‘Nasty’ thieves taking flowers from graves 20 years ago today – stories from February, 2001
GRIEVING families were left distraught in February, 2001, because thieves had been stealing flowers from their loved ones’ graves.
Dozens of wreaths were removed from St Lawrence’s churchyard, Biddulph, and families feared the thieves had been selling them on to unsuspecting customers.
Pat Brown, aged 54, of Torville Drive, Biddulph, was horrified to visit the grave of her son, who died 20 years ago at the age of nine, to find the flowers she had left there had disappeared.
Then she discovered the same thing had happened at the grave of her husband’s parents.
She said: “At first my husband and I were upset, but then we became angry. We were disgusted to find people could stoop so low. It is like robbing the dead. If just one or two go missing, you suspect children are messing around.’’
Mrs Brown, pictured by her son’s grave, added: “The church office inform us that someone is stealing the wreaths from lots of graves, repairing them and selling them on to unsuspecting customers.
“It is even sadder when you think about the tiny amount of money people could make from selling the flowers.”
The Vicar of St Lawrence’s, the Reverend Martin Cannam, said: “It is nasty because people of Biddulph take a great deal of care looking after their loved ones’ graves.
“I have no idea who it is, but I am sure it is not children messing about.”
All dressed up as charity shop hit £250,000 mark
A CHARITY shop in Leek were celebrating raising a quarterof-a-million pounds in just four years.
A stag night, fancy dress do, or a night out at the Rocky Horror Show – the Cancer Research Shop in Derby Street promised to provide outfits for them all.
Shop manager Christine Pearson said: “It is great to reach the quarter of a million pound target in just four years.
“For such a small shop, we are very popular, with many people coming in buy things from us for all sorts of events.
“We even provided clothing for the BBC2 drama, In a Land of Plenty.”
Christine puts the shop’s success down to the generosity of donors as well as help from their volunteers.
She added: “People donate all sorts of things.
“One man came in and left a few boxes. When we opened them we found Doulton figures and other china which raised £3,500 alone.
“Our volunteers are so dedicated and these factors make the shop work.”
Badly-timed holiday leaves kids locked out
CHILDREN were locked out of their skateboard ramp for halfterm 20 years ago – because the town council clerk was on holiday.
The ramp in Tean Road recreation ground, Cheadle, had been one of the most popular spots for children during school holidays and at weekends since it was built in 1996.
But the gates to the ramp remained locked for half-term week, meaning youngsters who wanted to play there had been either scaling the six-foot fence or turning away.
The council says it has been “inundated” with complaints from parents, anxious that their children are unable to make use of the facility. The foreman responsible for unlocking the area says the ramp’s metal surface has sunk unevenly over the winter, making it unsafe.
And Cheadle Town Council, which owns the recreation ground, is unable to fix the problem until town clerk Jean Smith returns from her own holiday – by which time the children will be back at school.
Assistant clerk Brenda Ward said: “I have been inundated with people coming here and knocking at the door, wanting to know why the skateboard ramp is locked.
“It is frustrating and a
nuisance, although it is still basically winter anyway. In the foreman’s opinion, the ramp is not safe and he has chosen not to unlock it.
“But we cannot do anything about fixing the problem until the town clerk comes back, and she is off all week. She will have to look into it when she returns.”
Cheadle Town Councillor Ray James claimed the ramp was one of the few places local children could entertain themselves during the holidays.
He said: “Whether the town council like it or not, that skateboard ramp is supposed to be open for the benefit of Cheadle people.
“It is the most important part of the playground and lots of children like to use it. Residents pay a rate for the playground and it should be open at all times.”
The railings were installed to stop youths breaking in at night and lighting fires, drinking and shouting.
During the summer, the gates are normally unlocked at noon by the foreman and stay open until dusk.
The town council was considering removing the fence and relocating it to the Churchill Road playground.