uttox voice issue 52

Uttoxeter& CheadleUttoxeter

& CheadleFREE

13,000 COLOUR MAGAZINES PRINTED EACH ISSUE

Issue 52

3Let The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice take your business to 13,000 local homes. To advertise, call 01538 751629 or 07733 466 970.

Welcome to the first Voice colour magazine of2015 and sincere thanks to the many peoplewho have contacted me asking when this

issue will be out! It’s a great feeling knowing The Voicehas got such a fantastic following.Let’s hope we are all going to have a great year and enjoy each and

every day.It is wonderful to see so many new businesses popping up in the

Uttoxeter and Cheadle areas. I am sure the new Waitrose supermarket inUttoxeter will be a huge pull for new visitors into the town alongside theAsda etc development. There are superb small businesses in Uttoxeter,Cheadle and our surrounding local villages and I urge our massivereadership to support them in 2015.I haven’t been able to get down to Oldfields Club in Uttoxeter for a

few weeks due to Christmas and the bad weather but a recent visit mademe realise just how much I had missed it. Talking to Beryl, Bernard andEvan behind the bar and also to the fantastic club members once againmade me so happy and pleased that we have such a wonderful sports andsocial club right on our doorstep. Thank you to everyone there atOldfields!As you know I am a very firm supporter of horse racing especially my

local track Uttoxeter Racecourse where Executive Director DavidMacDonald and his team continue to elevate standards year on year.If you are a racegoer I am pleased to announce that Uttoxeter

Racecourse has kindly inserted a £5 OFF VOUCHER on Premier Ticketsin their advert on page 19 in this issue of The Voice for the prestigiousBetfred Midlands Grand National on Saturday 14th March – make sureyou use it by booking online or by phone quoting ‘Voice’ before February28th 2015 - come along and enjoy a wonderful day’s horse racing andsuperb facilities.The Voice’s new website www.uttoxeterandcheadlevoice.co.uk has

proved to be a huge success for local people. Now you can read themagazine page by page by clicking on the issue you want to read – totallyfree – and it has been a tremendous plus for our advertisers too!I hope you enjoy reading this Voice magazine!Nigel Titterton, Editor & Publisher

Dear Reader,

Publisher and Editor: Nigel TittertonThe Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice is published by

Community Voice Publications Ltd Telephone 01538 751629 e-mail [email protected]

The views expressed in this publication are those of our contributors and are not necessarily those ofthe publishers, nor indeed their responsibility.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright Community Voice Publications Ltd.Designed and Produced by [email protected]

HOW TO GET IN TOUCHThe Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice is wholly independent and ispublished at 3 Spode Close, Cheadle, Staffs ST10 1DT.

13,000 copies are distributed free to homes and businesses inUttoxeter, Cheadle, Rocester, Marchington, Denstone, Bramshall,Stramshall, Alton, Oakamoor, Tean, Lower Tean, Checkley, Leigh,Church Leigh, Crakemarsh, Combridge, Kingsley, Mayfield, Ellastone,Draycott, Cresswell, Saverley Green & Fulford and Doveridge areas.

Clients are welcome to view the printing matrix.

ADVERTISEMENT SALES AND EDITORIALTel: 01538 751629 or 07733 466 970Email: [email protected]

NEXT ISSUEThe next Voice will be distributed from March 20th 2015News Deadline: March 10th 2015Advertising Deadline: March 12th 2015

BOOK YOUR ADVERT NOW -EMAIL [email protected] PHONE 01538 751629

Everyoneloves TheVoice

4 If you are responding to an advertisement in The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, please let the advertiser know. Thank you for your support.

Call today for a free quotation

01889 567519www.industfarm.co.uk

Specialists in Industrial AgriculturalConstruction and Groundworks.

We also undertake domestic bespoke design and build projects to any size.

Groundworks • Concrete • Driveways • BuildingsEquestrian • Landscaping

Uttoxeter Tile and Bathroom LtdTel: 01889 560111 Mob: 07929 201128Email: [email protected] Monday to Saturday - Sunday Appointment Only. Late Night Wednesday

• Wide range of unique natural stone tiles and bathrooms• Suppliers of quality bathroom suites, showers and

wet rooms• Tile stockists of: Classic Flagstones, Vives, Porcelanosa and

Designer Tiles

• Bathroom stockists of: Synergy, Ashton & Bentley,Frontline and Imperial Bathrooms

• And also, all at great prices: Ultra adhesive, grouts andsilicones

• Call for Free Design and Quotation

NEW - We now fit and sell Karndean and Ambiance FlooringAND - We now provide a Full Drawings and Project Management Package for whole jobs!

We now sell Bombcosmetics!! (Bath Bombs, Soap, Candles etc)

Great Offers on tiles and suites • Very competitive prices • Open to trade and public


See how The Voice can publicise your businessGive us a call on 01538 751629 or 07733 466 970Advert prices start at only £25 and can hit over 13,000 homes

Foot and Toe Nail TreatmentsHome visits from £26, Clinic £24

• Toe Nail Cutting• Hard Skin and Corn Removal

• Fungal Infected and Thickened Nail Reduction

• Cracked Heels and Verruca Treatment.A general all over foot maintenance

Dawn Colclough MAFHP, MCFHP

Fully Qualified, Registered & Insured.A member of The British Association of

Foot Health Professionals

Trained at The SMAE Institute

Clinic at North Lodge, Upwoods Road,Doveridge, nr Uttoxeter, Derbyshire DE6 5LL

Tel: 01889 564592 Mobile: 07794 344 235Home visits and clinic appointments available

Dove Foot Health Care

Angie’s Patchwork & Quilting Shop3 Queen Street, CheadleStaffordshire ST10 1BQTelephone 07807530441Open Daily 9.30am - 4.30pm(Closed Wednesdays and Sundays)

Helpful and happy staff on hand to help and advise should yourequire it. A huge selection of Top quality, 100% Cotton Fabrics & Threads. Books. Notions. All Rotary Cutting Equipment

and a selection of quality Waddings.

View what we do... www.angiequilts.blogspot.com

Book your advert in thehugely popular Uttoxeter& Cheadle Voicemagazine now!Out March 20th!Take advantage of our massivereadership to attract customersTelephone 01538 751629 or simply email [email protected] Advert Discount Rates Available

DON’T MISS OUTE-MAIL YOUR ADVERT TODAY NO PRE-PAYMENTREQUIRED!!Pages go to the printers for the March Voice colourmagazine on March 13th - so you need to book early!!

Our readers tell us they do not throw The Voice in thebin but retain it for over 4 weeks until the next issue!!

That’s tremendous value for money for ouradvertisers!


The Crown at Abbots Bromleypub is located in centralAbbots Bromley. We alwayshave something special onoffer, when it’s cold outside,keep warm by the fire while insummer you and the kids willenjoy our outdoor familyseating area.

From a pint to a glass ofprosecco, from a sandwich to aChateaubriand, we offer suchgreat choice you’ll keep coming back for more! We look forward to welcoming you,whether you’re having a snack at lunchtime or a family meal in the evening!

• Celebrating 2 years inbusiness

• Wide choice of bar meals,speciality and steak dishes - all food madefresh to order.

• Lunchtime special offers• Sunday lunch menu withmany extra choices

• Great selection of up to 5 real ales

The Crown at Abbots BromleyMarket Place, Abbots BromleyWS15 3BSthecrownatabbotsbromley.co.uk

Tel: 01283 840227

Take a drive out to one ofour area’s hidden gems!

Restaurant Now Fully Re-Furbished

15% off your food billT&C Apply. Expires 7th March

V O U C H E R

Fireplace Adjustments

Approved Stockists of Chilli Penguin and Dean Forge Stoves

FREE Survery and Quotes

We also now have 1 Tonne Bags of Hard Wood logs £70

Winter Opening TimesTuesday, Thursday and Friday 10am-4pm

Saturday 10am-3pm

Staffordshire Stoves & Chimney Supplies

2 Market Place, Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 1AH

Phone: 01538 750 744Web: staffordshirestoves.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

A warmwelcome


Stockists of Fasteners & Fixings, Hygienic Fittings, Power Tools, Gas, PPE, Work Wear & More!

Black & DeckerWorkmate

1/2 PRICE & FREE DRILL SET!

ONLY £19.99

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK FOR REGULAR OFFERS! (Search fourwaysstoresdiy)

CALL 01889 507 177 EMAIL [email protected]

Fourways Unit, Fole Lane, Fole, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 5EWDown the road from JCB Heavy Products at JWCI!

Fo

le La

ne

Fo

le L

ane

UTTOXETER

CHEADLE

A522 Uttoxeter Road A522

Winter Warmers & Great Offers at Fourways Stores..Call in today!

Of�cial Suppliers of leading brands including:

COAL & LOGS!

Great prices, collect 7 days a week

CALOR GAS!

Immediate collection/exchange.

up to

30% OFF Any second tool or set

from Teng, Irwin & Stanley

HOW TO FIND US:

HURRY ENDS SOON!

Stockists of Fasteners & Fixings, Hygienic Fittings, Power T


ear & More!ork Wools Gas PPE, W er T Tools, Gas, PPE, W

ear & More!


OR R CALC LO


COAL &

ear & More!ork Wools, Gas, PPE, W er T Tools, Gas, PPE, W

&

ear & More!OPEN 7 DA

WEEK AA WEEK! MON-FRI 8am - 6pm

8am - 5pm TSAATSUN 9am - 4pm

up to

YS A AYS WEEK!

MON-FRI 8am - 6pm 8am - 5pm

SUN 9am - 4pm

OR

CALALO AS

llect

CAL collection/GAS!

etaidemmIexchange.

OAOGS &

OGS

ll

COALL

LO eat price ,

weekOGS!LLO

7 days a weekGreat prices, coll

&

le k

! k lect

30y f

30fro Any s

/ 2 P R IC REE EE DR DRI RIL ILL LL /2 P PRI RIC1 RE 1

up to0%%0 O

Irwin 0 OFF

Irwin eng g l Tm S Te second tool or set

& Stanley eng, om T Te

CE & CE L SETTT! SE E ET ET

CALL 01889 507 177 EMAIL


L [email protected]


[email protected]

HOW TO FIND US:

oFoole

Fleoe Ll

Lnanne

aen

Fole

Lane

U

OXUTTTO

A

CHEADLE

522 Utttoxeter Road

HOW TO FIND US:

XETER

A52225 22

A BloomingGood Start!Business is blossoming for Gemma

Ward after starting a newfloristry business in Uttoxeter

last June.Teaming up with fiancé and full

time web developer Mark, theycombined their talents to create PetalsScent - uniquely positioningthemselves as a local florist thatoperates primarily online.She said: “By operating online we

don’t have the overheads associatedwith traditional florists. This means wecan offer better value for customerswithout compromising on quality.”The former pupil of Windsor Park

and Thomas Alleyne’s studied floristryat Rodbaston College and gainedexperience through working for anumber of local flower shops.Having witnessed the costs involved with running a floristry store, and

with Mark’s online expertise on her side, she was determined to set up abusiness that could offer everything you’d expect from a high street florist,but for less.“It’s quite unusual for a small and local florist to have such an online

presence, but that’s what we’re trying to do. When you order flowers fromour website you’re dealing directly with us, meaning we can pass our savingsonto customers.”“Of course, not everything is online. I still meet customers for wedding

consultations and I’m available at the end of the phone. We may not have aphysical shop front, but our website is open 24/7!”All occasions are catered for, from gifts for loved ones to weddings,

funerals and corporate events. For more information visit PetalsScent.com oremail [email protected].


Have I got news for youby Uttoxeter’s Gary Hudson, Former BBC Chief News Reporter

Gary Hudson is a member of Uttoxeter LionsClub, a former BBC Chief News Reporter and asenior lecturer in Broadcast Journalism atStaffordshire University.

Great reporters – and a belated HappyBirthday, Midlands Today Ever since David Davies, the former BBC presenter

and later an FA executive, told Nick Owen onMidlands Today that one of the highlights of his timeon the programme was working with ‘great reporterslike Gary Hudson’, my head has become so big I havehad to buy a new hat. The unsolicited comments from someone I’ve

spoken to only a handful of times in the last decade(apart from sending him that cheque!) came during theprogramme’s fiftieth anniversary celebrationsI’m chuffed to be appreciated by one of my peers in

TV news, a craft we’re definitely better at it in Britainthan in a lot of places I’ve visited. American TV news, for example, is mostly rubbish.

And none more so than Fox News, as theydemonstrated recently.A complete idiot, described as such by the Prime

Minister but calling himself a terrorism expert on thechannel that gave him airtime, said Birmingham was ano-go area for non-Muslims. He said everybody inBirmingham is a Muslim and nobody else dares enterthe city. Even worse, the Sharia police patrol parts of

London and beat ‘and wound seriously’ people whoare not conforming to Islamic dress code.When the errors - not to say stupidity - of his

comments were pointed out, this buffoon offered agrovelling apology and promised to make a donationto Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

He was ridiculed brilliantly on social media, withpictures of the BT Tower being presented as the world’stallest minaret and a goalmouth described as a no-goarea for Aston Villa strikers. I suggested he must havemeant Birmingham, Allah-bama. And when he came out of the woodwork to be

interviewed on UK radio and TV, he would not saywhere he got his information from, except to suggest itwas from ‘usually-reliable’ sources.

Pretty Vacant – Fox on the runYou can watch this nitwit online – just Google

‘Steve Emerson’ and ‘Fox News’ – but the most tellingaspect of the broadcast for me is the gormlessexpression on the face of the Fox News presenter. Shedoesn’t challenge the outrageous comments of herinterviewee, probably because – like so manyAmericans – she is completely ignorant of foreigngeography and believes what she is being told. Millions of her compatriots probably believed him

too and it’s unlikely the apology will have reachedthem. They’ll probably never visit Birmingham, a citythat was described by the Rough Guide travel series asone of the ten most exciting tourist destinations in theworld.And on the Fox News website another ‘analyst’ was

saying there are ‘no-go’ areas all over Europe – states-within-states run by Sharia law.So would the BBC, Sky News, or even Al Jazeera,

have allowed those comments to go unchallenged?Well, they’ve all been hoaxed in the past, but not byanything so blatantly false. I think our journalists arebetter than that.

Quality coverage of earth-shaking eventsWatching the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo

shootings on our news channels, I saw some excellentreporting. The reporters handled great tragedysensitively and responded swiftly to unprecedentedevents as a trail of murder, hostage-taking anddramatic shootouts unfolded, and then developed overthe weekend into a mass outpouring of multi-ethnicsolidarity on the streets of Paris and other cities. Among the best of the reporters were people I

know fairly well. People like the BBC’s Phil Mackie,who reported graphically from the scene of thesupermarket siege.And Sky News’ Ian Woods, who was brilliant as he

commentated live on the shootout that ended thekilling spree - and the lives - of the two brothers holedup in a print works. Even as the bullets were flying, hewas calling for a change of microphone so he couldview events through the camera’s zoom lens, becausehe couldn’t see them properly with the naked eye.If that seems like an arcane detail, let me explain

that his initiative meant that Sky News wiped the floorwith the opposition. Ian reported accurately what hadhappened in the endgame of the siege fully five minutesbefore I flipped over to see the doyenne of BBCreporters, Lyse Doucet, still speculating about when itmight end.When I first knew him, Ian was a student, doing

late night sports reports at the radio station I workedat in Coventry. Later he reported and presented thenews on BBC TV in the Midlands when I worked there.Since then, he’s been a Sky News’ reporter, including aspell as Washington correspondent, and reported fromaround the world.At a time when freedom of expression was such a

key issue in the news, I was proud to know that Britishreporters – including some of my friends - wereupholding its finest traditions. Unlike those numpties atFox News.

Lank’s LoreBy Steve ‘Lank’ LavinGolden Memories from one of Uttoxeter’s Favourite Characters

One of my many passions in life is learningabout local area history. Old photographsand documents really interest me and I was

absolutely delighted when out of the blue a ladynamely Ivy Brunt called on me to discuss thepossibility of printing and publishing a book for her.Ivy is a native of Tean and is the fifth generation

of the Brunt family who have been brought up inthe village.Her love of history, especially of her own village,

the village of Tean has led to Ivy collecting virtually1,000’s of old documents and photographs of thearea dating back donkey’s years and she is anabsolute minefield of information regarding thearea.Apart from her historical interests Ivy is also

quite a poetess and has had one of her poemspublished in The National Poetry Anthology.She has been heard on the radio, she puts on

photographic displays, helps people research theirfamily trees and has written letters for the mainnewspapers.With this amassed knowledge and her expertise

in this field she decided to share it with everyone bywriting her first book and get it printed andpublished, hence while she came to visit me todiscuss the possibility of such an endeavour.It did not take long I can assure you to convince

me that she was really on to a winner here.With the help of the local councillors financial

support her ambition was fulfilled with her first

book entitled “A Fag n a Match” back in2010.This was an instant success and

commanded numerous reprints to satisfypublic demand.The success of Ivy’s first publication

prompted her to write her second bookshortly after in 2012 entitled “Memoriesare Made of This”.This again was another instant success

and was soon followed in January 2013by her third book “Long Ago and FarAway” and again owing to public demandlater that year her fourth book entitled“As Time Goes By” was published.All these publications were eagerly

snapped up by an expectant public andIvy has raised 1,000’s of £’s for localcharities from their sales.Was their any stopping this whirlwind

of an authoress? No chance!Last November Ivy came to visit me yet again

with her fifth book entitled “Echoes of the Past” forprinting.At the time of writing this column her new book

was well under print production and if any of thepast publications are anything to go by it should bean instance runaway success story.Ivy’s books can be obtained from Tean Post

Office and I can assure you you will not bedisappointed in their content.

One thing apart from her publications being asuccess, what is most important to Ivy is having agood laugh, and advises people to have at least onea day - if possible, that is!P.S. To cap it all Ivy found out through her

research that I am related to her through the Bruntfamily on my mother’s side, I am her third cousin.Small world isn’t it!Till next time,Lank

Ivy Brunt and I pictured a few weeks ago arranging theprinting of her new book


C E L E B R AT I N G 1 0 Y E A R S I N B U S I N E S S 2 0 0 4 - 2 0 1 4

It’s the lighting seasonSee our exciting new range ofoutdoor lighting (order before 3pmfor guaranteed next day delivery)

iPhone 6 & 6 Plusin stock

Latest Business Extra Planfor Small BusinessesCall today to get all this for just £37* a month: • Unlimited calls to UK landlines and UK mobiles• Unlimited UK texts• 4 GB data• Double speed 4G data• Free voicemail• Free next day faulty replacement• 3 hours international and roaming minutes in Europe and USA

Brookend House, Crakemarsh, Uttoxeter ST14 5BL

Tel 01889 591209 [email protected] www.vitalbusiness.co.ukOrange Approved Partner for over 17 years*All prices & charges quoted are plus VAT

New EE4G plans start at £12.50* per month

FREE Samsung S5or iPhone

5S

See how The Voice can publiciseyour [email protected] give us a ring 01538 751629 or 07733 466 970


It’s Panto time againin Cheadle – OHYES IT IS!!!Fun and laughter

will once again beradiating around theStaffordshireMoorlands, as C.A.T.S.(Cheadle AmateurTheatrical Society)treats the young andyoung at heart to itsannual Pantomime.This year, C.A.T.S. isperforming the muchloved Pantomime‘Cinderella’ writtenand directed byRebekah Snow.Rebekah Snow is

best known as anactress with C.A.T.S. and has won many awardsduring her eleven years with the Society. This isRebekah’s first time writing and directing.Rebekah studied Performing Arts and MusicalTheatre at college and decided last year, after‘Aladdin’ her tenth pantomime, to branch outinto the world of writing and directing. Rebekahhas recently completed a team programme withthe Prince’s Trust, and did work experience at theNew Vic Theatre in Newcastle which shethoroughly enjoyed.‘Cinderella’ will follow the traditional

pantomime format that the audiences love.Everyone knows and loves the timelessPantomime, ‘Cinderella,’ and Team C.A.T.S.promises to bring its own little bit of sparkle andmagic to the stage. Rehearsals are going well andRebekah says there will be plenty of laughter,singing and dancing. Rebekah added, “TeamC.A.T.S. is working very hard to make sure it’s amagical evening for all.”C.A.T.S. is well known in the area and has

won many awards for its productions. Lastyear’s pantomime, ‘Aladdin’ won a hatrickof awards at the N.S.D.A. awards night;The Vice President’s Trophy,’ also known asthe ‘Special Adjudicators Award,’ was givenin recognition of the costumes designedand made by Kath Carter, Kathryn Kentand the costume department. Theadjudicator commented “The dame’swardrobe was one of the best I have everseen.”The ‘John Goldsmith Memorial

Rosebowl’ was awarded for Best StagePresentation. This incorporates sets,scenery, costumes, make-up, props, specialeffects, sound, and lighting – practicallyeverything apart from acting, singing anddancing. This award was in recognition ofall the hard work that goes on to make aproduction come to life, so was a realC.A.T.S. team effort.

The third award was the‘Betty Bode MemorialTrophy’ for Best ComedyPerformance. This was wonby Ian Wood for his role as‘Widow Twankey’ and no onewas more surprised to winthan Ian himself. Ian has beenplaying the Dame in C.A.T.S.pantomimes for a number ofyears, and has made thevaried roles his own with hisinteraction with the audienceand unique stage presence.This year, Ian teams up

with another award winningactor, Dan Ede. The duo willplay the Ugly sisters, Drizellaand Anastasia. Ian and Danplayed the Ugly Sisters in2010 and stole the show with

their own brand of comedy, slapstickand glamour. Be prepared for anythingto happen! Their formidable mother,‘Ursula,’ is played by Ange Crank whomakes a welcome return to C.A.T.S.Sam Stevens, who takes on the role of‘Baron Hardup’ is Ursulla’s henpeckednew husband. Sparks are bound to flywhen all four are on stage.The title role of ‘Cinderella’ is

played by Jess Leake, who has beenwith C.A.T.S. for a number of years,performing in numerous pantomimesand plays. Chris Hammersley, who hasalso been in many C.A.T.S.productions, has wanted to play the role ofButtons since he played the role of Baron Hardupin 2010 and is really looking forward to gettingthe audience on side. Principal Boy, MichellePlant is looking forward to slapping her thighplaying Prince Charming alongside ‘her’manservant Dandini, the role taken on by Sara

Walker. This isSara’s secondpantomime withC.A.T.S. ‘Cinderella’would not becomplete without aFairy Godmother.Marj Stokes will besupplying themagic, ensuringCinderella can go tothe ball and theaudience enjoysthemselves. Marj isanother of C.A.T.S.award winningactresses.The main

characters arecomplemented by atalented supporting

cast of townsfolk, puppeteers, courtiers, dancersand singers. There is also the popular ultraviolettransformation scene that will have audiencespellbound. Of course, no pantomime will becomplete without lots of audience participation.It has been rumoured that the audience can beheard in Tape Street when they are shouting “OHNO YOU WON’T!” or “HE’S BEHIND YOU!”Behind the scenes, Team C.A.T.S is busy

making new costumes, designing and makingscenery and props, making the ultraviolet sceneand writing all the press releases, arranging radiointerviews and advertising the pantomime.‘Cinderella’ will be performed at The Cheadle

Community Theatre, The Cheadle Academy,Station Road, Cheadle, from Wednesday 18th toSaturday 21st February. Carriages must arrive by7.00pm.You are invited to an entertaining family

night out at an affordable price. Tickets arepriced at £7 adults (£5 concessions), and areavailable from Cheadle Dry Cleaners, CraftyUrchins and NuSyte Opticians (all in the HighStreet Cheadle) and The Cheadle and Tean Times.Visit C.A.T.S. website at www.cheadle-cats.org.uk or call Secretary Jenny Price on01538 751173 for more details.You’ll have a ball!

You are cordially invited to the Kingdom of Cheadleto attend the 2015 C.A.T.S. Pantomime - Cinderella

Hair &Manicuresby Kate

NVQ3 qualifiedstylist

offering avariety of

friendly mobileservices incl.

gel polish from£16, foils, cut & style

from £30

Call

07812 749 503

The Sewing PatchFabric, Patchwork, quilting

and sewing supplies

Fantastic range of 100% Cotton FabricsFriendly Workshops and Sit-n-Sew Sessions

Gift Vouchers available • DMC Embroidery Threads

We will be at the British Quilt and Stitch Village 2015 at UttoxeterRacecourse, 24th 25th and 26th April. Come and say hello...

Strawberry Garden Centre, Bramshall, Uttoxeter ST14 5BETel: 01889 562553www.sewingpatch.co.uk

Tues to Sat 10am to 5pm, Sun 11am to 3pm, Mon Closed


Quilt &StitchBritish

Village 2015

Come to the BritishQuilt and Stitch Village 2015!

Save even more!If you subscribe to one of our magazines, you pay even less!

Adult 1 Day £5* Adult 2 Day £9**Advanced tickets only

24th, 25th & 26th April 2015

Fantastic

–

HSA

D.Q

&S2

015.

TICK

ETS.

HP.

DEC

14

70th Anniversary of Auschwitz

Painsley Catholic CollegeSpecialist Science, Maths and Computing College

Students at Painsley CatholicCollege have been reflecting onthe significance of the 70th

anniversary of the liberation ofAuschwitz this month. In 2010 theCollege was awarded a saplingtaken from the tree which AnneFrank could see from the window ofthe attic room in the secret annex. On February 23, 1944, she

wrote “Nearly every morning I goto the attic to blow the stuffy air outof my lungs, from my favorite spoton the floor I look up at the blue skyand the bare chestnut tree, on whosebranches little raindrops shine,appearing like silver, and at theseagulls and other birds as theyglide on the wind. As long as thisexists, I thought, and I may live to

see it, this sunshine, the cloudlessskies, while this lasts I cannot beunhappy.”In 2010 the tree suffered storm

damage and disease and was felled,leaving behind the chance for thesmall number of saplings to findhomes in places around the world.After explaining the work of thestudents to combat prejudice anddiscrimination, the College receivedthe small tree, given by The AnneFrank Trust, which was planted inthe school grounds. To mark the remembrance of the

liberation of Auschwitz, where AnneFrank spent time imprisoned beforeher death, the students have beenpraying for an end to prejudice anddiscrimination of all types. During

their morning registration time, thestudents will spend time learningabout the story behind the tree anddiscussing their own responsibilitiesas individuals with the power toshape the world that they live in. Teacher Lauren Nicholson-Ward

said ‘The work that the studentsproduced in 2010, when the treewas awarded, did not stop once itwas planted. It is a legacy that hascontinued to grow through ourstudents’ efforts to make their owncommunities places of respect andacceptance.’ The tree, which is now around

six feet high, has counterparts in theChildren’s Museum of Indianapolisand in the grounds of the WhiteHouse.

Painsley Catholic College • Station Rd, Cheadle, Staffordshire ST10 1LH • 01538 483944 • www.painsley.co.uk


Balance Street Surgery in Uttoxeter, are now offering anti-wrinkle injections performed by Mr Peter Russell,

MB.BS.MSC.FRCS-plast and Dr S Brookes MB.ChB.MRCGP.

Limited appointments are available at a reduced rate of£199 for 3 areas until 31st March!

For more information please visitwww.balancestreetpractice.co.uk or ring the

surgery on 01889 562145

Gift vouchers are now available in multiples of £25!

Balance Street HC, Balance Street, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 8JG

Botox Spring Offer

Top Lawn Company (TLC) have over twenty years of solvinglawn and turf problems using practical, effective and efficientmethods.With treatments from as little as £15, your lawn could be theenvy of your friends, neighbours and prospective housepurchaser.TLC will help you prepare your lawn for all seasons, mosstreatment, weed treatment and drought tolerance with theright nutrients to ensure a high quality sward density.We also offer a complete maintenance program for yourlawn, a service which is unique because it is you that choosesafter a discussion with our local, highly trained andexperienced lawn expert.

Our servicesLawn treatments • Aeration and scarifying • Mowing

Turfing and reseeding • Hedge and tree trimmingMole catching • Garden clearance

Please contact us for a free analysis and quote

[email protected] 6126831 / 07472765834

Does your lawnneed a little TLC?

taWWaPuros otts me

retteawwa - tsyysslepod effekhthle

ertro

metd

blaiiaelr, ll, aLoconissofeprrofeceivvrse

&e bllaon

wkwaehthnalecewtoynamsaeranaccasrrsenalecclewdoinw

esuacabed nao, tto, tgeawwad eretiltffilerrpuesusyysrcrsiedrriessaglarouyyousttsposspoo ng invale, rr, aleccle

skksaerttrs

sllsllilFanddaacle

drrdawarehttonewretalattas

s or

dra

bladarrdffoAimpetitco

esciprri

noeFre -quonitgaiigaobl

neO - eroroffsttssiviisi

eertho tp UUp eary estor

e, blvei

-otesqu

rallague

ee-chea

awwao tto meiimetehthkeattaeWWesd nasmearraffrrouyyou

g inmover, itt, isvyrevveleco tto ouyyouorfford een

. yy. lyetarraapesm ehtthmearraffrwenruoyyop ekea, tt, hbrigd nanaleccle

lifeofesalewenaevvgi. sen orr oeoldrouyyou

NOWLCAL

hsasilllssehtthnaleeWWsmednaottolife

R FRO YOO NOW

eary estor

laciiareCommwlantiadeiesrresenktarunde

rsuniny lly Full

actffactioisSattisetteeanGuarran

TEQUOEE R FR

chea

ndalork w

en

edr

nactiodee

TE

NOWLCAL

077Or e- ima

R FROR YOUFFOR YOUNOW

70 76077shasbruzzasbruzzzbalii

TEQUOEE R FR

2 82570 76om.cliigma@es

TE

2 825om

e difthe eS

e encrfee dif ffe gi

!trys a ve ugi


J.A Bloor Agricultural Services in Hollington hasbecome a fully-fledged dealership handling theLandini tractor range and a number of well-known farm equipment lines to build on itsexpertise in the used equipment market.The new venture for J A Bloor Agricultural

Services Ltd was launched at several agriculturalshows last summer and the company is nowready to fling open the doors of expanded andimproved premises during an Open Day with acomplimentary hog roast and refreshments atOverton Farm, Hollington near Uttoxeter onSaturday, 14th March, 10am-5pm.Key suppliers and all staff will all be on hand

to guide visitors through the premises with itsshop and spares department, as well as theextensive range of new and used farm machineryin stock. Some great Spring Deals, generous raffleprizes and a hog roast will make it anentertaining as well as informative day.

“We’ve put a lot of time and energy intoimproving the facilities here to provide a betterand broader service to farmers and others inrural communities in Staffordshire andneighbouring counties,” he says. “Witheverything from fencing materials, gardeningequipment and quad bikes to trailers, slurryequipment and new tractors, we’ve become aone-stop-shop for all the things farmers,smallholders, gardeners, equestrians, localbusinesses and rural handymen need.”

Jason – The Farmer

Jason caught the ‘machinery bug’ as a youngboy, when school days were always too long andhe spent all his free time outdoors on the familyfarm or neighbouring farms developing hisagricultural skills.In the local Young Farmers Club, Jason’s

energetic personality drew great, life-long friends,many of whom he is grateful to for supportinghim as he worked hard to build up his successfulused farm machinery business.In his ‘20s, Jason established himself as a

reliable, hard-working farm contractor while also

working at home,which provided theperfect outlet toexercise his passion andskills in arable farmingand machinery.In 2004, faced with

some tough personaland professionalchallenges familiar tomany rural farmingfamilies, Jason stoppedmilking at Overton,consolidated hiscontracting activitiesand set up the currentbusiness, J A BloorAgricultural ServicesLtd.Fast forward almost

10 years and Jason isnow married with twodaughters and is just asdetermined to keepgrowing his business bybuilding on his corestrengths and values.

Used Machinery & Plant Hire

Although still keeping his hand and heart inbeef and arable work at Overton Farm, Jason’sbusiness is now reaching new and excitingheights. It is already well-known and respectedlocally as a business sourcing and supplying goodvalue second-hand farm machinery, and forhiring out high-spec seasonal machinery such asforage wagons, slurry tankers, tractors, loadallsand excavators to an ever growing number ofvalued customers.Price, knowledge and a genuine desire to

satisfy his customers’requirements are clearly Jason’spriority.

Retail Parts – For Dads &Lads!

Now, the future for thebusiness is more diverse as itsupplies high quality newmachinery as well as usedequipment, backed up by adiligent workshop and mobilerepairs and servicing, and thesupply of a bigger range of parts,tools and sundries.Jason says: “The new parts

store and retail operationmanaged by ‘Jake’ Leedham hasgone from strength to strengthsince he joined us thanks to hisgreat experience in this field.Every item is competitivelypriced and clearly labelled toensure quick and straight-forward purchase decisions.”Products in this department include the

Granit range of quality parts, accessories,clothing, tools and service items; Ehrle pressurewashers, batteries, LED lighting, Chemodex oils,children’s toys, electric fencing, tractor spares,power take-off shafts and guards, Draper tools,and a whole lot more.

Complete Service

In addition to Jason himself, who maintains avery much hands-on grasp of the workshopoperation, there are three experienced full-timetechnicians and a local engineering apprentice onsite to service and repair machinery. The modernoffice is also manned by a full time administratorusing professional IT accounts software to ensurethe highest possible customer service.

New Machinery

On the machinery supply side, new franchiseshave been taken on as part of the businessgrowth plan. These include an increasingly widerange of high quality, competitively priced farmequipment. Most recently, and a real feather inJason’s cap, is with Vicon, international supplierof a complete range of grassland machinery,sprayers and fertiliser spreaders.The other high-profile partnership is for

Landini, which enables J A Bloor AgriculturalServices to provide genuine parts, routineservicing and repairs to existing Landini tractorusers, and to supply new Landini tractorsthroughout Staffordshire and into Derbyshireand surrounding counties.“It’s a professional tractor range with a keen

following among livestock farmers in particular,”says Jason. “They’re invariably described asbomb-proof, in terms of reliability; I’ve traded anumber of Landini tractors myself over the yearsand historically found them to be good, strongwork horses that are straightforward and easy touse.”“The best thing we offer is a dedication to

customer service,” says Jason. “We’re not ‘nine ‘tilfive’ people here; the lads in the workshop startat 7am and finish at 6pm – or later if necessaryto get the job done – and my phone is on 24/7.”

The Open Day!

To receive your free hog roast lunch andattendance ticket for the Open Day on 14thMarch, please contact Jake on 01889 507040,option 1. Jason says “We warmly invite you tocome along and take a look at what we have onoffer.”

Local equipment specialistcelebrates new business dealershipswith Open Day on 14 March

A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E A T U R E

Jason Bloor and ‘Jake” (James) Leadham with a new Landini tractor: “We’relooking forward to new customers putting us – and Landini – to the test.”

Jake serving local customers in the well-stocked shop which sellstractor parts, oils, tools, lighting, batteries, pressure washers,service items, children’s toys and all the other products farmers andhandymen need day to day.


Just theperfect day...

A perfect day...Jim and I got married on 8th August 2014

after five happy years together. From themoment we got engaged we both had clearideas about the type of wedding we wanted.Very quickly shabby chic and vintage stylebecame the theme for our big day. Havingjust over a year to plan from start to finish, Idecided to get started straight away. We verymuch wanted a DIY wedding so that wecould add personal touches to the day. Beinga secret craft lover I couldn’t wait to getstarted on homemade decorations. Makingand creating very quickly became central toour day and the spare room soon became ‘thewedding room’. The homemade crafts rangedfrom hundreds of metres of beautiful buntingto paper decorations, wedding wishing trees,home made cake stands and many more. Ithink being a teacher helped me to stayorganised, sticking to deadlines to get thenext creation made by. Jim on the other handwas very laid back by it all... Which onreflection was good to keep me relaxed whenneeded Mayfield Hall was perfect for usbecause we wanted to do as much as wecould ourselves, providing the blank canvasthat we wanted. We were very lucky to havemany great family and friends to help us setup and decorate the hall and marquee a few

days before the wedding. Without them wereally couldn’t have done it! The night before the wedding my family

and the bridesmaids stayed at Mayfield Hall.On the day I woke up excited but feelingnervous incase we had forgotten anything. Asthe morning progressed we had hair andmakeup at the hall, then with good friendsBen and Hannah (HBA Photography) to startwith photos. They were great at trying torelax, what had become a very nervous bride.The nerves soon disappeared after tacklingthe giant staircase with every pair of eyesfocused on me! Seeing Jim for the first timethat day was a really special moment. Afterthe ceremony, we were able to make use ofthe gorgeous gardens for photos, drinks andmost importantly ice cream. It was fromPolly’s Parlour, a cute vintage converted VWCamper which fitted perfectly with thetheme. After that we headed in to themarquee for afternoon tea and speeches. The evening guests arrived soon after and

the party got started with our friends bandCtrl C. They were amazing and really madethe wedding something to remember!Surprisingly nothing went wrong on the day,everything really was perfect. Even theweather despite terrible forecasts for theweek leading up to it.

Bride and Groom: Nicola and Jim Malkin (Uttoxeter)

Bride’s Mum and Step Dad: Jo and David Jones (Fole)

Groom’s Parents: Jo and Pod Malkin (Uttoxeter)

Best Man: Dave Whitehead (Uttoxeter)

Groomsman: Carl Lowndes (Nottingham)

Bridesmaids: Charlotte Appleby (Uttoxeter), Nicola Gardner(Uttoxeter), Catherine Malkin (Uttoxeter) and Alex Jones(Manchester)

Flower Girl: Milly Elcock (Stoke)

Ceremony and Reception: Mayfield Hall

Photography: HBA Photography


One of the best parts of thewedding and the build up was havingthe people that mean the most to usenjoy it with us. My best friends,both at the time had new born babiesand still had time to listen to myworrying and help us set up. Wecouldn’t ask for better friends andfamily. A special thanks has to go toPoppy trading company run byOliver and Charlotte for providingall of the furniture free of charge andlots of reassurance when we weresetting up.Looking back on the day now we

often still smile about how wemanaged to plan it all ourselves. It

was exactly the way we wanted it tobe and so much more. I have yet tolook through the photos withoutgetting slightly emotional! It soundsso cliché but it really was the best dayof our lives. I actually miss planningthe wedding already, but I have all ofour beautiful decorations dottedaround the house now (much to Jim’sdisapproval) to remind us of suchspecial times. If we had to give anyone advice

about planning the big day, wewould say work together, know whatyou want and do what you wantbecause the day is about you.


Just the perfectday...


Glitz Dancewear & Fancydress

Everything you need for Danceand Fancy DressNEW FANTASTICCOSTUMES ARRIVINGNOW FOR WORLD BOOK DAY IN MARCH

But hurry to avoid disappointment!

We stock all styles of dancewear,shoes, bags etc for the experienceddancer or the complete beginner.

Large selection of Adult & ChildrensFancydress (to hire or buy) Wigs &Accessories for that special party or school production.

28 Bank Street Cheadle

01538 754414

7 Cross Street (off the High Street), Cheadle ST10 1NP

Tel 01538 [email protected] www.bcjosephine.co.uk

Opening Hours: Monday 10am - 8.30pm, Tuesday 10am - 4.30pm,

Wednesday Closed, Thursday 10am - 4.30pm,

Friday 10am - 4.30pm, Saturday 9.30am-5pm

Place an advert in The Uttoxeter & Cheadle VoiceTHE AREA’S LARGEST DISTRIBUTED COLOUR MAGAZINEWe’re No. 1 - 13,000 magazines printed each issueEmail [email protected] or phone 01538 751629 NOW!

Cheadle FlowerClub members arebloomin’ great!

At the recent Mercia and North Wales area of NAFAS Show, Mrs Cynthia Brassingtonof Cheadle Flower Club, achieved a very highly commended in the Class ‘Come DineWith Me’, and a highly commended in the class ‘A Winter’s Tale’.

Therewere a lot of entries, so Cynthia was extremely happy with the result. In thephotography competition Mrs Pat Bradshaw, of Cheadle Flower Club won the open class, andwent on to win ‘The Best in Show’ award, for the photography section. This was a new award,and we are very proud that it came to Cheadle. The show took place at Cockshutt near Ellesmere in Shropshire. Cheadle Flower Club

Chairman Dianne Lucas said she was extremely proud of their achievements and sent themmany congratulations.Congratulations to them both. Kind regards Diane (chairman of C.F.C.)


Serving the community since 1976

MJ Barrett Constructions, Brookside Busi-ness Park, Brookside Road, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, ST14 8ATwww.mjbarrettconstructions.co.uk [email protected]: 01889 564 253 • Fax: 01889 564 210

MJ Barrett Constructions, Brookside Business Park, Brookside Road, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, ST14 8ATwww.mjbarrettconstructions.co.uk Tel: 01889 564 253 • Fax: 01889 564 210

From greenfield site to the finished product...

CON S T R U C T I O N S



MJ Barrett Constructions, Brookside Busi-ness Park, Brookside Road, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, ST14 8ATwww.mjbarrettconstructions.co.uk [email protected]: 01889 564 253 • Fax: 01889 564 210

MJ Barrett Constructions, Brookside Business Park, Brookside Road, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, ST14 8ATwww.mjbarrettconstructions.co.uk Tel: 01889 564 253 • Fax: 01889 564 210

From greenfield site to the finished product...

M J Barrett Constructions supply and erect all types ofagricultural and industrial buildings, including grain stores,equestrian centres, storage buildings, milking parlours, andcattle housing along with a variety of industrial warehousing,office accommodation, retail outlets and entertainmentcomplexes all built to the highest standards.

Freshly produced roast carvery from £4.99As well as an extensive bar menu and specials board

Royal Boar Restaurant

£10.99 - 2 Courses, £12.99 - 3 Courses (Mon-Sat lunch)£15.95 Sunday Lunch

Set 3 Course Evening Menu from £17.95A La Carte menu available

Dates for your Diary!

Mothers Day March 15th - £25.95Easter Sunday April 5th - £21.95Father’s Day June 21st - £21.95

All served in our main A La Carte restaurantAlways a warm welcome at our family run hotel. The Boars Head Hotel, Station Road, Sudbury, Derbyshire DE6 5GX

www.boars-head-hotel.co.uk • [email protected]

Tel: 01283 820 344

Newly refurbished!


Twenty yearsnot out!

Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

BRIAN MELLORF I N A N C I A L S E R V I C E S L T D

Independent Financial AdviserRussell House • 20 Stockwell Street • Leek • ST13 6DS

Tel: 01538 371288 www.brianmellorfs.co.uk

We couldn’t have achieved this without you!

TURNING YOUR FINANCIAL DREAMS INTO REALITY

The Brian Mellor teamhas spent two decades atthe crease – lookingafter our clients’interests with acomprehensive range offinancial planning servicesand independent advice.

If you would like toboost your own financialscore, contact us for animpartial chat.

Uttoxeter’s PremierTyre CentreRight serviceRight adviceRight choiceRight price• Tyres• Exhausts• Batteries • Brakes and Shock Service

• Agricultural Tyres• Wheel Alignment

Church Street, Uttoxeter ST14 8AA

Tel 01889 [email protected]

Rachel Peake A.DipCBM MIACECanine Behaviour Consultant - Based in Uttoxeter

Member of The Registration Council for Dog Training & Behaviour Practioners

Tel: 01889 563873 Mobile: 07816 507834Email: [email protected]

Local author Dan Weatherer is about to release hissecond collection of horror stories upon theunsuspecting book community. “Only The Good

Burn Bright” follows on from his award winning debutrelease “The Soul That Screamed” and promises evenmore in the way of blood curdling chills! Dan (35, Meir Park) is thrilled that the book is about

to be released. “The collection was finished last summerbut with the success enjoyed by Legend of the ChainedOak at last year’s film festivals, work on the book wastemporarily put on hold. I am very proud of thiscollection and would say to all book lovers whether youare a fan of horror or not to please give it a try. Manyof my reviewers have stated that I do not write horrorin the conventional sense, so those with a nervousdisposition need not stay away!”Dan is also working at bringing his work to the stage

and hope to forge links within the local dramacommunity. “I am very passionate about literature andthe arts, especially locally. We have a huge amount of

talented people writing and performing here in Stoke on Trent. I believe that we have as muchto add to the scene as any accredited names and that in time the area will be proud to host ourwork. I also hope to represent up and coming local authors at this years “Hot Air” literaryfestival. Already I have had a huge show of support from people contacting the organisers torequest local representation and I thank each and every one of you for making your voiceheard. Again, we have a strong collection of local writers beavering away with little to nosupport network in place. I believe the city should be proud of the talent nestled within butuntil people know about us it is always going to be an uphill struggle to get recognition.”The book will be available on Amazon, Waterstones.co.uk and also in store at Webberleys,

Hanley at the end of the month. For more information about Dan and his work visitwww.fatherdarkness.co.uk

Latest blood curdlerfrom local author

Unprecedented demandduring Leisure Centre’sfirst week!

The public reaction toUttoxeter Leisure Centre hasbeen tremendous since its

reopening. The venue haseffectively had 3 weeks’ worth ofbusiness in the first 4 days ofopening: 608 members, over 400children enrolled on swimminglessons and full exercise classes.Inductions are fully booked for thenext 3 weeks and all activities areselling well. Uttoxeter Leisure Centre

officially reopened its doors to thepublic on Saturday 17th January2015, following an extensive £3.9million refurbishment. The centrenow features a new state of the artgym, fitness studio, cafe, village

style changing rooms and improved swimming pool with seating for up to 140 spectators. The brand new Oldfield’s Road facility was opened by Uttoxeter based commonwealth

gold medallist and 50m breaststroke world record holder swimmer Adam Peaty, who will beusing the pool hall, named in his honour, as part of his training regime. Once inside, local residents were given the opportunity to tour the new state of the art

facility for the first time since its closure 12 months ago, whilst having the opportunity toenjoy one of three free swimming sessions offered throughout the day. Councillor Robert Hardwick, Deputy Leader for Cultural Services said: “I would like to

thank all our new and returning customers for their support since the centre’s reopening. Ibelieve we now have a leisure centre that Uttoxeter can be proud of. It caters for all customersfrom the very young to those who are young at heart. It gives me great pleasure to hand backthis wonderful facility to the people of Uttoxeter and the surrounding villages.“I would also like to thank our customers for their patience while the refurbishment was

being undertaken, and the hard work of our staff and everyone involved in the centre’stransformation. If you haven’t already been to visit the new centre, please come along and trythe fantastic facilities on offer”.


Controls to suit yourlifestyle, from the basic to state-of-the art electronicsEmail: [email protected] | Call Martin on: 01889 576732

Get your FREE info pack right away

NO MAINTENANCE EVER!

Simple plug-in installation, installedin a day, no installation upheaval• Our radiators are an alternative to existing E7. Gas.Oil and LPG heating systems in homes, offices andconservatories.

• Start saving right away, prepare NOW !

SENSATIONAL HEATINGFROM GERMANY

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

Ring any bells? Norman Bailey of the Church Bell Ringers at St MarysUttoxeter has found a quantity of photographs thatwere stored in a cupboard in the belfry. Taken some

time ago, we are trying to identify them and to discoverwhether they were ringers. Any information regarding thephotos can be emailed to Norman [email protected] or [email protected]


Cheadle, like many other towns, had itsWorkhouse, established and administeredunder the Poor Law Acts of the time. In one

respect, Cheadle is fortunate, for the originalworkhouse buildings are still standing. They are tobe found at the end of Bank Street.Thanks to Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist,” we

all have a good idea of what life was like forworkhouse inmates; and thanks to the NationalCensus of 1881, precise details are now availableof the poor wretches who occupied the CheadleWorkhouse on the night of 3rd/4th April 1881 (togive a time context, this was seven years beforeJack the Ripper). The Census Return is a “word photograph” of

one minute, in one hour, in one day. in one year, inone Workhouse. in one small town in NorthStaffordshire. So what does it tell us?The Return had been completed by the

Workhouse Master and it is particularly amusingto see the pains taken by him to record the statusof each inmate. As the workhouse existed only toprovide for paupers, it follows that only pauperswere admitted, and yet, by every single name, hehas carefully written the word “pauper.”In the Workhouse on that date were one

hundred and nine persons, comprising onehundred and four inmates, four members of staffand the infant daughter of the Workhouse Master.The staff consisted of the Workhouse Master

(referred to in the documentation as the “Head”)aged 29; one porter, aged 18; one female IndustrialTrainer Nurse, aged 23; and one female cook, aged54. Also living there, on Census night, was theone-year old child of the Workhouse Master. Thereis no mention of the mother. Was she dead? Hadshe left her husband and child? Was she just awaytemporarily? There is no way of knowing.“Oliver Twist” tells us that the large number of

children to be found in the Workhouses andcommon sense tells of that there must have beenmany old folk. It is therefore interesting to discoverthat, roughly speaking, one third of the inmateswere neither young nor old, i.e. between the ages oftwenty and fifty, as shown.

Age Number %0 - 10 32 30.8%11 - 20 7 6.7%21 - 30 9 8.6%31 - 40 12 11.5%41 - 50 7 6.7%51 - 60 7 6.7%61 - 70 12 11.5%70 - 80 14 13.4%80+ 31 0.9%

There was one inmate whose age was notgiven.Information as to the former occupations of the

inmates is given. It shows that there were twelvefarm labourers; seven charwomen; threeblacksmiths; three domestic servants; threetailor(esse)s; two coal miners; two gardeners; andone each of the following, mason’s labourer,shoemaker, dress maker, sewing servant, knittingservant, waggoner, washerwoman, farmer, joiner,farm servant, printer’s assistant, boatman, sawyer,seamstress and bricklayer’s labourer.Classifying these various occupations into

general categories (and making a few assumptions- e.g. that the one described as a “farmer” had beena self-employed farmer and not a farm labourer)we find that of the 104 inmates, sixteen peoplewere described as “disabled”, five had been selfemployed, fourteen engaged in agriculture, eleven

in domestic service, six in industry, seven in servicesand three in the building trade. This would suggest that the people were not

paid sufficient wages for them to make provisionfor their old age. In other words, as is well known,if you became unemployed, too old or too infirmto work, and your children would not or could notkeep you, the next step was, unfortunately, theworkhouse. At the workhouse there were the thirty-five

children, (invariably described as “scholars”although the education they received must havebeen minimal); eight “imbeciles”; two “lunatics”and three blind persons. It will be seen on a carefulexamination that the numbers do not “add up.”This is because some inmates had both anoccupation and were suffering from a disabilityand are thus counted twice, appearing in twoseparate categories. For the record, it should bestated that an “imbecile” is defined as a person ofnatural weak intellect i.e. one who has been“simple” from birth; whereas a “lunatic” is onewho has lost the senses that he once had. Those

listed as“imbeciles” areaged 30, 33, 36,39, 39, 41, 46,77 which, ofcourse, woulddrasticallyinflate theproportion ofinmates in the31 - 40 agecategory andexplain theunusually highnumber in theage category.

Analysingthe place oforigin of the

inmates and allocating them into one of fourcategories - namely, Cheadle itself; those near toCheadle (i.e. villages in the immediately vicinity -Alton, Froghall etc.); those that could be describedas being in the middle distance (i.e. Leek, Stoke-on-Trent etc.) and those far distance (i.e. London,Bristol, Ireland etc.); produces the following:-

Cheadle 27 26%Nearby 38 36.5%Middle Distant 14 13.5%Far Distant 25 24%

It can be seen that well over half of the inmatescould be described as “local”, and, of course, theothers may have been born elsewhere but lived inthe locality for many years.The last classification of the inmates that can

be undertaken is to see their relationship to otherinmates (e.g. to see if they were there as a familyunit.) This shows that there were forty-seven singleadults, one husband and wife, two adult brothers,one mother with one child, three mothers with twochildren, two mothers with three children and twomothers with four children. In addition there wasone pair of sibling children,However, the saddest statistic of all must be the

seven single children, one aged five; two aged six;two aged seven; one aged eight and one aged nine,in the workhouse, all alone, with no mother, father,brother, sister or any living relation - shades ofOliver Twist indeed!

The Cheadle Workhouse and The 1881 Censusby Philip Brough of Cheadle


Derby Road, Uttoxeter, Staffs ST14 8EGT: 01889 563448

E: [email protected]: www.angusmackinnon.co.uk

FOR ALL YOUR MOTORING NEEDS

One of the best known and trustednames for all motor vehicle

requirements in Uttoxeter and thesurrounding area

Bosch Approved Car Service Centre• Fixed Price Servicing from £124.95 inc VAT• Tyres, Air Con, Clutches, Diagnostics, Brakes,MOT - any repairs, any vehicle!

• 4x4 specialists• Bosch trained technicians• Approved by the trading standards institute

New, Used, Car, Commercial and 4x4 Sales• Over 50 vehicles in stock• Try our ‘find a car service’• Low finance rates from 6.9% APR

Accident Repair Bodyshop• Kitemark Vehicle Damage Repairer• Authorised for any Insurance Company• Your car your choice of repairer• Courtesy cars• All repairs guaranteed for 3 years• SMART repair service• ATA trained technicians

Car and Van hire• More competitive than the national companies• Long term rental packages from £13.99 per day• 3.5 ton Luton body vans with tail lift

Take a drive out to one of the area’s most beautiful‘olde worlde’ country inns and restaurants - and savour a truly delicious experience!

Enjoy wonderful views overlooking Croxden Abbeyand the surrounding countryside.

Open every day, 12-10pm

Pensioners Specials Monday to Saturday 12-2pm

Main Meal £4.50, 3 Courses £8.00

Sunday Lunches served all dayTake your pick from Beef, Turkey, Lamb,

Pork or Chicken

Traditional Cask Ales - Marstons Pedigree,Spitfire, London Pride, Black Sheep

Heated smoking area

Mid-Week Evening Specials

Accommodation in superb Log Cabins with Hot Tubs available. B&B and Self Catering.

See website for further details.

Enjoy a great meal at The Raddle -The Perfect Country Inn & Restaurant

��

Quarry Bank, Hollington, near Alton TowersTelephone: 01889 507278

www.logcabin.co.uk

Housing Market Recovers MomentumWith Rising Mortgage Approvals

The Bank of England reports 60,275 approvalsfor house purchases in December, with low-priced mortgage deals encouraging buyers

The rise in the number of mortgage approvalsfollowed six months of contraction. Britain’s housingmarket recovered some momentum in Decemberafter a deluge of low-priced mortgage deals

encouraged buyers to take out a new home loan.The Bank of England said the number of

mortgage approvals increased after six months ofcontraction, as it reported that approvals for housepurchases rose to 60,275 last month after reaching a17-month low of 58,956 in November. The rise cameas the persistent threat throughout 2014 of higherinterest rates receded and the effects of the centralbank’s credit rationing measures, which date back tolast spring, began to wear off.

Cheap and falling mortgage rates, now rising realwages, rapidly declining unemployment and elevatedconsumer confidence all bode well for the housingmarket this year. We anticipate for UK prices to gain5% over 2015. In 2014 the market was clearlyinitially influenced by the introduction of the newMortgage Market Review (MMR) regulations thatcame into effect in late April. These regulations putgreater onus on mortgage lenders.For mortgage advice, call me on 01889 56777.

100% RECOMMENDED

Property Voiceby Madeekha Iqbal (CeMAP)

Mr & Mrs HarrisonLog House

Mrs ChaferHeath Cross

Mrs BrennanBridge Street

Deciding on which Estate Agent to usewas a decision that was not takenlightly. As Abode had a great deal ofexperience but at the time were new toUttoxeter we decided to approachthem with a view to selling ourproperty. I have to say that I am notusually a fan of Estate agents butNathan and his team at Uttoxeter

(especially Mickey) were a breath offresh air throughout the whole process,providing professional advice in afriendly non condescending manner. Ihave no hesitation in recommendingNathan and his team at Abode and wishthem every success in the future. Sue & Charles Harrison

Mrs Tortoishell Drovers Close,Uttoxeter

Dealing with Abode was a verypleasant experience. Having sold ourproperty in a week I had no idea itwould be so quick! However it was andthey were very helpful in coming backto me with the sales progression and

most recent offers. The team werefriendly and very much approachableall the way through and I would haveno hesitation in recommendingAbode to someone in the future. Tara

When I decided to sell my house I knew Iwanted three valuations, all from localestate agents and chose Abode as one ofthem after a friend recommended them.Abode managed to be both professionaland friendly from the start, andappointment to value the property wasmade promptly and were happy to fitaround my busy schedule! Nathan arrivedwith a clear pricing strategy and we hadan honest and clear conversation about

the housing market and how best tomarket my house, there were no similarhouses to get ideas from, as my house isquite unusual. A couple of days later Idecided I wanted to use Abode and rangNathan to confirm, he had already gotsomeone in mind to view my house, thephotographs were taken that day and thehouse had 2 viewings! Thank you! Claire

Abode’s valuation, fees and terms werevery reasonable in comparison to otherlocal agents. Enthusiastic, professionaland straightforward in their advice, theywere clearly familiar with selling listedbuildings. Not only did the teamgenerate offers quickly but they also

offered effective and very valuableadvice on buying our new home, whichgave us extra confidence in ournegotiations. The whole team werefriendly and approachable throughout -we wouldn’t hesitate to recommendAbode. Sue

www.referenceline.com


For your FREE Valuation call

01889 567777

People matter to us.At Abode we like to put our vendors first and strive to offer them a first class service. Fromqualifying viewers, collecting feedback and negotiating the best price for them once an offer isreceived on their property. We deliver a service that starts with their initial enquiry in relation toa valuation through to the end when the property sale is completed. We keep them abreast of theprogress of their sale and are on hand to support throughout the selling process. We believe thathonesty and communication is the key to a successful relationship. Mickey and Victoria


Let The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice take your business to 13,000 local homes. To advertise, call 01538 751629 or 07733 466 970. 25

rightmove01889 567777

SALES & LETTINGS

1 Market Place, Uttoxeter, ST14 8HNwww.abodemidlands.co.uk

rightmove01889 567777

SALES & LETTINGS

1 Market Place, Uttoxeter, ST14 8HNwww.abodemidlands.co.uk

Woodleighton Grove, Uttoxeter £329,950New to the market a recently refurbished four bed property within a cul de saclocation. Spacious kitchen/diner, double garage, enclosed rear garden makes theperfect family property. Internal viewing is essential.

NEW

NEWNEW

The Cherries, Denstone £499,950This delightful five bedroom detached family property situated in the popular village ofDenstone, Staffordshire offers a high standard of accommodation. Comprising of hallway,downstairs cloakroom, playroom, study, large lounge with log burner, bespokeconservatory & large family kitchen diner. To the outside is and integral double garage.

Limberstitch Farm, Hatton Fields, Hilton £795,000Set within a delightful rural area is Limbersitch Farm an attractive extended andrenovated farm house, offering four bedrooms, 3 reception rooms, modern fittedkitchen, utility room, cloakroom, family bathroom and en suite. Offering full equestrianfacilities including, manege, stable building, tack room and additional stable barn.

Treetops, Bramshall, Uttoxeter £415,000A superb four bedroom detached property with garage and stunning kitchendiner. Gas centrally heated and double glazed accommodation comprises ofbriefly, study, ground floor shower room, three first floor bedrooms and twobathrooms. Separate annex with living room and bedroom.


SOLD01335 8180

15S.T.C

Call 01335 818015Email [email protected] www.draycotts.com

Visit us at Horse and Jockeys Yard,Saint John Street, Ashbourne DE6 1GH*Fee subject to additional VAT

0.75%*NO SALENO FEE

Newoffice nowopen inAshbourne

• Free No Obligation Valuation• NO Withdrawal Fee• Premium Marketing & Promotion• Advertising on Rightmove & Zoopla• Accompanied Viewings• 0.75%* Fee• No Sale No Fee


QUALITY LOCAL MEAT, BEEF,LAMB, PORK & POULTRYAll meat home killed with complete farm to fork assurance.

Personal & Friendly Service Guaranteed

YOU CAN TRUST 100% BRITISH MEAT

2 Market Street, UttoxeterTel (01889) 565870

Roycroft Farm, BramshallTel (01889) 563353

PARKINGPROBLEMS?Garages Available For RentUttoxeter and surrounding areasFrom only £6.62 per weekContact 01283 528655 for further details



RBA WealthManagement helps raisefunds for local Nursery

RBA Wealth Management, a team of financial planning and wealthmanagement specialists, based in Uttoxeter presented a cheque for£2,000 to The Peter Pan Nursery earlier last month. The grant was

awarded to RBA Wealth Management through the St James’s PlaceFoundation. ‘We aim to make a significant difference to the lives of children and young

people’. The St James’s Place Foundation is a grant-making charity with adifference. The vast majority of funds raised come from fundraising orgenerous donations made by the Partners and employees of St. James’s Placeeach year, these funds are then matched pound for pound by the company.Over the last 22 years the St. James’s Place community has raised anddistributed in excess of £34 million to good causes.Andrew Hackney, a Director of RBA Wealth Management said; “We are

delighted in conjunction with the St James’s Place Foundation that we are ableto support The Peter Pan Nursery. We have got to know the nursery throughtheir annual charity golf day and are happy to support them in their fundraising.”

Double delight for Little Hearts Matter

Little Hearts Matter (LHM) is a Birmingham based charity, which supportfamilies whose child has been diagnosed with half a working heart andis a charity that has a close personal link to RBA. Angela Fountain,

Director of RBA Wealth Management, has personally been supported by thischarity when her own daughter, Ruby, was diagnosed with Tricuspid Atresiaat 18 weeks into Angela’s pregnancy. LHM have celebrated their 20th anniversary this year. They solely rely on

donations from the public and businesses, offer support and information, andraise awareness of those affected when a child is diagnosed with a lifethreatening heart defect. Over the last year they have been able to supportover 3,500 people who live with these heart problems every day and receiveup to six new referrals each week. For more information about the charityplease visit www.lhm.org.uk.Our first donation given to LHM this year was provided through our

annual golf day event. This year we were spoilt by the splendid British summerweather, beautiful Derbyshire views and the challenging 18-hole course at Morley Hayes golf club, which providedexcellent experience for RBA’s team and 40 guests. The daywent exceptionally well and RBA would like to thank all ofthose who took part on the day and their clients, who havebeen extremely generous with their donations.Angela Fountain, Director of RBA said, “This year’s golf

day proved to be a real success; it was our biggest golf day todate raising more than ever before. We were blessed with greatweather and everyone seemed to enjoy their day. Little HeartsMatter has been invaluable as a contact for advice and supportright from the day we were given the unexpected news thatour unborn child was going to be born with only half aworking heart. LHM helped us understand what thisdiagnosis meant for our daughter and what sort of life shewould lead. We are very lucky that Ruby has bounced backfrom each stage of her operations, is a bundle of energy andstarted school in September this year and enjoying it. LHMstill continue to be to be a source of ongoing support and thework they do is absolutely fantastic. Over our seven golf days so far we have raised just shy of

£30,000 for some important charities; in addition we havegiven grants to smaller charities via the St. James’s PlaceFoundation. We are keen to keep progressing our golf day andour overall involvement in local charity work. We would liketo thank everybody who has been involved in this year’s eventfor their support and generosity in raising monies for this greatcause. We are absolutely delighted to present Little HeartsMatter with a cheque for £9,038.40 which is the proceeds ofour golf day and includes the generous pledge of 50%company matching by the St James’s Place Foundation. As anadded bonus the St James’s Place Foundation placed the other50% to their chosen children’s charities.”If you would like to take part in next year’s golf event and

try to break yet another record or you would like to make adonation then please contact Ruth Chambers on 01889568444 or email [email protected].‘Keeping up the momentum’ RBA in conjunction with the

St James’s Place Foundation has also presented a cheque for£10,000 to Little Hearts Matters. This was as a result of RBAWealth Management nominating LHM for a St James’s PlaceFoundation grant. “The Little Hearts Matter team would like to say a huge

thank you to everyone at RBA Wealth Management and StJames’s Place Foundation for the amazing support that theyhave given to the charity this year.

Planning for tax year-end... it’s time for action

Call

0188

9 568

444

for yo

ur co

mplimen

tary

guide

to w

ealth

man

agem

ent.

S

Tel: 01889 568444 Email: [email protected]: www.rbawealthmanagement.com

RBA WEALTH MANAGEMENT Senior Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management

Investment andWealth ManagementAwards 2014

ealth

man

agem

ent.

0188

9 568

444

our c

ompli

mentar

our c

ompli

mentar

y

our c

ompli

mentar

guide

to w

y

our c

ompli

mentar

guide

to w

guide

to w

ealth

man

agem

ent.

for yo

ur co

mplimen

tar

for yo

ur co

mplimen

tar

ealth

man

agem

ent.y

ealth

man

agem

ent.

our c

ompli

mentar

guide

to w

ealth

man

agem

ent.

our c

ompli

mentar

y

ealth

man

agem

ent.

Call

0188

9 568

444

0188

9 568

444

for y

guide

to wfor

your

compli

mentar

guide

to w

0188

9 568

444

our c

ompli

mentar

ealth

man

agem

ent.

Call

0188

9 568

444

our c

ompli

mentar

S

tion contact:mainfor can ction,om taxaeliefs frand rell as rall as wy fy fall as wselected and maselected and may f

estment with St.value of an inalue of an invThe v

tunities prt miss out on the opporDon’

.will stand the test of timeManagement ealth WWealth Place s ames’JSt.At

ving ineliefs and tax-sale tax railabvaave rour financial futuring yecur

e dependent on individual circumstancesy time and art anhange a can cested.vou ink less than yy get bacou maou may get bacYYou ma.iseell as r

ed to the perfory linkectls Place will be dirames’ Jestment with St.

e the end of the tax yesented befortunities pr

pieces the put ou yhelp can e wManagement

.estment optionsvving inecision planning to makttention to detail and pres aequire r

ther or fur F.e dependent on individual circumstancestion,el and bases of taxavThe leested.

mance of the funds ed to the perfor

il.Apry 5 Act b.eare the end of the tax y

t thasolutions te eacrto together pieces

our e the most of yecision planning to mak

tner Practice’ar‘PThe title

ealth management prs woup’y on the Grvising solelads Place ames’ Jy St.esents onleprtner Practice rarThe P

ames’ J James’actice of St.tner PrarSenior PSenior Par

MANATH RBA WEALRBA WEALTH

ealthmanagement.comw.rba.rbaw wwweb:WWeb:.uk.co rba@sjppEmail:

01889 568444 el:TTel:

s Place rames’ Jibe St.m used to descreting ter is the marktner Practice’

e set out on the Grh are details of whic morvices,oducts and serealth management prted begulaised and rh is authorealth Management plc (whicWWealth Management plc (whics Place

ement

ARP

gealth Manaealth ManagWWealth Manas Place ames’

GEMENT MANA

ealthmanagement.com

.estivesentaeprs Place r

.oducts.uk/pr.co.sjpebsite wwwebsite www.sjps woup’e set out on the Grpose of ity) for the puruthorAy the Financial Conduct ted b

THWEALOUR YGING TNERS IN MANAAR

ards 2014Awementth Managth Managementealealth ManagW

estment andnvnvestment andI

RBA Wealth ManagementCharles House, 23 High Street, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, ST14 7HN

T: 01889 568444 F: 01889 568333


THE LOG MAN

Seasoned hardwood logsLocal delivery

0770 886 3242

Kitchens by Paul Gabriel

Ki

tchens by Paul Gabrielof Kingstone

Affordable Kitchensfrom the unusual to the

straightforward.Practical lay-out from the traditional hand-painted to themodern glossy look. From the cosy farmhouse appeal

to the popular ‘Shaker’ touch.

Phone Paul for free, friendly advice on 079906 22125

Ask for a leaflet or visit website:www.kingsleykitchens.co.uk

or e-mail: [email protected]

Visit our studio/workshop for your requirements - ring first

“Hi Paul, Many thanks for ournew painted Kitchen. Beautifully

finished and thoughtfully laid out.” Nigel and Melissa (Uttoxeter)

“Dear Paul, Both Simon and I aredelighted with our new paintedKitchen and Fitted Wardrobes. A

dream come true and a lot more.” Thank you, Antonia and Simon

(East Sussex)

WHEEL ‘N’ TYRESLTD

Performance Tyre Centre

WE FIT TYRES ON YOUR DRIVEPUBLIC • BUSINESS • FARM CALL-OUTS

Unit A, Brookhouses IndustrialEstate, Cheadle ST10 1SR01538 755100

BATTERIES • BRAKESEXHAUSTS • TYRES

Personal Service and Advice

I offer professionaltreatments for a range of

foot problems.

Appointments availablein the comfort of yourown home. Evenings

and weekendsavailable.

Painfulfeet?Don’t put up with it any longer

Call Annette Harrison Foot Health Practitioner

07805 981952 Qualified and Insured

Servicing &Repairs

The established garage at Spath Repairing cars in Uttoxeter since 1976

Call Ken 01889 563363

Taekwon-doWe train at The Parkwood CommunityLeisure Centre In Cheadle on Tuesday Night6.00pm to 6.30pm 4yrs to 6yrs6.30pm to 7.30pm Junior/Beginers Grades7.30pm to 8.30pm Senior/Advanced GradesCall John on 07854 806581www.nctkd.co.uk

Rocester and District Camera ClubCalendar of events - 2015

All meetings start at 8.00pm prompt inRocester Village Hall Committee room

3rd March - Contemporary PhotographyTalk by Geoff Hicks LRPS

17th March - Aspects of PrintingTalk and Practical Evening

7th April - A Show of Slidesby Alan Hartley ARPS

21st April - Competition - Subject: OpenJudge: Rob Cross

5th May - Photographing DogsTalk by Dave Hollis

19th May - Annual General Meeting

All meetings start at 8.00pm in the Committee Room,Rocester Village Hall

Success atOldfieldsHallMiddleSchool

This week has been amost successful one forour teams at Oldfields

Hall Middle School.Our Year 6 boys played

in a Dodge ball tournamentat Robert Sutton winning 6out of 7 games making themthis year’s Burton andDistrict Champions. Teammembers are Harry Cope,Ashton Bagley, WilliamJakes, Jed Brunt, RuebenKenny and Harry Van Hoek.Our Year 5 and Year 6

mixed netball team wererunners up in the WinterSchool Games CountyChampionships at FentonManor, representing the EastStaffordshire region. Theywere narrowly beaten in thefinal by one point, fantasticeffort. Team members areEdith Cant, Olivia Gregory,Freya and Amelia Hadgett,Hannah Davis, EthanHudson, Sonny Ward andTom Keeling.In the same week our

Year 8 girls indoor athleticsteam came third at theCounty finals at FentonManor representing EastStaffordshire, finishing 3rdout of 10 regions beingrepresented, what anachievement. Team consistedof Freya Bussell, SianRendell, Freya Barkas,Jasmin Sutton, GemmaThorley, Olivia David andBelle Hancox.

See how The Voice can publicise [email protected] give us a ring 01538 751629 or 07733 466 970

31Let The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice take your business to 13,000 local homes. To advertise, call 01538 751629 or 07733 466 970.Let The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice take your business to 13,000 local homes. To advertise, call 01538 751629 or 07733 466 970.

REPRESENTATIVES Wanted in your area, immediate startI am currently recruiting Avon Rep’s in your area. 25% commission available! Sell tofriends and family, work colleagues or even have your own territory! Receive a freestarter kit with the first 2 sets of books. No upfront costs. Why not join for free withno obligations? Call Pat today on 07734 878903

Field Funeral Services

Ffs

Ded icated to D ign ity & PEACEour fam ily to yours

t: 01538 722665Independent Family Funeral Directors

Field Funeral Services |37a High Street | TeanStoke on Trent | Staffordshire | ST10 4DY

www.facebook.com/[email protected]

Auction House Staffordshire’s event at theBritannia Stadium, home of Stoke CityFC, proved a huge success. TV Star Nick

Hancock joined James Havill, Danny Mayerand other dignitaries at the auction.

Nick is pictured reading the ‘best publicationaround’ - The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voicecolour magazine - with James and Danny!

You can now read The Voice at www.uttoxeterandcheadlevoice.co.uk

You can now view recent issues of The Voice online, as well as beingable to download them. Make comments and send us images - be apart of the community.Place your advert via our new website - it’s so easy - just email [email protected]

TV Star NickHancock helpsmake auction ahuge success


Mum and Dad: Rachael and Ian Curtis-Middleton, from Uttoxeter

Baby’s Name: Ella Jane Middleton

Grandparents: Kenneth and Jane Fountain(Uttoxeter) Brian and Sheila Middleton,(Trentham)

Aunties: Jon and Alison Moses (Alton). NeilMiddleton (Trentham) Julian Middleton(Trentham) Alan and Joanne Curtis(Uttoxeter)

NEW VOICE FEATURE

Our Precious GiftBaby Ella

Create someamazingmemories of yourbaby!

Newborn andBaby photosessions fromjust £50

www.lifebybenandhannah.co.uk

Is this your first baby?

No, Ella has 3 older Brothers – Aaron, Luke and Elliot.

What made you decide the time was right to have a (another) baby?

We’ve been together 8yrs and been through some difficult times with Ian’s battle withleukemia, we finally left the health struggles behind and it felt the right time to cement ourfamily further with a new baby.

How was your pregnancy mum?

I really enjoyed my pregnancy! I was really lucky that other than the initial small dose ofmorning sickness I was really well throughout my pregnancy.

Did you find out the sex of the baby in advance?

No, we didn’t mind either way and thought a surprise would be nice. I did pester Ian to let mefind out but he won in the end.

If you didn’t, did you guess right?

We all took bets sat round the dining room table – 2 of us were right and 3 were wrong!


Did you have a birthing plan, and were you able to stick to it?

Having had birthing plans before with the boys and knowing how thingschange so much last minute I decided not to make a plan and to go with it onthe day. What will be will be!

Any weird cravings?

Really boring - but no, although I think I did use it as an excuse for chocolateand puddings on occasions.

For the dad: Tell us all about your experience as an expectant?

What can you say! It’s exciting, scary and amazing all wrapped up into 9months of watching your loved one change and the thought that’s she’scarrying your child. Every time they were tired or felt uneasy you wouldwonder “is Rach ok? Is Baby ok? It’s a time when you realize what’s importantand what really doesn’t matter in life…..We would lie and watch Bump grow slowly. The first time I felt that kick thelife long bond was instant and amazing! Our time during pregnancy wasfabulous and the wait is worth it. Just a shame it doesn’t only take a month!The day we finally went to the hospital seemed surreal in many ways. Theday was finally here. The most amazing bit of it all is our baby daughter Ella!

Tell us all about the first 24 hours at home with your newborn.

Exciting, emotional and a little scary, even having done it before it’s still ashock to have a small bundle totally reliant on you for everything. The bestbit was when the boys came home from school on the first day we broughtElla home, having all our family together in our home for the first time wasamazing and watching the boys so besotted with their little sister completed

everything for us. I think no one slept the first night (except Ella), all everyonewanted to do was watch her.

How has having a new baby changed your life?

It’s changed all our lives in a positive way. I’ve gone from working as busynurse to loving my maternity leave and thoroughly enjoying life. I have lovelyone to one time with Ella in the daytime at baby groups – singing andswimming, the time to walk to and from school every day, meeting the boysand enjoying quality time with them.

How is life now?

8 months on, life has totally changed; none of us could imagine life withoutElla, she’s getting her own little personality now and makes us smile everyday. She fits into our life perfectly and has all the boys wrapped around herlittle finger. Aaron, Luke and Elliot love having a little sister (good luck to herfirst boyfriend!) and are a great help with her, loving nothing more thanmaking her laugh. Being on maternity leave has meant extra time for holidaysthis year so we’ve headed off with our caravan at every possible opportunityand had some amazing family adventures, making lots of lasting memories.

Any advice for expectant parents?

Those first few days/weeks with a newborn are tiring, and emotional butworth every minute. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it – we allneed advice sometimes. Make use of the local baby groups, they are a greatway of making new friends for you and baby, can be great for advice,sympathy, a moan or even just chocolate biscuits! But most importantly enjoyevery minute of it, it goes so fast and they grow so quickly. Take lots ofpictures!


Studio Location: Doveridge • Web: www.lifebybenandhannah.co.uk • Contact: [email protected]

Book Your Baby Feature in The Voice Now!

Our Precious GiftBaby Ella

Tell us about when you found out you were pregnant and howyou felt emotionally. Where were you, what were you doing etcetc.

It was the 25th July 2013 when I found out I was pregnant; I’d had a suspicionfor a few days going by how I felt so I decided that morning to take a test. I’mnot sure if we were excited or scared, but it was definitely the longest 2minutes I’ve ever waited! Finally, there it was that clear blue line across the teststrip. I think it took us a both a few minutes for it to sink in but then we wereboth really excited. It was hard trying to keep the noise down so the boysdidn’t realize something was going on as we didn’t want them to know untilthe 12 week point when there was would be less chance of something goingwrong, we also decide not to tell anyone else until this point also so keepingit a secret from our family and friends was really hard. When we did finallytell them they were all really pleased for us and very excited at the thought ofa new baby in the family.Then the special day, when your baby arrived. All the emotions of birth and

that magical first cry and baby in mum and dads arms.I was due on the 11th March, that day came and went with no signs of a

baby! It’s really horrible when you reach your due date and there is no sign ofyour baby appearing, as if waiting forty weeks isn’t long enough, they thenmake you wait a bit longer. My mum had said all along that the 12th Marchwould be nice as that was my grandad’s birthday and secretly I had my fingerscrossed so on the morning of the 12th when my waters broke at home, Ithought my wish was coming true. Ella obviously had other ideas and after atrip to the maternity unit then being sent home with an appointment to goback next morning, I had contractions on and off all day, every time wethought it was time to head for the hospital the contractions stopped. My mum had been banned from going too far, or forgetting her mobile

for several weeks now so today it was off to Granny’s after school for theboys in case I had to go to hospital in the night – I think she had the hardestjob of keeping them distracted without giving too much away.My contractions continued on and off all night, so when we went back to

the hospital I was determined I was not coming home without a baby. In theend it was all very quick and Ella was born at 15.25 on 13th March. It tookme a few minutes to take in it was a girl. Seeing her for the first time was trulyamazing, she was our little miracle and the little girl we never thought wewould have. Holding her snuggled up to me I couldn’t believe how tiny shewas and how perfect. I couldn’t help but cry! Ian was truly amazingthroughout and seeing im holding his little girl made my every minuteworthwhile. Our family was finally complete.


VIVIENNE SHELLEYDANCE STUDIOS

Quality Local Dance Tuition For All Agesin Cheadle, Uttoxeter & Blythe Bridge

For more information call into the studios, ring 01538 754414 or 07779 078317or email [email protected]

28 Bank Street, Cheadle St Mary’s Church Hall, Balance Street, Uttoxeter

Cheadle studios: Pre school classes Saturday 9.30,beginners ballet & tap 9.15, disco and street 10.15am

Uttoxeter on Saturdays at St Mary’s Church Hall, Balance Street

Pre school ballet 9.30, beginners ballet & tap 10.15, disco and street 1.15pm

Gift vouchers available for all classes from beginner to advanced

A stimulating and homelyenvironment with fully qualifed and

experienced staff

Childcare [email protected]

Tel: 01889 566678Happy Hours Day Nursery

Dovebank, Uttoxeter, ST14 8DY

• Ofsted Registered• Flexible childcare offeringhourly to full time places forchildren aged 0-12yrs atcompetitive prices

• EYFS framework deliveredunder the guidance of aqualifed teacher and EarlyYears Professional (EYP)

• Before and after schoolcare, including lunch timeschool runs for part-timeschool children

• Holiday club also available• Home cooked healthybalanced meals

• Forest Schools• Open 7am-6pm

Present this Voucher and receive 10% off your first months booking

EXPERT ADVICE FROM PASSIONATEPROFESSIONALS

All work to BS3998 standard

Call Rob: 01538 361 432or 07900 995 139Email: [email protected]: www.newlifetl.co.uk

EMERGENCY CALL-OUTS ALSOAVAILABLE

BOOK NOW FOR MOTHER’S DAY!OUR DELICIOUS NEW MENU IS NOW AVAILABLE!

Open from 5pm Monday to Thursday, 4pm Friday & Saturday & 12 on Sunday. Restaurant open Tuesday - Saturday 6-9pm

& 12-4pm on Sunday. Kids eat free 4-6pm Friday & Saturday (terms apply)

The Red Lion, Church Lane, Checkley ST10 4NJ

Telephone 01538 722003

Take a drive out to Checkley’s hidden gem - The Red Lion! You won’t be disappointed!

I have to say what a fantastic character the writer of OWD ERNmust be! While there is humour in the piece there is also truthbut what a character He or She must be.

I look forward to the next edition of The Voice!

L Tunstall


““SSuuppppoorrttiinngg llooccaall DDeeaaff ppeeooppllee ssiinnccee 11886688””

!!

! "#$%$&'!($)*

+,*)-,). !

/0-#&.& !

/0*%,1%!23.,45$*6&!40#! 70#.!$*40#7,%$0*!8.!',9.! 10-#&.&!#,*)$*)!4#07!"(+! :,&%.#!%0!;*%#02-1%$0*!%0!

+.9.5!< ! !

!

New Coming soon for 2 0 1 5!

• BSL t raining Courses • Lip Reading Courses • Tinnit us support group

and advice • Equipment / product s

for people wit h a hearing loss

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

!!

! !

!

!

! ! !

! !

!

Acting is My Lifeby Local TV Star Rachel Shenton

My name is Rachel Shenton, I am a British actress currently living inLos Angeles, and right now I’m playing a character Lily Summers in‘Switched at Birth.

Many readers will no doubt know me as Minnie Minniver from Hollyoakswhich was great fun to do.I grew up in Caverswall and attended St Filumena’s Primary School-which

I LOVED. I have such fond memories of the place and met some people thathave turned out to be my life-long friends. In fact my best friend, Ruth Lowe,skyped me today and told me she’s getting married and I’m Maid of Honour- I’m ecstatic!Anyway I digress - St Filumena’s was a brilliant school, my favourite

teachers were Mrs Pye, Mrs Arrowsmith and Mrs Wheatley although it’s hardto actually name favourites as they were all pretty great.I remember it was such a sad day when I left - I just cried and cried as

everyone signed my white shirt (which I still have)!I then started at Painsley School - I wasn’t much for the pin-striped shirts

we had to wear but the school was great. My favourite teacher was Mr Barry - he taught French and made it so

much fun. My mum spoke French so she helped me with my home workwhich was wonderful.Outside of high school I took drama classes and I started competing in

speech and drama festivals. I was so In love with acting which took up all mytime but is was all worth it as my career is now as an actress.I look forward to talking to Voice readers throughout 2015 and I do hope

you enjoy reading my column. Perhaps some readers grew up with me or know me now? If they do, email

Nigel at The Voice and he will forward your comments onto me.Rachel is the Patron of local charity dDeaflinks (see adjacent advert). She

asks if any of our readers would like to make donations to this superb much-needed facility, please go to their website at www.deaflinksstaffordshire.comYour support is gratefully received.Speak to you soon, Rachel

Treat Mum this Mother’s Day Sunday 15th March,

with a delicious meal in comfy, relaxed surroundings!

We are serving all day until 8pmOur Special Menu of Two courses - £15.00

or Three courses - £17.50Full details on our website

www.hareandhoundsstramshall.co.ukThe team at The Hare & Hounds is available to provide the perfect

venue for special occasions, small wedding parties, second marriages,christenings and funeral receptions.

Summer opening hours: 12-2.30pm Wed to Sat and Sunday Lunch 6-9pm every evening for food and hot snacks in the Bar


Ginny’s Community Cornerby Ginny Gibson of Uttoxeter

The Uttoxeter and Cheadle Voice magazine isdelivered to a varied community inUttoxeter, Tean and Cheadle and within that

community there are many groups andorganisations that you might not ordinarily knowanything about. So as I wanted to re-join TheUttoxeter and Cheadle Voice contributors group, Iapproached Nigel Titterton, our ‘esteemed’ Editor,(see what I did there) and asked him if this timeround, I could write a short piece to give an insightinto some of the wonderfulthings that are going on in ourgreat community.This month I went to visit

the organisers of the CasseroleClub. The scheme, being co-ordinated by StaffordshireCounty Council andFutureGov, was piloted inLondon and is one of severalprojects the county council islaunching to help preventpeople becoming isolated orfalling into crisis. Cllr Mark Sutton, Cabinet

Support Member for Socialand Health Care atStaffordshire County Council,said: “We’ve been verypleased with the success of thescheme so far and with over50 Cooks now registered, it’sthe perfect time for diners toget on board. It’s aStaffordshire County Councilinitiative and seems to benefitthe older members of ourcommunity.”Shelley Scott, Project

Support Officer, explained itis aimed at the over 55’s, at that point I realisedthat soon I will be eligible!!!The scheme is a simple one; you cook a bit

extra of your normal supper and deliver the extrameal to a Diner that lives close to you. TheCasserole Club has described itself as a “free, localfood sharing scheme”, so if like me, you alwaysover cook and don’t like waste, then this could be

a great way of giving back and getting involvedwith your community. Shelley explained how simple it is to take part

and the process involved. Firstly you sign up to thescheme via the website, www.casseroleclub.com ,this is pretty straightforward and once completedyou will have a ‘log in area’ and a password. Thencomes the official bit, they need to ensure the safetyof all involved, so a quick Criminal Record Checkis carried out. The check is carried out via a website

and takes about 10 mins to complete, itmight sound daunting, but it ensuresthat the Diners, who are mainly the over55’s, are confident about the Cook thatis visiting them. While you are waitingfor the Criminal Records check to becarried out, you can take the simplefood safety quiz, and this is also on line

and shows you a video and asks some simplequestions about food safety. Once your application has been approved, you

can search for nearby Diners on the site, rememberyou are delivering it, so choose someone you areable to reach easily.At this point it gets exciting; you send them a

message, via your Casserole Club ‘log in’ area,

initially explaining who you are and how muchcommitment you can give, for instance you canexplain that you can cook for them weekly orfortnightly, that’s up to you. The MatchmakingTeam at the Casserole Club will approve the matchand then the Diner will respond to you with theirtelephone number and you can call them to discussany food likes or dislikes and decide between you,when you will deliver the first meal.The Matchmaking Team at the Casserole Club

are able to support you all the way through theprocess and also offer on-going support if youshould need it. Two people who are already benefiting in

Staffordshire are Janet and Clare, they havebecome a Casserole Club Cook and Diner matchand have already shared a few meals together, Janetexplains, “This is a really nice project and I’m soglad I signed up to it. I don’t see as many people asI used to, so the visit from Clare every Wednesdaywith the dinner is great. She is very friendly andalways stays for a good chat about what’s going onin the world. Clare’s meals are lovely and it’s sonice to have one cooked for you. I don’t minddoing myself a sandwich but cooking a hot dinneris getting more difficult for me and not reallyworth it when there’s only me.”The comments from Janet reminds me of when

I lived in Bristol, my grandmother lived near Deal,Kent, too far away for me to drop in on a regularbasis, so it was wonderful when one of herneighbours, Dawn, offered to cook her a meal oncea week and I know from Granny, the utter joy thatsimple gesture brought. Their friendship blossomedand lasted for many a year and both benefittedhugely; Granny even taught Dawns daughter toread and to this day, Dawn and I still exchangeChristmas Cards, so you never know where asimple meal sharing can lead too. I really admire this scheme and can’t see a

downside, what better way to give something backto our community than by sharing food andstories, why not sign up today!?!If you want to get involved but would like to

talk to someone about joining up before actuallyvisiting the website, then call 0300 111 8006 andone of the Casserole Club Team will be happy tohelp.

The Uttoxeter Walking Club was formed in1978 with an initial membership of 12. Sincethat time it has enjoyed a steady growth and

today we have approx 70 members. Initially theclub organized walks in the local area including theDerbyshire Peaks but it did not take long for amore adventurous programme to be developed,including longer day trips and weekends. An annual AGM is organized for members to

put forward their suggestions and to plan thewalks programme for the following year. We areassociate members of The Ramblers . Walks are normally held the first and third

Sunday of each month with additional mid weekand Saturday walks being organised. Generally thefirst Sunday walk of the month is a short one upto 7 miles with a longer walk of about 8 - 10mileslater in the month. The mid week walks vary butare generally not more than 6 miles. The walks areorganised in a radius of about 30 miles from

Uttoxeter with an occasional more distant trip.For Sunday walks we meet the Maltings car parkat the parish church end. For mid week andSaturdays at Bramshall Road RecreationGround.Start times vary between 9a.m or 9. 30ambut all details are published in advance on amonthly basis.. During the summer months wehave some very short evening walks of about 3miles usually followed by a Pub meal. Occasionallythere is a more strenuous walk arranged travellinginto Wales or the High Peak with much earlier starttimes.The programme for 2014 has included a linear

walk of 14miles on the LimestoneWay using aminibus.A day coach trip to Llandudno with twoguided walks ,a good day out well organised withoptions for all abilities. A post Christmas shortwalk followed by lunch, a similar Midsummerwalk and lunch and a walk followed by a B.B.Q.

In previous years we have organised weekends

away to the Lake District, Yorkshire dalesNational Park and Shropshire and coach holidaysto the Isle of Wight.We operate a car sharing scheme to ease the car

parking and transport costs which also means notall the members have to drive every time and thosewithout transport can access the walks..The Walking Club is a great way to meet new

people, make friends, share other membersexperiences of walking and the countryside. Thevolunteer walk leaders go to some very interestingplaces the members might otherwise not get theopportunity to visit on their own. Non members are welcome to attend two walks

to try us, and then pay the subscription £5 on theirthird walk. For more information, visitwww.uttoxeterwalkingclub.co.uk or contact us [email protected].

The Uttoxeter Walking Club


Remembering Days gone by... by Owd Ern

Carter Street

Iseem to be raving on about streets and marketslately, so you will have to bear with me, or skip it!

Carter Street seemed to carry on nicely from theHigh Street and Market Place with a goodassortment of shops and business’s. The great Elkescake and restaurant made up a very imposing corneron one side. A building of great style demolished inthe name of progress. Now housing the Card Factoryshop on the other corner was Brisbournes eventuallythis corner was taken over by the Co Op who alreadyhad a large grocery store up Carter Street. In the CoOp yard they had a milk depot; the raised platformwas for the milk churns it was still there when theyclosed. The milk delivery floats would back up to itto load, it was also used for the local farmers to bringtheir damson and fruit when in season for the Co Opto buy off them. Steve Lank Lavin brushed a few cobwebs off my

mind, when he mentioned the zip wire money device.In the Co Op as a child, I was fascinated by them.They also had them in Ormes and Woolworths. Beingthe prat that I am, I always enjoyed it when it did notquite make it to the cashier office and the money boxcame hurtling back. Further on was and still is, thePost Office and the upper storey was the telephoneexchange. I presume that it is now derelict. I courteda telephonist for a while; in fact we were well‘connected’! But it was the other side that had themost shops and still has. Willisfords the Jewellers(still going) Mr Mortens barbers shop, a good barberso his shop was always full. If you were in a hurryyou would have to risk going to another one further

up, trouble is, he was deaf and if you asked for shortback and sides, he just set too with his shears and youcame out nearly bald. I think next to Mr Morton’swas a homemade cake shop?, but then the pride andjoy of Carter Street Attkey’s Garage, and they evensold petrol as well as very posh cars and of coursethe magnificent White Hart Hotel which is thankfullybeing restored at the moment.I thought a bit ago that when it stood all forlorn

and derelict that it would end up being demolishedand ‘developed’! So good luck to it and its newlandlord. It has a very long illustrious past; it wouldhave been a shame for it to go.I remember in my wilder, younger days, my wife

and a younger Owd Ern meeting up with the ThorleyBro’s from Doveridge, Alan Hulme the Fishmonger,and one or two more. We met up at the White Harton a Christmas Eve, it may have been New Year’sEve, anyway a feature being a roast boars headcomplete with an orange in its mouth, It was glazedwith honey and carried in at midnight along withChristmas pud on fire or should I say alight withburning Brandy to be served up for all and sundry.(Happy nights) trouble is I am nowadays only happywhen I am miserable. Next door was in totalcontrast, it was one of the smallest pubs, The Coachand Horses which closed to become store rooms forthe White Hart. On again to Francis Redferns home,at one stage it looked as if a bit of a push and thewhole lot would come tumbling down. Butthankfully, for a change, the council have restored it,to become the Heritage Centre. Near to that was thedeaf barber as mentioned previously. Mrs Rushtonand her son Bill had a fruit and veg shop next. Billhaving a pony and dray doing the rounds in the

surrounding villages plus a stall in the market on aWednesday. When his pony was ill, he got in theshafts of his dray and pulled it down Carter Street tohis stall, the dray had rubber tyres so it would floweasily, but I would imagine it still being a bit of ahaul. The entrance to Walkers timber yard came offCarter Street, with great big trees coming in to besawn up. Morin’s paper shop and Deville’s butchersshop were around the corner. Deville’s had theirslaughter house just up Stone Road. But I have leftthe most amazing shop till last; the Ironmongers MrC. Motteram ‘Charlie’ but I always called him MrMotteram. Going up his steps was like going intoanother world. It was like something in a Dickensnovel. The greatest collection of ironmongeryamongst dust and cobwebs. No one seemed to beabout and all of a sudden Charlie would pop up, outof a heap of pots and pans. He’d just been looking forsome mole traps hidden under a heap or he’dsuddenly appear like a ghost covered in dust. He wasvery fond of shooting and would occasionally cometo my dad’s farm to shoot a rabbit or two. I was stillat school and he knew I had gone in for a box ofcartridges for my dad. He would ask if he wanted abox of 4/10’s or a box of 12 bore. I would put themin my school satchel and toddle off to school. Health& Safety I am sure would have a hay day, or a dickeyfit nowadays with that! The shop is still there butsadly no Charlie Motteram. It may be residentialnow.So if yo anner a slapeThat’s it fur now!Just Tek Care on thee sensOwd Ern

Down on the Farmby Angela Sargent

“Of Candlemas day be fair and bright,Winter will have another flight.Of Candlemas day be cloud and rain,Then winter will not come again”

This little rhyme refers to Candlemas day whichis on February 2nd , the midpoint of Winter(the midpoint between the shortest day and

the spring equinox) and is also known as theChristian festival of lights and we are hoping theweather will be dry, as we are counting down thestored forage. We have to make sure we have enoughfeed/bedding left for our livestock until they can beturned out, next month.When we bed our cattle, we scrape the manure

out from the front of the sheds, having shut theanimals in the back. Where they stand, on a cold day,their noses steam as the warm breath meets the chillyfresh air. The muck heap also steams as thedecomposition of the muck produces heat.Having spent a time over the holiday period

reading the usual xmas missive from Defra (theguide to x-compliance 2015), the reworked CAPcomes into force and there are changes to dates foractivities such as muck spreading , hedge cutting etcwhich all farmers must adhere to, if they apply forthe new payment scheme(BPS).Lambing is here again (or as one of our

neighbours has said, “it always seems to be lambingtime!”- time flies when you’re having fun) and we

are busy doing the rounds and the routine jobs ofmaking sure they’ve had enough milk, had theirnavels dipped to prevent infection and their tails andtesticles banded, if necessary. These are our income and it is in our interest to

ensure they are happy and healthy and well lookedafter! The same goes with anything we do on thefarm.We’ve been seeing many Thrushes lately and also

Fieldfares and Waxwings flocking in the grass fields.These are relatively large birds, compared toSparrows, Robins and Finches that we see a lot of,but one of the first birds to start thinking aboutnesting are the Magpies. These are connected tomany superstitious beliefs and are said to steal bird

eggs and be attracted tobright things. Whatever, wehave seen many of themover the last few years andthey have a grating, noisycall.As we have to finish

cutting any hedges thismonth, although we cancontinue to lay hedges untilthe end of next month, weare also planting up anygaps. One of the plants weuse is the Hazel and thesewill be coming into flowernow. The male ‘catkins’

develop into yellow ‘lambs tails’ in spring, sheddingclouds of wind blown pollen and the female stigmahas a red tassel, which, in turn, turns into the nut.These shrubs can be used for poles and hurdles.

The Bees will be active on warmer days now(lucky there are trees flowering) and they will taketime to clean out the hive on such days, carryingdetritus and dead Bees out of the hive.Its not just us that like to spring-clean!

Angela Sargentwww.baldfields-farm.co.uk and follow us on

twitter (@bythebarn)and facebook (baldfieldsfarm) too!


Povey’s PeopleBy Radio Stoke’s Owd Grandad Piggott

Perce Lockett won a goose in a raffle in TummyDawkins’s pub. The raffle was in aid of theold age pensioners annual trip to the seaside

and was always well patronised. Thefirst prize was a goose donated by Jim Fairbanks, afarmer from Caverswall. What no-one knew andwhat Jim Fairbanks had omitted to mention wasthat the goose was live. Perce had a fit when thefarmer turned up with it one Saturday morning.‘Weer dust want it?’ asked Jim opening the back

door of his Land Rover and exposing the illtempered fizzing creature which thrust its neck outaggressively. Perce and Lizzie Lockett lived in aterraced house next door to Owd Grandad Piggott.They had a yard, a coalhouse and an outside toilet– no place for a tortoise let alone a goose.‘Knock it on th’yed’, suggested Jim Fairbanks.

‘Ang it fer a wick an’ eat it next wickend’.‘Ar conner do that!’, protested Perce. ‘Ar’ve

never kilt owt in me life... In a straight bloodyscrap, that thing ud win ‘ands dine!’‘Dust want may kill it fer thee?’ offered the

farmer. ‘They’t aft pluck it an’ drow it theesenmind....’‘No!’ gasped Perce, ‘Put it in th’ lavatry... ‘Ar’ll

sowt summatt ite.... Way didstner tell me as it waslive??’.‘They didstner ex’, said Jim . ‘When ar sell

geese, thee’re owleys live ‘cause if thee wonner yerwouldner know ar lung thee’d bin jed’. So thegoose was installed reluctantly in Perce Lockett’slavatory and over the next few days,its temper gotdecidedly worse. Perce didn’t know what to do. Hewasn’t averse to eating the goose but was quiteincapable of killing it, so he approached Club PaperJack and offered him five bob to come round andassassinate it but somehow Jack had got wind of

the size of it and had declined the offer. Anotherproblem was, the goose had taken exception toOwd Grandad Piggott inasmuch as he had apersistent cough which the goose took on as achallenge. By now, it had smashed its way out ofthe lavatory and spent its time fanfaring out in theyard as Owd Grandad Piggott broke out into afierce coughing bout.‘Ar conner be doin’ with this’, groaned Perce.

‘Arm owd ar am an’ arm bad. That inner a goose– it’s a bloody gander...it’s as big as an ostrich, itgoos fer may ev’ry tarm ar want goo th’ lavat’ry,then it wunner let me back in th’ice ‘til ar’ve fedit....what con ar do?’.Perce started off by putting an advert in Hilda

Aspinall’s shop window.‘Person wanted to cull goose. Must be of strong

disposition and not squeamish. Reward of fiveshillings’. There were no takers. Meanwhile, thegoose spent its time perched on Perce Lockett’sdustbin waiting for Owd Grandad Piggott to comewobbling down the yard next door and startcoughing, whenceforth it would start honkingaggressively, fluff its feathers out and fizzalarmingly at Owd Grandad Piggott who wasfearful of it coming over the wall and going for histhroat. Owd Grandad retaliated by by spitting at itand giving it a two fingered salute which just servedto inflame the situation.‘Arm gooin’ ter th’p’lice abite it’, said Owd

Grandad Piggott peevishly. ‘That thing’s gooin’come ower th’wow at may one o’ theyse dees....’So I rang Jim Fairbanks who was annoyed to

say the least. ‘You’ve got to come and sort this Jim’, I told

him. ‘There’s world war three going on down here’.‘Ah ‘ve donated a prime bloody gander as fust

prize fer Tummy Dawkins’s raffle - Perce Lockett’swon it an’ nar ow as ay con do’s widdle imsennev’ry tarm it ‘isses at ‘im....ar anna comin’ kill it fer‘im an’ that’s ow thee is to it!’, As we werespeaking on the phone, there came a sudden wildshriek from Lizzie Lockett next door but one . Ishot outside and Lizzie was hysterical. Its got‘im....’she shrieked. ‘It’s got ar Perce in th’coal‘ole....quick – come rind....bring an axe with thee!!’Not having an axe to hand, I settled for a rolled upnewspaper, went round, barged into the coal holewhere the goose had got Perce around the facerather like that Emu puppet on the telly. Threegood swipes around the head and it let go of Perceand turned on me. I gave it another and backed outof the coal hole, dragging Perce with me andslammed the door on it. The row that Perce wasmaking, plus the goose honking and Lizziescreaming was serving up a cocktail of horrorwhich was fetching everyone out to find out whaton earth was going on. Lizzie bundled Perce in thehouse and fed him a large brandy, I went to the puband things went thankfully quiet.The next day started quiet. By noon,it was still

quiet and by mid afternoon, it was still eerily quiet.Owd Grandad Piggott went in and out severaltimes, coughing as he went, but there was noaggressive honking or fizzing. Things really weredeathly quiet. That night Perce Lockett was inTummy Dawkins’s pub.‘Where’s it gone Perce?’, I ventured.‘Jed!’, said Perce shortly‘You’ve killed it?’, ‘Ar’ve peysened it!’. Owd Grandad Piggott

emitted a harsh cackle of mirth. ‘Yer’n what?’‘Ar’ve peysened it’, repeated Perce smugly. ‘They

tell may what yow’d o’ done fer get shut on it....’‘If theest peysened it – thee knowst thee cossner

eat it dussner’.‘Eh? Why not?’‘Because, if its got peysen in it, they’t get it in

they if they eatst it!’ So the goose was consigned to the dustbin. Jim

Fairbanks said that never again would he sponsor aprize for the raffle .

Each month Radio Stoke’s Owd Grandad Piggott (Alan Povey) will write a unique insight into ourlocal life and its many characters.

His infectious, humorous slant on people provides a different and unusual mix which hopefully willbring a warm smile to the faces of our readers.

This month: Perce Lockett’s Goose

It all started out as an idea by long time friendsSimon Griffiths and Joe Locker. An idea thatbecame a reality which was not expected to

explode so soon. Realising that there was so muchpotential for Basketball in the local area of Uttoxeterwhile playing passionately down Pennycroft Park, itwas time to shoot this passion into the localcommunity, and sure did that shot sink. The very firstevent which helped visualise this idea to thecommunity was Lark in the Park, in which Simontook the helm back in August last year, and the eventwas immensely successful! Gaining the contactdetails of interested parents and guardians of manychildren from Uttoxeter, this was the beginning ofsomething new and exciting for sport in Uttoxeter.Shortly after this event, and after a huge amount

of planning, advertisement on social media, meetingswith Sports Development personnel and eventuallythe forming of an official Uttoxeter Basketballcommittee...that idea was finally a reality. TheUttoxeter Bulls (formerly known as UttoxeterBasketball) now have a huge number of volunteers,including the coaches and committee members MarkTurner, Simon Griffiths, Tom Greatrix, Joe Locker,Liam Cleary, Steph Greatrix and Kevin James who

have helped establish the Bulls over the last year intowhat it is today.The first sessions started during this time, the

first Junior Middle School session started lateSeptember at Windsor Park thanks to a hugeresponse from Lark in the Park 2014, and has had avery committed and passionate array of players, bothmale and female, from ages 9 up to 13. The very firstHigh School Session (ages 14 - 17) officially startedon the 4th November at Thomas Alleynes and theSenior Session has been running since Septemberwith, once again, a huge number of players bothmale and female. All of these members haveimproved their game and become great friends witheach other over the last few months of 2014, and theBulls are eternally grateful for the sheer support thatwas offered during the starting months.Furthermore, nearing the end of the year, the

Bulls established a relationship with the CoventryTornadoes basketball team, who even donated 20basketballs which have been of a huge help.Uttoxeter Cracker Night, which took place on the11th December, was of an astonishing success despitethe typical English weather, with the Bulls raisingover £125 with the tombola game which was set up

on the night. This again could not have beenachieved without the community and businesseswithin this community, with a huge number of prizes(totalling over £300) donated by Frankie andBennies, Gym & Tonic and Cinebowl to name but afew. With the first quarter of 2015 now in play,

Uttoxeter Leisure Centre is due to open on Saturday17th January, and this will be the new home groundof the Uttoxeter Bulls Basketball Team! Withbrilliant new facilities soon to be ready, the UttoxeterBulls are ready to move all sessions here, for easieraccess and many opportunities for matches in thenear future.The year 2014 was most definitely a year to

remember for the Uttoxeter Bulls. Since the very firstshow of the sporting venture at a rather wet Lark inthe Park event in August last year, the Bulls havesubstantially grown at an incredible rate. With ahuge, continuously growing number of membersconsisting of boys and girls, men and women ofvarious ages...the Uttoxeter Bulls are ready toconquer a new year of Basketball. Move aside Yearof the Sheep, this is the Year of the Bull!

Uttoxeter Bulls - A year in review


Karen’s Cake Cornerby Karen Hill

My Chocolate Celebration Cake

Icall this my Chocolate Celebration Cake as I havemade it on so many occasions when we havesomething to celebrate. It is perfect for special

occasions and makes a great dessert. On thisoccasion, all the family got together for the first timesince we moved to the country. There were fourteenfor supper, and I followed our meal with thisdelicious flourless chocolate cake topped with vanillawhipped cream, fresh strawberries and grated darkchocolate.The recipe I have given makes a cake for 8 – 12

people.

You will need: - 250g good quality dark chocolate(min. 70% cocoasolids) 125g unsalted butter 6 large free range eggs (2 whole, 2 separated) 175g golden caster sugar

For the topping:-

500 ml double cream 1 tsp vanilla extract Icing sugar to taste fresh strawberries dark chocolate grated

First preheat youroven to 180˚C and thenline a 9”/23cmspringform tin withgreaseproof paper. In asmall pan melt the butterand chocolate gently overa low heat. Beat the 2whole eggs and 4 eggyolks with 75g of thecaster sugar and then addthe chocolate mixture.

In another bowl,whisk the 4 egg whites until they are holding theirshape. Gradually add the remaining 100g of sugarand whisk until not too stiff. Lighten the chocolate

mixture with a large spoonful of the eggwhites and then gradually fold in theremainder. Pour the mixture into theprepared cake tin and bake for 35-40minutes. The cake should have risen andcracked and feel firm to the touch. Coolthe cake in the tin. The centre will sink asthe cake cools. When you are ready to serve, place the

cake on a plate and remove the cake tin.Whip the cream until soft and add thevanilla and a little sifted icing sugar(depending on how sweet you like thecream) I usually use approximately 1tbsp. Keep whipping until the cream isfirm but not over whipped. Fill the centreand top of the cake with the whippedcream and finish off with your sliced freshstrawberries and grated dark chocolate.

This cake is very rich and indulgent, and verydelicious. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Kate’s KitchenBy Kate Cornes

Kate once worked as a professional chef for manyyears, but following a career change, is nowemployed as a Veterinary Nurse. She still,however, continues to cook home cooked mealsfor herself, her husband and two young children.Kate is always on the lookout for wholesome butsimple recipes that can be prepared in advancefor busy working families.

Thomas The Tank Engine Cake

Now that Christmas is out of the way and wehave all, no doubt, spent a small fortune, anymoney saving tips are greatly appreciated. I

recently made a homemade birthday cake for aThomas the tank engine obsessed 4 year old. Makingyour own birthday cake can save a fortune and Iwanted to share a few tips and tricks to creating yourown masterpiece without breaking the bank. If youallow yourself enough time to source materials on lineor otherwise, you can piece together a cake that canlook like it has been made by the professionals!

This is a list of all the materials I needed to makethe Thomas cake:Brightly coloured cake cases - Aldi Thomas cake topper - eBay Brightly coloured sprinkles - Lidl Edible glitter - supermarketPerspex cake stand - Amazon - (this was actually

5 tiers but you can buy different amounts of tiers orjust use the required amount. It stores flat so can beput away and used time and time again.)Gel food colouring - Hobby craft - I would

strongly recommend using gel over liquid if a densecolour is required.Ribbon - Hobby craft (bought by the meter)Cake board - Hobby craft ( I like using the thick

ones so that I can place ribbon around the base)Fondant icing to cover the large cake - most

supermarkets sell ready to roll white fondant icing butif you require coloured icing, I would recommendbuying it ready coloured. Hobby craft sell a goodvariety of colours as do many internet sites.

I already have a large piping bag and large starnozzle but these can be found on the internet andcooks shops. A good tip ifyou are using a fewdifferent coloured buttercreams is to buydisposable piping bags,then you are not foreverwashing it.

For the sponge

I use the followingquantities per 12 cupcakes and twice thisamount is enough for 2 x7/8 inch round cake tinsto make a Victoria spongewhich can then bedecorated.

2 large eggs 4 oz caster sugar4 oz self raising flour4 oz softened butter

MethodBeat the butter and sugar together until soft and

pale then add the eggs. Continue beating then mix in the flour with a

spoon. If the mixture is not dropping consistency, adda very small amount of milk.Divide the mixture into the cake cases or to the

greased cake tins and bake:Cup cakes - 200oC/180˚C fan/gas 6 for 15-20

mins. 8 inch round tins - 180˚C/160oC fan/gas 4 foraround 25 minutes When you can gently touch the top of the sponge

with your finger and the sponge springs back, youknow they are cooked.

For the butter creamDepending on how much icing you want to pipe

onto each cake will depend on how much icing youwill need to make. To make enough for a good swirl,

like the ones I have made you will need the followingfor around 12 cakes:

1lb sifted icing sugar8 oz softened butter

MethodBeat the two ingredients together until

soft and fluffy. This will take at least 5minutes as rough guide.Depending on how many colours you

are using, divide the mixture accordinglyand add the gel food colouring little bylittle, beating well each time to thoroughlymix, until the desired colour is achieved.Pipe a swirl onto the cupcake and

decorate with sprinkles.

For the large cakeLevel off each cake using a long sharp

knifeSandwich together with a little butter

cream and jam and place onto the cakeboardUsing a palette knife, spread a thin

layer of butter cream over all surfaces ofthe sponge. This is just to help keep the fondant icingin place so only needs to be a thin layer.Roll out the fondant icing onto a surface lightly

sprinkled with icing sugar. Roll it so it measures thediameter of the sides and top added together. Once it is the required size, lift it onto the cake

using the help of the rolling pin. Be confident andwork quickly at this stage to avoid it drying outbefore you have trimmed and smoothed it off. Use a sharp knife to trim around the base of the

cake then smooth out any wrinkles using your fingertips. Place the cake topper on top, following the

manufacturers instructions.Place the ribbon around the cake board and secure

using double sided sticky tape.Finally, assemble all the cakes together on the cake

stand and prepare to amaze!!!


Let’s Get Cookingby Simon Smith, top local chef

Hello and welcome to my new cookerycolumn. By way of an introduction Iowned Thrales Restaurant in Lichfield for

25 years and ran the marquee at Tutbury castle for12. I now operate as a private chef and catererfrom my production kitchen in Lichfield.I am a keen supporter of local produce and

would like to share some of the wonderful recipesI have worked with over the years. Some will behistorical, some healthy and some downrightnaughty but we all need a little indulgence every sooften.I realise that everybody is ‘time poor’ in this day

and age but even a dish that takes 4 hours to cookseldom needs more preparation than a quickie.Whilst it is cooking there is plenty of time tosavour that anticipated glass of wine. Sadlycooking in the home is becoming a dying art butfor those who do manage the time it’s a greattherapy and opportunity to experiment. If youdon’t have the exact ingredients for a recipe don’tworry. You can always substitute or leavesomething out

For my first recipe I have done mumbled rabbitwhich is a 14th century dish that still sits well ontoday’s table. For those that don’t like rabbit itworks just as well with chicken.Rabbit tends to be a forgotten ingredient but is

full of flavour and for those wanting something a

bit different it’s fabulous to cook. Ask your localbutcher to bone it for you if you don’t have theconfidence as I’m sure they will be happy to do abit of work out of the ordinary.

Ingredients for 4 (pictured below)• 570 gms Boneless rabbit or chicken meat• 1x Stick celery finely diced• 4x Chestnut mushrooms• 3 Hard boiled eggs• 2 Anchovy fillets• 3tbsp Salted butter• 1x Teaspoon fresh chopped parsley• Fresh bay leaf, thyme• Salt and pepper to season

MethodCut the rabbit or chicken into half inch pieces

and drop into half a pint of simmering water withthe bay leaf, thyme and diced celery for oneminute.Meanwhile heat the butter in a frying pan with

the chopped anchovy fillets and quartered chestnutmushrooms.Drain the rabbit or chicken and add to the pan

with anchovies and mushrooms, stir and season totaste, stir for two or three minutes until the meat iscooked all the way through. Dice the hard boiledegg and stir in, finish with the chopped parsley.Serve on thick buttered toast for a warming

winter dish either as a starter or a great lunch dish.

www.simonsmith-chef.com

Talking Pets by Shoshannah McCarthy BVetMed (Hons) MRCVS

Shosh qualified from the Royal VeterinaryCollege in London, and has been working as asmall animal vet at Blue House Veterinary Centrein Biddulph since 2009. She has a rescue catnamed Bagpuss.

How to help the car sick dog

Car sickness is a common problem in dogs.Sometimes it is genuinely down to nausea inducedby motion, but in a surprising number of cases it isrooted in anxiety. Some dogs associate the car witha frightening experience or feeling unwell, to theextent that they become so worked up that theyvomit. In these cases, reducing anxiety can help thesickness.

Things to try for nauseous dogs

• Avoid feeding meals before journeys. An emptystomach may not eliminate vomiting altogether,but it can reduce the amount of food vomitbrought up.

• Some dogs feel better when they can see out thewindows, whereas others are better when theycannot. By law, dogs must be restrained whentravelling in the car. You can try crating themwith a blanket covering the crate to block outthe surroundings rushing by; alternatively, youcan experiment with letting your dog sit on theseat (using a car harness) to see if seeing out thewindow helps them.

• Keep the car cool. Heat can intensify nausea, soopen some windows to let your dog breathe insome fresh air.

• Ginger is a natural anti-emetic which has beenused for hundreds of years to reduce nausea inhumans. It also seems to help some dogs.Ginger capsules are available; otherwise youcan feed your dog a ginger biscuit 30-60minutes prior to travelling - but watch theirweight!

• There are veterinary motion sicknessmedications available, such as Cerenia, whichare effective and non-drowsy. These are notintended for frequent use, but can be extremelyuseful if you are planning a holiday or longjourney. Cerenia is available on prescription, soask your vet for more information.

Things to try for anxious dogs

Some dogs become anxious in the car becausethey associate it with feeling sick, so in some casestrying the above measures just a few times canbreak this cycle and help them feel more positiveabout travelling. If that fails, there are othermeasures you can try.• Always try to remain calm and neutral yourself.Never shout at your dog if they bark, panic orhave an accident. Calming bio-acoustic musicis available on CD for dogs, and may help someindividuals if you play it in the car.

• Adaptil is a synthetic version of Dog AppeasingPheromone, which is a settling signal passedfrom bitches to their pups and can be a calminginfluence on dogs of all ages. It is available as aspray, which can be applied to the car 30minutes prior to travelling, or as a collar thatcan be worn by your dog while they travel.

These products are widely available.• Non-medicated tablet supplements can helpreduce stress and anxiety associated with thecar. Adaptil ‘Stress Relief Now’ and KalmAidare safe and gentle products containing L-tryptophan and other natural ingredientsdesigned to calm anxious dogs in scarysituations. They are available withoutprescription.

• Some owners have had success with herbalremedies. If you choose to try this route, itmight be worth looking at Scullcap & Valeriantablets, which are widely available fromcompanies such as Dorwest.

Other tips

Try to break long journeys down into shorterchunks, with regular rest stops to let your dogstretch their legs and take a drink of water. Drivingas smoothly as possible can also reduce travelsickness.Working with your dog to gradually build up

their tolerance to the car is worthwhile, especiallywith puppies. Start by spending time with them ina stationary car on the driveway, and once they arerelaxed with this then you can think about startingthe engine, then going for short drives around theblock. Aim never to upset your dog - sometimesthis whole process can take weeks.Unfortunately, like some people, some dogs are

always car sick. If you are still struggling, andtravelling is a nightmare for your pooch, speak toyour vet about other possible remedies or referralto a qualified behaviourist.

4


The good old daysCan you identify the facesand locations?See Page 49 for some of the namesto the faces.

URGENTLY REQUIREDIf you have any photos that youthink may be of interest to ourreaders of this page please feel freeto drop them into Lavins Printers,High Street, Uttoxeter who will scanthem while you wait and let youhave them straight back. They willthen pass them on to us forpublication.

3

1

2

8


Photo Credits - 1 & 7: John Thorley, Cheadle. 2: Derrick Stinchcombe, Uttoxeter. 3 & 4: Steve Lavin, Uttoxeter. 5: Trevor Smith, Uttoxeter. 6: Mick Williams, Uttoxeter. 8: Mrs. Groves, Uttoxeter.

5

7

6

Pete’s Treats - Old School Favouritesby Pete Rowley of Moddershall

Rice Pudding

What you need:1oz Butter to grease4oz Pudding Rice2 Pints Full Fat Milk2oz Caster SugarA few drops of Vanilla ExtractWhole Nutmeg to grate

What to do:1 Preheat oven to 180dg (160deg fan

iven) Gas mark 4. Lightly greaseyour ovenproof dish. Add thepudding rice, milk, sugar and villaextract and stir everythingtogether. Grate the nutmeg overthe top until you think there isenough covering it.

2 Bake in the oven for one and ahalf hours or until golden brownthen serve at once.Enjoy...


Let The Voice Be With Youby Les Humphries of Rocester

Iwould have liked to wish readers a Happy 1stEdition of the Voice for 2015, but two sad eventsin January made it hard for me to say. One I will cover later, but the first was the terrible

tragedy in Paris of the massacre of ten people in theCharlie Hebdo Satirical Magazine Offices plus 3police officers, by Islamic terrorists. I admire theFrench for their stand against extremism, and stillallowing freedom of speech, which we seem to havelost in this Country due to our wishy washypoliticians and legal system, but sadly the extremistshave no respect for human life and breed cowardicein the rest of us. The French took swift retribution and dealt with

the terrorists in the only way they understand, as wewould have done at one time (the Embassy Siege soeffectively dealt with by the SAS), would we still beable to do it today? In this Country we have ElectionYear and several months of phony promises from ourpoliticians until we get sick of the back biting andbickering from people we no longer trust. Can’t sayany more than that or I’ll be edited out.On a happier note, my daughter Helen celebrated

her 50th Birthday in December with a fancy dressparty held in JCB’s Lakeside Club, with the themebeing the 80’s. We had several Smurfs, lots of FarrahFawcett hair do’s by the ladies, not to mentionFreddie Mercury! But the hit of the evening for mewas Mr. Blobby, alias Alison Halsey who washilarious on the dance floor. My gang came up fromSouth Wales, so it was a great family get together,with all my own kids friends attending, plus mybrother and sister in law from Cannock. I amdefinitely not a party animal, but the night wasextremely enjoyable.My good lady loves the BBC’s Strictly Come

Dancing. I personally can take it or leave it but theproblem is when a programme gets popular, asStrictly undoubtedly is, everybody wants to cash inon it’s success, so the Beeb have now got LenGoodman fever! For those of you who don’t watchStrictly, Mr. Goodman, a former ballroom dancer, isthe head judge, famous for saying ‘SEVERN!’. ITV latched on to him first when he did a

Supermarket advert ‘It gets a ten from Len!’. Not tobe outdone the BBC then then gave him the Historyof Dance, which they followed up with LenGoodmans Dance Band Days. On the heels of whichwe got - Holiday of a lifetime with Len Goodman,every night for a couple of weeks.Next came British Swing Bands of the forties, of

course presented by - you’ve guessed it LenGoodman, rounded off in December by LenGoodmans’ Christmas of a Lifetime. But not finished

yet, the return of Room 101 which started a newseries in January, guest on the first show - LenGoodman, once again flashing that toothy grin. Inthe results show for Strictly they have Lens Lens, andthe other evening Sandra asked me if I would like toclean MY lenses on MY reading glasses, and passedme a box containing horror of horrors - Lens Wipes...Over the years the Americans have foisted on us

some terrible legacies which our young people haveadopted, such as Fast Food, Trick or Treat, RealityTV, “Have a nice day”, using the word ‘awesome’ todescribe just about everything’ and worst of all myfavourite hate, the word ‘Like’ used out of context byyoung people every other word in conversation. Butin December came a new menace from across thepond - Black Friday which turns people into animalsto try and grab a bargain in the stores. What next Iask myself, Thanksgiving?Having said all that, I was chuffed in the way they

convicted Abu Hamza, him of the hooked handwhom we kept in luxury here for years, taking nonotice of his pleas for clemency. It took us far toolong to rid ourselves of his hatred, againour legal system let us down with it’sprotection of wrong doers. In the USA lifemeans exactly what it says, why can’t weinherit that philosophy, it’s ‘like -awesome!’I am going to wind up with my other

sad note of the New Year, with the funeralin January of my old Rugby Club muckerGeorge Harper, who passed away justbefore Christmas at the age of 75. Georgehad been plagued with Parkinsons Diseasesince his early fifties, but had never let itget him down, and he was certainly aninspiration to me over the 20 or so yearsthat I knew him.Originating in the North East, George was best

known as a foreman at Elkes Biscuits Factory, nowFoxs, in Uttoxeter, and a stalwart of UttoxeterRugby Club. His persona of being a grumpy old sod,belied a soft underbelly of a man who would doanything for his friends and family.For example, when my Mother in Law Gladys

passed away, I told George that Sandra and I had toclear the house in Cannock. Within half an hourGeorge turned up towing his little trailer and spentthe day with us sorting out her property and runningus here there and everywhere to sort things out, onwhat was a bitterly cold and snowy late Decemberday.

I used to travel with him to away matches untilhis driving became too erratic for him to continue

driving a car. Latterly he became famous for hismisadventures on his mobility scooter, such astravelling along the A50 to visit a friend in Doveridge.When shocked daughter Shelley asked him how hegot to the other side of the A50, he said “I went roundthe roundabout!” As many readers will know, thatroundabout is frightening even in a car or a bus, butcan you imagine going round it on a mobilityscooter? This is just one of many stories I could tellwhich would fill my column.

I used to drop in to see him at his bungalowwhen I was in town, and he would always pour us aglass of his best whiskey, even at 9 o’clock in themorning, and I shall miss those little chats. But themain thing is George will never be forgotten atUttoxeter Rugby Club, where he held several postsover the years, including President. There will be aMemorial Match played for him later in the Season.He will be sadly missed by friends a family alike...At the end of last November, the re-formed

Denstone Players premiered a brand new playentitled ‘A Mere Murder’, written and directed by

Catherine Doel. Described as ‘When TV’s Ab Fabmeets Midsomer Murders’ it was a black comedywith red herrings a plenty. The cast had several of theold stalwarts, along with a clutch of new faces witha chilling performance by Cavell Portman as theforbidding Dr. Shipley.The photographs show a scenefrom the production, and the cast taking a final bow.At time of writing The Denstone Players next

production is a Pantomime, Sleeping Beauty,Thursday 26th of February - Saturday 28th February,but as I am not sure when this issue of The Voice hitsthe streets - you may have missed it go towww.facebook.com/denstone players or follow us ontwitter:@denstoneplayers

TTFN Les...


Sport is in my blood...by Jeff Wood of Cheadle, dedicated to local sport for a lifetime...

After seeing Dennis Bentley in Cheadle theother week, it got me thinking how manylocal goalkeepers I’ve played with over the

years.This list is by no means comprehensive, but

quite a few of them come readily to mind.I’ve already mentioned Ivan Harvey in a

previous edition. Ivan is very well known to all theolder ex-players in the area.At Boltons I played with Brian McCarthy and

Mick Climpson, both excellent keepers on theirday. I see Mick now and again as he watches LeekTown fairly regularly. I’ve not dropped on Brianfor some time now.At Kingsley Youth Club, in addition to Dennis,

I played with the late Mick Withers, Alan Pedder,George Durose, Phil Alcock and quite a few others.I see Alan watching football at Thorley Driveoccasionally and we always enjoy a conversationabout the old times. George was a commandingkeeper who I still see in town. The last time I saw

Phil was sadly at Ian Mellor’s funeral – in fact Ianhimself was more than useful between the sticks inan emergency.Since the last edition we have lost one of the

first keepers I ever played in front of in the personof Sam Critchlow who was between the stickswhen I played for Cotton Albion over fifty yearsago.When I was at Red Cow I had the privilege of

playing in front of two very fine keepers, namelyBob Aston and Barry Alcock. Whilst Bob is notfrom this immediate locality, I know that forcertain reasons Bake will remember him well. Bobwent on to play for the now defunct Eastwood andBarry of course, having started his career atThreapwood in the junior leagues, went on to playmany games for Burton Albion under thestewardship of Neil Warnock.At Oakamoor I played with the late Tony

Critchlow and latterly with Vin Ryder after heconverted to take over the keeper’s role.

When I was with Kingsley United I played withLes Yates and Phil Sheldon, both of whom I seefrom time to time. I’ve also played a lot of cricketwith Phil over the years, as I have with anotherformer Kingsley United keeper Jim Hannah. Infact Jim and myself once starred in an amusing andnever to be forgotten last wicket partnership whichI’ll relate in a future edition.I’ve just named a few keepers who readily come

to mind. There are doubtless many others who Ishall think of after this article has gone to press andto whom I apologise for omitting them here – notto mention the dozens of keepers I’ve never playedwith but have only ever played against, qualitykeepers like Keith Rushton, Pete Swanwick (who Isaw a few weeks ago) Paul Harrison (who I seeevery Sunday morning) and Alan Clarke (who I seeevery Saturday).I’ll have a good think about the keepers I’ve

missed out unless they stop me in the street andremind me first !

Bake’s Memoirsby Neil Baker, Crewe Alexandra FC Assistant Manager and local sporting legend

Abelated Happy New Year to all our readers.Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas andlook forward to 2015.

I thought what a good time to look aheadrather than back at the prospects of our localfootball league teams.I will start with our premier club in the area

Stoke City. I really think the supporters of Stokehave some exciting times ahead. After the TonyPulis era which transformed the club from theChampionship to a team able to compete with anyon its day in the Premiership, an excellentachievement by anybody’s standards . This teamwas built on a very good defensive structure,teamwork that was bought into by all his players,man management which is as important asanything when you are dealing with players thatare superstars in their profession. All backed by avociferous support particularly at home in front ofa partisan crowd at the Brit. Money was then spentto push the team on, now depending which campyou are in, was the money spent wisely and did theteam improve enough? The powers that be at theclub obviously thought not, Tony moved on andMark Hughes was made the new manager.I don’t get many opportunities to see the Potters

because of my job but many of my mates stillfollow them home and away and to a man they alltalk about enjoying the football more under thenew brigade. Playing a better style, a more patientbuild up with more possession of the ball. Now Ido know that supporters don’t always care howtheir team plays as long as they win the game, butthey also want to enjoy what they are watching.After all they pay a lot of money to follow theirteam and want to be entertained, to be entertainedyou need to sign entertaining players and I thinkMark Hughes is trying hard to do this. Bojan,Diouf, Arnautovic (at times), Odemwingie andIreland all fit into this category and with Crouch,Adam and a resurgent Walters there is goals in the

team, the defence is still hard to breach, a creativemidfield player would enhance this team andenable it to move forward. How far can Stoke go?Well we`re not Chelsea, City or Utd, can’t be aLiverpool or Arsenal, won’t spend what Spurs havespent. So that’s six teams that maybe should finishabove Stoke. After that come Southampton, WestHam and Swansea. The Saints and the Hammershave had a super first half of the season but I feelthat Stoke could enjoy just as good a second half,they do grow stronger and if that happens apossible 7th spot finish and a place in the EuropaLeague. What about a run in the FA Cup alongsidethis? I’m writing my column the day after Chelsea,Man City, Spurs and Swansea have all beendumped out, Liverpool held at home; two daysafter Man U forced a draw at mighty Cambridge!Tomorrow evening Stoke face a tough game atRochdale ( believe me ) and if they overcome thistie then they have a real chance of progressing along way in the competition. The cynics out therewill tell you, exactly what TP achieved only twoseasons ago!Onto Port Vale, well we didn’t help their

chances of finishing in the play-off placesyesterday. Another `Derby` victory for the `Alex`against our friends from down the road. We holdthe upper hand at the moment in these games butrealise that these games go in cycles so we willenjoy the bragging rights knowing that things willchange. When they do I hope that both Steve Davisand I will be as gracious in defeat as the Valemanagement. Rob Page, Mark Grew and DeanGlover are real good guys and were men enoughto entertain us after the game, I know what it’s likehalf an hour after a defeat ( we’ve had so many thisseason ), I honestly hope they have a second half ofthe season as good as the first. Whether a top sixfinish is possible who knows, but expectationshave risen, whether these expectations are realisticis another thing. This is only their second year at

this level and maybe last season they over achievedleading to higher hopes for this campaign, but thisis a tough league with big clubs with budgets farfar bigger than the Vale and ourselves.So what do the next three and a half months

hold in store for Crewe Alexandra? Our results upuntil just before Christmas pointed to a campaignfighting to stay in this very competitive league. Ourstart to the season saw us leaking goals, getting afew hammerings and not too many goals in theteam, a recipe for relegation. We decided on achange of formation, to many goals conceded,various combinations of the back four and still thesame outcome, let’s go five at the back with threecentre halves. Logical decision, let’s be harder tobeat. We were and the team was working hard andthe spirit was good. We drew four games inNovember but never scored above once in any ofthem. We gave the players we had at the club everyopportunity to cement a regular place in the teambut none really grasped that chance. Some hadmoderate success but not consistent enough, webought in a couple of forwards on loan, again thatdidn’t solve our problems in front of goal. Bigdecisions needed to be made, the defending had gotbetter, the players were honest but we, themanagement had to help them by bringing in somegoals. We managed to get Ikpeazu back fromWatford, we knew what he could offer as we hadhim on loan last season. Ajose followed on loanfrom Leeds, proven goal scorer at this level and wealso signed Della Valle, a player we had also had onloan from Fulham two years ago. These playersadded to the group have given the team, supportersand the staff some real hope that we can now avoidthe drop. Results have picked up dramatically andDecember and January have proved to beproductive. We have some good young playerscoming through again and the loans have fitted inwell, there’s still work to be done but the futurelooks brighter.

All-time local soccerHall of Fame TeamBy Roy ‘Razzer’ Astbury

Each month Uttoxeter’s best known character Roy ‘Razzer’Astbury will compile his very own ‘All-Time Local Football Team’which in his opinion is the very best of players past andpresent.

‘Razzer’ will create a team in each issue of The Uttoxeter &Cheadle Voice which he believes incorporates all theingredients of a football outfit which could be unbeatable!

He will be delving into his thoughts to remember all theterrific players in years gone by whilst selecting those who areexceptional in our present day.

It should be a fantastic talking point in our community andno doubt you all will have your views on ‘Razzer’s Hall of Fameteam.

If you have your own Hall of Fame team then get involvedand just give Nigel a call at The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice on01538 751629, 0776 784 6937 to tell him or send your teamto: The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, 3 Spode Close, Cheadle,Staffordshire, ST10 1DT or [email protected]

TOM DAVIESUttoxeter St Marys FC

Top class goalkeeper with terrificshot-stopping skills.

JIM JERVISUttoxeter Railway FCSuperb worker in defence.

MICK EYREIpstones FC

Big powerful centre halfwho dominated forwards.Could play centre forward

too!

STEVE CROSSCheadle United FCTremendous defenderwho could get a goalor two. Stylish player.

SID (BOT) DANKSUttoxeter Amateurs FCStrong, good in the air,never let his team down.

MAURICE BROWNMarston FC

Great midfielder whopossessed great vision.

EDDIE SMITHSimplex FC

Fast winger who could turndefenders inside out.Wonderful talent.

RON WETTONRocester FC

Excellent footballer whohad class.

DENNIS BRINDLEYIpstones FC

The Mean Machine!Possessed great skillsintertwined withcombative manner.

JACK (ACKY) PLANTBamfords FC

Flying winger, strong shot.

PAUL WILLIAMSUttoxeter Amateurs FCGreat centre forward, knew

where the back of the net was.

Razzer’s Hall of Fame February Team

GK Barry Alcock

Most agile, brave keeper, with a

superb team attitude, an

enormous influence in

Rocester’s rise to non- league

status.

RB Keith Hibberd

A quality defender , very quick,

not many got past the so

talented Hibbser.

CH Gareth Owen

A credit to our area, he was a

dedicated respected

professional at several clubs

CB Kev Barry

My trusted skipper, the bigger

the game the more Kev

responded - he didn’t need a

manager, saw danger as an

instinct.

LB Gary Croft

Excellent left back, I tried to

sign him when he was young.

He turned professional just

after.

RW Stan Bevans

Stan is a highly respected guy

who we all looked up to in Tean

- very classy player

CM Terry Finney

To my age group Terry was a

legend, he spent many hours

coaching us, he was a tough

sportsman, superb footballer

and cricketer. I had so much

respect for him.

CM Barry Hulton

Great player who had it all,

Barry improved all players

around him. He was a natural

leader, so athletic, the best guy

I ever trained with - just simply

class

LW Mick Ratcliffe

One of the best players

Uttoxeter has produced, great

feet, a perfect balanced player

CF Mick Collins

Mick was the best striker in the

area by a mile, the team could

be struggling but with Collo up

front he could win you the

game in a second.

CF Nigel Mottram

I never saw a player improve

more than Nigel at Rocester,

both feet were great, natural

ability on the ball, Motty was

top draw and so unlucky not to

be a pro.

We have inserted one football club each player has performed for. Obviously, many have played for several clubs in their careers.

Local sporting legend and Voice columnist AlanBeaman has selected his Hall of Fame FootballTeam for this issue – and what a team it is! Alanhas many decades of experience in local footballas a player and manager which gives himinstant respect in his pursuit of the best teamever. Take a look to your right and see what youthink of his side:

Alan Said: “I would like to hear at what levelcould this team have played at? Send youropinions in to Nigel, some good banter at workand in the pub - your comments please!”



1. Andy CoxonGreat prospect, will score lots of runs wherever he plays. Mychoice as wicketkeeper.

2. Shaun JenkinsonScored loads of runs in his time at Cheadle, hard-hitting left handbatsman.

3. Vishal TripathiSuperb season as Pro when we won the league and nearly wonthe Staffs Cup Final with his runs.

4. Dave WheeldonThe best batsman in the Premier League at the moment and alsoa great lad.

5. Jake ThompsonVery good left handed batsman, scored runs for Knypersley in thelast 2 or 3 seasons.

6. Matt CoxonExcellent cricketer, batting, bowling and fielding, he’s got the lot!Staffordshire will pick him one day.

7. James SellersTremendous opening bowler, 50-plus wickets every season. Hecan bat a bit too.

8. Chris BarkerCheadle through and through, what a performer over the years.110% everything he does.

9. Will DobbieGood young cricketer now and he will only get better withexperience. Great prospect.

10. Simon PlantCaptained the side when we won the league and Talbot Cup.Good left arm spinner.

11. Steve MorganTop left arm spinner, also now taking wickets for Stone.

All-time local cricketHall of Fame TeamBy Pete Rowley

Each issue Pete Rowley of Moddershall will compile his very own‘All Time Local Hall of Fame Cricket Team’ which in his opinion isthe very best cricketers past and present.

Pete will create a team in each issue of The Uttoxeter and CheadleVoice colour magazine which he believes incorporates all the ingredientsof a great cricket side which could be unbeatable!Pete will be delving into his memory bank to select players who

performed over many decades. It should be a fantastic talking point in ourcommunity and no doubt you will all have your views on Pete’s Hall ofFame selections.Known throughout the local cricketing fratnerity, Pete played cricket

for teams such as Stone and Oulton and he was Manager of CheadleCricket Club’s 1st team recently when they won the Division 1championship without losing a match and also reaching the final of theprestigious Staffordshire Cup.

The team below is Pete’s Cheadle CC team covering the last4 years:

Well known local cricketing legend Rob Kyle has a vastwealth of knowledge of the sport, playing superbly forOulton CC.

Check out Rob’s Readers Hall of Fame Cricket Team:

1 David LloydStrong opening Bat with excellent technique andtiming. Served both Little Stoke and Stone well.

2 Matt ColcloughThe most technically gifted player I had the pleasureof playing with. However after his early promise as ateenager playing in the England under 19 team, heseemed to be content playing a club level.

3 Dave ProffitProlific run scorer at all levels including some matchwinning knocks for the North Staffs and districtleague.Good cricket brain and a capable fielder.

4 Adrian ButtersLarger than life character both off and on the field.Hard hitter and a punisher of average bowling.

5 John PicklesAlong with Harrish Patel probably one of the mostunder rated cricketers to play in Staffordshire. Couldturn a game on its head with quick aggressive runmaking and taking wickets at key times with hismedium paced skidders.

6 Jeff MaynardKept the scoreboard ticking for many years with hisCaribbean style of batting, also one of the best Midon’s in the amateur game.

7 Harrish PatelA magician with the ball, he had everything in hisarmoury when it came to taking wickets. Good solidbat who hit the ball for miles.

8 Barrington BrownTook the league by storm with his blistering paceand movement. Could also swing the willow whenrequired, and the nicest guy off the field you couldwish to meet.

9 Mark BengryCould talk batsmen out with his on-field aggressionand the ability to back it up. Good all rounder andfirst name down on my team sheet.

10 Alan RichardsonEven at an earlier age he had batsmen hoppingaround the crease with precision sharp bowling.Turned out to be an excellent pro cricketer playingthe game how it should be played, hard but fair.

11 Alan PalmerOnce took 4 wickets in an over with his unorthodoxspin bowling. Always good to have him in the locker,however 3rd man was his best fielding Position.

Reader’s Hall of Fame Local Cricket

Team


Alan’s Football Autobiography by Alan Beaman, a local sporting legend

Many good players played for me atRocester, when I finished after my backinjury. The team that dominated

Staffordshire was formed with several players whoI played with Steve Cross, Paul Croft, Dave Bevans,Ian Thorley, Andrew Coleman and PaulFernihough, all very good local players who helpedto build a strong team. The big three Barry Alcock,Kev Barry and Mick Collins made the team into aspecial team, along came Paul Forrester anexcellent inside forward who would score manygoals, Neil Meredith an aggressive left back whowould help to win trophies.Then to progress we went out to Stafford,

Burton, The Potteries and even intoWolverhampton searching for players such asAndy Hough another great little player who camefrom the Audley area who I spotted in Sundayfootball, he came fairly easy because our respect asa club had been established, players wanted to bepart of the success, of course my old buddyGraham Elks was my right hand man and did a lotof work towards building Rocester’s future.Moving onto the new ground was a massive

move for Rocester and the excitement of buildingthe ground for the club was an honour, of coursethe energy of a thirty year old driven by anexcellent chairman Don Hill was a partnershipwhich succeeded with hard work and trust, greattimes were round the corner. Entrance in the F. A.Cup, Staffordshire, Birmingham and Walsall SeniorCup, playing clubs like Macclesfield, Northwich,Birmingham, Stoke and Burton etc was fantastic10 great years. Not many people know how theend came about and I was sacked whilst away in

Portugal on holiday, with a letter put through myletter box at home. Problems arose when anagreement between myself and the chairman wasbroken over the ground and I wouldn’t back downfor the village’s sake, so the only way to get rid ofme was to sack me and pay out my contract whichwas £3500 at the time, now many clubs hadapproached me at the time but my loyalty wasalways with Rocester and advise from manyfriends to leave and move on was not taken by me,my friend for many years the late Chris Harper theSentinel sports writer who came along with JohnRudge to our presentation evening said to me“Alan, you have won everything The League Cup,Staffs Vase move on now the time is right”, maybeI should have listened but I don’t regret my proudRocester history and the hard work that all theplayers and staff put in for me.Water went under the bridge for many years

and then Dave Price the chairman who had playedfor me at Rocester got me to go back, it wasextremely tough with a lot of board roomproblems but I still enjoyed it because I love thegame, it’s people, it’s camaraderie is unique andthat’s why I am still in football. I enjoy being withfootballers the constant challenge new and youngplayers coaching them passing on my experiencepicked up working with and listening to manyprofessional managers, Micky Pejic was veryhelpful, Nigel Clough, Neil Warnock, Chris Wright,Alan Ball, Mick Mills, Tony Lacey and lots more,was a learning curve not to be missed.With the weather being bad recently I have

been able to get down Stoke, the Chelsea game wastough with Stoke never being able to gain control

of the match, Arsenal game was superb, Bojanrunning the first half and Crouchy at his best stilla quality player.As a youngster going to Great Wood Primary

school I look back remembering Mr Fidler theheadmaster, Mrs Hulme a lovely teacher but therewere also some teachers who were on the borderline, I can remember being pushed and shovedaround because I couldn’t do a sum on the boardand as an eight year old I made a decision to putmy hand up to go to the toilet and then jump overthe wall and go home. It would be abuse now butin those days it was done although it was wrong.At secondary school there was lots of punishmentaround 90% of it fully deserved and we all took iton the chin but several teachers ruled by fear whichwas no problem because we all believed that wasnormal behaviour. How things have changedteachers would be locked up nowadays but havewe gone too far the other way with disciplinelacking in many ways, I don’t think we took toomuch harm and I remember so many good teachersMr Draycott a lovely man, Geoff Downing metalwork teacher, a great teacher I loved making thingsI still have a garden gate I made in 1964 at home.Mr Tweedy and Mr Chesters two highly

respected Mackenzie teachers, Mr Kendal who Igot on with so well and of course Terry Watts myfavourite teacher, Terry was excellent hard but fairso much on a level with youngsters.Lady teachers Miss Johnson, Miss Parker and

Mrs Hutchinson who just passed away recently,highly respected local lady who will be sadlymissed, I hope you sixties guys enjoyed those daysas much as me, I loved school.

CheadleTown F.C. -‘What ayear’Cheadle Town F.C. has been named Community Club of

the year by Staffs F.A. This prestigious award caps anoutstanding year for the club after NIKE selected

Cheadle Town to be one of its partnership clubs.The club currently has 14 teams ranging from a first team

which competes in the Staffordshire County Senior League totwo under 7 teams which compete in the Potteries MiniSoccer League. The clubs own Academy also provides first class

indoor/outdoor coaching for children aged 4 to 7 years. Thissubsidized one hour per week session (only £1) prides itself onproducing the future players of Cheadle Town football club.All coaches qualified to a level 1 FA standard, CRB

checked & 1st Aid Trained.If you would like to get your child involved – please

contact:Peter Bentley (Chairman), 07748 910 921 Chris Keates (Junior Head Coach), 07432 684 338

The picture shows Peter Bentley & Joe Keates (Under 10player) standing proud with Community Club award.


On the OcheBy Dave Jones of UttoxeterLife President of the Uttoxeter and District Darts League.

Stoke-on-Trent

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY !Repointing Service Also Available

89 Ford Green Rd, Smallthorne ST6 1NTTel: 01782 850958

email:[email protected]

Gift Vouchers available

The good old daysThe Good Old Days photographs on pages 42 and 43have been identified as:

1 Armistice Day Parade, Charles Street, Cheadle, 11thNovember 1956. Standard Bearer: Bill Thorley,Escort: Don Horton

2 Elkes Bowls Club c. 1960’s. Back Row, Left toRight: Harold Potter, George Copeland, TedHudson, Roy Burnett & John Fearn. Front Row:Fred Hudson, Irene Yates, Danny Warrington, &Derrick Stinchcombe

3 Uttoxeter’s Reg Baxter Pictured in The Shant atRoston in 1999

4 Elkes Biscuits, Uttoxeter Drivers 1932. Left toRight: Fred Roberts, Bill Palmer, David Carter, JackBrindley, Frank Woolley, Fred Whiston, AlbertSmith, Harry Harvey, Harry Travis & AlbertShorthouse

5 Blacksmiths Arms, Birch Cross customers picturedin the late 70’s

6 Young Lads pictured at The Wakes On BreweryYard, Uttoxeter in 1967, trying to ‘Hook A Duck’.Pictured Left to Right : Chris Nicholls, ColinHudson, Mick Williams & Pete Slater

7 British Legion Children’s Party, Methodist SchoolRoom, Cheadle 1955. Mrs Raines is distributingthe gift bags

8 Marchington Woodlands School 1938. Back Row,Left to Right: Unknown, Sam Brindley, HarryParkes, Charlie Thorley, Peter Pountain & JohnPountain. 2nd Row from back: Nora Trubshaw,Jean Mason, Marjorie Wagstaff, DorothyHollingsworth, Joyce Redfern, Kathleen Trubshaw,Edna Bull, Edith Harrison, Betty Wolf, Joyce Wilne,Teacher, Miss Charles, Dorothy Pontain, Unknown.3rd Row from back: Unknown, Derek Wagstaff,Wilfred Davis, Unknown, Ruth Hibberd, BarbaraLeedham, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, DonaldLatchford, Ernie Hollingsworth, LeslieHollinsworth. Front Row: Dennis Latchford,Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, UnknownRaymond Hibberd, Unknown & Colin Motteram

Stumped for a great venue to holdyour function?Hire the Cheadle Cricket Club Function Room Now!Fully refurbished for 2014

Whatever the occasion Cheadle Cricket Club’snewly refurbished Club House will be suitable foryour Function at very competitive rates!

BOOK IT NOW!BIRTHDAY PARTESCHRISTMAS PARTIESCHRISTENINGSANNIVERSARIESMEETINGSWEDDING RECEPTIONSFUNERALSCORPORATE FUNCTIONS

For further details, availiability and to book call Social Secretary Ms Diane Wright on 07715 272 470

Hello again, what a way to start the New Year withthe PDC World Championships at The AlexandraPalace in London where the golden oldies were

really turning on the style!Five times Champion Raymond Van Barneveld (47

years old) beating local lad Adrian Lewis 4-3, even thoughJackpot hit a nine darter – what a brilliant game!

Next, 16 times World Champion and the best playerto ever grace the oches beat Belgian Kim Huybrechts 4-3– the one and only The Power Phillip Taylor (54 yearsold).Present reigning champion mighty Mike Van Gerwinbeating Rob Thornton 5-2!

Heading down to The Black Swan pub in Uttoxeterto watch the outcome of the night’s matches, what afantastic life watching darts, drinking beer with friends,perfect of course. The lads were asking me who will beatwho and luckily for me I predicted the last four and guess

what, that means two more nights out down at the pub.So again whose going to win tonight Dave? I was

asked. That’s easy Gary Anderson to beat MVG and PhilTaylor to beat Barney, with Gary Anderson the Flying scotto beat The Power in the final. I said this because his 180scores and his doubles shots are the best around at themoment.

Now we are into finals night and what a game, one ofthe best finals ever with Gary Anderson a worthy WorldChampion – 19 180’s to his name – I rest my case...

But you have to admire Phil Taylor because this washis 20th appearance in a world final and he has only lostfour. In my opinion you will never see another playerreach or win as many titles as him – he really is ThePower!

The PDC Darts have without doubt reached newheights, 625 maximums scored. The BDO Championships

however have not started at all well with the playeraverages below 100. However Martin Adams (Wolfie)turns back the clock, 58 years young and throwing reallywell.

There are a lot of people who knock the BDO butthey should remember, it gave Super League and CountyPlayers the chance to play at a higher standard and theBDO is in fact a feeding system for the PDC.

Darts is now a very well paid sport and we now inthis country have talent coming through and generatedby a youth tour, so do yourself a favour go out buy adartboard and a set of darts – you never know, you couldbecome famous and earn a good living at something tobe enjoyed.

I can speak from experience, I have enjoyed playingdarts and will continue to do so.

So for now take care, Dave


Conditions of Acceptanceof Advertising:a. All adverts must comply

with the British Code ofAdvertising Practice, TheAdvertising StandardsAuthority and currentlegislation.

b. No guarantee can begiven that an advert willappear on a specified dateor in a specified position,although every effort willbe made to meetrequests.

c. Whilst every care will betaken, the publishers willnot be held liable for anyloss occasioned by failureof an advert to appear, orany misprint, error oromission. Nor due to nonpublication or delivery.

d. We cannot acceptresponsibility for morethan one incorrectinsertion. Advertisersshould contact usimmediately the first erroroccurs.

e. Credit will only be issuedfor that part of the advertthat is incorrect, unless itcan be agreed that allresponse was affected.

f. The publishers reserve theright to refuse, delete,amend or cancel anyadvert withoutexplanation.

g. Whosoever places theadvert will be deemed tobe authorised to do so onbehalf of an advertiserand that the advertiserhas obtained permissionto utilise any of thecomponent parts of thatadvert. The publishers willnot be liable if this is notthe case.

h. The Advertiser agrees toreimburse the Publisherfor any costs, damages orother charges resultingfrom any legal actiontaken against them as aresult of publishing theadvertisement aspresented to thePublisher.

Chimney SweepVacuum and Brush

Tel 01889 564900

A Bostock

See how The Voicecan publicise yourbusinessGive us a call on 01538 751629or 07733 466 970

Voice Small [email protected] 751629

For all yourPlumbing

& Heating needscontact Pete on07971 641 [email protected]

For all your Plumbing & Heating needsContact Pete on

07971 641 [email protected]

For all yourPlumbing

& Heating needscontact Pete on07971 641 [email protected]

Oddjob Property Maintenance For all the odd jobs & big jobs - inside & outside your home

Electrical, Plumbing, Joinery, Tiling, Fencing, Bathrooms, Kitchens & Gardens

No job too small or too big

Contact Mitch Shirley on: 01538 750491/07860670407

Mini, Midi & Large SkipsMini Digger Hire24-7 ServiceTel: 01889 566262Mob: 07971 566 383www.boultonsskiphire.co.uk

A Local

Family-Run

Business

Best Prices in the area for all your• Offset Litho Printing and Stationery Requirements •• While-U-Wait Full Colour & Mono Photocopying •

• Finishing Services • Rubber Stamps SuppliedExtensive Range of Stationery Items at Bargain PricesPersonal attention from the Proprietors Guaranteed!

ESTABLISHED IN UTTOXETER OVER 60 YEARS

Competitive PricesDesign ServiceShort or Long Run

27a HIGH STREET, UTTOXETER, STAFFS. ST14 7HNTel: (01889) 564415 Fax: (01889) 562425

E.mail: [email protected] Web: www.lavinprinters.co.uk

Lavin Printers A5 Digital Ad (2):Layout 1 10/2/10 10:01 Page 1

• Extensions

• Brickwork

• Ground Works

• Joinery

• Home Improvements

• Plastering/Rendering

• Landscape Gardening

• Roofing

Mark & Ron07743 649 [email protected]

ARMConstruction

Inside - OutTLC for your home

We do Gardening, HedgeCutting, Jet Washing,Decorating, DIY jobsLook after your houseand it will look after you!Call Stuart on 07599 747 763

5cm x 1 columns

This spacecould be

yours for only

£25

Weddings at Moddershall Oaks

OUTDOOR WEDDING CEREMONIES

We are launching a new space exclusive to The Venue, with views of the lake on the edge of our private woodland. This brand new landscaped area will be ideal for arrival

or post-ceremony drinks whilst making the most of our breath-taking Staffordshire

countryside location.

AND NOW FOR THE SPECIAL PART...this new area will lead on to a handmade oak gazebo on the water’s edge, which

will be licensed for outdoor wedding ceremonies, so you can tie the knot in the

most unique location.

Picture an ambience like no other... peaceful surroundings, soft outdoor lighting, a woodland backdrop and your wedding

ceremony on the water’s edge.

NEXT WEDDING OPEN DAYSaturday 25th April 2015

Contact us now to arrange a viewing.

Moddershall Oaks Country Spa RetreatModdershall, Near Stone, Sta�ordshire, ST15 8TG

Sat Nav Post Code: ST15 8WF

01782 399000 | [email protected]

uttox voice issue 52

Lifestyle