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Newsletter Friends of Congleton Museum

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Where’s<br />

Jiggy?<br />

Chester had rhinos; Liverpool had lambs;<br />

Manchester had cows; San Francisco had<br />

hearts… <strong>Congleton</strong> has bears!<br />

Jiggy, the famous jigsaw bear, has taken up<br />

residence on the museum‘s first floor landing for<br />

the duration <strong>of</strong> this summer‘s Bearmania festival.<br />

For twenty weeks beginning on Saturday<br />

21 st May, upwards <strong>of</strong> 70 uniquely decorated 5ft tall<br />

fibreglass bears, designed by sculptor Billy<br />

Hyland, will be situated throughout the town,<br />

directing visitors on a trail promoting schools,<br />

organisations, businesses, and charities — such<br />

as the museum! Jiggy is listed as number 9 on the<br />

bear trail map.<br />

Kindly loaned to us by owners Paul Bates and<br />

Sue Holmes <strong>of</strong> Jigsaw RTM, Jiggy was the<br />

prototype bear. Painted in a colourful jigsaw<br />

pattern by Sue, Jiggy was the first bear<br />

unveiled at the preview day back in January<br />

and has become a bit <strong>of</strong> a media darling.<br />

According to the website mybeartown.co.uk he<br />

―took to the red carpet like a natural.‖<br />

Jiggy has been featured on the March cover <strong>of</strong><br />

Local Life magazine and in several issues <strong>of</strong> the<br />

<strong>Congleton</strong> Chronicle. Surprisingly, he‘s even been<br />

interviewed by radio station SILK FM. With his<br />

fame preceding him, it‘s hoped that Jiggy will be a<br />

big attraction, drawing many bear trail followers to<br />

the museum. There‘s no admission charge for<br />

visitors to view the bear (although donations are<br />

<strong>Friends</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Congleton</strong> <strong>Museum</strong><br />

<strong>Newsletter</strong><br />

Summer 2011<br />

welcome and it‘s hoped they‘ll return to enjoy the<br />

museum), and photos <strong>of</strong> children posing with<br />

Jiggy are encouraged. Bear-shaped cutouts will<br />

be available for children to colour in and a cuddly<br />

teddy bear (donated by museum volunteer<br />

Dorothy Robinson) will be awarded to the winner<br />

<strong>of</strong> a Name the Bear competition. The museum<br />

shop will also be selling Bearmania merchandise,<br />

children‘s books and bear-shaped soaps.<br />

Other bear sponsors include Barefoot Living,<br />

VISYON, Berisford Ribbons, the Mercian<br />

Regiment, Siemens, Top Nosh, Beartown Tap,<br />

Churches Together, The Cubs, The Scouts,<br />

<strong>Congleton</strong> in Bloom and many <strong>of</strong> the local<br />

primary schools.<br />

This community arts festival has been organised<br />

by the <strong>Congleton</strong> Beartown Company, with<br />

support from <strong>Congleton</strong> Schools, <strong>Congleton</strong> Town<br />

Council, <strong>Congleton</strong> Community Projects,<br />

<strong>Congleton</strong> Partnership, Plus Dane and Cheshire<br />

East Council. Proceeds from the sale <strong>of</strong> the bears<br />

and bear-themed merchandise<br />

will be donated to local charities<br />

and Animal Asia to help<br />

rescue caged bears.<br />

Preserving the past, recording the present, educating the future


Greetings from India<br />

Dear all<br />

2<br />

I am having a fabulous and<br />

very interesting time working and<br />

living at FLAME (Foundation <strong>of</strong> Liberal and<br />

Management Education) University, situated near<br />

Pune in a deep valley by a natural lake. Despite<br />

the lake, the environment is dry and rugged with<br />

sparse bushes. The temperature averages 32°C<br />

every day. I share an<br />

apartment with 7 other girls.<br />

We all get along really well<br />

and they are mad, loud and<br />

fun, so there is always<br />

something going on and<br />

never a quiet moment! It is<br />

fully catered, but all the food<br />

is vegan. The campus has<br />

good facilities - a small gym,<br />

a football field, a pool, an<br />

outdoor theatre, a movie<br />

room and an amazing drama<br />

studio, which I am very jealous <strong>of</strong>! The power<br />

goes <strong>of</strong>f about 4 times a day as the electricity has<br />

to be shared out and diverted, so you can be mid<br />

class and it goes pitch black!<br />

All my friends are Liberal Education students.<br />

Most speak three languages: their mother<br />

tongue, Hindi and English, and they all speak to<br />

each other in English because it is guaranteed to<br />

be understood. The university is very liberal, but<br />

you must be in your room for 11.30pm (there is<br />

an alarm that sounds like an air-raid siren, which<br />

gave me a shock first time I heard it!). The<br />

students can leave campus, but must get<br />

permission first and when you re-enter you have<br />

The average person in the UK<br />

uses 150 litres <strong>of</strong> water a day<br />

but this is not sustainable; we<br />

are using more water than the<br />

rivers are receiving from rain.<br />

Here are a few hints on<br />

reducing our water<br />

consumption:<br />

Remember to turn <strong>of</strong>f the tap<br />

while brushing your teeth<br />

A running tap wastes over<br />

Alex (right) with friends Shinai Dominic (left)<br />

and Shambhavi Rai (centre).<br />

6 litres per minute.<br />

Drop a hippo in your cistern<br />

Give your water company a<br />

ring; they can give you one <strong>of</strong><br />

these devices for free.<br />

Bathers beware!<br />

A bath typically uses around<br />

80 litres, while a short shower<br />

can use as little as a third <strong>of</strong><br />

that amount.<br />

Preserving the past, recording the present, educating the future<br />

Earlier this year<br />

we bid farewell to museum<br />

volunteer Alex Smith who was<br />

travelling to India to live and<br />

study for several months<br />

before attending university in<br />

England. We asked Alex to<br />

keep in touch and tell us about<br />

her adventures. The following<br />

is an extract from her<br />

first missive…<br />

to pass a breathalyser test.<br />

I am a drama intern, so I work in<br />

the administration <strong>of</strong> the<br />

department and help with the<br />

organisation <strong>of</strong> events. In return, I<br />

can attend a few classes on topics<br />

such as comparing Indian drama to<br />

Shakespeare, costume, make up<br />

and acting workshops. I am going<br />

to shoot a film for an alumni <strong>of</strong><br />

FLAME, which will be fun. I am really excited, but<br />

also nervous, as in front <strong>of</strong> the camera there is<br />

nowhere to hide!<br />

The week just gone was a holiday, which I spent<br />

living with a friend called Henna and her family. I<br />

really enjoyed my time there and I came to<br />

understand Indian culture much better, such as<br />

their family values, the role <strong>of</strong> women and the<br />

value <strong>of</strong> education. I also got to share what a<br />

typical Indian teenage girl does with her free time,<br />

which turns out to be similar to me!<br />

Alex<br />

Invest in a water butt<br />

Your ro<strong>of</strong> collects about<br />

85,000 litres <strong>of</strong> rain each year<br />

which then just runs straight<br />

into the sewers. This could fill<br />

450 water butts with<br />

water: you could<br />

water your garden,<br />

your houseplants, or<br />

wash your car for<br />

free! To get a<br />

butt, call your<br />

local water<br />

company.


The 19 th Century Poor <strong>of</strong> <strong>Congleton</strong><br />

The Poor Law Research Group<br />

<strong>Congleton</strong> is fortunate to have<br />

an excellent set <strong>of</strong> town records<br />

dating back several centuries.<br />

However, much information can<br />

be obtained from documents<br />

held in the County Archives at<br />

Chester and the National<br />

Archives at Kew. One group<br />

relates to the administration <strong>of</strong><br />

the New Poor Law <strong>of</strong> 1834.<br />

Under the New Poor Law<br />

parishes or townships were<br />

grouped into unions, which were<br />

the unit <strong>of</strong> administration for<br />

relieving the poor and other local<br />

issues. <strong>Congleton</strong> Union, when<br />

formed, consisted <strong>of</strong> <strong>Congleton</strong><br />

and some 30 nearby townships;<br />

the workhouse was built at<br />

Arclid.<br />

Each union was under the<br />

control <strong>of</strong> a board <strong>of</strong> guardians;<br />

paid <strong>of</strong>ficers were responsible<br />

for the day-to-day affairs <strong>of</strong> the<br />

union. A brief search <strong>of</strong> the<br />

county archives catalogue for<br />

<strong>Congleton</strong> shows board<br />

minutes, registers <strong>of</strong> births,<br />

baptisms and deaths in the<br />

workhouse, general and<br />

parochial ledgers, vaccination<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficer's report books,<br />

statements <strong>of</strong> account and more.<br />

These documents have been<br />

used to good effect by authors<br />

Marlene and Graham Langley in<br />

their book (copyright 1993), At<br />

the Crossroads, A History <strong>of</strong><br />

Arclid Workhouse and Hospital.<br />

Unions were supervised by the<br />

Poor Law Commission, based in<br />

London, which was responsible<br />

for ensuring uniformity across<br />

the 600 or so unions. The<br />

system resulted in a huge<br />

amount <strong>of</strong> correspondence<br />

between unions and the<br />

The complexity <strong>of</strong> the New Poor Law made it<br />

necessary to publish handbooks for the<br />

various <strong>of</strong>ficers. This is the actual book owned<br />

by John Brocklehurst, Relieving Officer. (He<br />

was not the dishonest <strong>of</strong>ficer referred to in the<br />

text.) The inscription is probably in his own<br />

handwriting. The book runs to 547 pages. An<br />

eye-catching entry in the index is 'Corpse,<br />

admission <strong>of</strong>, into Workhouse.' About 30<br />

further pages are devoted to advertisements<br />

for stationery associated with Poor Law<br />

administration. This book is stamped to show<br />

that it was bought from W J Harper <strong>of</strong><br />

Sandbach. According to Morris and Co.’s 1880<br />

Directory <strong>of</strong> Cheshire, W J Harper, <strong>of</strong> Market<br />

Square and Hope Street, was a music seller,<br />

stationer, newsagent, dealer in musical<br />

instruments, sewing and washing machines,<br />

iron bedsteads, bedding etc.<br />

Commission, much <strong>of</strong> which<br />

has been preserved in the<br />

National Archives at Kew.<br />

While the correspondence for<br />

each union is filed separately, it<br />

is for the most part un-indexed,<br />

and is known as Series MH12.<br />

The matters covered by MH12<br />

vary widely. One member <strong>of</strong><br />

the group, working on<br />

documents covering a period <strong>of</strong><br />

under two years, found, among<br />

other things, a reference to the<br />

matron being paid in porter (a<br />

dark-brown or black bitter<br />

beer), a dispute between the<br />

guardians and the medical<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficers, inmates being set to<br />

stone-breaking, and fraud by a<br />

relieving <strong>of</strong>ficer (relieving<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficers were responsible for<br />

actually handing out relief, so<br />

were in a trusted position which<br />

was sometimes abused). Also<br />

<strong>of</strong> considerable interest are the<br />

appointment forms for <strong>of</strong>ficers,<br />

David Jackson<br />

Co-ordinator <strong>of</strong> the Poor Law Research Group<br />

which provide details including<br />

age, former residence and<br />

employment <strong>of</strong> people appointed<br />

by the guardians; these had to<br />

be approved by the Poor Law<br />

Commissioners.<br />

To make the content <strong>of</strong> the<br />

MH12 documents for <strong>Congleton</strong><br />

Union more accessible a group<br />

<strong>of</strong> us have started to summarise<br />

and catalogue them. About<br />

1,800 documents have so far<br />

been photographed and put on<br />

disk and each member <strong>of</strong> the<br />

group can enter the information<br />

on to a standard template at<br />

home. When the group has<br />

covered a sufficiently long<br />

period, their work can be<br />

combined into a single file.<br />

Please email David Jackson for<br />

further information and future<br />

dates <strong>of</strong> Poor Law Group<br />

meetings:<br />

djackson4761@yahoo.co.uk<br />

Preserving the past, recording the present, educating the future 3


Life During Wartime<br />

Patricia Anne Hurst (nee Jolley)<br />

Pat Hurst was born at her maternal grandparents’<br />

smallholding in the rural village <strong>of</strong> Smallwood. Only a year old<br />

when England entered WWII, Pat shared her parent’s house<br />

on Willow Street (since demolished to make way for a car<br />

park) with her younger brother and began attending nearby<br />

St Stephen’s school in 1943. When her father volunteered for<br />

service, Pat was <strong>of</strong>ten sent to stay with her paternal<br />

grandparents near the park. Interview by Betty Butterworth<br />

Q: Were your parents working<br />

when you were born?<br />

A: My mother didn‘t. My father<br />

had been doing a college<br />

course. He did a degree in art<br />

and he qualified to teach art.<br />

Q: Did he ever get to do that?<br />

A: No, because the war came.<br />

Q: You told me he volunteered<br />

for the war. What does that<br />

mean exactly?<br />

A: Instead <strong>of</strong> having calling up<br />

papers… he joined before<br />

then. He went into the<br />

Cheshire Regiment.<br />

Q: You told me that your<br />

mother was upset that he‘d<br />

volunteered.<br />

A: She said, ‗You should have<br />

waited until you were called<br />

for.‘ She was worried about<br />

him. He was only a little man.<br />

Q: And she had one baby and<br />

another on the way?<br />

A: Yes, so she sent me to my<br />

grandmother‘s most <strong>of</strong> the<br />

time. My little brother wasn‘t<br />

very strong. He was baptised<br />

on the kitchen table – using a<br />

mixing bowl for the water -<br />

because they thought he was<br />

going to die. He was very<br />

weak, but he survived.<br />

Q: Did your house have an air<br />

raid shelter?<br />

4<br />

A: We didn‘t have a shelter.<br />

The shelter was near my<br />

grandparents‘ house.<br />

Q: Do you remember going<br />

into the shelter?<br />

A: Definitely. I can even<br />

remember the outfit… I was<br />

only about two, but I can<br />

remember the outfit that they<br />

put me in – a blue ‗siren suit‘.<br />

You put it on when you heard<br />

the siren. It was an all-in-one,<br />

like babies wear now. It was<br />

all in blue!<br />

Q: You wore a special outfit<br />

to go into the shelter?<br />

A: Well… I was spoiled,<br />

wasn‘t I? I had everything!<br />

Q: Even during the war?<br />

A: I never went short<br />

because my grandmother at<br />

Smallwood, she‘d got<br />

animals… And she was<br />

always baking; she had a big<br />

Aga. And she had fruit, with<br />

having an orchard. She made<br />

apple pies and raspberry<br />

pies. It was gorgeous! And<br />

she had goat‘s milk. I didn‘t<br />

drink much milk, but she did<br />

have goat‘s milk. And she<br />

made cheese – goat‘s milk<br />

cheese. And we had bacon.<br />

She‘d swap something with<br />

someone else, so there was<br />

bacon.<br />

Preserving the past, recording the present, educating the future<br />

Q: Do you have any other<br />

memories <strong>of</strong> going into the air<br />

raid shelter?<br />

A: It was horrible. It was dark,<br />

cold… and the smell <strong>of</strong><br />

cement… I can smell it now -<br />

you know when cement‘s not<br />

dry? These shelters were<br />

underground, at the bottom <strong>of</strong><br />

Rood Hill, where the chippy is<br />

now – just round the corner, at<br />

the bottom <strong>of</strong> the hill.<br />

Q: How many people would go<br />

down there?<br />

A: Oh, you could get 50 people<br />

or more; it was very big. And<br />

there were wooden forms to sit<br />

on - no chairs, just long<br />

wooden forms. But they had<br />

entertainment. I can remember<br />

they had me tap dancing!<br />

Because I‘d had some tap<br />

dancing lessons, they thought I<br />

was Shirley Temple! And they<br />

told stories, there was<br />

singing…<br />

Q: Did you have a favourite<br />

subject in school?<br />

A: Yes, nature! We had a<br />

nature table competition and I<br />

won a prize – it was a game<br />

called Knight Errant. It came


Then & Now<br />

from a paper shop along<br />

Willow Street called<br />

Davenport‘s. I‘d worked hard.<br />

We had to go down to the park<br />

and find things <strong>of</strong> interest,<br />

nature… and we had to label<br />

them, set them out nicely. I<br />

loved it!<br />

Q: Did you have a lot <strong>of</strong><br />

friends?<br />

A: Not really, because the<br />

children that went to St<br />

Stephen‘s School all lived on<br />

the estate, which is Bromley<br />

Farm. They all congregated<br />

together, but because I didn‘t<br />

live up there I wasn‘t one <strong>of</strong> the<br />

crowd. It was a bit lonely.<br />

Q: Were there a lot <strong>of</strong> evacuee<br />

children in <strong>Congleton</strong>?<br />

A: Yes! We had one –<br />

Margaret. She came from<br />

Manchester. She was very<br />

independent… streetwise,<br />

more grown up. I think she‘d<br />

been somewhere else first and<br />

then she came to us.<br />

Eventually she went to Mow<br />

Cop and I never saw her again.<br />

Q: Did you know where your<br />

father was stationed?<br />

A: My father was at Dunkirk;<br />

he was in Belgium and<br />

France. And my uncles were<br />

in Egypt and India - one was.<br />

Another one went to<br />

Normandy and East Africa.<br />

Q: Did they all come back?<br />

A: All except one. He got<br />

malaria in Egypt. There was a<br />

Red Cross ship — it was the<br />

only Red Cross ship that got<br />

bombed. He was on the ship.<br />

Q: Did your dad come back<br />

safe?<br />

A: He‘d had a bomb dropped<br />

on his toe, but he was all<br />

right. I remember him saying<br />

that he was lucky to get back<br />

in one piece. He‘d lost loads<br />

<strong>of</strong> friends, you see. He never<br />

really got over it. He must<br />

have seen some horrible<br />

things.<br />

Q: Did you know him when<br />

he came home?<br />

A: Oh, I did! My mother knew<br />

he was coming. He came<br />

from Crewe station, and he<br />

had to walk. We were<br />

upstairs, me and my little<br />

brother… I‘d creep down and<br />

Then Now<br />

she‘d say, ‗Go back to bed! I‘ll<br />

let you know when he comes.‘ I<br />

could hear his footsteps<br />

coming along the street… I<br />

listened all night, till about<br />

midnight, when I could hear his<br />

footsteps coming along the<br />

street and I knew it was him.<br />

Q: Were you aware <strong>of</strong> the<br />

American GIs or Dutch soldiers<br />

in <strong>Congleton</strong>?<br />

A: Oh, yes! The evacuee<br />

taught me this one… She says,<br />

‗They‘ve got chewing gum and<br />

sweets. We‘ll sit on the step<br />

and when they come past we‘ll<br />

say, ―Have you got any gum,<br />

chum?‖ I remember my mother<br />

said, ‗That‘s very naughty! You<br />

shouldn‘t do that.‘ One was a<br />

coloured man. I‘d never seen a<br />

coloured man before, and I<br />

used to look out for him - he<br />

was so interesting!<br />

Q: Besides gum, did you get<br />

other sweets <strong>of</strong>f the GIs?<br />

A: Marshmallows! They used<br />

to bring little pink<br />

marshmallows. My mother<br />

said, ‗You‘ve been talking to<br />

the Americans again.‘ I‘d say,<br />

‗It wasn‘t me; it was Margaret.‘<br />

End <strong>of</strong><br />

Bridge Street<br />

looking<br />

towards the<br />

town centre.<br />

The top <strong>of</strong><br />

Rood Hill<br />

where the<br />

lighthouse<br />

once stood.<br />

Modern photos<br />

by Mark Bennett<br />

Preserving the past, recording the present, educating the future 5<br />

Then Now


Meet the Volunteers... Mark Bennett<br />

Our volunteers are our most important resource. You are the backbone <strong>of</strong> the museum and vital<br />

to its continuing existence. Simply stated, without volunteers there would be no museum.<br />

Interview by Colin Lansley<br />

Mark Bennett, aged 42, is a <strong>Congleton</strong>ian and proud <strong>of</strong> his roots,<br />

and he thinks the people <strong>of</strong> <strong>Congleton</strong> are pretty special too. After<br />

leaving school and trying his hand at several jobs, he thought he<br />

would like to try working abroad. He gained all the necessary<br />

qualifications and landed a job in Calgary, Canada. However,<br />

things changed dramatically for Mark on a return visit to England<br />

to see his parents in 2009 when he suffered a severe brain<br />

haemorrhage. This life-changing event stalled his career but<br />

nothing could keep him down. Two years later, we are very<br />

fortunate to have him here at the museum where, among other<br />

duties he utilizes his PC skills by electronically improving worn or damaged photographs. Mark also<br />

assists us by photographing the books in the museum‘s library for inclusion in the database as well<br />

as researching possible sources for grants—essential for funding on-going projects.<br />

Q: Where did you go to school?<br />

A: My last school was<br />

Westlands High School. It‘s<br />

been knocked down now and it‘s<br />

nothing but houses.<br />

Q: Did you receive any further<br />

education?<br />

A: Yes, I went to Manchester<br />

University to study Chemistry.<br />

After a few minor jobs I went to<br />

Manchester Metropolitan to get<br />

my MSC in Science Instruments.<br />

I left, had a few more minor jobs;<br />

then I went to Exeter University<br />

to achieve my PHD in Electrical<br />

Capacitance Tomography,<br />

which is similar to an electrical<br />

version <strong>of</strong> a CT scan. I was then<br />

able to apply for jobs in<br />

universities and succeeded at<br />

Leeds. After this I started<br />

applying for jobs abroad.<br />

Q: Why abroad?<br />

A: After working at Leeds<br />

University for five or six years I<br />

and decided I‘d really like to try<br />

Canada because the people I‘d<br />

met from there seemed so<br />

friendly and positive. I stayed in<br />

Vancouver for a while and<br />

looked for jobs on the Internet,<br />

6<br />

and that‘s how I got the job at<br />

Calgary University.<br />

Q: How long were you there?<br />

A: From February 2006 to<br />

June 2009.<br />

Q: What brought you back?<br />

A: I was back in England on<br />

holiday visiting my parents and<br />

had this brain haemorrhage. I<br />

was in hospital for three to four<br />

months. After I had recovered I<br />

went to live with my parents,<br />

but everything had fallen apart<br />

in Canada.<br />

Q: So what made you come to<br />

the museum?<br />

A: I was looking for voluntary<br />

work to get myself a bit more<br />

active, feel more useful and the<br />

museum was one <strong>of</strong> the first<br />

things that came up.<br />

Q: How long have you been<br />

here at the museum?<br />

A: I‘m not sure. I would think<br />

about a year.<br />

Q: Do you think the museum<br />

does enough to involve the<br />

people in <strong>Congleton</strong>?<br />

A: Yes, I think it‘s really good.<br />

It‘s a shame that not many<br />

Preserving the past, recording the present, educating the future<br />

people know <strong>of</strong> it. I do think,<br />

though, we should advertise a lot<br />

more.<br />

Q: Where do you see yourself in<br />

the future, or where would you<br />

like to see yourself?<br />

A: Hopefully back in full-time<br />

research. Also, I‘m interested in<br />

becoming a writer – a<br />

screenwriter. I had some interest<br />

recently from a company in<br />

Canada and it allowed me to get<br />

a good agent there. The film<br />

business seems quite unstable<br />

though, so I try not to get my<br />

hopes up too much.<br />

Mark has come a long way since<br />

the beginning <strong>of</strong> his illness in<br />

June 2009. It’s only two years<br />

and he’s working at the museum<br />

and socialising with friends, and<br />

speaking to him you wouldn’t<br />

know anything had happened. In<br />

March, he arranged a return visit<br />

to Canada to see his old work<br />

colleagues and take care <strong>of</strong><br />

some medical requirements. He<br />

made the trip on his own, which I<br />

think is a marvellous<br />

achievement. I truly think<br />

whatever Mark sets his mind to,<br />

he achieves.


Step Back in Time on a History Walk<br />

Mill Walks and<br />

Industrial Yarns<br />

5 th June 2011<br />

Leader:<br />

Lyndon Murgatroyd<br />

Discover how the cotton, silk<br />

and fustian industries<br />

shaped <strong>Congleton</strong>‘s layout<br />

as well as its fortunes: this<br />

walk takes a leaf out <strong>of</strong><br />

Lyndon Murgatroyd‘s popular<br />

book Mill Walks and<br />

Industrial Yarns with stops at<br />

many <strong>of</strong> the mills – some<br />

transformed into chic shops,<br />

<strong>of</strong>fices and flats, some<br />

derelict, some only<br />

memories – whose tales he<br />

tells. The route takes in Park<br />

Mill on Mountbatten Way and<br />

Victoria Mill on Foundry<br />

Bank as well as mills in<br />

Worrall Street. Mr<br />

Murgatroyd will point out the<br />

weir that once fed both the<br />

Old Mill and the Corn Mill<br />

and the memorial plaque for<br />

the Old Mill. You will also<br />

visit the site <strong>of</strong> Roldane Mill,<br />

the derelict Brook Mill and<br />

the converted Providence<br />

Mill.<br />

A Pub Crawl<br />

Through Time<br />

3 rd July 2011<br />

Leader:<br />

Lyndon Murgatroyd<br />

Long lost town centre<br />

drinking establishments are<br />

the focus <strong>of</strong> this ‗pub crawl<br />

through time‘.<br />

You will stop where The<br />

Mechanics Arms once<br />

stood, and pass the former<br />

Prince <strong>of</strong> Wales pub and<br />

the house that was called<br />

The White Bear. The Red<br />

Cow building and the site <strong>of</strong><br />

the Globe Inn on Cole Bank<br />

Hill are also on the route,<br />

before the walk returns to<br />

the High Street.<br />

Noting the disproportionate<br />

number <strong>of</strong> inns, taverns<br />

and drinking houses for the<br />

size <strong>of</strong> <strong>Congleton</strong>‘s<br />

population, Mr Murgatroyd<br />

says, ―In the process <strong>of</strong><br />

walking up the High Street<br />

on the way to the Lion &<br />

Swan, I‘ll point out and give<br />

some history on over 30<br />

more public houses.‖<br />

At the<br />

Chalk Face<br />

7 th August 2011<br />

Leader:<br />

Ian Doughty<br />

All walks depart at 2.00pm from the museum, situated behind the town hall.<br />

Price including cream tea £4.00. <strong>Friends</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Congleton</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> £3.00.<br />

At the turn <strong>of</strong> the<br />

20th century, <strong>Congleton</strong><br />

was one <strong>of</strong> the smallest<br />

Education Authorities in<br />

the country. However, the<br />

conditions within the<br />

schools left a great deal to<br />

be desired, with one being<br />

described as ‗dirty and<br />

depressing in the extreme<br />

and so crowded with<br />

children that healthy and<br />

convenient conditions <strong>of</strong><br />

work were impossible‘.<br />

On this walk you will visit<br />

the sites <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> the<br />

schools <strong>of</strong> the time – the<br />

Grammar School in the<br />

Cockshoots, St Peter‘s<br />

School in Chapel Street<br />

and St James‘s School in<br />

North Street – to look at<br />

the type <strong>of</strong> education they<br />

provided and hear about<br />

some <strong>of</strong> the remarkable<br />

incidents that occurred<br />

within them.<br />

Preserving the past, recording the present, educating the future 7


Story & Research by Mark Bennett<br />

<strong>Congleton</strong> has its fair share <strong>of</strong> ghosts, but library<br />

worker Sheila Dutton was at first taken aback by<br />

the angry spirit <strong>of</strong> a WWII Polish Air Force pilot at<br />

the library. Sheila says she had ―strong feelings <strong>of</strong><br />

a psychic nature‖ and ―sensed it, like when<br />

you know someone‘s in the room or<br />

right behind you‖. However, she<br />

gradually realised the ghost was<br />

mainly angry at not being noticed,<br />

and she resolved to help.<br />

After escaping from Poland<br />

through Romania when the<br />

Germans invaded his home<br />

country, Flt./Sgt Zygmunt Kowalski<br />

<strong>of</strong> the 316th squadron <strong>of</strong> the Polish Air<br />

Force (P.A.F.) was eventually stationed at R.A.F.<br />

Woodvale (near Southport). He was killed on<br />

21 st March 1944 at 10.45am (one month short <strong>of</strong><br />

Curator’s<br />

Corner<br />

8<br />

his 23 rd birthday) when his Spitfire crashed into a<br />

stone wall on The Cloud in bad weather.<br />

For a time, the scrapped Spitfire was stored at the<br />

site where the library would one day be built and,<br />

feeling it was his duty, the spirit <strong>of</strong> Flt./Sgt<br />

Kowalski remained with his plane. When the<br />

wreckage was dismantled and the parts<br />

split up, Kowalski was left stranded<br />

and confused and in due course<br />

took up residence in the library.<br />

After doing ―lots <strong>of</strong> research and<br />

discussing it with various friends‖,<br />

Sheila recited the Air Force<br />

procedures for releasing a pilot from his<br />

responsibilities and Kowalski‘s spirit was<br />

finally released. He was last seen embracing<br />

his younger sister, Valeska, on the Carpathian<br />

Mountains, perhaps finding some peace in his<br />

own version <strong>of</strong> heaven.<br />

<strong>Museum</strong>s are always looking for that all important item with which to<br />

illustrate a local or national event, such as commemorative medals, mugs,<br />

cups, bookmarks and tea towels, as well as that now forbidden item, the ashtray.<br />

This one, made in 1938 to commemorate<br />

the installation <strong>of</strong> a new 2,000 volt<br />

transformer in the council‘s electricity<br />

substation, reflects the growth in<br />

importance <strong>of</strong> this new source <strong>of</strong> energy to<br />

the town.<br />

‘Watt’ a Novelty<br />

Electricity is something we all take for<br />

granted but it was not until 20th February<br />

1931 that premises on the town‘s principal<br />

streets were able to receive power from the<br />

council‘s new substation in Bromley Road.<br />

This was later than in most neighbouring<br />

towns, and may have been because the Corporation owned the very pr<strong>of</strong>itable gas works, the<br />

income from which was used to subsidise the town‘s rates.<br />

Although originally discussed in 1919, it was not until 1929 that the <strong>Congleton</strong> Electricity Special<br />

Order was approved and work began on building the substations and supply cables. This venture<br />

involved the council purchasing power for the North West Midland Joint Electricity Authority and<br />

then reselling it to both private and commercial consumers. It proved to be as successful as the gas<br />

works, hence the need for an improved supply and the new transformer in 1938.<br />

Preserving the past, recording the present, educating the future


Local History from only £1<br />

‘On yonder hill my uncle stands<br />

(<strong>Congleton</strong> Edge)<br />

But he will not come near<br />

For he is a Roundhead<br />

and I am a Cavalier’<br />

Excerpt from<br />

The Upper Biddulph Valley<br />

by Peter Boon<br />

Read more about the<br />

Upper Biddulph Valley from its<br />

role in the Civil War through to<br />

early industry and agriculture<br />

Other booklet titles include...<br />

<strong>Congleton</strong> Town Halls Peter Boon<br />

George Sandbach Albert Williams<br />

Chemists <strong>of</strong> <strong>Congleton</strong> Ray Rowe<br />

The Old Mill 1752-2003 Lyndon Murgatroyd<br />

The Parnells David Daniel MBE<br />

Geology and Geography <strong>of</strong> <strong>Congleton</strong> Peter Boon<br />

John Bradshaw <strong>of</strong> <strong>Congleton</strong> Peter Jackson<br />

The Inn Signs <strong>of</strong> <strong>Congleton</strong> and District Joan P Alcock<br />

Bath House Albert Williams<br />

Astbury Village Peter Boon<br />

My Grandmother’s House Peter Boon<br />

Between the Howty and the Dare in <strong>Congleton</strong> Peter Boon<br />

More titles are available in the museum or visit our website<br />

www.congletonmuseum.co.uk<br />

Preserving the past, recording the present, educating the future 9


Address<br />

<strong>Congleton</strong> <strong>Museum</strong><br />

Market Square<br />

<strong>Congleton</strong><br />

Cheshire<br />

CW12 1ET<br />

Phone<br />

01260 276360<br />

E-mail<br />

info@congletonmuseum.co.uk<br />

Website<br />

www.congletonmuseum.co.uk<br />

Opening Times<br />

Tuesday - Friday<br />

12.00 - 4.30pm<br />

Saturday<br />

10.00 - 4.30 pm<br />

Sunday<br />

12.00 – 4.30pm<br />

Monday<br />

Closed<br />

For holiday opening times<br />

please contact the museum.<br />

Can You Help?<br />

Are you a budding writer<br />

or history enthusiast? If<br />

so, we’d love to include<br />

your articles or story<br />

ideas in the <strong>Friends</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Congleton</strong> <strong>Museum</strong><br />

<strong>Newsletter</strong>. If you can<br />

help, please get in touch!<br />

10<br />

Contact Us<br />

Vintage Visit<br />

to the <strong>Museum</strong><br />

Preserving the past, recording the present, educating the future<br />

The car park across from the<br />

museum was filled with a<br />

colourful array <strong>of</strong> vintage<br />

automobiles as we played<br />

host to a group <strong>of</strong> visitors<br />

from the Northwest division<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Daimler and<br />

Lanchester Owners’ Club<br />

(DLOC) during their winter<br />

run on Sunday 27 th February.<br />

According to the group‘s website, the DLOC was formed in June<br />

1964 with the primary aims <strong>of</strong> promoting interest in and<br />

preservation <strong>of</strong> all vehicles manufactured by Daimler,<br />

Lanchester and BSA.<br />

Among the 16 vehicles displayed that afternoon were a Daimler<br />

Dart, a Daimler V8 Saloon and a Daimler Conquest. A 1927 2door<br />

Daimler 20/70 with a rare sleeve valve engine was also on<br />

view (see photo with proud owners Harris and<br />

Andrew Alston).<br />

The group‘s 30-mile drive began in<br />

Knutsford, with a stop at the museum<br />

for refreshments and a guided tour by<br />

Collections Manager Ian Doughty,<br />

before carrying on to Little Moreton<br />

Hall and then a return journey to<br />

Knutsford and dinner at the Cottage<br />

Restaurant.<br />

The group discovered <strong>Congleton</strong><br />

<strong>Museum</strong> while researching additional<br />

venues to visit near Little Moreton<br />

Hall.―We like to choose activities that<br />

are different and unusual; places that<br />

our members haven‘t been to before,‖<br />

said organiser David Page.<br />

―Something to interest the ladies,‖<br />

added cheeky chairman Brian Baker.<br />

This year‘s winter run was held in<br />

memory <strong>of</strong> previous DLOC chairman<br />

Mike Taowey and secretary Lionel<br />

Morris, both <strong>of</strong> whom recently<br />

passed away.

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