uttoxeter and cheadle voice issue 71

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Issue 71

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3Let The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice take your business to 15,000 local homes. To advertise, call 01538 751629 or 07733 466 970.

Spring is in the air in thismonth of March as thefeelgood factor of getting

out into our gardens begins tobecome a reality.Yet again we have not endured

those freezing cold winters of the past when snow drifts werecommon place.But I remember many years ago snow fell during the

months of March and April so I had better keep a lid of thatfeelgood feeling.Looking back, I attended the March Cheltenham

Horseracing Festival one year when it snowed withtemperatures plummeting as the afternoons turned intoevenings.And my daughter married in April when we were greeted

with over six inches of snow when we came out of the eveningreception!I have tried to steer clear of this constant Brexit chatter

which engulfs all parts of our great United Kingdom.Listening to some politicians who are elected by the people,they simply refuse to acknowledge what the country voted forlast year. My simple message to them and all our politicians from

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is – all of youcome together and make us strong before we enternegotiations with the European Union for the sake of GreatBritain.I am positive we will have a very hostile EU when

negotiations begin so we need to stand together to get the bestdeal possible – a democratic vote to leave the EU was takenlast year and now is the time for leadership and unity.I hope you enjoy reading this issue of The Voice colour

magazineNigel TittertonEditor & Publisher

Dear Reader,

Publisher and Editor: Nigel Titterton The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice is published by Community Voice Publications Ltd

Telephone 01538 751629 e-mail [email protected] views expressed in this publication are those of our contributors and are not necessarily those of the publishers, nor

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

The Uttoxeter &Cheadle Voice is whollyindependent and ispublished at 3 SpodeClose, Cheadle, StaffsST10 1DT15,000 copies aredistributed free tohomes and businessesin Uttoxeter, Cheadle,Ashbourne, Rocester,Denstone, Bramshall,Stramshall, Alton,Oakamoor, Tean, LowerTean, Checkley, Leigh,Church Leigh, Crakemarsh, Combridge, Kingsley, Mayfield, Draycott, Cresswell, SaverleyGreen & Fulford, Doveridge and Abbots Bromley, Sudbury, Kingstone, Marchington,Ellastone, Ipstones, Froghall, Hollington, Dilhorne, Marston Montgomery, Meir Park areas. Clients are welcome to view the printing matrix.

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

NEXT ISSUETHE NEXT VOICE WILL BE OUT ON APRIL 24th 2017News Deadline: April 10th Advertising Deadline: April 12th

BOOK YOUR ADVERT NOW - Email [email protected] or Call 01538 751629You can also contact us via social media:

@uttoxeter_voice search for Uttoxeter Voice search for Uttoxeter Voice

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With three different rooms we can accommodate bothsmall, medium and larger type events, with cateringservices as required. We also cater for business meetingswith refreshments to suit. Projection equipment is alsoavailable for hire if required.We also have three full size snooker tables, two pooltables, Sky Sports, children’s play area, sports courts andother sub-section activities. Check out our website -www.jcb-lakeside-club.co.ukWhy not give us a call, or better still, visit the LakesideClub and see what we have to offer.Associate membership is also available for those who wishto use the Lakeside facilities. Contact the club for details.

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Take a rest courtesyof Cheadle U3A

Cheadle U3A is celebrating its 20th Birthday this year. As part of thecelebrations they funded the installation of two seats along the CecillyBrook Walk in Cheadle. One seat is adjacent to Ashbourne Road and

the other is by the bridge leading to Mill Road.

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Moorlands District Councilllor Ivor Lucas visited Kingsley VillageHall to present two SMDC Initiative Cheques to local groups.Seen receiving the cheques on behalf of ‘JAM & ICE’ and ‘The Mothers & Toddlers’, two

Groups for the young people in the village of Kingsley are Emma Carter and Deb Jones.Also looking on is Harrison one of the youngsters.

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Everyoneloves TheVoice


Record audiences attended the fourperformances of the pantomimeAladdin by Denstone Players.

They were treated to another dazzlingshow directed by Gill Brown featuring alarge, talented and enthusiastic cast.Dave Shooter, Chairman said “This was a

truly remarkable production and a real

community effort. Local members of the WIcreated a fantastic array of costumes andprops, and we were most grateful to CATS,Abbotsholme School and Alton Towers fortheir loans of a variety of items. StephenLeake created a wonderful set and propsincluding a jewelled cave, washing machines,a police rickshaw, a dancing snake and

Tardis. A superb Chinese dragon was createdfor the Peking scene which will be donatedto All Saints First School. Jess Leake did asuperb job as choreographer as did TerryDavies as Musical Director. The cast,backstage crew and Front of House team canbe justifiably proud of their achievement.”

A smash hit!


JCB is entering into a partnership withWilliams Martini Racing ahead of the2017 season which will offer the

company immense opportunities to promoteits brand around the world, it was announcedtoday. As part of the partnership agreement, JCB

branding will appear on the WilliamsMercedes FW40 chassis and rear wing endplate from the start of the 2017 season. JCBwill also feature on Drivers Felipe Massa andLance Stroll’s race suits and helmets, andfrom the British Grand Prix onwards, alltrackside personnel team kit. The popularity of Formula One around

the globe offers JCB a great opportunity topromote its brand to both new and existingcustomers and to drive sales around theworld. JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said: “I am

an engineer and a manufacturer anddesigning and engineering innovativeproducts is at the core of what JCB does. Wefrequently combine our engineering expertisewith some of the best automotivetechnologies which means our machines arevery fuel efficient and intuitive to operate.Our partnership with Williams Martini

Racing builds on that innovative andtechnological link and our company’s longassociation with motorsport.” Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal,

Williams Martini Racing, added: “We aredelighted to welcome JCB to our family ofpartners. Engineering and innovation are alsoat the core of everything we do at Williams,which makes this partnership one of sharedvalues and aspirations. As two great Britishbrands, we share a similar drive tocontinually push boundaries and not rest onour laurels in our desire to be the best. I knowthis will be a successful partnership for bothour brands and I look forward to embarkingon this journey with such a prestigious brandas JCB.”

Pictured above: JCB Chairman LordBamford (centre left) and JCB CEOGraeme Macdonald pictured with JCBapprentices (l-r) Kyle Hare, Charlie Trotter,Jade Holmes, Chelsea Saunders, JamesMohan and Daniel Malbon at theannouncement of the new partnershipagreement between JCB and WilliamsMartini Racing.

Williams Martiniracing partnership tohelp drive JCB sales


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The Inner Wheel Clubof Uttoxeterwelcomed over 90

members and friendsincluding The Mayor ofUttoxeter, Linda Stockall,Inner Wheel DistrictChairman and Paul Lane,President of UttoxeterRotary Club to their 72ndCharter AnniversaryFellowship tea on 15thFebruary at BramshallVillage Hall. The speaker was Jane

Pritchard MBE, curator of dance for the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. She gave anillustrated presentation on the life of Anna Pavlova who trained in St Petersburgh at theImperial Ballet. She was a very modern woman. Her work in ballet took her around theworld early in the 20th century to countries including Japan, America and Egypt. Shebecame a fashion icon, celebrity and film star. It was a pleasure to have such an inspiringspeaker to this annual event. Following the fascinating talk guests enjoyed afternoon tea of sandwiches, scones, cakes

and meringues prepared by Club members.

The Inner Wheel Club of Uttoxeter

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

Down on the Farmby Angela Sargent

“Over the land freckled with snow half-thawedThe speculating rooks at their nests cawedAnd saw from the elm tops, delicate asflower of grassWhat we below could not see, Winter pass”

Edward Thomas

And here we are - spring beckons at theend of the month! Still the changewon’t happen overnight and we may

yet have to contend with contrary weather.Hopefully, it will be kind enough to let

our lambing ewes run outside during the day(they are brought in at night so we can keepa closer eye on them) and turn our newbornlambs out with their mums. It makes thingsso much easier if the weather isn’t againstyou!One of the largest breeds of sheep is the

Lincoln with long twisted locks of wool andone of the smallest is the Shetland-from, well,can you guess? The Soay is one of the mostprimitive unchanged breeds in Europe, butthe most unique must be the Manx Loaghtan.Its’ name translates as ‘mouse brown’, a gooddescription of the colour of the wool.Most of ours are Texels, a very white

(usually), calm animal, bred for the meat asmuch as the wool.We’ve had a few calves already, born

inside and, after testing for Btb, we wouldlike to be able to turn the cattle out by theend of this month too.Around the farm, we have several ponds

and are bordered by streams on two sides.Some of the ponds are fenced off, which thelivestock can use for drinking if inclined,others aren’t and it makes for diverse habitat.Along the brook, amongst other species of

tree, we have pussy willows and Alders, bothhaving catkins appearing this month. Aldershave long, male, yellow catkins and femalecones; whereas the willow has yellow, malecatkins and green, female ones (these tend toget overlooked) and early Insects are

attracted to them.Next to the ponds are the ‘marsh’ zones,

where the ground is boggy, hoof -printed andsludgy. The plants here often have their rootsin wet soil and the Marsh Marigold (largercousin of the Buttercup) will be floweringsoon with its’ kidney shaped glossy, greenleaves.The Reed zone, where the land and water

meets, has tall, dense and crowded plants,which stand in shallow water and providecover for the waterfowl which nest amongstthem, such as Coot, Moorhen and Mallardand, around here, colourful Mandarin ducks.In rivers, these zones might also contain

Pike, which like to feed on ducklings andfrogs and these are spawning now too.River catchments in Nitrate vulnerable

zones affect farmers- these are where thelevels of nitrates in the water are higher thanliked. Farmers have strict regulations toadhere to, which add extra costs such as largeslurry stores (and increased dangers withthose) and these areas are expanding.Ted has proved his worth with his cattle

handling skills this winter and has becomeinvaluable because he is the only one who canget our very stubborn bull to move!

Angela Sargent www.baldfields-farm.co.uk and follow uson twitter (@bythebarn)andfacebook(baldfields farm) too!

President Fiona Coffin and speaker Jane Pritchard MBE

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Alton group

AGM and talk by Dr Peter Thomas entitled

What have trees ever done for uson Thursday 20th April at 7.30pm at the

Ramblers Retreat, Red Road, Alton ST10 4BUAdmission £2, children free including refreshments

For further details contact 01538 757260


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StramshallScoutgroup toreopenBeaverssection

Stramshall Scouts aredelighted to announcethe reopening of a

Beavers section, which waslaunched on March 1st. The group will take

place between 5:15 –6:15pm and will coverhealth and fitness, cooking,space activity and creativebadges as part of the firstterms programme. The new Beavers would

be able participate in teamactivities and learning aboutother scouting countries. There is a small show

planned for the children totake part in alongside a visitto Uttoxeter Fire Station. For more information

about the newly reopeningBeavers, please contactGeorgie Chell on07875371692.

Cheadle Flower Clubarmed with scissors,paper, florists’ ribbon

and glue guns got allcreative on Wednesdayunder the capable tuition ofthe lady from SquirrelCrafts at Dagfields.We made two different

types of flowers, one withpaper squares, folded in adevilish fashion to provide awonderful intricate bloom.The second flower involvedflorists’ ribbon and a gadgetthat shredded the ribbonand formed a very effectivechrysanthemum type flower. These flowers are

invaluable when realflowers are in short supplyand we went homeclutching our prizes.

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The former home to Dove First School inRocester, is now under a £1millionconversion to become a state-of-the-art

apprenticeship training centre.The plans are part of the expanding

apprenticeship programme at The JCB Academy.The JCB Academy is more commonly known forits school and sixth form but a large part of theestablishment is the apprenticeship training centre.Employers, including JCB, Michelin, AlphaManufacturing / Bri-Stor Systems, Orbital GasSystems and Continental use the training centre todevelop their apprentices and have welcomed thenews of the new facility.Apprentice Manager, William Davies-Hill from

Bri-Stor Systems, said: “We use The JCB Academyas our training provider and the first-rate trainingand professionalism that they have delivered isclearly evident in the development of ourapprentices. The new training centre can only buildupon the excellent standards of training deliveredby the academy.”The new 687sqm Dove Engineering Centre will

cater for The JCB Academy’s higher levelapprenticeship students and will include state-of-the-art technology and equipment, enabling theapprentices to develop their skills and knowledgeeven further.Director of Apprenticeship Programmes at The

JCB Academy, Jim Bailey, said: “The JCB Academyis delighted to be in a position to further enhancethe apprentice programme with the developmentof this fantastic facility. The training centre willadd to the outstanding facilities that we have

already at the academy and will housesome of the latest equipment andtechnology, enabling our apprenticesand students to further develop theirunderstanding of metrology, systemsand mechatronics.”The former school building and land

was purchased by JCB with the£1million conversion costs beingmainly funded by the Stoke-on-Trentand Staffordshire Local EnterprisePartnership (LEP). LEP Chairman,David Frost CBE, commented: “We aredelighted to support this showpiece newcentre, which will open the door tofulfilling future careers for our youngpeople by training them in the advancedmanufacturing and engineering skillsthat are key to the future success of oureconomy. “Enthusing our young people and

developing a highly skilled andmotivated workforce is key to our aimsof attracting inward investment, helpingbusinesses to grow and creating moreand better jobs.”Leader of Staffordshire County Council, Philip

Atkins, said: “We have a real focus to drive upskills to meet the workforce needs of Staffordshirebusiness. Engineering and advanced manufacturingare key sectors in Staffordshire so it is importantpeople are trained using the very latest industrytechniques and equipment. This proposed new sitewill complement the other skills hub spokes across

the county, and at a time when a lot of youngpeople are thinking about future training andcareer opportunities, we would certainly advisethem to look into the new opportunities beingcreated.”The construction works at the Dove

Engineering Centre started in late February withan estimated completion date, set for May 2017.

£1.2million Investment inApprenticeship Training Centre

Jim Bailey, Director of Apprenticeship Programmes, TheJCB Academy (left) and Rob Cantellow, Site Manager,Novus Property Solutions Ltd. (right) stand outside theDove Engineering Centre.


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ANew weekly Watercolour Classfor Total Beginners is to be heldlocally in Checkley near

Uttoxeter at Checkley CommunityCentre starting on Tuesday April 25th2017. (2pm – 4pm)The class is being tutored by local

Artist Ann Stringer-Paget who is amember of the Royal Society of Artsand also the Birmingham WatercolourSociety with whom she exhibits herwork.. She has exhibited regularlyaround the country and will be at the‘Patchings Art Festival’ (July 13 – 16)2017 in Calverton, Nottingham whereshe will be painting and giving adviceand help to ‘budding artists’ visiting theshow. Ann has also exhibited in Chelseaat the Parallax Art Fair and TheWindsor Contemporary Art Fair inrecent years as well as the NEC’s ArtMaterials Live Exhibition. More recently Ann was again

invited to exhibit her work in America,in a large annual Art Exhibition judgedby 25 high-end Art galleries from acrossthe USA which had thousands of entriesfrom numerous countries around theworld. Two of Ann’s paintings were‘Winners’ adding to her 2014, 2015achievements in America and which ledto invitations to exhibit in Tokyo,Madrid, Portugal, Milan, New Yorkand Rome.Ann’s work can be found by visiting

her website www.annstringerpaget.comHer work has sold in countries

around the world including France,Germany, USA, Scandinavia, SouthAfrica, as well as at home here in theUK. Ann has been painting and teaching

for over 30yrs and is a very committedand patient tutor who sympathises withthe needs of the Beginner. Ann was invited to set up the

Watercolour class at CheckleyCommunity Centre on Uttoxeter Roadin Checkley for people who want tolearn the art of Watercolour painting ina structured but informal way but alsofor those who have perhaps been a littleafraid to try this wonderful medium inthe past. The classes are taught using

traditional methods and techniqueswhich enables even the most nervousbeginner to feel comfortable and at easevery quickly.Ann commented “it is very

rewarding to see a complete beginnerdevelop and gain confidence to producework of which they are proud. Thesecret of my success is the way theclasses are taught and this brings out thevery best in my students”. The 10 week course takes place each

Tuesday and commences on Tuesday25th April at Checkley CommunityCentre running from 2pm – 4pm For more information or to enrol on

the course Ann can be contacted on07816 118776 anytime. Admission isby registration only.

Watercolour for totalbeginners in Checkley


Just theperfect day...

Leona got ready at her parents’ house inCheadle with her bridesmaids afterthey all had their hair put up at Aledex

Salon in Cheadle. Tracey and Gary from Forget Me Nots in

Cheadle delivered the girls’ flowers and theyall fell in love with them! Perfect flowers tosuit the theme with the most beautifulcolours!!Leona’s dress was bought from Bridal

Couture in Cheadle and was a Sincerity IvoryDress. She borrowed a veil off her friendHelen Thorley. After putting the dress onLeona was emotional as she felt like aPrincess! Nathan got ready with ushers and best

man at their house in Epsom Close, Cheadle,after staying with his family in Uttoxeter thenight before.

Nathan arrived on the back of aLambretta scooter and his best man on theback of the second scooter with another 20odd scooters behind. They drove fromCheadle to Moddershall Oaks. Nathan hadalways dreamt that this would be hiswedding entrance! Leona arrived in a 50 year old VW

campervan with her father, again somethingshe had always dreamt of! They bothtravelled in their favourite mode oftransport!! They had 40 guests during theday – a small outside intimate ceremony by

the lake, the sun came out just as Leonaarrived at Moddershall Oaks and then shoneall day!! Leona walked down the aisle on herdad’s arm to the song Amazed. It was abeautiful but emotional ceremony whereLeona’s best friends Helen and Caitlin read apoem picked by Leona and Nathan. Getting married by the lake in the

sunshine with all the family was exactly what

Bride and Groom: Leona Fay Mould and James Watt ofCheadle

Bride’s Parents: Anthony and Janet Mould, from Cheadle

Groom’s Parents: Donald and Jill Watt, from Uttoxeter

Bridesmaids: Sophie Mills (cousin to Leona) and Kirstie Watt(sister to Nathan)

Best Man: Steven Watt (Nathan’s brother)

Ushers: Jacob Mills (Leona’s cousin), Liam Shirley (friend) andLeyton Jones (friend)

Officiator and Reception:Moddershall Oaks

Photography: Denise Wheat

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

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

Opening Hours: Monday 10am - 4.30pm, Tuesday 10am - 4.30pm, Wednesday Closed, Thursday 10am - 4.30pm, Friday 10am - 4.30pm, Saturday 9.30am-5pm


they dreamt of! For the first drink Leona picked it to be hersomething blue, so they had Prosecco and Blue Curaçao. Then 120 guests, some of which Leona hadn’t seen for

many years, arrived for the night event whilst the live bandplayed. The children and some adults also enjoyed the sweet cart

which they had in the evening!! The cake was autumnalthemed and featured hedgehogs, one for each of the bridalparty. Leona and Nathan had no idea of the cake and hadn’tseen it until the day as it was a surprise made by a familyfriend Gina Boston. Nathan and Leona had thir first dance to their favourite

song Ed Sheerans Thinking Out Loud and Leona’s first dancewith her dad was a song her dad picked from Leona’schildhood Paul Weller’s ‘You Do Something To Me’. Leona and Nathan had a walk by the lake in the evening

where Denise Wheat took the most amazing photos andshowed off just how amazing the venue is! The whole day was themed on autumnal and woodland

colours and featured many quirky surprises - which the guestssay summed the couple up perfectly!

Leona and Nathan honeymooned on a cruise toAmsterdam and Bruges, two places they wanted to visit,which they thoroughly enjoyed!!


Just the perfectday...


Are you gettingmarried this year?Would you like to be part of our Wedding feature?Contact Nigel

Email: uttoxetervoice@ hotmail.co.ukTel: 01538 751629

Just the perfectday...

TeanGreatwood Hall Wednesday 5 & 7pm RocesterJCB Lakeside ClubThursday 5 & 7pm Tel: Gillian 07928 556552

Cheadle Guild HallWednesday 5.30 & 7.30pm MORNING GROUPThursday 9.30am

Cheddleton Cheddleton Community CentreTuesday 5 & 7pm Tel: Pam 07983 938240

Afundraising event held in Checkley Church before last Christmas was well attended byyoung families, and some not so young. It was organised jointly by The Friends ofCheckley Church and the Church Social Committee with the aim of raising funds as

last year for the Midlands Air Ambulance.Everyone participated in all that was on offer: soup, jacket potatoes with chilli sauce,

mulled wine, or hot chocolate and mince pies, no charge was made for this, but donations tothe Air Ambulance were requested. A stall selling Christmas Wreaths and plants (profits fromthe sale of these going to the fund) a cake stall with an array of lovely Christmas themed cakes,and a large raffle.The sum raised for The Midlands Air Ambulance amounted to £580. A big thank you to

all who supported this event, and for their generous donations, and to all those committeemembers who kindly donated food, cakes and raffle prizes and presents for the children, whichall helped to raise this wonderful sum for a worthwhile cause.

Superb Checkley Fundraiser


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Main Street, Hollington DE6 3GB £649,950This superbly presented four bedroom country farm house is situated within oneof Ashbourne’s most desirable village locations and is within easy reach of thetown, Derby and the A50. Outside there is ample parking, a generous lawn areawith views over adjoining fields and a self contained annex, with living room,kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. EPC- F

Black Lane, Whiston ST10 2JQ £299,995 Gas centrally heated and double glazed accommodation comprises: entrance hall,breakfast kitchen, utility room, dining room, cloakroom, sitting room. First floorlanding, master bedroom with en-suite, bedroom two with en-suite toilet, twofurther bedrooms and family bathroom. Garden and terraces to the front enjoyingcountryside views. EPC C

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Staffordshire, Archdiocese of BirminghamPainsley Catholic College Specialist Science College, Additional Specialism Mathematics and Computing

Painsley Catholic College Station Road, Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST10 1LHTelephone: 01538 483944 Email: [email protected] Web: www.painsley.co.ukThe Painsley Catholic Academy A company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales with company number 08146661.Registered office address: Station Road, Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST10 1LH

The musical production of Les Miserablesproduced by Painsley Catholic College tookplace on 15th and 16th February 2017. Theproduction caused a great stir in the localcommunity, who were stunned by theoutstanding level of performance that the aged11-18 students produced. The production was developed with greatattention to historical context and psychologicalrealism, which provided an original and excitingtake on the classic musical, also taking aninnovative approach to set design. Theatmosphere was electric with the live Painsleyorchestra providing the exceptional music for thewhole production. All of the above factorsresulted in the audiences giving a standingovation on both nights of the production. The acting and singing standard from thestudents and everyone taking part in the play wasto a high professional standard. Several of the cast members were also Sixth Form student directorswho undertook much of the creative work for theproduction themselves. In addition, the lightingand stage management were flawless andcomplemented the acting wonderfully. Creative Director and Head of Drama, MsPhillips, also dedicated a lot of time supportingand directing the play with the student directors.The cast and directors rehearsed tirelessly formonths to approach this beloved musical withgenuine care and attention to detail. Mr Bell, Principal, has received many letters

from members of the public who came to see theshow congratulating the College on producing ashow which could easily have been seen in theWest End. Some of the comments receivedinclude: “I’ve just been treated to the most wonderfulproduction of Les Miserables by the pupils ofPainsley Catholic College”“The singing, the music, the entire productionwere all phenomenal” “Les Miserables - a fantastic experience. It wasmagnifique.”

Painsley’s Les Miserables Production “A Fantastic Performance”


The Legacy 110 scheme was introduced inorder to preserve the legacy of the FirstWorld War. The scheme sets aside funding

for two pupils and one teacher from every statefunded secondary school in the country to visit thebattlefields, cemeteries and heritages sites of Franceand Belgium. Last week, I was able to representThomas Alleyne’s on the trip, along with TomHollins, and our teacher, Miss Smith. Before thetrip, we conducted research into some soldiersfrom our local community. The journey we decidedto follow was that of Eric and William Holdcroft,as they were ex-students of Thomas Alleyne’s.

For the first night of the trip, we spent thenight at Grosvenor Hall in Kent. There we metthree modern-day soldiers, and handled artefactssuch as Mills bombs, shells, and bayonetsThe following morning, we arrived in Belgium.

Our first destination was the LijssenthoekCemetery. During the war, the site had been usedto establish a hospital (then known as a CCS –Casualty Clearing Station). When we arrived, wewere immediately taken aback by the sheerquantity of graves – 9877. One of the most visited

of these belongs to Nurse Spindler, a nurse whodied after a German shell struck a British artillerystoreThat evening, we visited the Ceremony of the

Last Post at the Menin Gate. This is a nightlymemorial for the casualties of the war, and wewere fortunate enough to be accompanied to theceremony by Alison Rose, the British Ambassadorto Belgium. One of the most eye-opening things we

discovered on the trip was the close proximity ofthe front lines. At times, it seemed as if there washardly any ‘No-man’s land’ at all. Hearing aboutthe truly terrifying nature of trench warfare washeart-breaking, and we were also able toexperience a trench reconstruction for ourselves atthe Memorial Museum in Passchendaele.On the final day of our trip, we were able to

contribute to the ‘Coming World Remember Me’project. The project is similar to ‘Blood SweptLands and Seas of Red’, which was installed at theTower of London in 2014. As part of the project,we were asked to create our own clay ‘soldier’,made from a mixture of Belgian and German clay.In total, 600,000 of these ‘soldiers’ are required.Each model represents a soldier that lost his life inBelgium during the First World War. The claysoldiers will be installed at Palingbreek near Ypresin 2018.We were able to trace William Holdcroft to

Thiepval, and then found his brother, Eric, in theTyne Cot Cemetery. It was there that we placed awreath on behalf of our school. Sometimes, it is easy to forget the sacrifices

made by so-many during the World Wars, or evento take them for granted. Although

the trip may seem distressing, itwas an incredible experience.My favourite part of thetrip was seeing the fieldwhere the ChristmasTruce football matchhad been played. Onthe trip, we were ableto remember thecontribution that ourcommunity, and manyothers, made to the war.In the coming months, we

hope to visit the localprimary schools to share our

experiences with them.

Alleynes School’s By Trudy Yates & Thomas Hollins, 6th Form Students

Legacy 110 Trip

Sometimes, it is easy to forgetthe sacrifices made by so-manyduring the World Wars, or evento take them for granted.

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Employeeswith almost4,000 years

of combined serviceto JCB have been honoured by the company withgifts and a celebration lunch.The awards were presented to more than 170

employees who were marking 20, 40 and 45 yearservice milestones based on employment whichcommenced in 1971, 1976 and 1996. Two speciallunches for the long-serving UK-based employeeswere held at the World HQ in Rocester when thegifts were presented.JCB Chief Operating Officer Mark Turner said:

“Our employees are the reason why JCB issuccessful. JCB could not have developed aroundthe world without the people the company ishonouring for long service.”Among those being honoured was Dave Slaney,

61, who was one of two employees marking 45years’ service. Dave, of Uttoxeter, joined thecompany on August 9th, 1971 – when JCB madejust 3,500 machines a year and when Apollo 14landed on the moon.Dave, who joined as a Cost Clerk and now

works as a Cost Accountant, said: “I’ve said beforethat I have never wanted to work anywhere elseand that remains true today. I’m still enjoying thejob after all these years.”A total of 16 employees were also honoured for

completing 40 years’ service.Among them was Bev Wallace, aged 56, of

Uttoxeter, who joined as an order processing clerkin 1976 – a year the UK was hit by a heatwave and

drought. She now works as a ShippingAdministrator, a job she has held for 35 years,responsible for the transportation arrangementsfor machines being despatched to North and SouthAmerica. Bev said: “I simply wrote to JCB to ask if there

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JCB honours employees for almost4,000 years’ service


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Before After

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



Ginny’s Community Cornerby Ginny Gibson of Uttoxeter

This month I was interested in the 100 yearanniversary of the Lions Club and theirchallenge for 2017.

Lions Clubs International was formed in 1917by a Chicago business leader, Melvin Jones, whowondered what would happen if people put theirtalents to work improving their communities. As aresult of his inspiration, 1.35 million men andwomen today are members of the world’s largestservice club association – 17,000 of them based in900 Lions Clubs in the British Isles and Ireland. HRH The Countess of Wessex is a member of

the Wokingham Lions Club and Royal Patron ofthe Lions Clubs of the British Isles. The support ofthe Countess has included carrying out the openingceremony for the Lions shelter at the NationalMemorial Arboretum here in Staffordshire.To celebrate the 100 years of The Lions Clubs

International, the organisation have, adopted themessage: “Where there’s a need, there’s a Lion”,and they are working towards their CentennialService Challenge to serve 100 million people byDecember 31st, 2017.This month in Uttoxeter, District Governor

Steve Shields and Vice President Terry Adams havepresented the U3A knitting club 100 balls of woolto help them continue to knit wonderful things forDonna Louse Trust and the Friends of SickChildren in Malawi and their Hospital, plus locally

for Easter they are knitting lots and lots of yellowEaster chicks to help decorate the St MarysChurch, Church Street, Uttoxeter.This is an example of two great organisations

helping each other. The Lions have donated the100 balls of wool and the U3A have pledged to usethe wool for good causes. A perfect match.Steve explained that any group in and around

Uttoxeter can contact the Lions to be consideredfor help, they are interested in projects that benefitthe local community, just contact Steve on 01889565522 and he will explain to you how they canhelp.Marian Clarke from the U3A knitting group

explained that the donated wool has already beenallocated. The white wool is extremely welcomedas it will be turned into Angel Bears and PrayerBears. These bears are sent to the Donna LouiseHospice and are givenout to the children andteenagers that are atthe hospice. Normallythe child gets one andthe other is given to themother or father. At theend of the child’s life,some of the AngelBears are placed in thememory boxes thatDonna Louise Trustgive to parents whenthey leave. I sat in theroom with these ladies,listening to them chataway and watchingthem knit and I realisedhow special they wereand I will never look ata white ball of wool in the same way again. Theyare taking a simple ball of white wool, to createsomething that brings comfort at a very sad timeand has a huge significance after the sadness has

passed. To understand everything that the DonnaLouise Trust does, then visit their websitewww.donnalouisetrust.org/ Marian went on to say that the coloured wools

are going to be turned into blankets, jackets andpremature baby hats for the Friends of SickChildren in Malawi. The knitted items are collectedabout 3 times a year and taken out to the hospitalout in Malawi. Unlike here in the UK, in Malawithese treasured knits benefits so many children andthe colours uplift them while they recover inhospital. “The knitted items provide warmth andare literally life savers for many of the new-borns”,is how the founder of Friends of Sick Children inMalawi described the U3A contributions. To see all their work, visit

www.friendsofsickchildreninmalawi.org/So these 100 balls of wool that the Lions Club

have donated in Uttoxeter to U3AKnitting Club will find their way into thehearts of many people both in the UKand Africa, I would say that it’s afantastic way to spread the word aboutthe Lions and to ensure that their pledge,“Where there’s a need, there’s a Lion”has been fulfilled. It just leaves Steve andthe Lions around the world another 99million, 999,000 further groups ofpeople to help to meet their target.If you want to donate wool to the

U3A group, please call Marian Clarke on01889 562393 and she will explain thetype of wool they need. Or if you wantto find out all of the activities that U3Adoes in Uttoxeter, then visit their websitehttps://u3asites.org.uk/uttoxeter/homeOr if you want to be helped by the

Lions Club, before the end of 2017,please call Steve Shields on 01889 565522 and tosee the progress of how the Lions CentennialService Challenge is going then go towww.lionsclubs.org/EN/index.php

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An independent school in Marchington hasattained a 100% pass rate in their entranceexams to senior school. Out of 32 Year Six

pupils who sat the entrance exam into DenstoneCollege, all 32 have been offered places, and 16scholarships and exhibitions were awarded. The average score attained by the pupils was a

very decent 71%, with one child, Henry White,being awarded 3 scholarships in art, music andacademia. This was made even more impressive

due to the fact that Henry has missed a great dealof school due to illness over the past year or so. MrDerbyshire, Headmaster of Denstone College canseldom remember three scholarships beingawarded to the same child, and for Henry toachieve these results when he was so ill is trulyremarkable and shows a great ambition throughadversity. Headmaster, Jerry Gear, said, “They haveall worked extremely hard and thoroughly deservetheir success.”The list of awards for 2017 are as follows:-

All-Round Exhibition 5

Academic Scholarships 3

Academic Exhibition 3

Music Exhibition 1

Music Scholarship 2

Art Scholarship 1

Art Exhibition 1

The exam entrance procedure can be rigorousfor pupils, consisting of English, Maths and Sciencepapers and an interview with a senior member of

staff at Denstone College.In addition, where applicable, pupils can be

assessed on their music, art, drama or sportingabilities and, if successful, will receive scholarshipsor exhibitions for tuition.Mr Gear goes on to say, “We work so closely

with Denstone College, and indeed any otherschools that we send children to, that we knowthey are ready for the challenge of the entranceprocess, but it is still a very demanding experiencefor such young children and I am really proud oftheir achievements.”Denstone College Prep School is an

independent prep school in Staffordshire which,together with our nursery, caters for day childrenbetween the ages of 2 and 11. We are part of theWoodard Group of Schools, the largest group ofindependent Church of England schools inEngland and Wales. We are committed to offeringthe highest standards of academic educationcoupled with a supportive and nurturingenvironment where every individual is encouragedand valued.

Denstone College Prep School continues toachieve high standards

Povey’s PeopleBy Radio Stoke’s Owd Grandad Piggott

It was a well known fact that Owd GrandadPiggott had a phenomenal capacity for beer.The amount that he could drink in a session

was usually governed by financial limitationsrather than his physical abilities. The mainproblem was that there were seven days in a week.If there had been four or even five, he might havebeen able to make his finances stretch from onepension day to the next but as it was, for two orthree days a week, he had to beg, borrow, emptythe gas meter or raid his missus’s purse to obtainale money. Such was his fame for consuming pintsof beer, that the brewery who serviced TummyDawkins’s pub presented him with a shield for hisachievements and had his name engraved on it.Owd Grandad Piggott was justly proud of hisshield which took pride of place on the top shelfbehind the bar in Tummy Dawkins’s pub.As word went round of this accolade,

challenges were thrown down from variousdirections. One came from ‘Plughole’ Podmorewho was reputed to be able to drink fifteen pintsof bitter at a go, ‘Bathtap’ Booth from Blurton whocould drink a similar amount and PaddyMcClusky, an Irish navvy who could clear a shelfof Guinness in The White Cock at Blythe Bridge.A contest was set up between Owd Grandad

Piggott and Bathtap Booth in The Congress, theloser to pay the bar tab. Owd Grandad Piggottliterally drank him under the table. They hadmatched each other pint for pint up to the lowteens when suddenly Bathtap began to slip downhis chair, then with a low moan and a horriblecrash, he measured his length on the floorunderneath the table. Owd Grandad Piggottmanaged to stagger out of the door, but having putaway the vast cargo of ale, which was swilling

uncomfortably around in his stomach. he had toget it home. Under the railway bridge at thebottom of Bridgwood Street, he gave out and spentthe night in a comfortable cell in Longton policestation by invitation of the night sergeant,reputation intact. Then one night, Gummy Webster came in

Tummy Dawkins’s pub and made anannouncement.‘Thee’s a bloke as goes in The Station Hotel in

Meir as can drink twelve pints of ale inside thechimes of Big Ben strikin’ midnight’.The pub went deathly quiet and all eyes turned

to Owd Grandad Piggott who’s face had turnedrather pale. That Owd Grandad Piggott coulddrink twelve pints of beer wasn’t in question...hehad done it many times, but there was no way hecould drink twelve pints within the time of Big Benstriking midnight.‘Get thee gone!’, he shouted at Gummy

Webster. ‘Nobody can drink twelve pints o’ alethat fast’‘Well, this bloke can, Ay’s name George Bould...

Ay does it fer charity. If yer go an’ watch ‘im do ityer aft put a quid in the charity box... Ay knowsabite they Piggott an’ ‘ay reckons as that shieldbelongs in th’ Station ‘otel’'Phew!' snorted Owd Grandad Piggott

scornfully. ‘Until ar’ve sane ‘im do it, that shieldstops weer it is!!’So the gauntlet was thrown down. Gummy

Webster was delegated the job of finding out whenGeorge Bould was due to perform again and thejob was easier than envisaged. George Bouldchallenged Owd Grandad Piggott to a contest thefollowing week via Gummy Webster. Knowingthat he couldn’t do it, Owd Grandad turned down

the challenge but demanded to be there to witnessit for himself. In dire trepidation, Owd GrandadPiggott turned up at The Station Hotel on thealloted night and eyed George Bould suspiciouslyas twelve pints of beer were lined up along the bar.Midnight was a long time coming and leading upto it Owd Grandad Piggott demolished five pintsjust for the hell of it.The tension increased as the hour approached

and George Bould took on a John Wayne stance ashe stood ready. The preliminary Westminsterintroduction to the chimes sounded, then ‘BONG’he was away!George Bould went into action and swallowed

the first pint in three and a half seconds. A gasp ofincredulity erupted from the audience. It was liketipping it down a sink. True to his reputation, hedrank the twelve pints well inside the chimes, thendisappeared quickly into the gents where the lotcame back. The charity box began its tour of theroom.‘They just owd thee foot up a touch!’ shouted

Owd Grandad Piggott. ‘Thees summatt as innerrate abite this...ay anna got a clack! ‘Is swallerer’smissin’ It’s lark tippin’ twelve pints o’ ale dine agrid....’OOOS THE REFEREE??’‘Ar am!, called a voice.‘Well, this’s a bloody fix!’, shouted Owd

Grandad Piggott ‘Ar could drink mower sulphuricacid than ‘ay can drink ale...ay’s gone bay sick!!’‘That’s ‘cause ays drunk it fast’, said another

voice.‘Tell thee what... Bring ‘im dine Tummy

Dawkins’s next wick an’ wale ‘ave a properdrinkin’ contest!’ blazed Owd Grandad Piggott.‘...an’ fost ‘un bay sick gets disqualified!’It never happened. The exploits of George

Bould went rather quiet after that. He still did histwelve pint trick for charity now and again but henever laid claim to Owd Grandad Piggott’s titleagain and neither did anybody else. When theydemolished Tummy Dawkins’s pub years after, theshield went back to the brewery and the last Iheard, it was in The Potteries Museum still withonly one name engraved on it.

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: No contest

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In the darkest, gloomiest month of the year, theDenstone WI has been busy with activities thathave kept many of the members and their

friends and partners well entertained. Wendy andRichard Forrester’s annual Winter Walk was wellsupported by about twenty intrepid walkers. Wewere very lucky that the walk coincided with abeautiful sunny day so Derbyshire looked stunningin its winter raiments. The circular route took usalong footpaths between Mappleton and Ilam andwas greatly enjoyed by all. The day finished at theForresters’ house where we were plied with tea,mince pies and generous portions of Christmascake.The second major event was the annual New

Year Party held towards the end of the month. Forthis it was decided that the entertainment shouldbe home-grown, and, fortunately for us, JennyRichardson offered to write a short play that eightmembers could perform. Rehearsals got underwaybefore Christmas and the cast (many of whomwere already rehearsing for the DenstonePantomime in February) worked very hard to havethe production ready in time. On the day of theparty we were busy with the dress rehearsal afterlunch, then willing helpers arrived to prepare thehall and all the food for the evening. Eventuallyeverything was ready on time and the guestsstarted to arrive. The party was a great success.Members were faced with a tricky quiz to startwith, then the play was performed and thoroughlyenjoyed by all, and finally plates were laden withfood as the guests were allowed to satisfy theirappetites. The choice of deserts had to be seen tobe believed!At our monthly meeting our group was

privileged to hear a Denstone member, MargaretShermer, speak about her work as a First

Responder and about the training involved. It wasa most interesting evening during which themembers felt they had learned a great deal, as well

as being much entertained by Margaret’s amusingdelivery interspersed with some most movingstories.

Denstone WI get out and about

Pixie dust was sprinkled over Cheadle recentlywhen almost 900 people followed the secondstar to the right to the Cheadle Community

Theatre to see C.A.T.S. latest production of ‘PeterPan.’ With a little bit of help from the mischievousTinkerbell (Megan Probyn), audiences weretransported to Neverland to watch the endearingtale of the boy who refused to grow up.C.A.TS. magical version of ‘Peter Pan’ was

adapted and directed by Rebekah J Snow from theoriginal story by J M Barrie and proved to be thespectacular production that residents of Cheadleand beyond have come to expect. With pirates,Indians, Lost Boys, mermaids, Tinkerbell, CaptainHook, and even a crocodile, ‘Peter Pan’ providedall the elements to which the audience could hiss,boo and cheer.Everyone knows the famous story of ‘Peter Pan’

and Becky Snow brought a new, modern versionto the stage. Peter, portrayed by Sara Walkerwhisked the Darling Children, Wendy John andMichael, (Chloe Stirley, Sam Stephens and OscarLove) to Neverland where they embarked on theiradventures, encountering battles with pirates and,rescuing the beautiful, but fiery Tiger Lily (MiriamHermolle) from the evil Captain Hook (AndrewFarrington.)

Smee and Whibbles the hapless pirate duoplayed by Dan Ede Smith and Caroline Stokesbrought laughs galore with their slapstick moproutine and doomed baking in the ‘Great PirateBake Off,’ whilst soaking the audience in theprocess.Each night after the show and the final chorus

of ‘Never Smile at a Crocodile,’ the main castrushed to Front of House to meet all the childrenfor photo opportunities. It was lovely to see all thesmiling faces ..... and even the adults said they DIDbelieve in fairies.Becky was delighted with the reaction given by

the audiences over the four night run.”I am sopleased with the response to the production andit’s all a result of the Society’s hard work. I am veryproud and grateful to each and every person whowas involved with bringing the show to life.”Many of the cast were members of C.A.T.S.

Youth and at least a dozen were making their

debut with C.A.T.S. One of these was 9 year oldCharlotte Potts, who came in at the last momentto play one of the Lost Boy Twins and had onlyfour rehearsals before opening night. This was anextra special debut for Charlotte, as both hermother Caroline Stokes and grandmother MarjStokes who played Mrs Darling were in theproduction. Both were extremely proud ofCharlotte.Caroline made her debut as Mother Bear in

‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ in 1996 and Marjjoined C.A.T.S. shortly after. Both Caroline andMarj have received many nominations and awardsover the years and it certainly looks like Charlottewill follow in their footsteps.C.A.T.S. is very proud of its family

involvement, on and off stage. Another family whohave been associated with C.A.T.S. for almost 20years are the Carters. Grandparents Les and Kathfrom Cheadle, work backstage. Les for many yearswas C.A.T.S stage manager, but is still heavilyinvolved in making scenery and workingbackstage. Kath works in the costume departmentmaking and sourcing costumes for all C.A.T.S.productions. Son Mark does sound and lightingwith son Josh (14), while Mark’s wife Sarah alsoworks in the costume department. Their daughterKezzie (12) is the only person to appear on stage.Kezzie is a talented dancer and this year appearedas one of the Indians in ‘Peter Pan.’Other families involved in ‘Peter Pan’ included

the Hermolle family. Father Rick was assistantdirector and stage manager. Rick’s daughtersMiriam and Megan played Tiger Lily and Sequana,Queen of the Sea. Husband and wife team,Carolyn and David Wood are involved in making

and sourcing props, designing and making theultra violet scene which has been seen in C.A.T.S.pantos for many years and Carolyn is responsiblefor Publicity and advertising. Carolyn said“Amateur Theatre is a great way of bringingfamilies together. There are so many opportunitiesfor everyone, both on or off stage. We joined whenour daughter Victoria was in her first pantomimefor Alan Price in 2007 We helped backstage andfront of house and loved it. Victoria is now writingthe C.A.T.S. 2018 Pantomime ‘Goldilocks and theThree Bears.’ C.A.T.S. inspired her to studyPerforming Arts at University and she is now aqualified actress and theatre technician.”Having left Neverland, the society has a very

busy schedule ahead. On March 21st and 23rd,C.A.T.S. will be entering three plays in the AllEngland One Act Play Festival at the Mitchell ArtsCentre in Hanley. ‘Jekyll in Hiding’ by JimSperinck and directed by Marge Stanley and‘Prison of the Mind’ written and directed byCharlie Brown will be performed on the 21st.Marge has been with C.A.T.S. for over 50 yearsand had many awards, especially in the Festival,including Best Director. Meanwhile, last year,Charlie won the inaugural Open One Act PlayWriting Competition organised by the North StaffsTheatre Committee and is delighted to beshowcasing her play for the first time.C.A.T.S. Youth, the under 21 section of

C.A.T.S. will be performing ‘Typecast’ written anddirected by Rick Hermolle. Many of the youngactors in the cast are new to C.A.T.S and Rick isdelighted at the response received at therecruitment drive in September. “C.A.T.S. Youthhas gone from strength to strength and newmembers have quickly fitted into the establishedgroup during ‘Peter Pan.’” Many of the actors inall three productions will have had only threeweeks rehearsal as they were in ‘Peter Pan’ eitheron stage or behind the scenes. Tickets to all playsat the Festival which runs from Monday 20th toSaturday 25th March are available from theMitchell Arts Theatre.The October Play has yet to be announced, but

will be performed at the Cheadle CommunityTheatre from 25th to 28th October. C.A.T.S. Youthwill be performing various variety performancesover the summer and Rick is hopeful that C.A.T.S.Youth will do a full length play in the not toodistant future.C.A.T.S. is always searching for new members,

both on stage and beyond the scenes. For furtherdetails visit the website at www.cheadle-cats.org.uk


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

How things have changed nowadayscompared with years ago. Don’t get mewrong I am not a complete Luddite but a

lot of them are certainly not for the better.Take the wheelie bin which replaced the old

trusted dust bin for example. Although thisreceptacle obviously has its uses with its ease ofmobility for the removal of your household waste,which nowadays is in abundance with everythingvirtually you buy coming wrapped up in plastic,cardboard or tinned, and the need to dispose of thepackaging it comes in being paramount, to me it isnot only an eyesore but a health hazard.Most homes have to suffer and store 3 or 4 or

more of these on their premises. As well as being abrainstrust in knowing which coloured one you aresupposed to put your certain types of rubbish intoand having the room to place them without thembeing an invasion on your property, you also haveto remember what day and what colour to put outand when, and coupled with the other rules andregulations the lid of them has to be flat or youhave filled it with banned materials you receive anasty sticker telling you so and the bin stops whereit is until the powers that be call again to inspectand empty it.This can lead to an abundance of rubbish being

strewn about the area causing an health hazardand endless other unsightly eyesaws.These also can be quite lethal. I have known

people being struck by them after they have beenemptied and are quite light, when the wind has gotbehind one on a blustery day. Even though emptythey are still heavy enough to give you a good clout

if you happen to be in the wrong place at thewrong time.Apart from causing bodily injury they can also

numerous other problems. One example being, afew weeks ago one sailed past me and collided withsomeone’s motor vehicle which they had parkedup. They would have a nasty surprise when theycame back to drive it away with a great gash downthe side of their paintwork apart from theaggravation they can look forward to on theirinsurance claim.On their good side however I suppose they can

be a Godsend when your mate has had too muchto drink and you are sick of carrying him home tohis bed, using them as a means of transportation!!I will tell you what though, whoever is

manufacturing these and with the amount of themabout they must be making a small fortune, goodluck to them. I just hope they are manufactured onour shores!Unfortunately nowadays the presence of the

good old dust bin man is about over now with theintroduction of this new concept. In their timesthey would almost take you anything away whenthey called every week (although on odd occasionsa slight, gratuity was called for!!). My motheralways offered any workman a brew when theycalled at our home to do a service that included thecoalman, breadman, postman, milkman, butcherand grocery delivery boys, road sweepers (thepavement in the front of our house must have beenone of the tidiest in Uttoxeter, they would notmove on until mother gave them their cuppa, theyused to expect it every week because she had

provide it for that long thatthey were that used to hergood nature) and numerousothers.Compared with years ago

a lot of these services alashave almost disappeared nowwith people being moremobile and the affordabilityof owning a motor car, fridgefreezer etc, where foodstuffscan be kept fresher for longerbeing priorities in mosthouseholds.Every Christmas time she

used to make sure thateveryone of these peoplereceived a tip, saying to me,

“make sure you look after them, you never knowwhen you might really need them.” I was quitebemused at the time being a young lad but in laterlife I could see where she was coming from.I look forward to having another moan with

you next month and until the all the best.Lank

The infamous wheelie bin which nowadays can be somewhatoverwhelming

The good old Dust Bin Man, now a rare sight

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

Gary Hudson is a member of Uttoxeter LionsClub and a former BBC Chief News Reporter.

Free prostate screening – now I get thepoint

If I was ever unsure about the free prostatecancer screening programme organised by UttoxeterLions Club then I now get the point.Yes, that is a terrible pun, given that the tests we

offer involve a needle. But there’s another reason tosmile, because one of the people whose life has beensaved by the initiative is someone I count as a friend.What are the odds of that, considering that

hundreds of men have taken advantage of the freetests at Uttoxeter racecourse in the few years we’vebeen doing them?Well, the chances are quite high actually, but that

doesn’t make it any less thrilling when I think thatI’ve been involved, even if only in a small way, insaving a friend’s life.

Men over 50 – get tested

Let me say now, before saying more about theindividual case, that the Lions are offering moretests at the racecourse on the evening of Tuesday,April 18, starting at about 5.30 and continuing forthree hours or so.If you’re a man over 50, then I urge you to pop

along. Experts suggest you should have a test everyyear, and if the signs are spotted early enoughtreatment is available to make sure you can livewithout fear of the condition.

The quick blood test, taken by specialist nurses,rates your chances of getting prostate cancer, themost common cancer in men in the UK. It’s ascommon as breast cancer in women.

So what are the odds?The tests organised by the Lions are in their

fourth year and before last year’s event we weresaying that it was likely that at least 15 men in theUttoxeter area had been treated successfully aftertheir tests proved positive. That wasn’t just a guess. We actually knew how

many positive results there had been. By factoringin the probability of those developing into fully-fledged cancer, we could offer a figure for thenumber of lives saved.To back that up, and to prove that it applied in

the real world as well as in the realm of dataanalysis, I also knew from a friend who works atthe main hospital for prostate cancer treatment thatseveral men who had positive results from theUttoxeter tests were being treated there.So it was quite easy - and certainly made me feel

good - to go around claiming that we’d saved lives,without knowing quite whose life had been saved.But now I know someone personally who is heretoday because of the tests we’ve been doing, and I’mreally proud of the Lions Club for organising theevent every year.The gentlemen in question - and he is a

gentleman, one of the nicest chaps you could wishto meet – is a member of the Uttoxeter Lions. Thecoincidence doesn’t end there, because he also

volunteered to be photographed having the bloodtest taken so we could use it in publicity for futureevents. It was this very test that revealed he was ahigh-risk.

We take care of our own

I’ll not name him here but nearer the date he willbe helping to publicise this year’s event. We arealready expecting a record number of men as wordspreads and we invite men who came last year toreturn – and bring a friend. The tests cost £15 each, and will be paid for with

profits from the annual Uttoxeter Beer and CiderFestival in June (this year it’s on Friday 9th andSaturday 10th) The Lions club also welcomesdonations at the screening event to help fund thetesting. The results are confidential, but it is known that

the screenings produced a higher than averagenumber of people at risk in Uttoxeter than insimilar-sized towns. The racecourse, who offer the Hoops bar and its

facilities free, combine with the Lions to put on theevening for the benefit of the town. You probably don’t know it but one of the

Lions’ mottos is “ordinary people doing amazingthings”. When we started doing the prostate tests Ipointed out that many of our members were menover 50 who would benefit from the screening. So I joked that for once we were ordinary people

doing selfish things. I’m delighted that on thisoccasion we managed to take care of our own.

Toffee Apple, Pecan Nut and Date Cakewith Caramel Drizzle

It was recently my Husbands birthday so all thefamily came to visit and I was left with the taskof making the cake. I used to make my Toffee

apple, pecan nut and date cake all the time whenwe had our cafe in Cornwall, so I thought it mightbring back some good memories. The carameldrizzle is a new addition, but very delicious andmakes the cake a little more special.

You will need:-150 ml cloudy apple juice150 ml ready to eat dates350 g butter, unsalted300 g soft brown sugar6 free range eggs350 g self raising flour1 tbsp cinnamon1 1/2 tsp mixed spicethree quarter tsp baking powder100g pecan nuts2 Apples. peeled, cored and diced

For the Toffee Icing -175g granulated sugar175 ml double creawm2 tsp vanilla extract250g unsalted butter175g icing sugarPlus jar of caramel sauce (I used M & S saltedcaramel) A very good standby if you haven’t timeto make your own.

First, preheat your oven to fan 160˚C. Greaseand line 3 x 20 cm sandwich tins with bakingpaper. Chop your dates and add to the apple juice.Heat together until it just comes to the boil andremove from the heat. Leave to soak for 5 minutes,then puree together with a blender. Cream together the butter and sugar until light

and fluffy, then gradually add the eggs. Sift in theflour, baking powder and spices and mix alltogether.Finally add the roughly chopped pecan nuts

and apples. Divide the batter between your 3 caketins and bake for approx. 25-30 mins, until theyare golden and a skewer comes out clean. Leaveto cool in their tins for 10 mins, then turn out ontoa wire rack to cool completely.While the cakes are cooling, prepare the toffee

icing. Heat the sugar with 3 tablespoons of waterover a low heat in a small saucepan until the sugarhas disolved. Increase the heat and bubble,swirling the pan until the sugar has caramelisedand is a deep golden colour. Remove the pan fromthe heat and gradually add the double cream.Return the pan to the heat and add the vanillaextract. Bubble for a further 25 seconds then tipinto a bowl and leave to cool. Blend together thesoftened butter with the icing sugar, then add thecooled caramel. Put the icing into your fridge tochill for an hour, but no longer than 3 hours as itwill set solid.Once the icing has chilled, you are now ready

to assemble your cake. Sandwich together yourthree layers with a little of the icing, then spread

all over the top and sides of your cake.Finally, warm your caramel sauce and drizzle

all over the top of your cake, allowing it to drizzledown the sides. I then sprinkled the cake with alittle edible glitter and birthday candles. I had toinclude a picture of the cake with my lovely dogNancy, who the week before had climbed onto thetable and pinched a layer of cake which had beencooling on a wire rack! She always gets veryexcited when cakes are about!

Karen’s Cake Cornerby Karen Hill


Let The Voice Be With Youby Les Humphries of Rocester

Well readers, I don’t wish to be political andupset our Editor Nigel, Heaven forbid! But whatis your view of has-been politicians, both in andout of the House of Lords, poking their noses intoBrexit because they don’t agree with it, along withthose MP’s of all denominations who are doingtheir best to make it fail?They seem to think that all the people who

voted in favour are thick. Let’s give Brexit a chanceyou guys and all pull together to make it work,Europe needs us more than we need them.Razzer and I discussed the matter in the middle

of Uttoxeter, and we are both in full agreement andso it appears after reading the previous issue of TheVoice is Dave Jones. The dissenters wouldcertainly not get a place in one of Razzer’s footballselections as they are not team players.The Denstone Players performed another very

successful Pantomime, Aladdin and his wonderfulLamp in February. The excellent Joanna Rankinin the title role was the principle boy, with anextremely camp performance by Kieran Manganas Widow Twankey, and Stalwart performer DaveShooter as the villainous Abanazer. The 36 strong cast, including a number of

children, took some considerable organising, butDirector Gill Brown was as always up to the task,supported by choreographer Jess Leake, who alsoappeared in the show as Princess Jasmin. The wonderful costumes, sets, music, lights and

sound effects all added to the magic and the showwas performed to four packed houses in Denstone

Village Hall.The positive feedback from the publicwas that it was “The best yet”The next play, the title of which has yet to be

decided, will take place in June, but meantime lookus up on www.denstoneplayers.com orwww.facebook.com/denstoneplayers or follow uson twitter: @denstoneplayers. Although the group will continue to try and put

on 3 shows a year (including the well receivedVariety Show which was introduced last year) thereis a great need for particularly male performers ofaround 40 years of age in particular, althoughyounger males would be welcome also. Anyonereading this who fits the bill please get in touch,you don’t have to be a budding Lawrence Olivier(I’ve proved that!) but if you can stand up in frontof an audience and quote a few lines someone elsehas written, you’ll do just fine. Many of our members have been in the

teaching profession, and they seem to be wellequipped for the job, but others like myself whohave not been part of that fraternity are made morethan welcome and can learn so much, even late inlife - It’s never too late to learn.The Churnet Valley Male Voice Choir held their

first Concert of 2017 at Cheddleton, they too areas always looking for some young blood to swellthe ranks a little. Chairman Geoff Hartley whohas been indisposed is now back in action afterseveral weeks away. Not only is he a fine BassBaritone he is also our MC at concerts, and withour Musical Director Janet Downing also having

been poorly, plus three of usinvolved in the Panto, they havebeen a bit thin on the ground atpractise. But now everyone ishopefully back in full swing, orshould I say full voice?Uttoxeter Rugby Football

Club are improving as the seasongoes on. With no away victoriesbefore Christmas, they haveproduced two in the New Yearwith a 37 - 7 win at Eccleshall, notso lucky on their next trip goingdown 50 - 3 at Edwardians,

before bouncing back with a 31 - 26 victory atHarborne which added to an exciting 45 - 29beating of Handsworth at Oldfields, has provideda great second half to the season. I would like to announce that Rocester Chippy

in the hands of Sylvio and Debbie Montali is onceagain alive and well. Since they took over we havereturned to the crispy chips and batter of old, inthe days of Sumner and Copestake, and beforethem who can ever forget queuing up outsideBettany’s shop on a Tuesday and Friday? Well afterthe recent lean times of soggy congealed chips andbatter things are on the up. But sadly rumour hasit that the couple may be on the move again havingonly been here a few short months, lets all hope ifit is true that they might re-consider. Alton Towerswill be in full swing soon and the passing trade willbring in more hungry passers by!Finishing on a couple of sad notes I paraded

the Denstone Standard with half a dozen otherBritish Legion Standards at the Wetley Rocksfuneral of 96 year old Margaret Plant who hasbeen involved with the Legion for many years. Herhusband was a Standard Bearer which was thencarried on by her son Stan who is a pal of mine inthe Churnet Valley MVC. Margaret was a veryactive lady right up until the end of her life, andwill be sadly missed by all who knew her. It was amark of respect that so many standards and rankand file veterans joined with the Congregation topay their respects on a wet and stormy afternoon.The Legion members provided the Guard ofHonour, and Standards were dipped at the end ofthe Service.Secondly commiserations to former Rocester

resident Bill Woodier on the sad death of hisdaughter Lara from cancer at the age of 44, havingonly just come to terms with losing his wife alsofrom cancer just a few months ago. Despite this Billis to continue to make his DVD’s of old Rocesterto raise funds for St. Michaels Church. We are allbehind you in your tragic loss mate, hopefullyworking on those DVD’s will help to take yourmind off your double helping of grief.On those sad notes TTFN Les...

My Monthly Musingsby Cecily Cowans of Cheadle

You may be familiar with the Perry Como hit‘Magic Moments’. It was a chart success theyear before I was born but I am very

familiar with the song and its lyrics, the sleigh rideand Hallowe’en hop recalling an idealised view ofan American courtship. My brother, five yearsolder than I am, loved the song as a little boy andmy parents always referred to it as ‘Martin’s song’.I do, however, have a very ‘Magic Moment’ of myown. Several years ago, during October Half Term,we went to Jamaica. This was my first visit to theCaribbean. On the Monday morning, at 11.00 amI realised that, had I been at school, the bell wouldbe about to ring for the end of morning break. Onthis Monday morning, I was sitting on a stool at aswim up bar, cocktail in hand, gazing up at anunbelievably blue sky. My other half had wandered off somewhere so

I was alone as the opening notes of Bob Marley’s‘No woman, no cry…’ drifted across to me. Everyemotion and each of my senses seemed to be havebeen heightened and now, whenever I hear theintroduction to that song, I can almost feel the heatand see that sky. I am so lucky to experience somany more moments of magic, albeit less dramatic,nearly every day. For me, taking our dog toHawksmoor is a delight. Watching him run off andthen hurtle back to me like a very small, brownracehorse, is a joy. As it is when he disappears intothe undergrowth and then pops his head up tocheck where I am. Then he will find the longest,heaviest tree branch that he can find, dragging italong and usually whacking me on the leg with it.Simple pleasures that cost nothing. Not everymagic moment has to involve foreign islands andhot sun or indeed morning cocktails.

We are in the sad situation with having toaccept that a very dear friend is at the end of hislife. We are dealing with this situation, which I feelis happening at least thirty years prematurely, bysharing memories of, and many moments of puremagic with, this good-hearted man who would doanything for anybody. Cherish your magicmoments. Cherish your friends and families.Finally…my New Year resolutions! I have beenproactive with numbers 1 and 2 and things areprogressing well; with number 3 I have alreadyachieved one result but I would like to improveupon this number. Resolution number 4 hasalready been met! Only number five now needs tobe addressed. More progress to be made as the months pass!

The good old daysCan you identify the faces and locations?

See Page 50 for some of the names to the faces.

URGENTLY REQUIRED

If you have any photos that you think may be of interest to ourreaders of this page please feel free to drop them in to Lavinsprinters in High Street, Uttoxeter who will scan them while you waitand let you have them straight back or email them in jpg format tothem at:[email protected]

Please describe the people or event featured and approx year whenthe picture was taken along with your name and location so that wecan give you the recognition for supplying them.

Thank you.

4

1

2


3

6

Photo Credits - 1 & 4: Mick Williams, Uttoxeter. 2: Steve Lavin, Uttoxeter. 3: Nigel Titterton, Cheadle. 5: Becky Selvaggi. 6: Marcia Titterton, Cheadle.

5


As this year, 2017, is the 20th anniversaryyear of the founding of Checkley IndoorBowling Club (CIBC), its members will

undoubtedly be reflecting on the clubs history aswell as the clubs future.The club was formed as a result of the Checkley

Community Centre Management Committeeseeking ideas of how to best utilise the Centre andsubsequently a conversation that developedbetween Eric Moss and Tom Pegg, who togethercame up with an idea to run an indoor bowls club.Eric and Tom measured the hall to see if a

standard 45 foot indoor mat could beaccommodated and found it ideal for the proposedactivity.Tom had come across indoor bowls when he

was working for a local charity and had asked howthey were run and also had some instruction in“how to bowl”. Tom, Peter Shingler (Chairman ofthe Community Centre Management Committeeand Checkley Parish Councillor) and Brian Prosservisited Meir Heath Bowls Club for a first handinsight of a functioning short mat indoor bowlsclub.Peter then put a proposal to the Parish Council

for a grant to start an Indoor Bowls Club atCheckley and this was approved with a grant of£500 which was allocated to buy the first mat,bowls etc. Tom Pegg, David Johnson and RonSomerfield went to Marston Montgomery VillageHall to purchase their equipment as they were nolonger using it. It seems that Checkley obtained abargain as the price paid was acknowledged as“embarrassing”.Tom then approached a number of people and

they met at the Community Centre on the 30Th ofNovember 1997.The equipment was there andthey agreed to start a club with a membership feeof £5 per year which remarkably is still the sametoday. Eight people were recorded as bowling atthat first session.

On December the 3rd, 1997 the number ofmembers had increased dramatically to 17 and theclub had got off to a good start and possibly abright futureBy June the 30th1998, the club had 30

members, and therefore needed to buy additionalequipment which included a second mat. At thistime the club also became affiliated to the CheadleSports Council. Later in the year further equipmentwas bought to accommodate the growing numbersof bowlers at this popular venue.During 1999, in order to create a higher profile

and club identity, members bought and sold shirts

and badges and the club also organised a midweekbreak in Blackpool for a number of members. Theclub had a coach to take members to ChurchGresley long mat bowling centre, and alsoentertained several other local clubs in friendlymatches both at Checkley and away venues.The first of a series of Christmas lunches, later

to be taken at various local pub restaurants, wasenjoyed at the Crown Hotel in Stone.2000 Saw the club needing further equipment

to satisfy an ever increasing membership. A group

of committee members set out to obtain a “free”mat at Alsager Training College, which turned outto be on inspection, double the required width i.e.it was 12 foot wide and there were 3 of them! Thecost of a van to collect them came to £60,something they had not anticipated as part of thecollection process, but nevertheless they stillrepresented excellent value to the club when theywere later cut to the standard short mat bowlingsize of 6 foot wide by 45 foot longFrom 2001 the format for the successful

running of the club was in place and during thefollowing years all that was required was to buildon this platform for the future. In 2004 long termcommittee member Tom Pegg gave up the role of“running the club” (i.e. Chairperson, Secretary, andTreasurer) and three members stepped in to carryout his former duties. This sets the tone for thecommittee structure for future years which alsoincluded the auditing of the clubs accounts forviewing at the AGM.As each succeeding year has passed since the

clubs inception, attempts have been made toimprove contacts with other local bowls clubs byundertaking friendly matches with them both asshort mat, long match and also Crown Greenbowling in association with Checkley ParishOutdoor Bowls club and others.The club is also proud to be associated with

various charity organisations for whom it hasraised some serious amounts of money duringbowling sessions.Checkley Indoor Bowls Clubs own internal

competitions have also proved to be very popularwith the members in the fantastic facilitiesprovided at the Checkley Community Centre, theclubs home base for the last 20 years. This venueallows them to put down up to 6 mats as and whenrequired to accommodate a membership of 45.As this year is the clubs 20th anniversary year,

plans are going ahead to recognize this milestonewith some special events to be announced later inthe year.Finally, the club welcomes any new or old

members wishing to join them in a sociable andfriendly atmosphere to play bowls with all thenecessary equipment provided. Bowling sessionstake place every Wednesday afternoon and Sundayevenings.Anyone who would like more information

about Checkley Indoor Bowls Club, should eitherattend one of the sessions, where they will be mademost welcome, or ring the Chairperson on01538722196 for further details.

Checkley Indoor Bowls Club - the first twenty years

The Blue Team


Dan’sTheMan!Uttoxeter Rugby Club’svictory over Handsworthrecently resulted in topplayer Dan Mead beingpresented with the Man ofthe Match award by loyalsponsor John Gordon.

Torrential rain was not enough to dampenspirits at the Cheadle Spring 5 Road Race.City of Stoke runner Ryan Holroyd won the

race by an impressive margin with a time of 26:36.In second place was Vinnie Martin of TrenthamRunning Club in 28:00, closely followed by IanSalt of Uttoxeter Road Runners who repeated histhird place finish from 2016 with a time of 28:07.Louise Dawson, also representing City of Stoke,

improved on last year’s fourth place to win theladies race in 32:43. Cheadle Running Club’sRebecca Harrison showed that her marathontraining is well on track with a time of 33:17, withUttoxeter Road Runner Chloe Hawkins roundingoff the top three in 33:53.180 runners braved the conditions to complete

the course. Members and friends of CheadleRunning Club also endured a Sunday morningsoaking to make sure the event went smoothly.They were assisted by RAYNET and St. JohnAmbulance to ensure the runners’ safety. Feedbackon social media has been overwhelmingly positive,with many comments highlighting how friendlythe marshals and officials were.Besides organising the race, Cheadle Running

Club also fielded a strong team of runners, led byCarl Astley in a time of 31:24. As well asRebecca’s second place finish, there were also agegroup wins for Paul Stoddard (34:18), Chris Green(33:54), Jenny Day (34:08) and Ruth Watchorn-Rice (35:08).New Race Director, Charlie Cox, began the

post-race presentations by paying tribute to hispredecessor, Mick Beardmore, who had held theposition for every previous running of the race. Healso thanked the local businesses who sponsor therace. Cheadle Running Club is grateful for thecontinued support of Derek Fower Transport,Stoddards Limited, Blake Hall Fisheries andHillside Fishing pool. Additional sponsors thisyear were Woodwards Printers, and Morrisons,who provided bottled water at the finish.As well as the main race, a short fun-run was

also held. This was once again supported by theCheadle Fair Trade Group. Twelve year oldOakley Wright was first finisher in a field of 25,who all seemed to enjoy splashing through thepuddles. An extra treat for the children this yearwas the presence of local star runner Lucy Holt inthe fun-run line-up. This is almost certainly thefirst time there has been a competitor in the fun-run wearing their England international kit! Lucyused it as light training as she recovers from injury.The next race to be staged by Cheadle Running

Club will be the Cheadle 4, which is being held on9th July 2017.

Cheadle Running Club Times

14th Carl Astley 31.2426th Rebecca Harrison 33.1729th Chris Green 33.5432nd Jenny Day 34.0833rd Paul Stoddard 34.1835th Ruth Watchorn-Rice 35.0840th Mark Smith 35.3746th Mick Beardmore 36.3952nd Russell Williams 37.1156th David Morrey 37.4674th Lee Plant 40.05


Sunday 30th April 2017at Uttoxeter Racecourse

Half Marathon starting at 10.30 and 10k starting at 10.30amJunior Race starting at 9.45am

Cheadle Spring 5 Road Race


Former JCBdigger maker-turned-FA

Cup hero MattRhead was given a rousing reception recently whenhe retraced his footsteps on the production linewhere he worked for almost a decade. Matt, 32, of Stoke-on-Trent, was a popular

figure at the JCB Earthmovers factory in Cheadle,where he worked before leaving to become aprofessional footballer in 2012. Five years later he hit the national headlines

after being named man of the match in a gamewhich saw his team Lincoln City become the firstnon-league side to reach the quarter finals of theFA Cup in 103 years by beating Premier Leagueteam Burnley 1-0. Lincoln played Premier League highfliers

Arsenal in the eagerly awaited sixth round tie justdays after Matt returned to JCB Earthmovers to ahero’s reception from former colleagues. Matt said: “It’s great to be back at JCB to meet

my mates I spent almost 10 years working with. Ihad some very good times there and when I wasoffered a professional footballing contract it wasa dream come true but leaving JCB was also a verydifficult decision because I really enjoyed the job.I was taught to work hard and to continue learningand that has stood me in good stead for myfootballing career.” “The success we enjoyed in the FA Cup was

just amazing," said Matt.When Matt joined JCB he trained as a welder

before promotion to the role of team leader in thewelding area of the factory making JCB wheeled

loaders. At weekendsthough, he wasturning out for localnon-league sidesincluding KidsgroveAthletic, Nantwichtown and Congletontown. In January2012 Mansfield Townoffered Matt recruitedhim on a part-timedeal before offeringhim a full-timecontract at the end ofthe season. He signeda two year deal withLincoln City in 2015. Manufacturing

Operations ManagerMick Cheadle said:“Matt was a greatguy to have workingfor us. He always hada smile on his face,got the job done andmotivated the people around him which is why hewent on to become a team leader. “We were very sad to see him leave but

naturally he had to follow his dream. It’s great thatit’s paying off for him and since he left we havealways followed his progress closely. It’s beengreat to see the success he’s having with Lincoln inthe FA Cup and hopefully they can now reachWembley!” Manufacturing Engineer Darren Brown, 38, of

Blythe Bridge, has been employedby JCB for 17 years and workedalongside Matt. He said: “I remember when he

first started at JCB Earthmovers Iwent up to him and asked him ifhe fancied joining a game offootball on Thursday nights and henever let on how good he was!“We then played regular 5-a-

side for around three years beforeMatt started to play at a higherlevel. We’ve followed his progresskeenly since he left JCB and Ialways look out for his results andsee if he has scored.“Seeing Matt going on to

bigger and better things in footballis really great. I struggle to believethat we all used to play 5-a-sidetogether and now his next matchis at the Emirates Stadium againstArsenal.”Dave Roberts, 44, of Clayton,

Newcastle, joined JCB on the sameday as Matt - January 20th, 2003.He said: “Matt was only a teenager when we

both started work here and he was a good lad fromthe start and enjoyed life in the weld shop and allthe banter that goes with it. He always had a smileon his face and was just a good down to earth lad,who was respected by the lads he worked with.

“We always knew he was a good footballplayer and it’s brilliant what he has achieved. I’mabsolutely chuffed to bits for him."

Welder-turned-footballer Matt gets hero’swelcome at JCB

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 LocalFootball Team’ which in his opinion is the verybest of players past and present.

‘Razzer’ will create a team in each issueof The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice whichhe believes incorporates all theingredients of a football outfit whichcould be unbeatable!

He will be delving into histhoughts to remember all theterrific players in years gone bywhilst selecting those who areexceptional in our presentday.

It should be afantastic talking pointin our community andno doubt you all willhave your viewson ‘Razzer’s Hallof Fame team.

SID STUBBSUttoxeter St Mary’s FCTenacious competitor whoalways got the better of theopposition. Sid had a touch

of class.

MICK HATHAWAYCheadle United FC

What a colossus of a player! Fantasticheader of the ball, brilliant tacklerand a terrific team player. Mick waseverything a manager could wish forin a player and a great guy too.

MALCOLM SWINSONAlton FC

Cultured player who could playanywhere in a team. Classy

player.

PAUL TOPPINGBamfords FC/Picknalls OBPossessed vision and a will towin which are always greattrademarks in a player.

BRIAN HALLAMStramshall FC

Could play midfield or in theattack, got his fair share of

goals and a constant threat tothe opposition goal.

DAVE GRIFFITHSRocester FC

Brilliant playmaker whocould pick a pass out withease. Class and talent.

MICK BEARDMORECheadle Old Boys FC

A legend in Cheadle, Mick was not blessedwith massive talent but he had the heartof a lion both on and off the pitch. Mickhas also been a magnificent stalwart ofCheadle United FC – a really great guy too.

DAVID BODENUttoxeter Amateurs

FCLovely footballer with twotricky feet. Plenty of pacemade David a threat to

any defence.

RYAN GRIFFINTean Albion FC

Terrific goalscorer, Ryan could go on to play at a higher level.His goalscoring for Albion this season surely will lead themto winning the Uttoxeter Sunday League Division 1 title

LOUIS SHERWINUttoxeter Town FC

Louis has progressed superbly this season under ManagerDean Arnold and is a player really on the up. Wonderful

skills, can pass with both feet and a goal threat. Watch thisplayer develop further in the future!

ADAM BINKSRocester FC

What an excellent goalkeeper who dominated his penaltybox and instructed his back four throughout matches.

Great shot-stopper too.

We have inserted one football club eachplayer has performed for. Obviously, many have played for severalclubs in their careers.


Bake’s Memoirsby Neil Baker, local sporting legend

Iforgot to mention in my last column that I hada call from an old mate of mine on ChristmasDay, Leon Carney. Leon emigrated to Australia a good time ago

and he called me Xmas morning which wasevening over there. He had obviously celebratedthe day over a few glasses and he was asentertaining as you would expect him to be!Though a couple of years younger than me, we

were good mates. We went to the same school andI was in the same class as his brother Robert. Thelast time I spoke to Rob he was living on theoutskirts of Aberdeen in a smallholding.Leon and I both lived in Kingsley Holt and

when I left to live in Leek we remained friends andour families would meet up often.Both of us were ardent Stoke fans and would

travel together to watch our favourite team beforehe then committed himself to Saturday footballwith Kingsley YC and then Rocester FC.On Sundays we both turned out for Cheadle

United in the late seventies.Leon was a talented midfield player, though not

the biggest in size he had a big heart. He was ascompetitive as any player I ever played with andoften he would overstep the mark and end up infront of the Staffs FA. Don’t for one minute thinkthis was his most valuable asset as he was just asinfluential to the team with the ball. He was goodin possession, passed the ball well and scored andassisted goals. In fact at that time he was thecomplete midfield player.I was fortunate enough to play with him for a

few years at Cheadle. We played under Malc

Coates and Alan Smith, before Graham Baker tookover the running of the team. Early that season Iremember losing at Churnetside and Graham leftus both out of the next game which was againstarch rivals Bulls Head from Leek. He obviouslymade the right call as we won the game 4-1 downat Churchill Road!Leon could quite easily rub people up the

wrong way, he had a wicked sense of humourwhich would invariably land him in trouble,whether that was on the field of play or off it! Ican’t think of anyone better suited to theAustralian way of life, in fact you could welldescribe him as a typical Aussie. Loved his sport, adrink, extremely confident, brash and never shortof a word to say and I must add, enjoyed a row.He has been back to England a couple of times

where we have got together over a pint andrecalled old times. Looking forward to our nextreunion mate.I went down to Leek Town last month to watch

England U16s play Spain U16. I have to say it wasembarrassing. We got trounced 6-1. We had a teammade up from mainly the elite Southern clubs.Players from Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal. Theywere all athletic boys and when the teams came outI thought this could be a mismatch. It was but itwas the Spaniards who stole the show. Technicallythey were on another planet to our boys. Theycould all handle and manipulate the ball. Theyplayed out from the back despite being pressed,played through midfield and could all producesome skill when it was needed. When not, they played mainly two touch

football which our boys found hard to deal with.They had been superbly coached, made gooddecisions and despite being physically inferior toEngland completely outplayed them. Our ownboys played straightforward football. Predictablebut lacking the class of their opponents. Some ofour boys showed some ability but I thought lackedthe game management of the Spanish team.I went home thinking that we are still way

behind our European counterparts. But whyshould this be? We now have St Georges at Burton,some of the best facilities in the world. Our FAspends a lot of money on developing young playersand coaches. We have less level one coaches in thiscountry than Germany in particular as well asFrance, Holland and Spain but are now fasttracking young coaches through to bring thisnumber up to the levels of these countries.In effect are we then now going for quantity

rather than quality? In my opinion the answer is amost definitely YES. The biggest difference in thetwo teams on the night was the individual technicalqualities and how well coached one team lookedand the other played off the cuff.Despite an improvement in the young talent we

are producing we still have a long way to go andthe ONLY way we can begin to catch up is toimprove our coaching programme. It might wellsound easy enough but we haven’t found theanswer yet, until we do, we will continue to see ourteams falter in the champion’s League and ournational team struggle.All the best,Bake.

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

Not a great deal has happened on thesporting front since my February column.Football has been largely thwarted by the

weather conditions, especially at Thorley Drivewhere even modest rainfall seems to render thebadly drained surface quite unplayable.This again will result in Cheadle Town having

to play probably three games a week in order tofinish the season. I can never understand how thisend of season fixture glut seems to arise every year.Surely a few more midweek games could bearranged by the League during August andSeptember when the grounds, even Thorley Drive,are playable. It may not be such a problem forthose teams with floodlights but Cheadle Townseem to suffer more than most and as manySaturday games are postponed as those that goahead.Waterlogged grounds were not a problem in my

own playing days as we would play whatever theconditions. Professional games were the same.One has only to look at old footage of players likeGeorge Best ploughing through the mud. AtKingsley there was a sizeable area of the pitchwhich was especially prone to become a sea of mudwhenever it was raining. It amuses me now whenI think that, if we were playing strong opposition,our tactic was to get the ball into this area as oftenas possible and then close the opponents down as

they were trying, mostly unsuccessfully, to get theball out of this morass and were wearingthemselves out to no avail in their vain attempts aswe contained them in that part of the pitch for longperiods.Of course I recognise that times have changed

and, rightly so, the demands for a good playingsurface are much greater these days.Of the few games I have watched during

February, one stands out in particular. This waswhen Cheadle Town entertained a very strongTunstall Town team in the quarter final of the LeekCup. I think everyone, including myself, expecteda very tough game as the Tunstall team included anumber of experienced players who haveperformed at higher levels.The result, as I’m sure many readers are aware,

was a seven nil victory for Cheadle. Theperformance was one of the best, if not the best, Ihave seen for many years as the young Cheadleside tore the opposition to shreds with their skilland pace. All this was without four of their regularplayers who were on holiday.Whilst I don’t like singling players out in what

is essentially a team performance, I feel I shouldmention Mitch Finney, a great lad, who found thenet on five occasions during that game . I had thepleasure of playing with his dad Trevor on manyoccasions in the past but of course Trevor was at

the time just beginning his career whilst I wasalmost ending my own. Perhaps readers will forgive me a moment of

indulgence if I mention that Mitch’s five doesn’tquite match the six I got some fifty two years ago.Having said that, mine were mostly tap ins as Iremember. We had some very good players at thetime such as Pete Hawley, Mick Plant and EricWoodward, all now sadly departed. My haul couldpossibly have been ever greater that afternoon aswe had two penalties, both of which Eric convertedafter he had grabbed the ball to prevent anyoneelse taking them. Nevertheless my feat wassufficient to make the former “News of the World”the following morning.

At the time of writing this article the Leek Cupsemi-final against Silverdale has been postponedonce (at Thorley Drive needless to say) and Ieagerly wait to see if Cheadle can reach anothercup final this season to add to the Challenge CupFinal they are due to play against Wolstanton laterthis month.My best wishes go to Mark Alcock, Pete

Bentley, Alan Beaman and, needless to say, all theplayers for success in one or both of thesecompetitions. Their cup exploits so far have reallymade people take notice of Cheadle Town as aforce to be reckoned with in the future.

The Good Old Days photographs onpages 44-45 have been identified as:

1 The Windsor Road Gang c. 1960’s.Mick Williams, Steve Greenway,Stuart Forbes with Dinky the Cat& Gaynor Cartlidge

2 Marchington Woodlands ShoolPupils, 1973.Back Row: Marion Buxton,Bernice Brown, Julie Knobbs &Jackie EamesFront Row: Naomi Woodhead,Julia Hansan Abbott & KatherineBeech

3 Cheadle's legendary characterNorrie Bradley is pictured withcolleague Frank at UttoxeterRacecourse where they wereraceday stewards.

4 Uttoxeter Youth Club MembersPictured checking their kit prior totheir weekend visit to Snowdoniain 1972Ron Gurney,Eddy Wagstaff, GlynRhodes, Linda Egerton John

Ballantine (Club Leader), MickWilliams Bev Burman & RayWinter

5 Talbot 1st School, Kingstone,1990.Top Row: Mrs Sayers, JessicaBrookes, Simon Rowley, BeccyPeake, Sally Price, Oliver Dale,Dianne Stubbs, Mark Steel,EmilyMcCutcheon, Lisa Stubbs, HazelWhittaker, Mrs Beard & Mr. SayersMiddle Row: Jonathan Pearson,Georgina Hanson, Rebecca Talbot,Stuart Andrews, Mark Brown,Richard Price, Christopher Hogan,Joanna Ridout, Sarah Talbot &James StocktonFront Row: Lauren Steel, JefferyBrookes, Sarah Weston, ScottHowel, Katie Ward, DavidWhittaker, Sarah Watts, Paul Watts,Sarah Talbot, Daren Dyche,Samantha Griffiths & Teresa Star

6 Pupils at Painsley School, Cheadle,around 1970's


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

Ihave just spent a most wonderfulafternoon with fellow columnist andUttoxeter’s all round sportsman Roy

Razzer Astbury and his lovely wife Greta.First thing Roy did was to take out his

wallet and offer me some money on conditionI take her with me when I go, pointing to hiswife!!!That was the start of the banter and quips

which had me in fits of laughter for most ofthe afternoon.Anyway, when I say all round sportsman

just look at the list from pigeon racing,football, bowls, cricket, golf, darts and crib –not only playing but winning many trophiesalong the way – the man was that good!Roy played darts for The Vine in the early

60’s, winning the Morin Rose Bowl and theOld Aged Pensioners cup. Team-mates wereH & L Plant, H Docherty, C Buckley, HShepherd and L & A Mellor.Also again the early 60’s he played crib for

The White Hart Tavern winning the Elkes cupwith team mates G Arnold, J Phillips, RMellor and F Platt, defeating The Shrewsburyand Talbot team.Then later on in 1967 he won the league

championship with Hockley Social Club.In 1969 a football match was arranged in

aid of the carnival funds, a team of Uttoxeterover 30’s versus The Shell Mex and BP sidewho were the Burton League Champions atthe time, two very talented sides indeed.Here are the teams:Over 30s: A Hobbs, R Blore, G Dixon, D

Brown, A Wain, D Dyche, S Sidwell, J Harvey,A Mottram, R Inglis, R Astbury.

Shell Mex & BP: W Shaw, F Haddrell, EBrown, S Pritchard, B Wain, M Ratcliffe, JWelsh, L Hibberd, J Shaw, M Snape, D Beech.Having just moved from Ashbourne to

Uttoxeter I remember this game very well, theover 30’s won five goals to four!Over the years there have been many

headlines in the local papers about Roy, oneof my favourite was in the Times & Echofrom June 1973 – ‘Razzer brightens up adreary match’ and the commentatorremarked ‘well done Roy, let your wife clockthe pigeons in on a Saturday afternoons –Oldfields Cricket Club needs you!!Of course when his playing days were

over he put heart and soul into footballmanagement with local teams. On top of thathe was a scout for Nottingham Forestworking with and for two of the very best –Brian Clough and Peter Taylor.Anyway Roy Razzer Astbury and Greta –

thank you very much for making my day....In closing, all you darts players out there

please put this in your diaries: The CharlieCope Memorial Trophy Darts Challenge atBradley House Club, Uttoxeter on Friday31st March 2017. Registration 7 for 7.30pm£5 entry. All proceeds to Dementia UK –please see the competition advert on this pagekindly sponsored by The Uttoxeter &Cheadle Voice, artwork kindly created byLavin Printers of Uttoxeter.Last time £600 was given to this very

important charity, hope to see you all soon.Till then take care now and always.

Dave

The good old days


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