BRIDGTONIAN SPRING 2015

Editorial

It is with sadness that I report the resignation of our chairman, Tony Pearson. Tony has given such a lot of his time and his expertise to Bridgtown & District Local History Society. We shall greatly miss his input and presence. Indeed it was Tony who was the major motivating force behind the formation of our society in 2009. This resignation is a very recent event and, at this stage, no decisions have yet been made about how the society will function without his leadership. However, I am keen to reassure everyone that our society will continue to function and continue to do all the things that we have regularly done over recent years. We shall miss Tony’s input but I know that he wants our society to continue to go from strength to strength.

Since our Winter 2014 magazine was published we have enjoyed three first-class monthly meetings. In December we enjoyed our Christmas festivities with special music from the excellent Bel Canto Choir. In January we learned so much more about “Old Cannock” from Mike Hewitt and, in February, Chris Gooch informed us about life at Shugborough Hall. All three sessions were extremely enjoyable.

A full programme of events is also lined up for 2015. A couple of our speakers have yet to be confirmed but the whole year is already organised. Our thanks go to David Battersby for continuing to organise and arrange such interesting speakers.

Our “team” of organisers is gradually diminishing and we really would welcome a new input of ideas and suggestions and helpers! Please think seriously about joining us. We have a regular meeting on a Wednesday morning once a month with smaller groups meeting occasionally at extra times in order to complete specific tasks. Even if you cannot commit to coming regularly please think about giving us some help with jobs that need doing, such as sorting and cataloguing photographs, selling raffle tickets, making coffee, etc., etc. If you don’t mind helping, just tell one of the people listed on the final inside page of this magazine.

David Williams (editor), 12th March 2015

News

Recently Katherine Page received a package from Norway It contained a letter from Norman Seedhouse, son of Howard Seedhouse who many of you will remember. Also in the package was lots of information about times gone by in Bridgtown. Much of this information will be appearing in this magazine as time goes by. Here is a copy of Norman’s letter:

Dear Katherine,

As you requested I have written a little piece on Bridgtown as I remember it from my childhood.  Please feel free to edit or shorten this to suit your purpose, but if you do decide to use any of it I should like to see a copy of your publication.

You ask also about my background.  To cut a long story short, I eventually married a Norwegian. We lived in Yorkshire until I retired and then moved across to my wife's home town in Norway.  We have one married daughter and our three grandchildren are still in Yorkshire, one son in Norway, and one in Canada. So we are somewhat spread out.

My parents however maintained a lifelong interest in Bethel Church and I have tried to call in there when I have had the opportunity.  As mentioned earlier my cousin, Anne Hazell, is an active member at Bethel, and does her best to keep me informed of what goes on in Bridgtown.

With best wishes.

Norman Seedhouse

More news

Tony Bibb brings up to date with a local honour.

Denise Moreton

Many of you will recall Denise Moreton, nee Matthews, of Codsall visiting us to talk about her maternal family, the Twiggs of Watling Street Bridgtown who were a Circus Family with connections to Beppo the Clown.

Denise was born in Wedges Mills and attended the St Mary’s Convent School off St Johns Road. Her father Bill Matthews ran the Billiard Hall above Burton’s Menswear in Cannock for many years from the 1940s.

Denise was awarded the OBE in the New Years Honours list this year for her services to the Women’s Institute Movement in Staffordshire, for whom she has held several positions including that of Chair.

Our Society sends congratulations to local lass Denise on her well earned award and her forthcoming visit to Buckingham Palace.

RAYMOND EDWARD SMALLMAN

1929 – 2015

It is with sadness that we learn of the death of Professor Ray Smallman. He was perhaps the most notable of all Bridgtonians, gaining worldwide recognition for his work and his life. On the following two pages Ray’s younger brother Tony reminds us about Ray’s life. We appreciate Tony writing this piece for us at such a difficult time.

This is in memory of a Bridgton son, who was christened Raymond Edward Smallman. He was born on 4th August 1929 in Wolverhampton to Edith and David Smallman, who eventually owned the Fish and Chip Shop in New Street, Bridgtown. He was the third of five children.

Raymond came to Bridgtown in 1936 at the age of 7 and attended the Boys’ School. At the age of 9 he had passed his 11 plus exam and then went to Rugeley Grammar School. He had to walk one and a half miles to get to Cheslyn Hay railway station. Norman Brooks, who lived on Watling Street was to become his lifelong friend. Raymond became a victim of school bullying but Norman was always there to support and protect him.

I, Anthony Smallman, was born in 1940 when Raymond was 11 years old. Due to the large age difference, growing up we did not have a great deal to do with each other, although Sunday lunches for the whole family inevitably brought us all together. At the age of nineteen, Raymond asked me to join the Bridgnorth Golf Club, so that he could play golf with me as his partner.

Both Raymond and Norman were keen dancers and this led to them meeting their future wives (local girls who have remained friends to this day). The two couples often attended local dances and they also danced at Trentham Gardens. At least once a year they would dance at The Tower Ballroom, Blackpool.

Before Raymond and Doreen married, we used to go to Christmas Parties at Doreen’s house. A great memory of one of these parties was the heavy snow of Christmas 1947. We had to walk there and the snowdrifts at Middle Hill were as high as double decker buses.

Raymond married Doreen Faulkner on 6 th September 1952 and they had two children, Lesley Ann and Robert Ian.His very successful career in metallurgy is well documented in his “Memoirs of an Academic Metallurgist”. He was employed at Harwell from 1953 to 1959, where his career went from strength to strength. He returned to Birmingham University as Professor of Metallurgy and Material Sciences, running his department and lecturing there and all-round the world. Later on in his career he became Vice Chancellor of the University.

Raymond travelled all over the world in his lifetime – frequently lecturing and sometimes as a tourist.

My proudest memory of Raymond was when he came to give a lecture at a 3-day conference in Pretoria. I was the Chairman of the Powder Metallurgy Association (PMA) of South Africa and I had the honour of introducing him to the conference as my brother, Emeritus Professor of Metallurgy and Materials Science, University of Birmingham – Raymond Smallman, C.B.E., D.Sc., FREng, FRS.

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This picture shows Eddie Smith,  Chairman of Bridgtown Parish Council, presenting a cheque to Janet Burns, Leader of Bethel Saturday Club, on behalf of Bridgtown Community Trust. 

BRIDGTOWN WAR MEMORIAL

The planning department of Cannock Chase have advised the Society that the War Memorial in North Street has been granted by British Heritage the status of “Grade 2 listed building”.

The local British Legion after the end of the First World War proposed the creation of a Memorial Park with wrought Iron Gates on land boarding Bridge Street and Watling Street. They were unfortunately not able to raise the funds so a public meeting was called and the majority attending favoured the erection of an Obelisk and a committee was formed.

Mr P Hill, a Cannock Stonemason, was contracted to erect an Obelisk with 40 names of the young men who lost their lives. It was dedicated in 1924.

Fund raising continued with the final instalment raised at a Christmas Fayre shortly before the commencement of the Second World War. A further 10 names were added at the end of the action in WW2.

The British Legion achieved their ambition to honour the fallen of the two world wars, when the “Poplars” (a large property in Union Street) became available. They purchased the house and opened it as Bridgtown Memorial Club.

DEDICATION OF WAR MEMORIAL 1924

Ivor Cooke, the artist

Ivor Cooke now lives in Evran, a small village in Brittany, North West France, with his daughter and is a very successful artist with his paintings in great demand. He always ensures his visits back to Cannock coincide with our annual exhibition and wears with pride his T-Shirt with “BRIDGTOWN ay it” displayed.

At our 150 years celebration event, he presented the Society with a painting of the old Mid-Cannock Colliery viewed from the Walsall Road. He also later made a donation to the School of one of his paintings showing Coppice Colliery (better known as Hawkins Colliery).

In order to allow a wider audience to view these paintings showing closed local collieries, they are now to be displayed at the Chase Museum in Hednesford. The Society will also be given publicity for providing them

Ivor was born on the 30th April 1936 at 68 Watling Street, (next door to the Dawkins and Gill families). He attended Bridgtown Infants’ and Boys’ Schools before, at 13, passing the entrance examination for Cannock High School (located at that time in the then Mining College).

He joined Staffordshire Police Force on completion of his National Service, and was a serving officer for 17 years.

Ivor had always loved painting (winning prizes before he left school) and, after the police force began to sell his paintings, he became very well known in the Midlands and had a number of exhibitions.

In 2002 he moved to be with his daughter Caroline and husband in Jersey. They moved to their present business, a Restaurant and Hotel in France in 2005.

HISTORY SOCIETY NEWS

Tony Pearson has decided to stand down as Chairman of our society. Tony has overseen the growth and development of Bridgtown & District Local History Society and we would not be where we are now without his tremendous input. Nevertheless the rest of “the team” are determined to bring to fruition the many projects in which we are involved.

There is to be a new book published later this year. John Devey and David Williams are working hard already on this, as yet untitled, book. It will show lots of photographs that have not been published before.

All of “the team” are also working on a longer-term project, the publication of a proper “History of Bridgtown” which will catalogue the growth and development of our village and include many stories from days gone by. It will probably take about two years before this enormous task is completed.

Our Churchbridge book is selling well but there are still a few left if you have missed out on our latest book. Bridgtown Memories is now completely sold out unfortunately but there are still copies available of Bygone Bridgtown, Bridgtown Born & Bred and Bridgtown and Beyond.

We are still asking for World War 1 memorabilia for a display we are planning to mount at some relevant point in time. Please search your homes to see if you have anything that you can lend to us to commemorate the Great War. So far we have collected information but no pictures at all. Can you help?

As you will have seen on page 4, Mr Norman Seedhouse lives in Norway and is 83 years of age. He has sent us this information:

Census information in 1871, gives Tertius North as a wood turner, born in Penkridge. He was aged 37 and his wife Alice, born in Ashton under Lyme, was 41. By 1891 he had moved to Walsall Road and by 1911 he was living in Park Street. It is believed that these cuttings are from the time of his death in 1932.

Tertius North was one of the founders of Methodism in Bridgtown as the following pages illustrate very clearly. The following documents were also included by Norman Seedhouse:

These attachments are from the Jubilee handbook of 1960.

 

EATING IN THE UK IN THE FIFTIES

Tea was made in a teapot using tea leaves, not bags. Tea had only one colour, black. Green tea was not British. Cubed sugar was regarded as posh. Sweets and confectionery were called toffees. The starter was our main meal. The menu consisted of what we were given, and was set in stone. Only Heinz made beans, any others were impostors. Leftovers went in the dog. Special food for dogs and cats was unheard of. Sauce was either brown or red.

Childhood CannockA Memory of Cannock by Tony Bibb

I started school at The Croft in High Green next to WG Smiths. This was near to the Danilo - Queen of Cinemas of the time and fascinating to visit. Later from Walhouse School we spent lunchtimes playing cowboys and Lone Ranger chases on Shoal Hill listening out for the one o’clock siren at the Colliery to tell us that it was time to make our way back to school for the afternoon lessons. The walk up New Penkridge Road with its many "conker" trees. The town centre – Dace’s and Dutton’s sweet shops, Bob Reynolds the Butcher’s Linfords amazing shop, Beasley’s Grocery with its unique cash handling wired system and my school friend Francis Beasley Salmons, grocers, and D W Clarkes best shop in town. The large building housing the Coop in Church Street with the Health Office and Fire Station nearby in Queen Square, Harry Hughes Toy Shop on Walsall Road and later Wolverhampton Road. Chum’s Club at the Danilo and later "pop" shows with many recording stars of the 60s at the Danilo - I used to organise coach trips over to Cannock from Stafford in the 60s to see these shows - fantastic nights - Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Dusty Springfield, Shane Fenton, The Searchers, Herman’s Hermits to name a very few, most of them to be found after shows having a drink in the town’s Royal Oak pub . The old outdoor market and the Market Hall with Tranters Butchers in the basement area and

Steadman’ Chippie at the side, the Green and Cream Wolverhampton Corp Bus which terminated its round trip to Wolverhampton outside the fantastic Rosa’s ice cream shop and Harpers single decker to Brewood and Calf Heath outside Withington’s House. The "crocodile" of pupils at Walhouse School wending its way to and fro St Luke’s Church on Thursday mornings, Withington’s Shop with an outdoor photo board displaying wedding and local photos by Fred Parsons and the British Restaurant where I had lunchtime meals served by my grandmother when I was at Walhouse. The Courier and Advertiser Newspapers and Praill’s Stationers in Wolverhampton Road with fellow Wedges Mills resident Audrey Meeson behind the counter when I bought my weekly Cannock Courier newspaper. In my teens Dr Butters old house in Wolverhampton Road taken over as the Town Police Station where I was to be stationed as a Police Cadet in the late 50s and later early 60s at the time of the Chase Child Murders . The New Hall next to the Post Office in High Green where Walhouse School’s annual concert was produced. Most of these memorable locations long gone thanks to the planners of the sixties who decimated the town and took away all its charm. Enough happy memories survive for me to still see it as it was and not as it sadly is today.

Dust if you must........

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be betterTo paint a picture or write a letter,Bake a cake or plant a seed,Ponder the difference between want and need.

Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,Music to hear and books to read,Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world’s out thereWith the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,A flutter of snow, a shower of rainThis day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mindOld age will come, and it’s not kindAnd when you go – and go you must –You, yourself, will make more dust!

Author unknown

Punographics

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst. I know a guy who's addicted to brake fluid. But he says he can stop any

time. I didn't like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.