CHRISTMAS EVE - A MIDDLEWICH CHRISTMAS TALE

EDITOR'S NOTE

For Christmas Eve  we have something very special for you, courtesy of Bill Eaton, who is custodian of a lot of photographs and written material by the late Frank Smith of Ravenscroft.

When the Middlewich Heritage Society started in 1985 and I found myself in the role of Newsletter Editor my main, and best, source of material was Frank, who had an enduring interest in the town and its history. Frank wrote many articles for the Newsletter and kept up a reliable and seemingly inexhaustable supply of unfailingly interesting material.

This tale of old Middlewich has, to my knowledge, never been published before and gives us just a glimpse of Middlewich as it was in the 1920s.

It was written, in 1989, in Frank's distinctive and very evocative style, and would, as Bill Eaton says, have been particularly interesting for older residents who may just have remembered some of the places mentioned.

I'm delighted to be able to bring you this story, so very appropriate for Christmas Eve, and hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

My thanks to Bill Eaton for passing this on, and to Joan Smith for permission to publish it.

Dave Roberts

Editor

Christmas Eve 2012

UPDATE (CHRISTMAS 2018):

It's nearly thirty years since 1989, when Frank wrote this  atmospheric little tale of a Middlewich Christmas in the late 1920s. 

Even then he was recalling a time sixty years before and, in 2018, it's worth remembering that he's talking about things which happened (or may have happened)  ninety years ago - way beyond the recall of nearly everyone alive today.

As I said in the original introduction (above) in 2012,  back in 1989 Frank's story would, for some people, have been an exercise in nostalgia; a few - a dwindling few -

people would have remembered the names of the shops and shop-owners which Frank artfully inserts into the text, giving those with long memories a trip back in time.

Now, of course, it's all history and we can't really expect anyone to remember all those Middlewich traders of the 1920s. So please don't worry if you don't recognise any of those long-gone names. Almost no one else does either.

Still, we may, when time allows, take a look at a Middlewich Directory of the period and see if we can correlate the names in the story against its pages.

And despite all the changes over the years, Middlewich is still recognisably the place Frank describes in his story.

Wheelock Street is a remarkable survivor, and its basic structure would still be familiar to those citizens of the 1920s if they could return and see it as it is today. 

That's why we've been able to include the photographs (some of them relatively modern) showing just where Frank's mysterious old man went on his travels all those years ago.

So please enjoy Frank's story, and take it for what it has become - a piece of Middlewich history, somewhat romanticised, for us all to enjoy, now and into the future.

Merry Christmas!

Dave Roberts

Christmas Eve
2018

CHRISTMAS EVE

by Frank Smith

As the North-Western bus pulled away from its stop near the bottom of Darlington Street a rather old man in well-worn clothes appeared among the passengers who had alighted.

It would be hard to give a description of him, as everything about him seemed indeterminate. The only two details that seemed positive were that he seemed very old and by the bright lights from Hodkinson's Greengrocery it was evident that he had a white beard.

He stood for a moment looking at the fruit and vegetables and the tinsel that was draped over them. He moved on to Wilson's Fruit Shop and looked over the half-door which was closed to keep out some of the chill air which gave promise of snow before morning. He sniffed appreciatively at the aroma from the barrel of Canadian Dr Mackintosh apples with their purple tissue paper wrappings before he moved on and gazed over the heads of a group of children who were standing, gazing with looks of desire and excitement at the display of toys, garlands and silver stars in Ward's Toy Shop window. He hardly seemed to notice the rather mundane display of crockery in Niddrie's shop.

Before crossing the road he watched a smiling, rosy-cheeked Mrs Atkin serving a customer with a 1lb box of Red Rose chocolates. Obviously a Christmas present for a loved one.

He paused in front of Walker's shop, but there were many blank spaces in the display where boxes of toys and games had been removed to meet the requirements of parents in their Christmas Eve rush to fulfil promises to their children.

There was, however, one box which had not been moved from its pride of place in the centre of the display. It was a large doll in a magnificent silk dress, with the lace of a petticoat peeping below the hem. Its porcelain face was almost too beautiful to be true, especially with the long eyelashes of its moveable eyelids. How many little girls must have yearned for it as a Christmas present, but the price label of 18s 6d effectively put it beyond the range of many people.

Heathcote's was the next shop to catch his eye. They seemed to have made a special effort to show off their confectionery skills. There were several Christmas cakes with their robins and holly decorations and, even as the old man paused, the largest of the cakes, complete with Santa, his sleigh and reindeer, was lifted from the shelf for a beaming customer within.

The Alhambra Cinema, despite its bright lights, did not seem to impinge on his consciousness. Obviously Buster Keaton held no attraction for him. 

What appeared to have caught his eye were the ducks, geese and fowl hanging outside Butcher Mountfield's shop, but strategically placed in the centre of the row was a large, beautiful turkey with its black/bronze feathers glinting in the gaslight. A few more paces and he mounted the steps and looked over the half-door of Cauley's shop. He looked in admiration at the kissing bush which hung from the ceiling. Inside the paper decked hoops hung a fairy, complete with wand, who moved gently in the incoming air. It was almost impossible to see her for the pink sugar pigs and mice, the sugar pocket-watches and the sugar birdcages with their white lace mesh. A small boy stood near the counter, enraptured by the magic of it all, almost forgetting what he had come for when Mrs Cauley asked him for the second time what he wanted.

It seemed strange that the people who passed in front of the old man never heeded or spoke to him even though they cheerfully wished each other a 'Merry Christmas'. 

The Meadow Dairy window seemed to outshine all the other shops with the intensity of its lighting, and many of the highly-coloured slab cakes on display seemed almost garish in the harsh light. The Christmas cakes seemed to be rather overdone with coloured, piped icing and, while they didn't appear to be of the same standard as Heathcote's, their prices of 4s 6d and 5 shillings were somewhat lower.

The display of chocolates and sweets in Paul Whittaker's held his attention for a few moments, as did the tall glass display jars with their spiked glass tops as they dominated the shelf at the back of the window. A burst of laughter and some cheerful back-chat between friends across the road indicated that Brown's Vaults were helping to capture the Christmas spirit. As the old man moved on he saw the harrassed staff in the Co-op attending to the needs of their customers while two of the counter-hands were busy making up final orders while the delivery man stood impatiently by, grabbing the order as soon as the cardboard box  was filled, and almost before the counter-hand had time to write the customer's name on it in indelible pencil.

Butcher Hulme, too, was busy as he dealt with a steady stream of customers.

Kinsey's also seemed to have its fair share of customers, although the atmosphere seemed somewhat calmer than the Co-op. The old man seemed intrigued by the overhead arrangement whereby the customers' cash and bills travelled in little wooden pots to the cashier, and the receipt and change returned to the counter.

Although it was only eight o'clock the smell from Gatley's Chip Shop indicated that soon the first house from the Alhambra would be coming on to the street, and they were ready to catch the trade.

The new premises of Fitton's butchers was making the most of the opportunity and they had put on a very creditable display. The right-hand side of the shop seemed to have its rails full of all types of poultry, a few hares, some rabbits and several turkeys, which seemed to indicate that it was becoming a popular Christmas choice. The rails on the left-hand side of the shop were hung with carcasses, mainly beef and pork.

The window displays were of various cuts and joints of meat, but centre-stage in each window was a pig's head with an orange in its mouth.

Opposite, Brauer's the Chemist were closing their shop and it was just possible to see all the exotic perfumes, bath cubes and other toiletries before the lights were switched off.

Pegrams, too, was busy, and the open spaces in the shelves where the dried fruits were kept indicated that many people had been busy preparing their mincemeat, puddings and cakes for the festivities.

Next door, at Hulme's, the fragrant smell of fresh ground coffee floated on the air, but the old man appeared not to notice.

The sound of music floated on the air as Bailey's Band began to tune up in the Town Hall for the Christmas Eve dance which was due to start. This was apparent from the number of young men in their bowler hats and navy blue serge suits, and the young women in their 'flapper' dresses with small brown paper parcels containing dance shoes under their arms, entering the Town Hall.

At the bottom of Queen Street the two small shops, a butcher's and a greengrocery belonging to Wright's were still open but, perhaps due to their position on High Town, didn't seem to be so busy.

Perhaps the magnificence of Fitton's was drawing away much of their custom.

The rest of Hightown and much of Lewin Street seemed rather less busy, although there were plenty of shoppers about.

At the top of Wych House Lane Robinson's Chip Shop was advertising its wares by the smell drifting across the road on the East wind. 

Opposite, the pyramidical displays of fruit in T. Oakes window hardly merited a glance from the old man.

He seemed to be tiring and walked as if every step was an effort.

He turned up to the Market by the Fire Station, and paused as if to gather his strength.

Again it seemed strange that no one seemed to notice him.

By the guttering light of the naptha flares it was possible to see from the haggard look on his face, and his deep sunk eyes, that he was ageing quickly.

Despite this he looked at the different stalls; the fish stall with the fishmonger almost giving his wares away, as he knew that tomorrow (Wednesday) being Christmas Day his unsold fish would be a dead loss as he had no facilities to keep them saleable until Friday.

The stall selling cheap German toys for a few pence; the glass birds with glass fibre strands for their tails which would decorate Christmas trees along with the gaudy glass baubles and the coloured wax candles.

Finally, he turned and painfully dragging his feet between the stalls, walked to the darkness of the Vicarage Field.

A small boy, who appeared to be the only person to see him, ran after him and called, 'who are you?'

As the figure disappeared into the gloom the boy heard an old voice say,

'I am the year 1928...'

Frank Smith

Ravenscroft

1989

© Joan Smith 2012

Originally published CHRISTMAS EVE 2012

Re-published 16th DECEMBER 2013

and CHRISTMAS EVE 2014

Revised, reformatted and re-published Christmas Eve 2016

Revised and re-published Christmas Eve 2018. Re published Christmas Eve 2019, 

Christmas Eve 2021

MIDDLEWICH CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH ON 2021 (ARCHIVED)

 ARCHIVED

FACEBOOK EVENT LINK

 

MIDDLEWICH'S WAR MEMORIAL 1934

Photo: FBS Images

Now would seem to be a good time to go back 77 years to the original unveiling of our town's main War Memorial in the Bullring. 1934 is surprising late for the erection of such a memorial. Most of them were erected in the 1920s, a fact that probably accounts for Messrs Curson & Hurley in Middlewich - Images of England (Tempus Publishing 2005) captioning photos of the occasion as happening in 'the early 20s'.

As always, Allan Earl in Middlewich 1900-1950 (Cheshire Country Publishing 1994) has the truth of the matter. The unveiling was on the 18th November 1934 and a full account of the occasion is included in Allan's book (Pages 139-141).

The memorial (or 'cenotaph' as it is referred to by many locals) stayed in this position for 38 years until, as part of the 'Piazza' redevelopment of 1972, it was moved closer to the churchyard and re-dedicated as shown in the series of slides we've been featuring over the last few months.

In 2005, as we have seen, the area was redeveloped again but the memorial stayed more or less where it was.

Appropriately, the War Memorial bears a quotation from Middlewich historian Charles Frederick Lawrence:
'Through all eternity their names shall bide,
Enshrined as heroes who for Empire died'

The War Memorial as it was in 1972 after re-dedication in its new position on the 'Piazza'.
To the left of the picture the Talbot Hotel in Kinderton Street can be seen.

Facebook Feedback:

Chris Koons Wow! Who knew there were so many people IN Middlewich?

Dave Roberts Amazing isn't it? We have a good crowd every year for Remembrance Day, but I don't think there's ever been anything on that scale since the 1930s.

Geraldine Williams Interesting to see the Brauer Opticians and Pharmacy shop.
Miss Brauer was Brown Owl of the Middlewich Brownie pack for many years and her sister, Mrs Margaret Hall, was the Girl Guides' leader. Mrs Hall was also a pharmacist and dispensed at that shop.
After the shop was demolished she did some locum work at various chemists.
The shop, presumably, was owned by their father.
And what an amazing turnout. Those people standing near the church wouldn't see, or hear, any of the service. It's a sobering thought that just five years later additional names would start to be added to the Memorial. I imagine no one at this dedication service was anticipating that.

First published 10th November 2011

Re-published 8th November 2019

11th November 20201
   

• 
  

  
  
• 
  

  
  

FIGHT FOR MIDDLEWICH: RADIO NORTHWICH INTERVIEW 5th November 2021

 

On 5th November 2021 Laura Turner of the Fight For Middlewich Campaign spoke to Mike Cooksley of Radio Northwich about the campaign's aims and future plans.

If you'd like to listen to or download the interview, please click on these links:

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW

DOWNLOAD THE INTERVIEW

FIGHT FOR MIDDLEWICH ON FACEBOOK

BEFORE THE MIDDLEWICH DIARY: THE KING STREET ROMAN DIG 1973

HERE'S ONE FROM MAY 2011

From Facebook, 29th May 2011

This is the view from my bedroom window at no. 33 King Street in 1973. The Middlewich Archaeological Society is playing host to other archaeologists as they make a field trip to the dig in the field adjacent to our back fence. Many years later, this would also be the site of the Middlewich 'Community Dig'. In the background can be seen the site of the Seddons Pepper Street Works across the Canal and River Croco. This seemed to remain empty for many years (although the 1975 Inland Waterways Association Rally was held there) until the Moorings was built. If you look carefully, you can see that the Middlewich we know today was slowly taking shape around the new 'Inner Relief Road' (St Michael's Way). The telephone exchange is on the right and the 'Co-operative Superstore (now Tesco Express and the Super Discount store) on the left.

The huge building just to the right of centre is the rear of the former Barclays Bank and its associated flats.

Editor's Note (29th May 2018)

These early Facebook entries, published in the run-up to the launch of our Middlewich Diary blog in June 2011, are all rather vague and sketchy. The object of the exercise was to publish the actual colour photographs via the then still novel medium of Facebook and enabling people in Middlewich and elsewhere else to see them whenever they liked, rather than keeping them filed away for special occasions only. 

As always seemed to be the case with these early Facebook entries, more information was forthcoming with the Facebook feedback, which is reproduced below.

Facebook feedback

Dave Roberts The immaculate lawn in the foreground shows no sign of the ravages of a few years earlier when my Dad, a keen member of the Archaeological Society, dug his own trench there in search of Roman remains. The views of my Mother on this are not recorded. Dad was an early proponent of the idea that the 'Roman Settlement' at Harbutt's Field was much more than that - that it was, in fact, a full-blown Roman fort. And how right he was. The Roman site behind our fence turned out to be the site of an ancient iron works and, for a time, our garage shelves were stacked with boxes full of Roman nails.
.and I think I'm right in saying (real, proper Roman historians might like to help here) that if you draw a line on a map from the end of Brooks Lane (by the Boar's Head) to the southern entrance of the Roman Fort, this would have been the route of a road leading to the fort and lined with iron works, salt works and other industries serving the fort. Our back garden - and Dad's iron works - would have been on that road.

Maureen Condra Nice pics. They brings back a lot of memories. I used to  play dominoes in the Talbot when I was 18. Ha Ha! A long time ago. I love to see all the old pics.

Chris Koons Is that my Nana, there in the maroon/purple & the white hat, standing next to your mum? I'm sure I remember that hat! LOL

Here's a link to the Middlewich Diary version of this posting, with a little more information on the photo and a link to the Cheshire East/English Heritage pdf document explaining some of the background to various King Street digs including the ones of the early 1970s.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY 1973

First published 29th May 2018

Re-published 2nd November 2021

THE MIDDLEWICH SUBWAY PROBLEM

 

                                             Photo: Russell Cooper. See below for caption

by David Roberts

IT'S becoming more and more obvious that a full investigation of the subway under St Michael's Way needs to be undertaken, irrespective of whether or not the current flooding and drainage problems can be sorted out in the short term.

I, like many people I'm sure, have been assuming that the underpass has been flooded to such an extent because of a combination of very wet weather and blocked drains.

When you look around the streets of Middlewich you can see that there are many many grids completely blocked and totally incapable of carrying away excess rainwater.

The grids on Newton Heath near to the vets surgery are a case in point.

That underpass has been there since 1972 and Middlewich folklore has it that it was constructed because several MUDC councillors lived on Webbs Lane and wanted an easy way to get across St Michael's Way and into town.

These disgraceful accusations are most probably apocryphal, of course. But whatever the truth of the matter, this pedestrian facility has certainly come into its own in the intervening years, particularly since the developments off Seddon Street.

What's giving me pause for thought is that in almost 50 years I don't ever remember the underpass being flooded. Certainly not to the extent that it has this year.

So, has something changed?


Some have suggested that the building work in Darlington Street may have disturbed something. 

Well, here's a chance for the much-criticised Middlewich Town Council to redeem itself and put pressure on Cheshire East, and its contractors, to find out what's really going on with that subway as a matter of urgency

If it's just blocked drains and too much rain, then all well and good.

But if there is something more serious happening, then we all need to know.

29th October 2021

UPDATE 30th October 2021

On Saturday morning, 30th October, a team of contractors arrived at the subway.

Garnet Marshall was there to take photographs and ask questions.

He writes:

I spoke to the man leading the team, a really nice guy who made the time to come talk. He told me that what they are doing today would probably not fix the problem permanently. 

But he did assure me that they are now on the case and will find ways and means of doing so.

He will recommend either temporary lights or clear signage to drivers warning them of pedestrians.

He said he would do his best to make sure regular updates are given via the CEC website.

What angers me is that it took a resident to make a call to the right person to make this happen.

Let's thank Janet Chisholm who succeeded in bringing this matter to the attention of the right people.

Garnet Marshall

Photographs by GARNET MARSHALL 30th October 2021

Update (1st November 2021):

Following the intervention by the impressive looking team of engineers and what we assume is some kind of high-tech pumping equipment seen in Garnet's photos, we were hoping that the problem could be solved, at least in the short term, although, as Garnet reports above, there were doubts that it could be permanently solved just yet.

I checked on the subway late in the evening of the 31st October and - to my amazement - found that not only was the subway still flooded, but the problem seemed to have worsened.

Just how much worse the problem was can be seen in these photos, taken by Russell Cooper on Monday 1st November.

The level of the flood water has now risen. This is the western, or 'Wheelock Street' side of the subway. Photo by Russell Cooper

The eastern, or 'Webbs Lane' entrance, showing how the water has now flooded the entire length of the subway. Photo by Russell Cooper

This seems to be a much more serious problem than first thought.

Here's an update from Garnet Marshall:

CEC has now raised the issue to Re: Risk of Death or Injury - Flooded underpass in Middlewich. They are now pulling out all the stops to get this sorted as soon as humanly possible. In an email the guy in charge says, 'In the short term I will ask for signs, barriers etc. to be improved and to make it clear that there is a pedestrian crossing not too far away. We will have to get rid of the water so that we can get the camera in to have a look. I’ll make sure that this is given priority'.


Garnet replies: Thank you sir, we can ask for no more.

Many thanks to Garnet and Russell for their invaluable contributions.

First published 29th October 2021

Updated and re-published 30th October 2021

Updated and re-published 1st November 2021

AN IMAGE FOR HALLOWEEN

Photo: Cliff Astles

by Dave Roberts

Here's a striking image which Cliff Astles sent to us a while ago and we thought might be appropriate for Halloween.

Behind all the 'ghosties and ghoulies' and the rather unpleasant fake blood and plastic daggers and silly masks and so on lies the real Halloween, or Eve of Hallowtide, which was celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November in Medieval times.

Hallowtide (or, in Ireland, 'Samhain') has (or had) little to do with the supernatural (and absolutely nothing to do with blood, horror and screaming skulls and the like - that's an American invention which only came into being when Hollywood started to get a grip of people's imaginations in order to promote its cheap blood and gore horror films).

It was a Christian festival and a time of feasting and celebration of the start of winter.

It later became linked with All Saints Day and All Souls Day, again celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November, in which the church celebrated its saints and martyrs and the departed souls of all who had gone before.

In England, until recent times, Halloween was regarded simply as a time when the 'spirit' world was closer to the every day world than usual.

Now, like Christmas and Easter, Halloween serves as another chance to make money for big business with sweet manufacturers and makers of novelties cashing in more and more with each passing year..

Good fun for the kids, of course, but a world away from its origins in the mists of time when people would pause for a while in their busy lives to remember those who had passed beyond the veil into unknown realms which we can only wonder about.

Halloween in Middlewich in the late 1950s and early 1960s was a fairly low-key affair, as it was elsewhere in Britain before the blatant commercialisation of the festival took hold.
We certainly made lanterns, but not out of pumpkins, which only went on sale here in recent years.
Our lanterns were  hollowed-out turnips with candles inside them, and they used to reek to high-heaven when they got hot.
In actual fact we were following a tradition which went back a lot further than the Americans' pumpkin carving. 
The original English medieval  Halloween tradition involved making lanterns from turnips and we were, whether we knew it or not, following that tradition.
I have vivid childhood memories of listening to ghost stories broadcast by AFN (the American Forces Network) on long-ago Halloween Nights over fifty years ago. They were broadcast on medium wave to the many American soldiers stationed here and all over Europe in those days.
The static and crackling and Radio Luxembourg-style fading in and out of the signal only added to the atmosphere.
Occasionally, but only occasionally, someone would organise a Halloween Party.
One such took place, I recall, in the late 1950s at the Manor, when it was still inhabited by the Willing-Denton family. As we were living in Nantwich Road at the time, it was just a matter of walking down the road and under the aqueduct to Manor Lodge, then making the arduous journey along the carriage drive to the Manor itself.
Once there, we were introduced to such quaint American customs as 'bobbing for apples'.
'Trick-or-treating' was discouraged because of  stories which reached us from America of people giving children apples with razor-blades in them and other such horrors. The stories were mostly complete nonsense - urban legends designed for the credulous. In fact, as far as we can gather,  there has only ever been one recorded instance of anyone trying to cause harm to trick-or-treating American children. The woman in question poisoned some candy and was later found to be insane. No one came to any harm.
But true or not, these gruesome stories put us off the idea of going from door to door asking for sweets, and the idea has only taken off in fairly recent years along with the rest of the Americanisation of Halloween.
Halloween in those days was just a distraction. Most of our energy was spent on preparing for the much more popular Bonfire Night a few days later.

Cliff's picture is made up of  images taken in and around Middlewich on two separate occasions. If you are wondering where the tree is, here, taken from his original comment on this entry, is what Cliff has to say:

As you pass the newly built houses along Warmingham Lane, look at the fields on your left hand side as you are going out of Middlewich (into Moston). After about 200 yards you will see the tree, just over the hedge and about 50 yards into the field.

- but please bear in mind that the rapid rate of housing development in Middlewich as in towns all over the area, means that the tree, and indeed the field, may not be there for much longer

Special Middlewich Diary Masthead for Halloween 2017

Our 'Three Witches' motif has been borrowed from the Middlewich Salt Company's letterhead.

Halloween has always had a particular resonance in the Cheshire salt towns, in all likelihood simply because 'wich' sounds like 'witch'. Carnivals and parades, particularly in Middlewich, always featured at least one 'Middlewich Witch'. This association was exploited by the Middlewich Salt Co. when it adopted as its trademark 'Middle-Witch Salt'.

Here's the full letterhead, this version of which dates back to 1946:

and here's a link to the Diary entry which, since we started in 2011, has always been our most popular entry:

MIDDLEWICH SALT CO LETTERHEAD

...and  finally, here's a genuine Middlewich Witch at the 1973 Carnival in company with a lady advertising RHM's 'exceedingly good' Mr Kipling cakes...

First published Halloween Night (31st October) 2014
Revised and re-published Halloween Night 2016
 Halloween Night 2017
Halloween 2019 ('Not Brexit Day')

Halloween 2021

FIGHT FOR MIDDLEWICH PROTEST 11th NOVEMBER 2021

 

Poster: Fight For Middlewich

Find out more at:
https://www.facebook.com/FightForMiddlewich

SIGN THE PETITION

LAUNCH OF THE 2021 RBL POPPY APPEAL

 

ARCHIVED

BARBARA HIGNETT WRITES:

We are calling at the war memorial in Middlewich Town Centre on Saturday 30th October at around 2.10pm to 2.30pm to launch the Poppy Appeal. It would be great to have a good turn out of residents to greet us.

Photo: BIRKENHEAD NEWS

THE BIG LOCK AT NIGHT OCTOBER 2021

This superb night time shot by Hannah Fray shows the Big Lock pub, and the lock which gives it its name, on a dark night in October 2021. Once firmly part of Middlewich's industrial scene, the Big Lock was, until the 1980s, adjacent to British Crepe, textile manufacturers, using the site (and buildings) of the earlier Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co. Those buildings have now been replaced by modern housing and the pub has been extended and modernised over the years to become an excellent pub restaurant and canal side cafe.
The Big Lock is a 'stack pub', the top part being at road level and the bottom part at canal level. At one time there were two bars, one for the residents of Webbs Lane and one for people working on the boats. The building at one time also incorporated a shop at canal level, to serve the 'boat people'
The lock itself, the only 'wide' lock in the area, was built in this way not, as is often thought, so that two boats could be accommodated at the same time, although it has of course served this purpose, but so that wide boats from the River Weaver could travel into the centre of Middlewich to reach the numerous salt and chemical works in the town. Whether this ever actually happened is unclear, but the destruction of the aqueduct at Croxton and its replacement by a narrow structure in the 1930s made it impossible anyway.

You can find out more about the Big Lock and its environs by following these links:

BIG LOCK circa 1875

BIG LOCK and MILK FACTORY 1920s

BIG LOCK & FINNEY'S LANE FROM ABOVE

BIG LOCK KEEPER'S COTTAGE 1960s

BIG LOCK RE-OPENS (2012)

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH (A LETTER FROM HISTORY)

COMMUNITY MAYOR ENGAGEMENTS FOR 2019

 

MAYORAL ENGAGEMENTS FOR 2019

MAYORAL ENGAGEMENTS FOR 2019

Here's a full list of engagements which the Mayor and Mayoress  fulfilled from 13th June 2019 until the end of December 2019.

Links to relevant information, including blog posts, will be added as time allows.

JUNE 2019

Thursday 13th June 2019: Mayor Making at Victoria Hall, Middlewich.

Friday 14th June 2019: Launch of the 2019 Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival, Market Field, Middlewich. Speech

Sunday 16th June 2019: Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival, Market Field.
'Festival Praise' presented by Churches Together. Speech (impromptu).

Thursday 20th June: Official re-opening of Morrison's Supermarket, Middlewich. Speech

Sunday 23rd June: Sandbach Civic Service, St Mary's Church, Sandbach.

Friday 28th June: Boy's Brigade Presentations, Middlewich URC, Queen Street, Middlewich. Speech

Saturday 29th June: Visit to Mid-Cheshire Scout Camp, Tatton Park.

JULY 2019

Monday 8th July: Strawberry Tea with Middle-Wyches WI, The Wych Centre, Middlewich.

Saturday 13th/ Sunday 14th July: Middlewich Classic Car & Bike Show 2019.
Harbutt's Field, Middlewich (Mayor only) Presentation of Prizes.

Tuesday 16th July: Middlewich High School. Prizegiving. Speech

 Friday 19th July: Folk & Boat Festival Volunteer Evening, Victoria Hall, Middlewich. 6pm.

Saturday 20th July: Unveiling and Official Opening of the Brunner - Mond Memorial Garden, Brooks Lane, Middlewich. 1.30pm at the Royal British legion Club. 2pm at Brooks Lane.

Sunday 28th July: Alsager Civic Service, Wesley Place, Alsager. 2.40pm at the War Memorial. 3pm at Alsager Methodist Church.

AUGUST 2019

Friday 2nd August: Afternoon tea at Sandiway Manor Care Home. Talk on Middlewich's civic insignia, our connections with Northwich and Winsford via Sir John Brunner, and the new community mayoralty.

Monday 5th August: 'Grand Opening' of BARKS & CO, at Hopley House Shopping Village, Nantwich Road, Middlewich.


SEPTEMBER 2019

Wednesday 11th September. Official opening of Princess Court Garden, Cledford.

Link to flyer and further details


Sunday 15th September. Holywell Civic Service. Representing Middlewich at our Welsh 'twin town' in Flintshire.

Holywell Town Council

Saturday 21st September. Greeting Mayor of Knutsford, Andrew Malloy, outside Middlewich Town Hall, as he makes a 'pitstop' on his charity bike ride in aid of new youth facilities in Knutsford.

Mayor of Knutsford Crowdfunding page

OCTOBER 2019

Sunday 6th October: Macclesfield Civic Service 3 p.m. At St Michael & All Angels Church in Macclesfield.

Sunday 13th October: Nantwich Civic Service at St Mary's Parish Church. 10.45pm

POSTPONED: Sunday 13th October: Middlewich Civic Service at Middlewich United Reformed Church, Queen Street, Middlewich. 4pm. Please note that the civic service has now been postponed until Sunday 9th February 2020. Apologies for any inconvenience caused by this postponement.

Monday 14th October: Middle-Wyches WI seventh birthday meeting, at the Wyche Centre, Middlewich 7pm.

Wednesday 16th October: Official re-opening of the Sycamore Drive Children's play area 1pm. Speech (supplied).

CANCELLED: Tuesday 22nd October: Cheese and wine evening at Northwich, in aid of the Northwich Town Mayor's Charity. 7pm. This event was cancelled.

Friday 25th October: Opening of the Middlewich Beer Festival at Middlewich Royal British Legion Club. 8pm (doors open at 7pm). Event organised and sponsored by Middlewich & District Round Table. Including the first public appearance of our Deputy Mayor Linda Boden. Speech.
 

Saturday 26th October: Launch of the 2019 British Legion Poppy Appeal. 'Biker'   event at the War Memorial, Middlewich Town Centre 12.50pm. The Mayor and Mayoress will be in attendance, as will Deputy Mayor Linda Boden and her husband John and Town Crier Devlin Hobson.

NOVEMBER 2019

Friday 8th November: Poppy selling at Morrison's supermarket on behalf of the Royal British Legion. Come along, buy a poppy, have a chat and tell us how we're doing as your first Community Mayor and Mayoress!

Sunday 10th November: Remembrance Sunday. Middlewich town centre from 10.30am. Attended by the Mayor and Mayoress, Deputy Mayor Linda Boden and husband John, and Town Crier Devlin Hobson.

Wednesday 13th November: Attending the funeral of the unforgettable Leo Sykes, the `unofficial Mayor of Middlewich`, Northwich Crematorium.

Thursday 14th November: Helping out at a meeting at the Victoria Hall aimed at improving the no. 42 bus service and creating a Middlewich Bus Users` Group. Attended by the Mayor and Mayoress and Deputy Mayor Linda Boden.

POSTPONED.Thursday 21st November: Middlewich High School GCSE Prize Giving Evening at
Middlewich Victoria Hall/Civic Hall. 6pm. Please note that this event has been postponed due to a gas leak in Holmes Chapel Road, leading to road closures. A new date will be announced ASAP.

Friday 22nd November: Middlewich Christmas lights switch on. From 5 pm until 7pm (switch on at 6pm).
Mexon Street Market 4pm until 8pm. Carol concerts in St Michael & All Angels Church 4pm and 6.30pm. Santa's Grotto, Brass Bands, Mini Fun-fair. The Silk FM Roadshow with special guests from 'Peter Pan', this year's pantomime at Northwich.

Wednesday 27th November Middlewich Over 60s 69th Anniversary lunch at Middlewich Community Centre. 1.45pm. Speech.

Thursday 28th November: Middlewich High School GCSE Prize Giving evening at Middlewich Victoria Hall. 6pm. Postponed from last Thursday. See above.

DECEMBER 2019

Sunday 1st December. Middlewich Town Council`s Over 70s Party at the Victoria Hall. Details soon.

Tuesday 3rd December. Annual Tree of Light ceremony at Middlewich Cemetery. Reading by the Community Mayor.

Sunday 8th December. 3pm onwards. Children`s party at the Victoria Hall, organised by JACKIE LATHAM, followed by fundraising event. We`ll be organising a Tombola and selling tea and coffee and cakes  for the COMMUNITY MAYOR`S CHARITIES. Attended by the Mayor and Mayoress and Deputy Mayor Linda Boden.

Saturday 14th December. Family Cinema at the Victoria Hall. Shaun The Sheep in 'FARMAGEDDON'. Details.

APPEARANCE CANCELLED. Sunday 15th December. 3pm onwards. Children`s party at the Victoria Hall, organised by JACKIE LATHAM, followed by fundraising event.  We`ll be organising a Tombola and selling tea and coffee and cakes for the COMMUNITY MAYOR`S CHARITIES. Attended by the Mayor and Mayoress.
APPEARANCE CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS.

Sunday 15th December. 6.30pm. Carol Concert at Middlewich United Reformed Church, Queen Street. Reading by the Community Mayor.

APPEARANCE CANCELLED. Wednesday 18th December. Lunch at Sandiway Manor Nursing Home. CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS. 

EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS. Sunday 22nd December. The Middlewich Diary Christmas Quiz at The Boar's Head.  In aid of the Middlewich Community Mayor's Charities. Compiled and presented by David Roberts. Starts at approx. 8.30pm. 

CHRISTMAS EVE, Tuesday 24th December. Carols around the Christmas Tree in Middlewich Town Centre, in aid of the Salvation Army. Sadly, we were unable to attend this event due to illness.

THE MIDDLEWICH YEAR