Cheddleton WI
Mal welcomed everyone, including County Chair Helen Mancey to our Annual Meeting and supper.
Birthday greetings were given to Carol, and Dorothy was thanked for the Trauma Teddies she has knitted - the latest one was available to see, and patterns are available if anyone else would like to do one.
Members were reminded that photos are needed for next year’s calendar, and Helen was asked to pass on our request that the names of the photographers should be included in the calendar.
The results of the programme survey, when members have the chance to give a score out of 10 for each monthly meeting were given: most popular was Janice Burton MBE with her guide dog and paralympic gold medals, but all the speakers scored more than 7/10, so the content of the meetings has obviously been appreciated!
Mary announced that the resolution choice from Staffordshire for the Annual Meeting this year was the one dealing with Dental Treatment.
There was a list to sign for anyone interested in a Moorcroft Factory Tour and there were plenty of signatures. This will be arranged in April. Julie had a comprehensive list of ideas for future trips and activities for members to tick their interest, and names were taken for the Spring Event in Stafford.
The petition about the noise nuisance and speed of lorries through the village is ready to go to Karen Bradley MP, Staffordshire County Council and Staffordshire Safety Partnership. We have been given permission from NFWI to use the WI trade mark on this. Members then enjoyed a tasty pie and pea supper, provided by Carol, who was thanked for the catering.
This was followed by the Annual Meeting.
Secretary Mary Worwood gave the committee’s report with details of the speakers and numerous other events members have enjoyed during the year. She thanked everyone for their enthusiastic participation, and looked forward with confidence to another happy and successful year.
Treasurer Doreen Hughes gave the financial report; a healthy balance and a surplus this year. She particularly highlighted the contribution made by the raffle, bring and buy and the teas, and invited members to look at the financial statement for more details.
Helen Mancey then spoke about a new initiative: The Learning Hub. This has been set up after the sale of Denman College, and she gave brief details of the history of the college for new members.
She told us how to access the information - all sorts of subjects, not all WI related, and free, and urged members to explore the site.
Mal Smith was unanimously re-elected as president, and the committee remains the same, with Julie Edwards taking over as secretary, and Mary Worwood as assistant secretary.
Mal thanked everyone for their confidence in her. She thanked Mary for her work as secretary, and presented her with a bunch of flowers. She announced Fiona Stilwell as the monthly competition winner for the year. She also thanked Helen for attending the meeting and presented her with a plant.
We meet at 7.30pm on the 1st Tuesday of each month, at St.andrews on Ostlers Lane, Cheddleton, and a varied programme is in preparation for next year. Visitors and new members can be sure of interest, fun and a friendly welcome. Contact Mal on 01538 360774.
Cheadle Historical Society
On Thursday 25th February David Appleby, a long-standing Society member presented his talk ”Transport Local and More”.
Prior to his introduction, Mike Plant (Chairman) advised us of an event at the library on Saturday 27th, a video collection by Harry Godwin. Admission £2.00 including refreshments.
He also mentioned that the Grosvenor Tomb in St Giles the Abbot cemetery needs quite a lot of renovation, the church and Diocese have the task in hand and Mike proposed a vote in the room to approve donation of £100.00 from the Society to assist. There was unanimous agreement. Apparently, the Griffin Tomb (residents of Greenhill prior to the Blagg family) also requires attention. Without this work, those two important tombs are at risk of disappearing, which would be a great loss to the Town’s history. David was then introduced. Transport is essential for life as we know it, the distribution of food, fuel and goods depend on it, whether by air, sea, rail, or road.
We all know that the development of “the wheel” was so important. One of David’s first images was a drawing of a 4 wheeled cart, this was found in Krakow, excavated from a neolithic settlement and has been carbon dated to be from 3,400 B.C.
The Romans of course were super road builders, creating roads to help develop the Roman Empire. Locally the turnpike road from Blythe Marsh to Thorpe in Derbyshire was very important. The Bassett family of Blore Hall, held a manor in Cheadle since the 14th Century.
In 1762 coaches ran from Birmingham to Manchester. On Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays coaches would leave the Wheatsheaf in Cheadle. In 1864 Steam and petrol driven vehicles were “red-flagged” and limited to 4 m.p.h. David stated that the first speeding fine was recorded in 1866 being issued to a Mr. Arnold of East Peckham, the fine being one shilling (5 pence for you younger members) plus costs.
The massive Pickford haulage company was inaugurated in 1646 operating locally transporting limestone from local quarries to the Goyt Valley in Derbyshire.
They moved into general haulage and combined this with carrying passengers.
In 1756 the Manchester Mercury informed it’s readers that a |Manchester to London would leave Blossoms Inn, Lawrence Lane and arrive at The Bell Inn, Horndon on the Hill in 10-11 days. The travelling time reduced to 4 ½ days with the introduction of “Fly Waggons.”
The movement of food and ammunition for the army in WW! saw the business expand quickly over a short time. Pickford’s moved with the times introducing steam engines and waggons.
As we all know they grew into a massive business and bow 400 years later operate worldwide.
Locally, The 20th Earl of Shrewsbury, Charles Chetwyndtalbot introduced a daily Greyhound coach service from Alton Towers to
Buxton. He set up a Hansom Cab business in London with 210 cabs, expanding this business to Paris. Both businesses folded in 1891 due to labour problems. His interest in horses spilled over into motor cars, and he was a founder of The Talbot Motor Co.
In 1848 a Stoke to Derby railway service opened followed by the Churnet line.
In 1898 construction of a tunnel began at Totmonslow opening in 1909, to enable coal to be transported from the New Haden Colliery, it had many problems with roof collapses and level problems and had a relatively short life. The tunnel connected Cresswell to Cheadle.
Interest in motor cars grew and Edward Bolton was a serious competitor competing in the Oakamoor to Cotton hill climb. At that time a surgeon Henry Thompson Bart wrote that travelling by a motor vehicle “was healthy and an aid to the movement of the bowels”, not a salesman’s usp today!
The Rolls Royce Company was founded by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce after a meeting in Manchester. They came from very different backgrounds, Rolls the son of an aristocrat, studied engineering at Trinity College, Cambridge, Royce was the son of a miller who studied hard at night school and worked in electrical engineering.
They were very interested in producing quality cars, the first being a Silver Ghost in 1906 capable of 80 mph. The factory was built in Derby. Rolls was the first Englishman to be killed in an air crash in July 1910 at the age of 32.
Royce continued to develop the business, producing engines for Spitfires and jets. A RR engine powered Malcolm Campbell’s Bluebird, in 1935 it achieved a speed of 301 m.p.h. producing 2,300 horsepower and weighed 4.75 tons. In direct contrast to this business another local company Reliant was started in Tamworth.
David showed pictures of charabancs, they were large opentopped buses, had solid tyres, poor brakes, with no protection from the elements. One was ready to depart from Stone to Rhyl. This would be a 6 hour journey each way at a speed of 12 m.p.h. Not for the faint-hearted!
Memorable local bus operators mentioned were, P.M.T, the Old Bill Omnibus from Blythe Bridge, Joe Stevenson and more.
This, as expected from a respected Society member, was a very interesting and informative presentation.
Michael Harrison gave a vote of thanks on behalf of those present and added some of his memories. Everyone responded with a welldeserved round of applause.
Our next meeting is on Thursday March 21st at New Life and Byron Machin is our speaker, “The Mines of The Peak District, A Story in Stone” is the topic.
The committee is meeting this week to fix the ‘24-‘25 programme.
Anyone interested in joining us will be made very welcome. We have two short informal and friendly meetings a year. Please have a word with me if you are interested, nothing to be afraid of!
Finally, don’t forget the fabulous Cheadle Moon event at St Giles the Abbot, which takes place from now until April 5th FREE ENTRY with tickets from outsidearts.org