Moorlands CAMRA
BUXTON & LEEK COLLEGE
Open day at college
A
re you interested in finding out about studying at Buxton & Leek College or finding out more about a study programme before applying? Buxton & Leek College is offering just that opportunity on Saturday, March 12 from 10am until 1pm when the college invites school leavers, parents and adult learners to an Open Day running simultaneously across campuses in both Buxton and Leek. Students in Years 10 and 11 of school are invited to check out the college environment for the first time and the many options on offer, touring facilities, speaking to tutors and watching course demonstrations. Budding motor vehicle technicians can head to the college s training centre at Harpur Hill Business Park and check out the industry-standard training facilities there, while over at The Dome, there s all sorts of exciting activities to get involved with and
subjects to learn more about, from public services, culinary, sport, business, IT, media, hair & beauty, childcare, and more. Leek campus Open Day offers the chance to check out the £8.5 million redeveloped facilities with a chance to talk to tutors in art and design, carpentry, engineering, hair and beauty, health & social care, and more. A college spokesperson said: This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to sample a taste of a course area, that they have a genuine interest in, as well as experiencing how different college life is from being at school. Adult learners are also encouraged to come along and find out about the wealth of career improving short courses
available in finance, business, health, education and more. Need to resit your Maths and English GCSEs? There s help on hand with that too, with free advice offered at both campuses. Buxton & Leek College Open Day will take place on Saturday, March 12 from 10am to 1pm. There will also be an Open Day on May 14, between the same times of 10am and 1pm. People can book places online at www.blc.ac.uk or call 0800 074 0099.
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LEEK ARTS FESTIVAL
Local artists back plans for festival P LANS are gathering pace for the return of one of the area s biggest cultural events after two years of Covid cancellations. Organisers of Leek Arts Festival have confirmed that their programme for this year s extravaganza is set to see more than 40 different events going ahead over the six weeks between mid-April and early June. As well as national and international stars, there will also be many local artists and performers taking part. Festival chairman Phil Edmeades, said: The deadline for events to be included in the printed programme has now passed and we re delighted that so many local groups and individual artists have come forward with their own plans. We did fear that the aftermath of the Covid crisis would leave many people hesitant about getting involved in this year s festival but that hasn't proved to be the case. LAF organisers had already confirmed gigs by international artists including Eddi Reader, Boothby Graffoe and Fairport Convention would feature in the 2022 festival. Now, they have revealed that among the more local artists taking part will be classic rockers Climax Blues Band and Leek-born and bred jazz
Climax Blues Band supremo Gareth Lockrane. Former Leek High School student Gareth is acknowledged as the UK s premier jazz flautist and, as well as leading his own internationally renowned big band, has a history of playing with other top names in jazz such as the legendary Quincy Jones and the James Taylor Quartet.
LEEK ARTS FESTIVAL
Gareth Lockrane
Phil said: Joe Tatton,, who is well-known in Leek, contacted us to say he d like his trio to perform as part of the Artts Festival. During the conversattion he casually mentioned that he d invitted Gareth Lockrane to be a special guest on the night. That s a fantastic result for us and d it s going to be a great night out. Phil added: We re alsso delighted that Climax Blues Band will bee part of the festival again this year although sadly, lead guitarist Les Hunt has announced he will no longer be playing with the band duee to health issues. Tickets for major even nts at the 2022 Leek Arts Festival are already available at The Foxlowe Arts Centre and online at ww www ww.leekartsfestival.co.u w uk More details of LAF LA A 20 022 event will be released in the next few weeks as around 30,000 printed copies of the programme are set to be distributed to homee across the Moorlands. Look out for copies of thee programmes in local pubs, bars, restaurants an nd bistros. Full programme detaills will also be uploaded to the LAF LA A webssite at ww www ww.leekartsfestival.co.u w uk.
LEEK TOWN MAYOR
We must remember them
O
n 13th February 1947 a Halifax delivering supplies to snow-bound communities of Grindon and the surrounding areas, crashed killing the crew and two civilian photographers on board. A memorial event is held annually to remember these selfless individuals. I was proud to attend the memorial service on February 13 to lay a wreath on behalf of our Leek community. Events such as this leave one thinking about remembrance and remembering. Most of us bring to mind Remembrance Sunday when we talk about remembrance, but there are 365 days a year when we remember those lost in any circumstance, those whose lives are changed forever, and those who serve us in any way to ensure we are safe. Eleventh of November has a special place in the hearts of many when we come together collectively, or in our own private place, in our own, and other countries, to honour and remember men, woman and animals lost, those left changed and those service members still serving. The Royal British Legion as a whole, and our local branch particularly, work with our
town council to ensure this event is marked honourably. Members sell poppies each year to ensure serving and ex-servicemen and women are supported. Membership is slowly falling, and I know our Leek Town Crier, Bill Lomas as recruitment officer for Leek RBL, is tireless in his effort to raise awareness of the need for new members. Many people in the past two years have had to deal with bereavement and will be remembering loved ones and my thoughts are with them. There may not be a national or local coming together for each of them, but the act of remembering each member of our community lost to us is important. Communities, families, and friends are altered forever, and we must remember them. Remembering is to keep a piece of information in your mind and your memory, and also in your heart. The loss of someone is immeasurable, but so is the love left behind.
N M
LEEK K
& Moorlands
ECHO O www.timesechoandlife.co.uk
Here's a list of our Leek & Moorlands Echo stockists so far - more to come when confirmed: Asda, Springfield Road. Co-op, West Street. Abi Convenience, Southbank Street. Parkers Newsagents, Broad Street. Gill Newsagents, on the corner of Broad Street and Salisbury Street. West Street News, 84 West Street. Mill Street Food and Wine, 162 Mill Street. Vadco Bargain Store, on the corner of Ball Haye Road and Rosebank Street. McColl s, Abbotts Road. Premier, Queens Drive. Spar Petrol Station, Ashbourne Road. Smithfield News, The Smithfield Centre. Wallbridge Store, Wallbridge Precinct. Ladderedge News, Ladderedge. Endon Store, 35-37 Station Road. Co-op, Main Road, Endon. Wetley Rocks Petrol Station.
WHAT S ON
What s On
I
Regular Events Borderland Voices Creative Writing at Leek Health Centre every Wednesday at 10.30am-12.30pm, plus Expressive Art at 1.30pm-3.30pm. Details: www.borderlandvoices.org.uk.
t s most certainly fantastic that community events and activities are making a welcome comeback. Here s just some of what s coming up in our area. Please note that the information in this feature was correct at the time of print but all events are subject to change. Please check with the venues for updates. A big thank you to local musician John Crimes for helping us collate the music gigs in the area. Do you have a public/community event coming up which you would like to appear in our What s On feature? Email what, when, where, etc, to our Editor Belinda at hargreavespr@outlook.com.
Leek Morris Dancers 7.15pm-9pm at the Scout Hut, Clerk Bank, Leek. Every Friday. All welcome. Details: 07875 406120. Market & Car Boot Sellers set-up from 7am-7.30am, visitors 7.30am until noon at Cattle Market, Junction Road, Leek. Remaining Winter opening dates: January 30, February 13, February 27, March 13, March 27. Details: www.facebook.com/leeksundaymarketandcarboot or www.leekcarboot.co.uk. Sunday Supplement 10.30am-3pm in Leek town centre. Artisan Market with over 50 stalls of handmade crafts and foodie treats. Plus lots of the towns independent shops, cafes and pubs will also be open. First Sunday of every month. Yoga Chair Yoga at Trinity Church on Thursdays at 9.30am-10.30am. Yoga at Trinity Church on Thursday at 6.45pm-7.45pm. Yoga at The Maude on Friday at 9.30am-10.30am. Details: www.facebook.com/yogamindchairyoga
Coming up... Friday, March 11 Charity Night at Hotel Rudyard, near Leek. Proceeds to Target Ovarian Cancer. Tickets: 07518 074185. Saturday, March 12 Buxton & Leek College Open Day at Leek and Buxton campuses. 10am-1pm. Also on May 14.
Details: https://www.blc.ac.uk. Rolling Stones Tribute band Tumbling Dice at the Silk Mill, Market Street, Leek. 9.30pm-midnight. Admission £5. Well Travelled at The Cock Inn, Derby Street, Leek at 9pm. Jessica B at The Dog and Rot, Macclesfield Road, Leek at 7.30pm. Rozel Twins at The Greyhound, Warslow at 9pm. The Tone Poets Live: Remembering Jim with Reefy Blunt and the Biftas at The Maude, Leek at 7.30pm. Sunday, March 13 Jason Huxley at The Cock Inn, Derby Street, Leek at 4pm. Helen Walford at The Fountain Inn, Leek at 5pm. Tuesday, March 15 Tuesday Night Live at The Roebuck launch hosted by Helen Walford and Friends at The Roebuck, Leek at 8pm. Friday, March 18 Well Travelled at The Old Mill Smokehouse, Haywood Street, Leek at 8.30pm. Saturday, March 19 Arts and Crafts Fair: 11am-4pm at Whiston Village Hall. Proceeds to the community venue. Phoenix Singers Singing Workshop: 10am-3pm at St Luke s Church, Fountain Street in Leek. Cost £10. Details: www.phoenixsingersleek.co.uk. Music and Street Food featuring Katus Young, Becky Langan and The Bird Scarers at The Maude, Leek at 6.30pm. The Bill Dayson Band at The Cock Inn, Leek at 9pm. Gold Top at The Dog and Rot, Leek at 7.30pm.
WHAT S ON Sunday, March 20 The Smokin Aces at The Cock Inn, Leek at 4pm. Daniel Toft at The Fountain Inn, Leek at 5pm. Friday, March 25 Anthemia at The Maude, Leek at 9pm. NoMan s Land at The Greyhound Inn Warslow at 8.30pm. Saturday, March 26 Sean Leonard at The Dog and Rot, Leek at 7.30pm. TBC at The Cock Inn, Leek at 9pm. Sunday, March 27 Grace and Lestynn at The Cock Inn, Leek at 4pm. The Pluckers at The Fountain Inn, Leek at 5pm. Tuesday, March 29 Heidi Talbot at Alstonefield Village Hall, 8pm. Thursday, March 31 Leek Blues Acoustic at The Cock Inn, Leek at 8pm. Saturday, April 2 Northern Soul Night at the Silk Mill, Market Street, Leek. With resident DJ Mel Glover with guest DJ Richard Titch Riley. 7pm-midnight. Admission £5. Helen Walford Band at The Cock Inn, Leek at 9pm. Cody at The Dog and Rot, Leek at 7.30pm. Sunday, April 3 Jason Huxley at The Cock Inn, Leek at 4pm. Saturday, April 9 Craig Harrison at The Dog and Rot, Leek at 7.30pm. Friday, April 15 Reefy Blunt and the Biftas at The Dog and Rot, Leek at 8pm. Saturday, April 16 Funk Station at Rudyard Lake Hotel at 8pm. Sunday, April 17 Freefall Acoustic at The Cock Inn, Leek at 4pm. Saturday, April 23 Dave Hulatt at The Cock Inn, Leek at 9pm. Sunday, April 24 Jason Huxley at The Cock Inn, Leek at 4pm.
What s On at the Foxlowe Arts Centre Art Exhibitions: Exhibition of Artworks by Outline Art Group. Running until Saturday, April 16 in the first floor gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday, between 10am and 4pm. Meet the artists from 2pm-4pm on Saturday, March 12 and Wednesday, March 16. Plus art in the Drawing
Room Cafe by Bernie Rutter. Threads & Tipping Vessels exhibition of prints is running until March 12. Cafe is open Monday to Saturday, 10am-4pm, plus the first Sunday of the month. Foxlowe Films: Every Tuesday evening with doors open at 7pm for 7.45pm screening time. Tickets £5. Coming up: March 15 - The Father (12a), March 22 The Sound of Metal (15), March 29 - And Then We Danced (15), and April 5 - The Farewell (PG). Saturday, March 12: Seed Swap/Share. Gardening event. 11am-2pm. Free event PLUS Simon Evans: The Work of the Devil. Comedy. Tickets £15. Doors 7.15pm for 8pm. Friday, March 25: Oldilocks and the Three Bears. Puppet Show for three to seven-year-olds. Tickets £7. 5pm. Thursday, March 31: Cajun Night with Elvis Fontenot and Lil Jim at The Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, 8pm. Saturday, April 2: Seed Swap/Share. Gardening event. 11am-2pm. Free event. Thursday, April 7: Leek Comedy Club. With Rob Rouse, Matt Bragg, Eric Rushton and compere Cerys Nelmes. Tickets £10. Tuesday, April 8: Rodney Branigan. Music. Tickets £12.50. Doors 8pm for 8.30pm. Sunday, April 10: Dan Patlansky with special guest Arielle Music. Tickets £17.50. Doors 7.30pm for 8pm. Thursday, April 14: John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett. Music. Tickets £14 in advance or £16 on the door. Doors 7.30pm for 8pm. Thursday, April 21: Kevin, King of Egypt. Comedy, Poetry, Theatre. Tickets £13. 7.30pm Saturday, April 23: Mik Artistik s Ego Trip + Nick Degg. Music. Tickets £12. Doors 7.30pm for 8pm. Sunday, May 1: Plant Share. Gardening event. 11am2pm. Free event.
For further details and to purchase tickets for any of the Foxlowe Arts Centre events, go online to: https://foxloweartscentre.org.uk.
WOMEN S INSTITUTES
H
ere we have reports from some of our local Women s Institutes in the area.
What s your WI been up to? Email our editor Belinda at news@timesandecho.co.uk.
Cheddleton WI President Mal welcomed members and visitors to the February meeting. Good wishes were sent to those unable to be with us, and birthday greetings were given to Pam. Jeff Eardley then entertained with his guitar, a mixture of songs, instrumental pieces, and his own poems about local life, such as potholes and pet pheasants. This was much enjoyed. The competition for a small musical item was won by Mal. After tea, coffee and biscuits next month s Annual Meeting, with a Pie and Pea supper followed by trifle or lemon drizzle cake was discussed, and members signed a sheet to indicate attendance. For the benefit of new members Doreen explained about the Annual General Meeting, to be held in Liverpool in June. Our delegate will come from Ceramic Sisters WI. County events to look forward to are the Homes and Gardens day in April, a Science Day at Keele University in June, and the County Show. Four members won raffle prizes, and this and the Bring and Buy stall raised a useful sum of funds. A happy and enjoyable evening was had by all. Report by Mary Worwood
Ipstones WI Our February meeting was our Members Night. As always Joy welcomed us and Jane read the minutes of the January meeting, reminding us that we should make sure that they are correct since they may be read in another 100 years, as we sometimes read those from 1921. Joy had once again printed each of us a very detailed newsletter itemising any correspondence and coming activities no excuse for forgetting anything ladies. We were reminded that we should by then have returned our forms voting for our chosen resolution. We went on to discuss the arrangements for the forthcoming Jubilee, both in our village and our own Institute. These, of course, will be discussed at greater detail in the coming months, as will our suggestions for a fashion show and an
WOMEN S INSTITUTES
Wetley Rocks WI What a great turn out we had for our February meeting. We started off with a bit of a switch up as Cynthia the Secretary was unable to attend, so June the Vice President stepped in and read the minutes from last month. All the members agreed on the minutes and President Pat signed them before sharing the news from Stafford and introducing the speaker, Val Alcock. Val works for the Alzheimer s Society and gave us a talk on her role and how singing benefits people suffering from Dementia but also their carers. It was insightful in to how a simple activity can help improve people s quality of life whilst also providing a social aspect. The evening wasn t just a talk there was also a fun session where we sang songs (the lyrics were provided on a sheet). What made it enjoyable, as it didn t matter if you could sing all that mattered was you enjoyed it. We sang some songs in rounds and Val gave some background to each and why she had picked them, most of the songs were well known and it was lovely to hear members stories about what certain songs meant to each person. There were songs with actions, and songs where we had to miss a word. The miss a word songs were fun as it is harder
outing. The whole meaning of Members Night is that members provide a buffet and entertainment and it never ceases to surprise us that, without any discussion, a great variety of food arrives and is eagerly eaten and enjoyed by us all. The entertainment was again thoroughly enjoyed with the committee singing their version of the 12 days of Christmas, illustrated with a variety of items to suit the new and interesting words. This was followed by a Quiz based on the sixties. This resulted in a tie break question but since no team had won outright, the round the world cruise was not won but all seemed suitably pleased with a Time Out Bar. Raffle winners this month were Carla Otter and Kath Johnson. Another good
than you think, so we all laughed together when we got it wrong, they had actions as well so that did help in skipping the word as it were. Val was brave and gave the members musical instruments like maracas and tambourines, it is strangely satisfying to shake things and sing. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening with plenty of laughter. After all the singing, we put the instruments back and then settled down for some well-deserved drinks and cakes. As ever, it was great catching up on everyone s news and getting ideas for social outings later in the year. We look forward to welcoming Penny Wheat on March 8 for a talk on Silver Smithing at 7.30pm in Wetley Rocks Village Hall.
meeting. Our speaker in March will be Ruby Hammer on Women of the World. Report by Joan Mitchell
QUIZ Corner
Let s get quizzical 1. Which UK charity is named after a
11. What do Americans call the
New York bar?
game of draughts?
2. Which Lloyd Webber musical
12. Which sport has a finish line
borrowed a title from Elgar?
that is not crossed?
3. Whose albums have an average title
13. In which city did Michael
of 23.75?
Jackson suddenly die in 2009?
4. Which planet rotates on its side?
14. In which decade was Justin
5. Which Serbian tennis player was
Bieber born?
initially refused entry into Australia in
15. The opening line 'Christmas
January?
won t be Christmas without any
6. Who was jailed in December in New
presents' comes from which
York for her involvement with illegal
Louisa May Alcott novel?
procurement for Jeffrey Epstein?
16. Which is England's largest
7. Why was Rebecca Welch in the
landlocked county?
footballing news in January?
17. Which well-known pair live
8. Which actor, who died in January
at 6 West Wallaby Street,
aged 94, was the first black actor to
Wigan?
win the Best Actor Oscar?
18. Who was Henry VIII's wife at
9. Complete the title of the Harry
the time of his death?
Potter play currently in the West End.
19. Where on your body would
Harry potter and the
you wear a fascinator?
. What?
10. Boxer Anthony Joshua has a tattoo
20. Which is bigger ... 3
of which continent on his right arm?
squared or 2 cubed?
Quizzes compiled by Paul Steele - email: pnsteele@aol.com. Paul's 'Which One?' quiz game is available on Amazon.
COMPILED BY PAUL STEELE
1. Stonewal 2. Starlight Express 3. Adele (19, 21, 25 and 30). 4. Uranus 5. Novak Djokovic 6. Ghislaine Maxwell 7. First female referee to be in charge of an FA Cup game 8. Sidney Poitier 9. Cursed Child 10. Africa 11. Checkers 12. Swimming 13. Los Angeles 14. 1990s 15. Little Women 16. Shropshire 17. Wallace and Gromit 18. Catherine Parr 19. On Your Head 20. 3 squared (9 as opposed to 8)
GARDENING
Spring flowering favourites
A
fter a long winter it s wonderful to walk around my garden and see signs of my spring flowering favourites getting busy for a wonderful show. Ajuga, (common name bugle) has kept looking good through the winter but now the rosettes of leaves are looking fresh and glossy and I m just waiting for the first short spikes of blue flowers to emerge. These are unassuming plants that spread, noninvasively, by sending out runners much like strawberry plants do creating ground hugging clumps. They do well in some shade but aren t that fussy. My favourites are the bronze-leaved types like Atropurpurea, the darker Black Scallop and the reddish Burgundy Glow. The flower spikes are short and neat about six inches / 15cm tall. Larger and more impressive is Caitlin s Giant. Ajuga are easy to grow and propagate as the runners root easily. They don t seem to suffer from any pests or diseases. Another tough and accommodating spring flowerer is lungwort (pulmonaria). The plants grow in sun or part shade and prefer moisture. The flowers are loved by early flying bees. They do seed a bit and are best cut back really hard after flowering as the leaves can be tatty and sometimes get a bit of powdery mildew.
They soon grow fresh, healthy leaves after this treatment. Good varieties include the vivid Blue Ensign, the paler Opal and the pink flowered Mawson s Red or Dora Bielefeld. One of my favourites is Cotton Cool, with almost completely silvered leaves that makes a wonderful foliage plant through the year. Another lovely spring-flowering foliage plant is brunnera, a relative of borage and equally good for bees. The clumps of heart-shaped leaves are crowned with forget-me-not like blue or sometimes white flowers. Modern varieties have introduced incredible silvered leaves, either netted with silver lines as in Jack Frost (blue flowers) and Mr Morse (white flowers) or almost entirely silver like Looking Glass. They are best cut back hard in early summer to encourage fresh, new leaves. Spring in the perennial garden is truly something worth waiting for with lots of easy to grow flowers to perk up your plots and beautify your borders. Janet and I organise Plant Hunters Fairs, specialist plant fairs at wonderful locations with special reduced entry on these days. Please see www.planthuntersfairs.co.uk for a full list of all our 2022 plant fairs. (Please always check the website for event confirmation and ticketing before travelling). Local Plant Fair dates for your diary: Sugnall Walled Gardens, near Eccleshall on Saturday, April 2. Capesthorne Hall and Gardens on Sunday, April 10. Dorothy Clive Garden on Sunday, April 17 and Monday, April 18. Cholmondeley Castle Gardens on Sunday, April 24. Weston Park on Sunday, May 1 and Monday, May 2. Martin Blow
JoKe tIMe
giggle Here our local Jester Chris Sproston, shares with us some of his jokes to help create a few laughs:
Chris Sproston
volunteer awards
Nominate your star volunteer
N
OMINATIONS are now open for an annual awards initiative which focuses on celebrating the Staffordshire Moorlands volunteers. Support Staffordshire is, once again, hosting their Volunteer Star Awards - with separate events across the different boroughs and districts across the county. The 2022 Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Star awards will be taking place on the evening of Wednesday, June 29 at Westwood Golf Club, Leek. A spokesman for Support Staffordshire said: These awards aim to publicly recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements and commitment of volunteers and organisations
who go the extra mile to support our communities. The award categories for 2022 are: Business Contribution to Communities, Personal Achievement, Volunteering Support for Young People, Volunteering Support for the over 65 s, New Volunteer Team of the Year, Volunteer Team of the Year, Trustee of the Year, Young Volunteer of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Lifetime Achievement. Closing date for nominations for the Staffordshire Moorlands awards is March 18 at 5pm. To find out more and to make a nomination, go online to: www.supportstaffordshire.org.uk/volunteerstar-awards.
Find the Leek Life magazine online
issuu.com/ timesechoandlife
reFLectionS coacHing
Today is always a good day to plan
I
know many of you have been following my cancer journey so this month I will update you on where I am at, but also I want to talk about how it s not to late to plan even though January has come and gone. How many of us miss that January 1st goal setting thing? For me I m often still on my Christmas break and not thinking about work stuff. I m also still eating the chocolate left over from Christmas so the thoughts of gyms and diets goes out of the window. I am often starting my goals on that dreaded Blue Monday in January. This year I was facing radiotherapy - I ve had a tough six months. The good news is I m now cancer free but I am still healing - so work and health kicks definitely went out the window. For me, now is the perfect time not only to move on but to make plans. You see, goals don t have to be set on January 1 and they certainly don t have to be for 12 months. I find soft starts really useful.
My goals look something like this: Weigh myself this week and return to the gym by March 30. (I want to lose a stone by Summer); Use my My Fitness Pal app to put a check on my food intake from February 15 to March 30; Write one blog post a month starting now; Increase my Instagram followers to 825 by end April (I want to reach 1,000 by the end of the year so this is a soft start). (Feel free to help @livelifecolour); Tidy and sort the set of draws in the dining room by end of March (the piano stool, and two sideboards also need doing). Do you see how soft starts work? By just focusing on one small chunk of your goal, your goals become much more realistic and achievable. What does your soft start look and when does your soft start begin?
Reflections Coaching Contact details: 07714 216388. Email: Caro@reflectionscoaching.co.uk. www.carolyntrafford.com
patient participation group
We put the patient at the forefront For this edition s update from the Leek Patient Participation Groups, we have an article which has been written by clinical pharmacist Rajeet Dave: I recently had the pleasure of meeting the Patient Participation Group for Moorland Medical Centre one of the member practices for the Leek and Biddulph Primary Care Network (PCN) - along with my fellow clinical pharmacist colleague. While we were in attendance, the secretary Bas Pickering asked if I wouldn t mind contributing a short piece to update Leek Life Magazine readers on how our PCN pharmacy
team was getting on and I was happy to oblige. The past two years for our pharmacy team has seen us establish a firm foundation for ourselves across the PCN. The pharmacy team is comprised of five pharmacists and three pharmacy technicians. Throughout the pandemic, we continued to deliver telephone medication reviews, supporting patients to get the most out of their medicines. In addition, we have launched several projects with the aim of supporting local GP practices in improving patient safety, thus improving health outcomes across the board. Some notable projects include: Initiation of stomach-protective medication to prevent harmful bleeds in patients taking anti-inflammatories. >>
www.greenfrogcleaningltd.co.uk
patient participation group << Distribution of hundreds of important emergency steroid cards to at-risk patients as part of a National Patient Safety Agency mandate. Safely de-prescribing high-cost medicines to save £1,000s for the NHS. We have also established solid rapports with our local care homes to provide medication reviews for their vulnerable/frail residents, even assisting them with the rollout of the government supply of vitamin D supplementation during the peak of the pandemic. It is worth noting that our medication reviews and project work always put the patient at the forefront of our decisions. Whenever we start new medication, switch to cost-effective alternatives or de-prescribe, this is always a joint decision agreed with our patients, involving them in every step of their care. The net outcome of our work aside from the obvious cost savings, has been reduced hospital admissions and strain placed on the wider NHS, but more importantly increased patient awareness and confidence in pharmaceutical services across the patch. We have received some wonderful feedback from patients and colleagues alike and hope that as our team becomes embedded we can continue to support patients and caregivers alike
for many years to come. So what s next for our pharmacy team? There are several areas of healthcare that the NHS has made national priorities of paramount importance that we hope to address going forward. In particular, the growing concern of antibiotic resistance, medicines which cause dependency and of course, the current drive to mitigate climate change. The latter is a project we have already begun work on, aiming to switch patients inhalers to lower-carbon alternatives and we are working with our practice teams to lessen CO2 emissions as much as possible. Of course, we are always keen to boost our profile and patient awareness of our services and you may soon hear us on the radio, or see us out and about on stalls if you do, please stop by for a chat. We ll be more than happy to answer questions and help you get the best from your treatment. We look forward to speaking to you soon please enquire at your GP practice if you would like a consultation with one of us. Take care and stay safe. Rajeet Dave Clinical pharmacist
financial matters
Saving tax efficiently. Why wouldn t you?
28
YEARS
STONE FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL
New summer dates for gastronomic gathering
T
he popular Stone Food and Drink Festival is set to take place on Friday, July 15, Saturday, July 16, and Sunday, July 17 this year in a change from its regular slot of the first weekend of October. The move is driven by the potential for work to start on extensive developments to the festival s home of Westbridge Park in the autumn, and will see the packed programme brought forward for foodies to enjoy in the summer months. Food lovers will still enjoy live cookery demos, talks, tastings, live music, street food, artisan food stalls and family fun - with some exciting new additions to the event set to be announced in the coming months. Full details and tickets are set to be released in Spring via the festival website at www.stonefooddrink.org.uk.
Friday 15th Sunday 17th 2022
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