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ISSUE 33
Life
INSIDE THIS ISSUE OF NEWCASTLE LIFE MAGAZINE
Creative Exhibition See page 10
Retiring fireman See pages 28 + 29
Church community project See pages 26 + 27
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IS S U E 3 3 Editor s Letter .......................................6
People s Postcode Lottery ................22
Peter Pan Centre...................................7
Children s Playground Co.................23
Royal British Legion .............................8
Focus On.............................................24
Rotary Clubs .........................................9
Westlands Church .............................26
Appetite...............................................10
Fire Service Retirement.....................28
Hospital Donation .............................11
Kidsgrove Sports Centre...................30
Brampton Museum............................14
What s On............................................31
MP s Message ....................................16
Britain In Bloom..................................32
Contributor Appeal ...........................17
Gardening ..........................................33
Charity Fundraising ...........................20
Quiz Corner.........................................34
Tree Planting ......................................21
Newcastle Life Issue 33 5
EDITOR S LETTER
My heart goes out to all
H
Cover Photo by Derek Brownlee
appy New Year to you all from everyone here at the Newcastle Life Magazine! Let s hope this year brings at least some kind of normality back into our lives. It s been a tough almost two years for so many my heart goes out to all who have been affected by the pandemic in whatever way they have. We can but forge ahead and look to the future which will hopefully be brighter for all. Here we have yet another packed edition of the Newcastle Life Magazine we have everything from a creative exhibition in the town centre to a retiring firefighter; from lots of
6 Newcastle Life Issue 33
charity fundraising events and activities to exciting plans for a church within the borough; and a community banding together to plant lots of trees, as well as a message from the area s member of parliament. Do you have a story about life in Newcastle which you would like to share with our readers? Please get in touch with me by email at belinda@timesandecho.co.u k. But for now, happy reading! Until next time take care!
Belinda
Belinda Hargreaves Contents Editor news@timesandecho.co.uk Erin Tuckwell Tracey Redfern Design & Production Thomas Brian General Manager tom@timesandecho.co.uk Mobile: 07855 252693 Jane Walters Advertising Sales jane@timesandecho.co.uk 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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PETER PAN CENTRE
Grant support for children s charity
A
special needs care centre in Newcastle has had a cash boost thanks to a housing developer. Persimmon Homes West Midlands has awarded The Peter Pan Centre for Children with Special Needs a £1,000 grant as they continue to support local groups and charities in the area. Persimmon donates up to £64,000 a month to fund initiatives as part of the highly successful Community Champions scheme.
Disabled children have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic through isolation and a lack of social interaction with other children and adults. Founded in 1969 as a playgroup for children with disabilities, the centre provides unique services across Staffordshire and Shropshire. It runs weekly specialist education, care and development sessions to support and help children development on a physical, emotional and educational level. Catherine Cook, from the Peter Pan Centre, said: We re absolutely over the moon with this news and would like to pass on our sincere thanks to Persimmon Homes for choosing us.
We are raising money to deliver specialist play therapy sessions to preschool children with complex special needs like Down syndrome and autism. Disabled children have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic through isolation and a lack of social interaction with other children and adults. Catherine added: Parents have relied heavily on us to manage their children s needs throughout the pandemic, often responding to challenging and unexpected behaviours whilst supporting them at home. Without us, some children would have had no support at all and we re working hard to ensure that children with special educational needs regain any lost key skills and overcome the challenges faced to fulfil their potential. We need to raise £250,000
The Peter Pan Centre each year to deliver our lifechanging service so generous donations like this one from Persimmon are vital to help secure our future. David Greengrass, head of sales for Persimmon Homes West Midlands, said: We re delighted to be supporting The Peter Pan Centre for Children with Special Needs with our Community Champions grant this month. Research shows that identifying and providing effective early help is the best way to improve the lives of children born with disabilities both now and in the long-term. Currently there is no statutory educational provision for children under five with special needs so hopefully this funding will help more local children receive the early years support they need. For more information about the centre go online to: https://thepeterpancentre.co.u k. Newcastle Life Issue 33 7
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
Charity cash boost from fire service
A
n emergency service has raised £2,500 for charity.
Chief Fire Officer Rob Barber recently presented the Newcastle Branch Chair of the Royal British Legion with a cheque of £2,500. Fire safety officers raised money in the interim to November s Remembrance Sunday by selling special edition poppies at Newcastleunder-Lyme Community Fire Station. The Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service brigade badge, alongside a red poppy, was sold to crews and visitors at the station where donations of £3.50 were taken for each. Kelvin Chell, Fire Safety Officer at Newcastle, said: We just couldn t get enough poppies to meet the demands of those wanting to donate, it was incredible. We started taking donations at the beginning of October and ran out before the
start of November, which is a testament to the crews and community at Newcastle who were so keen to donate. To highlight the exceptional support in which the legion provides to the service people of Britain is a great privilege one which we hope to repeat in the future. Kelvin added: Next year, we want to distribute two further editions the Staffordshire Knot alongside a poppy and a RW388 Spitfire flying out of a poppy the same one which is housed at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery. The communities of Staffordshire and the crews at Newcastle are thankful for the work which the Royal British Legion do for the Armed Forces community and we hope these poppies will further represent the county s desire to give back.
“We just couldn’t get enough poppies to meet the demands of those wanting to donate, it was incredible.”
8 Newcastle Life Issue 33
ROTARY CLUBS
Working together to fundraaise
T
wo Rotary Clubs have been working together to raise money for charity.
The Rotary Clubs of Wolstanton and Stoke-onTrent carried out a new fundraising initiative over the festive period with a Tree of Light at Trentham to offer members of the public the opportunity to donate to charity in remembrance of loved ones. This was the first time the two clubs worked together and the Rotary Clubs have been working in North Staffordshire since 1927, supporting local, national and international charities. Trees of Light are run by many Rotary clubs around the UK each year and raise large sums for charities. Half of the money raised at the Tree of Light at Trentham was split between the Midlands Air Ambulance and the Newcastle based Peter Pan Centre for children with special needs and the rest has been given to smaller local charities through the Rotary clubs charitable trusts. Mike Herbert, the member of Stoke Rotary
Club responsible for Community activities said: It was exciting to carry out this new initiative and we were very grateful for all the help and support from Trentham in setting up the tree. In addition, many local companies sponsored the tree and it was a very successful fundraising activity. The 15-foot Norwegian Spruce was sited in the centre of the Shopping Village and covered in 6,000 white lights. Members of the public were invited to make a donation in remembrance of a loved one and all the names were recorded in a digital Book of Remembrance displayed in the window of the News Kiosk at Trentham and on the dedicated tree of Light web page. Members of the Rotary Clubs were at Trentham every day to greet the public and explain how the Tree supported the deserving charities. For further information go online to: www.wolstantonrotary.org.
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Newcastle Life Issue 33 9
APPETITE
Creative display in heart of town
A
new creative exhibition is on display in Newcastle.
Life, Clay & Everything by Keith Brymer Jones is currently at Appetite s Newcastle Common High Street space running until Saturday, February 26. Appetite is a three year programme that aims to gets more people in Stoke-on-Trent and the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme to experience and be inspired by the arts. A spokesman for Appetite said: We are thrilled to have the Life, Clay and Everything exhibition by Keith Brymer Jones taking over our Newcastle Common space throughout February. In his first exhibition of this kind, the master potter celebrates his life work. Audiences are welcome to drop-in and see the free exhibition Tuesdays to Saturdays from 11am to 4pm at 23 High Street, Newcastleunder-Lyme (opposite Art of Siam). Be sure to share your snaps from your visit on social media and use the hashtags #NewcastleCommon #LifeClayEverything. The exhibition coincides with the publication of Keith s autobiography, The Boy In A China Shop: Life, Clay and Everything, which is also hitting the shelves this month. Keith has featured as a judge on The Great Pottery Throw Down since the show first started in 2015, and series five is currently airing on Channel 4.
10 Newcastle Life Issue 33
Keith Brymer Jones
We are thrilled to have the Life, Clay and Everything exhibition by Keith Brymer Jones taking over our Newcastle Common space throughout February.
Since training at Harefield Pottery, Keith has created ceramics for huge brands such as Laura Ashley, Habitat and Monsoon. He is also Head of Design for MAKE International. The Newcastle Common programme is focused on the changing Newcastleunder-Lyme town centre, transforming empty shops and the high street into places of art and creativity. The project is run by arts organisation Appetite, led by the New Vic Theatre and funded through National Lottery by Arts Council England. For further information, go online to: www.appetite.org.uk/event/life-clayeverything-by-keith-brymer-jones.
HOSPITAL DONATION
Trust fund donation helps improve care
A
donation to a hospital is set to help improve cystic fibrosis care.
The Kirsty Lawton Trust Fund has made an incredible donation of £10,000 to University Hospital of North Midlands (UHNM) Charity towards the care and experience of cystic fibrosis patients at Royal Stoke. The fund was set up a decade ago by David and Gail Lawton in memory of daughter Kirsty who received treatment for the condition at UHNM before sadly passing away at the age of 16. Gail said: We wanted to do something to keep Kirsty s name alive and make sure people don t forget her. In the beginning we d raise money every year through things like tuck shops at work.
“We wanted to do something to keep Kirsty’s name alive and make sure people don’t forget her.” Around eight years ago we started to do charity night events at Silverdale Working Men s Club where we would sell tickets and have a band, DJ, buffet and raffle. Gail added: Unfortunately in
2020 we were unable to hold a fundraising event but 2021 s event raised over £5,000 on the night. It means a lot to know that UHNM Charity can purchase items she didn t have whilst she was a patient. We needed to do something to help out, and is nice to say that Kirsty did something to help patients going through cystic fibrosis which is a horrible thing."
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Newcastle Life Issue 33 11
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BRAMPTON MUSEUM
Museum hosts berry good
A
popular heritage and cultural gem in Newcastle has partially reopened to the public to celebrate the talents of a renowned artist known as the Lowry of the Potteries. The Brampton Museum, working in collaboration with Barewall Art Gallery in Burslem, is hosting an art exhibition, and a series of Covid-secure events, promoting the life, work and legacy of Arthur Berry who is widely regarded as one of North Staffordshire s most famous artists. Arthur Berry: A Ragged Richness combines an attractive display of more than 20 masterpieces, such as The Bicycle Race from 1973 which is thought to relate to a milk race in Newcastle and See or Say Nowt with complementary activities in the museum s new event space including an informative talk led by a local historian and a film showing. It coincides with the launch of a new book, sharing the same title, by art historian and author Peter Davies which appraises Berry as one of the most unique artists in British Art with an individual style incorporating gritty industrial localism. Arthur, who lived in Wolstanton and worked with the New Vic Theatre before he died, was especially known for capturing the culture, people and landscape of the local area. He was also a successful playwright, poet and teacher. As a teacher, he is best known for his long association with the Burslem School of Art, where he had studied, which later became the North Staffordshire Polytechnic.
14 Newcastle Life Issue 33
A work of art by Arthur Berry The exhibition is the first to take place in the museum s new gallery space, The Jim Wain Courtyard Gallery, following an 18-month redevelopment supported by National Lottery players and Newcastle-underLyme Civic Society. The rest of the museum is set to reopen in the spring. Visitors can also view footage of Arthur talking about his work and buy the book and other merchandise. Entry to the art exhibition, which runs until Sunday, March 6, is free and no pre-booking is required. Limited free parking is available. Councillor Jill Waring, Cabinet member for leisure, culture and heritage at Newcastle Borough Council, said: The Brampton Museum is closed for a little longer while
exciting redevelopment works are finished to attract more diverse audiences and offer more meaningful visits. However, I m absolutely delighted that we are able to open the new gallery and event spaces for our first exhibition and linked activities, especially something of this calibre. This is a sign of things to come we re starting as we mean to go on. This is an amazing opportunity to shine the spotlight on a well-known, local artist whose work is often compared to LS Lowry because of its subject matter and style and raise awareness of him as a great in the British art scene. This is going to be really popular, both with residents and visitors from outside of the borough.
“Thi ama opport shin spotlig well-k local a
exhibition
This is an amazing portunity to shine the otlight on a ell-known, cal artist...”
Barewall Art Gallery works with Arthur Berry s estate and approached the Council about the possibility of an exhibition. Amanda Bromley, from Barewall Art Gallery, added: It s a great honour to work with the Council as they host the first exhibition in the lovely, new gallery space at the Brampton Museum. As Arthur Berry lived in Wolstanton at the end of his life, it s a wonderful homecoming for him. Special events, which can be prebooked, include: Revealing Voices: a talk by Jane Wood on Saturday, February 19, 2pm to 3pm. Entry is £6; Arthur Berry portrait workshop with renowned local artist Ian Mood on Saturday, February 26, 10am to 4pm. Entry is £16 (art materials supplied); Mervyn's Mondays - Poems of the Potteries on Monday, February 28, 11am to midday. Entry is £3 (pay on the door - pre-booking not required); Locally Made Art Market on Saturday, March 5, 10am to 4.30pm. Entry is free. More information about these events is available at www.ticketsource.co.uk/bramptonmuseum. The Arthur Berry: A Ragged Richness art exhibition is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and on Sundays from 2pm to 4pm. For further information, go online to: www.newcastlestaffs.gov.uk/museum.
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MP s MEssAGE
MP Aaron Bell
H
ere, the Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme Aaron Bell starts his regular column for the Newcastle Life Magazine:
As 2021 was dominated by Covid, the beginning of 2022 looks similar, but in the form of the new Omicron variant. The sheer transmissibility of Omicron has led to case numbers on an unprecedented scale, but the silver linings appear to be firstly that the variant is itself milder, and secondly that it appears that infection with Omicron offers protection against Delta. This may mean that, together with our world-leading booster program, we collectively end up in a more sustainable position once this wave has passed. Vaccines still offer excellent protection from this variant against serious illness and death. That is why it is more important than ever to get vaccinated and boosted, protecting yourself, your loved ones and the NHS. Locally, 2021 was also dominated by the scandalous emissions from Walley s Quarry, which rose to totally unprecedented levels in February. Extensive capping works and new gas wells have meant far more gas is now being captured on the site. This has been reducing both the number of complaints and the amount of gas detected at the monitoring stations. Most recently, the Environment Agency announced that they were formally investigating 16 Newcastle Life Issue 33
alleged criminal activity at sites operated by Red Industries. I know the community will welcome this step and I hope that the investigation will proceed rapidly this year. I will continue to press both for a swift resolution to this investigation and for stronger regulatory enforcement to finally Stop The Stink. 2021 also saw the first projects funded by the £35m of Government investment into Newcastle getting under way. The WorkShop our employment, training and skills hub opened, and the subways were given a spruce up. Bigger projects are underway, with the demolition of buildings in the town centre, preparing the way for major construction projects in 2022. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as Newcastle s MP for another year. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for a peaceful, prosperous and healthy 2022. If you would like to contact me, please email aaron.bell.mp@parliament.uk, call 01782 308 102, or call into my constituency office on 3 Queens Parade, directly opposite the council offices and library at Castle House. You can also follow me on Facebook at fb.com/AaronBell4NUL, and sign up to my weekly newsletter at my website www.aaronbell.org.uk.
CONTRIBUTOR APPEAL
We need you!
W
e, here at the Newcastle Life Magazine, always strive to help promote and celebrate all things about life in this area but we often need your help to do this. Whether you have a story to tell about an achievement you, or one of your family members, has recently gained; or you have perhaps set
yourself a challenge all in aid of charity; maybe you have a community event coming up which you would like to tell our readers all about; or perhaps you just wish to simply write a letter about what makes you happy about living in Newcastleunder-Lyme - we would love to hear from you. We are also on the look out for potential regular contributors to our community magazine maybe you are a local historian who could tell our readers about snippets of history from yesteryear in the area; or
maybe you are a health and/or fitness expert who would like to pass on their knowledge to help others; maybe you are a local councillor who would like to let residents know what you and your colleagues have been up to lately; or maybe you are a garden nature enthusiast who would like to submit regular reports about your latest findings we would love to hear from you too.
Please email our Editor Belinda at hargreavespr@outlo ok.com
Newcastle Life Issue 33 17
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CHARITY FUNDRAISING
Trentham company helps raise £5,000 for charity
B
usiness-savvy teams at companies across Staffordshire have raised more than £5,000 for charity as part of the Swansway Gingerbread Enterprise Challenge. Sponsored by the Swansway Group, the challenge raised a total of £5,081 for The Gingerbread Centre a charity supporting vulnerable families in Stoke-on-Trent and surrounding areas. Each of the 12 teams that signed up for the challenge were given a £50 start-up fund and asked to turn their initial investment into as much money as possible. Una Health Ltd in Tunstall were the most successful team in the small business category, raising £1,058, while small business runner-up was Stone-based Woolcool, with a donation of £375. In the large business category, Synectics Solutions entered a team alongside four teams 20 Newcastle Life Issue 33
from Blue Bay Travel, based at Trentham Lakes, and three teams from Swansway Group. The winner was a team from Blue Bay Travel, who made £1,857, while a team from Swansway Group took the runner-up spot after raising £1,210. Heath House Kitchen in Uttoxeter was presented with an award for innovation and Top Banana Group in Trentham, received an award for creativity. Fundraiser at The Gingerbread Centre, Chris Belyavin, said: We have been amazed by the innovative ideas and amazing range of activities that the teams got up to in order to raise money. We ve seen car washes, tuck shops, a five-aside football tournament, online shops, delicious desserts, a sale of designer clothes and much, much more. Our sincere thanks go to everyone who took part and to Swansway Group for their generous sponsorship.
TREE PLANTING
Community pulls together for tree planting
R
ESIDENTS across the borough have been joining in on a tree planting initiative. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council s Green Team have launched their Newcastle in Bloom Plant a Bloomin Tree initiative by holding two special events recently. In the first event, schoolchildren planted 30 British native trees to mark the number of years that the borough has been involved in the Britain in Bloom campaign. This activity also aligned with the council s Urban Tree Planting Strategy and supported the council s aim to create carboncapture green spaces to help mitigate the effects of climate change and to become a carbon neutral council by 2030. Cabinet member for Leisure, Culture and Heritage, Jill Waring, said: This is a great initiative which is close to my heart. We will be following these events up in this year s Britain in Bloom campaign, where the theme will be all around trees, and the council s Green Team will be working in partnership with the Queen s Green Canopy for the Platinum Jubilee in 2022 Plant a tree for the Jubilee . The aim is to give every primary school in the borough the opportunity to be involved in tree planting, whether it is independently in their own school grounds or co-ordinated with us on council land. We will also be encouraging community groups and borough residents to plant trees in their own community spaces and gardens.
The first event took place at Newchapel Recreation Ground. The Mayor of Newcastle, Ken Owen, attended along with councillor Waring and 15 British native trees were planted with the help of children from Thursfield Primary School. The second event took place at Sandy Lane POS, where the Mayor was in attendance once again, along with the leader of the borough council, Simon Tagg. Again, 15 British native trees were planted. The trees planted at both events were a selection of field maple, silver birch, hawthorn, cherry, rowan, alder and oak. By 2023 the council aims to have planted at least 850 trees throughout the borough to link with the 850th anniversary of the Newcastle Charter. There will be a Tree-totalizer on the
council s website where the number of trees planted will be recorded, along with their location, as the campaign evolves. The council s Green Team will soon be planting native trees or orchards at a small number of sites in the borough as part of the first phase of the Urban Tree Planting Strategy. For further information about this project, go online to: www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk. Newcastle Life Issue 33 21
PEOPLE S POSTCODE LOTTERY
Big cash win
S
for neighbours
ix neighbours, who live near Newcastle, have each netted a £30,000 cash prize with the People s Postcode Lottery.
The prize win comes after the neighbours postcode, CW3 9ER in Madeley, was announced as a winner with the lottery just before Christmas. Among the winners were brothers-in-law Alan Heath, aged 67, and Chris Keeling, aged 66. The pair learned of their cash windfall during a video call with lottery ambassador Jeff Brazier. Alan was joined on the call by his wife Sue and after being told about their prize the trio cheered together. Chris then said: That s an excellent Christmas present. I ve just retired and it was my birthday last week as well so it couldn t come at a better time, I m really chuffed. When asked what the winnings could be used for, Alan said that it might let the family take a long-awaited holiday: On our bucket list is a trip to Australia, Chris has already been there so we were hoping to go together, so I think Chris will come with us and be our guide. Alan, who is a retired lecturer, also said he would be treating his family with the winnings: The grandchildren. They re the apples-of-oureyes, as grandparents do we ll be spending money on them. Chris, a retired mechanical engineer, also planned to treat his family and said: My son is in Belize, traveling South America and I know his money is running out so he ll be very happy to get some extra funds. My daughter is hardworking and just bought a new house so I m sure she can find
something to do with some extra funds so I m pretty sure it ll be a nice Christmas for them both. And we might just make that trip to Australia yet. Another winner was David Ashton, aged 75, who was left stunned with his prize win and almost couldn t believe the figure in front of him: Oh my God. Is that £30,000? That s lovely, that s great. What a Christmas gift, you can t ask for more. David learned of his prize win on a significant day and said it made the surprise even more meaningful to him: My late wife s birthday would have been today, she would have been 72 so she s out there looking over me. When asked if he had any plans for his prize, David joked: I ve got three grandchildren who have already spent it. David said he would look forward to treating his loved ones with the win, when asked if he wanted anything for himself he added: Not really, I m quite happy with what I ve got. I ve got my family around me all the time and that s worth more than money. The other winners opted to remain anonymous. People s Postcode Lottery ambassador Jeff Brazier shared his well-wishes with the winners, he said: It s never a bad time to win a prize like this but with Christmas only a few days away, this couldn t have come at a better time for our Madeley winners. Congratulations to them all, I m sure they ll have a great time treating themselves and their loved ones with their winnings. For more information about People s Postcode Lottery, go online to: www.postcode lottery.co.uk.
What a Christmas gift, you can t ask for more.
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CHILDREN S PLAYGROUND CO
Networking ambassador for playground builder
A
play equipment manufacturer based in Newcastle-under-Lyme has become an ambassador for a networking programme designed to boost growth in Staffordshire. Children s Playground Co. Ltd (CPCL), features in a new case study for Stoke-onTrent and Staffordshire Growth Hub s #GearingforGrowth2022 campaign. Rinske Wassenaar is Managing Director at CPCL, which designs, manufactures and installs playground equipment using Robinia wood to create distinctive and imaginative playgrounds for children of all abilities. Rinske, who is a Dutch national and former art teacher, took part in the Growth Hub s Peer Networks Programme last year and has recommended the scheme to other businesses in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Rinske said: The Peer Network Programme was, for me, a first, and it was a great, inspiring experience, especially due to the fact that all the participants were very supportive, carefully formulating possible advice as well as being open with the group about the challenges they were facing in their own businesses. Being an SME, it opened up my eyes that all businesses were having similar issues, independently of the size of their organisation. Also, it gave me the opportunity to learn insights by hearing from different perspectives. As an SME business and employer, I found the Peer Networks Programme a useful and worthwhile investment of time and I would urge other businesses looking to grow in 2022 to consider taking part. Fully funded by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) the Peer Networks Programme is part
of Growth Hub s #GearingforGrowth2022 campaign and offers guided peer support for businesses. Rebecca Parker, Growth Hub Team Manager, said: The Peer Networks Programme is allowing businesses across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire to connect in a meaningful way, helping them to explore challenges, celebrate success and recognise that collaboration can often lead to a solution. We re delighted that Rinske at CPCL has shared her thoughts with us as part of our #GearingforGrowth2022 campaign and I would urge other businesses across the county to get in touch and find out what the Peer Network Programme could do for them. The Peer Networks Programme will run until the end of March this year, and places are still available for businesses in Stoke-onTrent and Staffordshire who wish to take part. To find out more, go online to: stokestaffsgrowthhub.co.uk.
Rinske Wassenaar
Newcastle Life Issue 33 23
FOCUS ON
Following a dream
to become an artist” W e love to hear your stories about life in Newcastle here resident Paul Horton tells us how he went from working in electronic engineering, and not painting for over 25 years, to now painting landscapes, seascapes and still life here in Newcastle-under-Lyme with many of his artworks now being collected by art-lovers throughout the world.
Art was my favourite subject at school, my earliest memory of an artwork I did, was showing my friends in junior school how I painted a portrait of William Shakespeare, although eventually taking my O Level in Art, I didn t continue with it after leaving school. I never went to art school, I never thought that I could ever paint artworks that people would want to buy. So I turned my back on art and went into the world of electronic engineering. It would be another 25 years until I picked up my paint brushes again. A decision I now regret. 25 years after leaving school and a career in electronic engineering and operations management, I decided to pick up the paint brushes again, this time to help me de-stress. I painted on a regular basis for the next five years until I was made redundant in 2013. I decided to continue to paint and concentrate on sea and landscape artworks and life 24 Newcastle Life Issue 33
as an artist. I am self taught, and over the years I have learned to use pastel, watercolour, acrylic and oil paints. Learning different styles and techniques from some of the best artists. I learned a lot by trial and error and years of practice and seeing what worked and what didn t. In 2019 my artwork Somewhere In Time won the People's Choice award at the Brampton Museum & Art Gallery Open Art Exhibition and I won the opportunity to have a solo exhibition the following year in 2020 (unfortunately it was cut short due to the Covid lockdown).
FOCUS ON
t” Now, I am a member of the Society Of Staffordshire Artists, I am currently displaying my art throughout the county. I have my art studio in the town centre of Newcastle-under-Lyme and also display in Castle Art Gallery in Fogg Street in the town centre too. I realise now that I made a big mistake in not believing I had the ability to follow my dream and have a career as an artist, I can t change the past so look forward to the future and continue the rest of my life as an artist, as a Staffordshire artist... a place far from the sea, maybe that s why I paint it... my studio always has a sea view, a Paul Newcastle Artwork. I paint under the name Paul Newcastle as there is another artist who paints with my real name Paul Horton - it s a bit like actors, it s too confusing if they have the same name - and our artwork was getting mixed up with different people. So it was easier to change my name and I m born and bred in Newcastle so as a tribute to my home town that s now me Paul Newcastle artist. However, I do write fiction novels under my real name PJ Horton. I m currently writing my fourth fiction novel. To see more of Paul s artwork, go online to: https://paulnewcastle.com; while for more information about Paul s literature work, go online to: pjhorton.com. Newcastle Life Issue 33 25
WESTLANDS CHURCH
Moving forward with Faith in the Future A
major community project is blooming in Newcastle-under-Lyme. A fundraising drive is taking place to have a new church and community hub at St Andrew s Church in the Westlands. Here, a member of the team behind the project, Bob Bell, outlines what s happened and what s happening to move the exciting project forward: With 2022 upon us, the folk at St Andrew s Church in the Westlands have worked through the pandemic supporting the local community whilst planning an exciting project for both church and the community at large. Since the closure of the Seabridge Community Centre some three years ago and the more recent closure of St Peter s Methodist Church, including its hall facilities, the old hall at St Andrew s is the only community space available in the Westlands. But it was built in the 1930s as a semi-permanent building; it is difficult to heat and showing its age, so clearly past its sell by date. 2022 sees the church s Faith in the Future project taking them forward through the building of a new church and community hub which will be available to the Westlands Community around 80 per cent of the time. It s modern facilities will support many and varied community activities. So far, all the effort to achieve this has fallen to St Andrew s church members with half from legacies and half from donations together totalling more than £420,000.
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In addition, a further £45,000 has come from Charitable Trust grants. Currently the land on which the old hall stands is being sold with outline planning permission for two houses. The total income from the sale minus legal expenses will make a major contribution to the new build costs. More funding is needed through support from the Westlands community. The project is in two phases or can be completed as one. However, at the moment a shortfall of funding may delay phase two, which is important to provide improved access such as a lift etc. So, in an effort to raise additional finance a major community event is planned: A Grand Auction of items and talents on May 7. Any offers of things to sell are welcomed by emailing faithinthefuture.auction@gmail.com. Already in progress is the collection of scrap metal being converted into cash - any donations can be made by emailing scrapmetalfif@gmail.com.
Another event underway is groups of knitters and crocheters who are creating animals, flowers and insects on the theme All things bright & beautiful . all creatures great and small. The plan will be to attach them to a net which will be draped across the front of the church in late Spring and should create quite a spectacle. Anyone interested in participating should contact Margaret Hollins, churchwarden, by emailing m_hollins@yahoo.co.uk. Detail designs are being completed by architects and construction tenders will be submitted early Spring 2022 with work hopefully starting late Spring /early Summer. The church is encouraging everyone in the Westlands to support what they believe is a positive statement of Faith in the Future for all of the community. To find out more, go online to: http://www.churchinthewestlands.or g.uk.
Newcastle Life Issue 33 27
FIRE SERVICE RETIREMENT
Farewell after three decades of service
A
fter three decades of serving the communities of Staffordshire, Fire Station Manager Gary Fox has hung up his helmet. On January 16 some 31years after his inaugural day Gary walked out of the Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service headquarters for the last time. He said: I can t quite believe it. I m so thankful that the service saw something in me at the start a 19-year-old lad with very little life experience. It really gave me a chance. The story began on a Thursday morning in November 1990, when Gary first enrolled on the new recruits course to pursue a long-held ambition of becoming a firefighter. But it wasn t always smooth-sailing. Gary said: My first day was November 8, 1990, where I started my 18-weeks training at Newcastle Fire Station. It s no secret though that I found the course difficult in the beginning. I was actually put on a two-week notice period originally as I wasn t meeting the required standard. It takes perseverance though, and thanks to the support of the recruits and instructors I was able to get through and complete the training. 28 Newcastle Life Issue 33
Learning & Development trainers in 2008 (Gary Fox is pictured in the back row, centre)
Gary then began his career as part of Blue Watch in Stafford in March 1991. The Watch were absolutely brilliant at supporting new recruits and I truly believe that the six-and-a-half-years I spent there probably set me up for the rest of my career, Gary said. During his service, Gary attended various incidents across Staffordshire.
He said: Whilst I was on Red Watch Stafford, we were called to reports of a 14-yearold boy who was stuck up a tree. He had been climbing with friends and had reached 100 foot, before getting anxious and becoming stuck. I was tasked to use our Rope Rescue Equipment to climb up to him, fit a harness so he couldn t fall, and guide him down to safety.
FIRE SERVICE RETIREMENT
ce Blue Watch Stafford 1991 (Gary Fox is pictured in the back row, second from the left)
Fire & Rescue Service has adapted over the last three decades from not having a single computer at stations in 1991 - to operating within a vast digital landscape in 2022. He said: Back in the 90s, windows were just something you looked through. We ve come from a predominantly response-based service to one which works with multiple partner agencies to support the most vulnerable in our communities. Now we are preventing fires from starting in the first place, supporting victims, as
I can t quite believe it. I m so thankful that the service saw something in me at the start a 19-year-old lad with very little life experience. It really gave me a chance. The whole thing took three hours but luckily we managed to rescue him without injury. It ended up being reported by the national press. I also recall one New Years Eve being spent in the cage of a Hydraulic Platform in Longton. Gary continued: I ve honestly learned from every incident I have attended. Some of the jobs I ve been to have not gone according to plan but my training always taught me to prepare for failure. Gary has also worked across other watches, including Newcastle Red, Stone Orange and Stafford Red - however, there are other elements of the job that Gary will miss, including working within the Learning and Development and the Firewatch team. Gary said he has witnessed first-hand how Staffordshire
well as responding to incidents with a new array of equipment and resources. Gary had three roles as he left the service, as a Station Manager, an on-call firefighter, and also Team Lead for the Enhanced Logistics Support Team. For his final day, Gary returned to where it all started at Blue Watch in Stafford. He said: There are still colleagues there who I worked with a few years ago, so I thought it was only fitting that I rounded-off an incredible 31years there before I say goodbye. He added: I am immensely proud to have been a firefighter within Staffordshire and I am so grateful to have been able to work with our communities and so many fantastic colleagues across the service. I am really going to miss it. Newcastle Life Issue 33 29
KIDSGROVE SPORTS CENTRE
Council agrees lease for community group
O
ne of the last remaining milestones has been reached in the heavily anticipated reopening of a refurbished sports centre in the north of the Newcastle-under-Lyme borough. The borough council has signed an agreement to enter into a 25year lease with Kidsgrove Sports Centre Community Group, a registered charity, enabling the group to operate a new and improved leisure service from the existing building once a major renovation programme is complete. It s the final piece of the jigsaw in the centre s redevelopment. Ownership of the property has transferred to the council as part of concerted efforts to provide high quality health and fitness facilities for residents in the town, under a community management model, following the closure of the old and tired sports centre in June 2017. The latest development comes as a £7.5 million transformation financed by the council in addition to some funding from Kidsgrove s advanced Town Deal gathers pace ahead of a planned unveiling in spring 2022. Construction works, carried out by contractor Willmott Dixon, include a new 25 metre, six lane swimming pool; reception area, sports hall, enlarged gym, dance studio, spin studio and physio room as well as updated changing areas. The major upgrade incorporates aspects such as modern flooring, heating, lighting and ventilation.
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Meanwhile, the community group has recently secured £9,720 from the National Lottery Community Fund to create a community hub and café, providing free Wi-Fi and tablets on-site, helping to tackle digital and social exclusion. In addition the project has also secured support and funding from Sport England, Cricket Staffordshire and The Football Foundation towards this much-needed community asset. Newcastle Borough Council leader Simon Tagg said: The council s agreement to enter into a long-term lease with Kidsgrove Sports Centre Community Group is another major milestone. This has been a complex project, with many hurdles to overcome, but with a great deal of hard work and determination from both sides, I m delighted to say that the reopening of a new and significantly improved sports centre is just around the corner. I know residents can t wait to see the facility open again and neither can I. It s
going to make such a difference to people s lives. Mark Clews, chair of Kidsgrove Sports Centre Community Group, added: We are absolutely delighted to conclude and agree a long term lease for Kidsgrove Sports Centre, which firmly now places ownership of the centre at the heart of the community. I would like to thank the council for the way they have worked constructively to conclude this process alongside the support they have provided throughout. We fully understand the importance of Kidsgrove Sports Centre and its impact on improving physical, social and mental well-being. This is why we are delighted that the fully refurbished sports centre will provide affordable facilities accessible for all. For more information, visit the community group s new website at www.kidsgrovesportscentre.c o.uk.
WHAT S ON
What s on
I
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.
Regular Events Castle Artisan Market Every third Sunday of the month. Monthly Artisan Market held in the historic market town of Newcastleunder-Lyme. Celebrating the best local makers, bakers and creators with an exciting mix of live music and street food too. Details: www.facebook.com/castleartisan. The General Market Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday between 9am and 4pm selling a wide range of goods. The Antiques Market Operated by the Antique Forum Group every Tuesday and Saturday between 8am and 3pm, selling a range of antiques, collectables and vintage items. The Car Boot, Bric-a-Brac and Collectibles Market Operated by the Antique Forum Group every Thursday between 8am and 3pm, selling a range of bric-a-brac and collectable items. The Farmers' Market Every fourth Friday of each month around the Guildhall and alongside the general market, between 9am and 2.30pm, bringing together food from local and regional producers and also periodic craft and creative makers. For further details about Newcastle’s markets, go online to: www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk.
Coming up... Saturday, March 5 Live at the Rigger at 8.30pm at The Rigger, Marsh Parade, Newcastle. With Thunder Hammer. Details: ww.gigantic.com/thunder-hammer-tickets/the-rigger. Sunday, April 3 Spring Vegan Festival in Newcastle town centre. 10am onwards. A great place to find out about veganism and see how you can help animals, the planet and yourself! All very welcome. Come for delicious hot and cold food, lots of sweet treats, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, cheeses, honee and pies, many beauty products, ecofriendly, zero waste products and refills, dog treats, beautiful crafts, cards and jewellery and so much more. So many amazing vegan products in one place. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/255510920044500. 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. 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. Newcastle Life Issue 33 31
BRITAIN IN BLOOM
New sculptures trot into town
N
ew deer sculptures in Newcastle have become the latest project commissioned by Newcastle Borough Council. Made by apprentices and sponsored by businesses, the sculptures aim to highlight animals/plants native to the area as part of the borough s Britain in Bloom campaign. Two eye-catching sculptures have been installed on opposite sides of the Parkhouse Road traffic island on the A34, by Parkhouse Industrial Estate. It s the latest flora and fauna project commissioned by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, made by young engineering apprentices and sponsored by local businesses to highlight animals and plants native to the area as part of the borough s successful Britain in Bloom campaign. The models featuring nine stags, does and fawns walking and grazing among the heather have been developed by Luke Steadman, aged 20, and Bayley Palmer, 18, from Achieve Training using a design created by internationally renowned sculptor and North Staffordshire born Andy Edwards.
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Luke and Bayley were involved in the design, construction, assembly and welding processes under the guidance of Artworks Manager Phil Brown. The silhouettes, ranging up to two metres tall, are galvanised to match the other sculptures representing a brown trout, buzzard, dandelion and bee, frog, hare and a snowdrop which feature on other key town centre gateways to enhance the environment and celebrate the borough s natural heritage. The latest installation is sponsored by Newcastle-underLyme Business Improvement District and Dereky Mawby Surfacing. Councillor Jill Waring, Cabinet member for leisure, culture and heritage, said: The deer look magnificent. The Parkhouse roundabout is in a really prominent location, on a main route into Newcastle and Kidsgrove, so the families will be seen and appreciated by thousands of residents and visitors from all angles. Luke and Bayley should be very proud of their work once again they ve done a brilliant job. It s great to add to our growing collection of popular
sculptures depicting indigenous species. So far we ve got mammals, an amphibian, a bird, fish, insect and a plant. They brighten up our roundabouts, attract positive comments and put a smile on people s faces something which is needed now more than ever. Britain in Bloom is all about improving the appearance of the borough, celebrating our heritage and creating the conditions to encourage economic growth. The borough s illustrious campaign goes back 30 years and we re always coming up with new and innovative ways to stand out among regional and national competitors. The tangible benefits of an attractive environment are acknowledged and appreciated by local businesses who are proud to sponsor our various activities and have continued to do so at the same level during the pandemic, despite the difficulties many have faced, which is absolutely amazing. Our ongoing partnership with Achieve Training, apprentices and businesses is really fruitful in many ways. It s also extremely rewarding to help prepare young people from the borough for work by giving them invaluable experience and the opportunity to develop their skills." Achieve Training is the largest apprenticeship provider in Staffordshire. Dan Canavan, Executive Director of Achieve Training, said: We re delighted to work alongside Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council to produce this fabulous new sculpture, which has been skilfully crafted by two talented young apprentices in our Artworks team Luke and Bayley. The two families of grazing deer will create a warm and tranquil scene on Parkhouse roundabout that will brighten the journeys of commuters and visitors to our town, and help to showcase Newcastle as a hub of culture, industry and local talent.
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
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quiz corner
Let s get quizzical
COMPILED BY PAUL STEELE
1. Who was pursued by Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde? 2. Which 70s hit was based on Psalms 19 and 137? 3. Who debuted in 1920 as the Little Lost Bear? 4. Which British woman won the US Open single title this year? 5. Saudi Arabia has one, the British Army two and Essex three of what on their flags? 6. Moonrakers are natives of which county? 7. Peter Bottomley inherited which title from Ken Clarke? 8. Which deaf woman is competing in Strictly Come Dancing this year? 9. Which West-End musical is based on the lives of Henry VIII s wives? 10. What was first published in Dutch as Het Achterhuis in 1947? 11. What term for an obsessed fan comes from an Eminem song? 12. Who stars as Princess Diana in the 2021 film Spencer ? 13. Which British driver will be the teammate of Lewis Hamilton next season? 14. Who plays the part of the father of Venus and Serena Williams in the 2021 15. Who narrowly won Canada s election in September this year keeping him in power? 16. Which Only Fools and Horses star died in September 2021 aged 79? 17. Who won an Emmy for her performance as the Queen in the Netflix series The Crown in 2021? 18. Who has replaced Sue Barker as the host of BBC s Question of Sport ? 19. Which supermarkets clothing range is sold under a name meaning you in French? 20. What fruit is a Pink lady or Cripps pink? 1. Stonewall 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)
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Quizzes compiled by Paul Steele - email: pnsteele@aol.com. Paul's 'Which One?' quiz game is available on Amazon.
film King Richard ?
Give the gift of experience this Mother's Day
Afternoon Tea for Two e-gift vouchers now available at www.worldofwedgwood.com Scan the QR, purchase online, then receive your print-at-home voucher straight to your inbox. Easy. Restrictions apply. See website for T's and C's.
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