Wrekin-News-184

Lightening, Derek and the great
A scheme to offer 96% of the
borough superfast broadband
is a step nearer.
Telford and Wrekin Council’s
cabinet recently gave
the all clear for a £2m funding
request to be submitted
to national body BDUK.
The rollout of superfast
orange theft
Derek Gambie has just got
over a day in the country
picking damsons, this month
he is involved in a ‘crime’.
ON A mild winter’s
afternoon in 1952,
I was loitering at
the Bush Corner
in Hadley with a few
mates when news arrived
that there was a shop down
‘The Trench’ that had a crate
full of oranges on display.
Although we did not have
the price of a single orange
between us, oranges were
almost as rare as a Mars
Bar, so we scurried off to
have a look.
Down under the Coalport
bridge, past Sankeys cricket
pitch and Castle View houses
to a short row of cottages
on our left that came right
up to the kerb. Sure enough
there was a whole crate full
of oranges displayed on the
kerb outside the tiny shop
shining brightly from amidst
the rather dull potatoes, cabbages
and swedes.
By now it was dark and
we found that one or two of
the older boys had decided
that I should be the next candidate
to attempt to pinch an
orange.
I was still in the fledgling
stage of my life being only
ten years old and yet to develop
my image of the teenage
thug in football boots
so was not best pleased
with this unilateral decision.
Perhaps they had already
detected the devil in me but
I can actually say that in all
honesty I was absolutely terrified
by the prospect of having
to pinch an orange but
to be dubbed a wimp for the
rest of my life was an even
more terrifying prospect so I
agreed with great reluctance
to have a go.
The area was cleared
and I raced up to the crate,
grabbed an orange and legged
it back to Hadley. The
prize was shared out and
consumed and we disappeared
into the inky darkness
of the night.
Next morning in the
school playground one of
Superfast broadband is
‘another step nearer’
The late Eddie Waring
knew all about the “Up
and Under” Rugby tactic,
but the company with the
expertise in the “up and
over” is Garage Doors Direct.
In fact, not only are they
experts in up and over, the
50/50, the side opening,
the electrically operated
or manual, Garage Doors
Direct know all there is to
the less likeable older boys
from Tommy Brothwood’s
class decided that he was
going to gather up all us orange
pinchers and report us
for punishment to the headmaster
and a total of about
a dozen (not counting all
those guilty of aiding a abetting)
were rounded up and
herded into a corner.
Just as the whistle
was about to be blown
by teacher Sid Owen, the
older schoolboy decided he
couldn’t be bothered and let
us all off. It was a frightening
moment probably for all of
us as in those days authority
was respected and none of
us wanted our collar felt by
PC McDonald.
I resolved immediately
never to break the law again.
Well . . . except from putting
broadband infrastructure
across the UK will see
speeds of over 24 megabits
a second to business and
residential premises.
Superfast broadband is
seen as a key driver for
enterprise and growth, offering
benefits for business
productivity via the development
of new, more efficient
business models.
The £2m funding allocation
must be match funded
with public sector money.
TWC has identified £1.4m
of this via a proactive approach
to budget management.
The total costs of delivery
is estimated at £200,000 so
the borough’s total contribution,
if successful, would be
£2.2m.
TWC will submit a bid
for the balance of funding
to the Marches Local Enterprise
Partnership, although
a decision isn’t expected for
several months.
If the bid fails, TWC could
ask for the amount it can
match fund or borrow the
rest. Cabinet is being asked
to approve that borrowing if
required.
know about garage doors.
They offer most colours
and in a wide range of
styles to suit every property
from a country cottage
to a country mansion and
all styles in between.
They offer a friendly visit
with a free, no obligation
quotation. And, as you’d
expect from a firm with
their high reputation, all
work is guaranteed.
stones on the railway line,
and yes, scrumping apples,
and setting fire to a telegraph
pole, shooting a girl in
the eye with an arrow (fortunately
a very blunt one that
left no permanent damage)
and, yes, throwing a golf ball
through Miss Morris’s closed
classroom, and . . .
For just a small village
there were a remarkable
number of businesses along
the High Street, in fact according
to the late Mrs Baldwin,
formerly of Mafeking
Road, there were 33 when
I was just a young jockey
growing up in Hadley.
I am always reminded
of Hadley whenever I see
an episode of Dad’s Army
showing the streets of
Warmington-on-Sea. We
didn’t have a bank in my
early years and we didn’t
Mystery
moth
A reader who lives in
Trench Lock, Telford,
wants to know if any
reader can identify
the moth that she
photographed on
her garden fence, recently.
Any readers who
can help, please email
editor@ppmedia.
co.uk or write to the
editor at the address
on page 2.
Garage door experts
Garage Doors Direct fit
replacement garage doors
to many privately let properties
in the area.
Incidentally don’t worry
if you have a damaged
panelled door of the type
where each slat is individual
and fully insulated.
If you’ve accidentally damage
a slat, Garage Doors
Direct can expertly remove
and replace them.
have an undertakers shop.
Before anyone corrects me I
will accept that an undertaker
did in fact live in Hadley
for a while but his business
was located in Wellington.
We had a ladies’ outfitters
run by Miss Jennings and
a gentleman’s outfitters run
by Mr Kearton, plus a shoe
shop run by Mr Woodfin.
How a village could sustain
these businesses I will never
know but for many years it
> Derek Gambie
did. Likewise Quinns wool
shop would die a very quick
death today but in those
days with a lot of women at
home raising children, there
were lots of savings to be
made producing your own
pullovers and cardigans.
That’s a taster of the
shops in Hadley back in the
day, in our next issue Derek
gives more information on
the metropolis that was Hadley!
35 Upper Bar, Newport,
Abbey Shropshire, TF10 7EH
Insulation Ltd
tel: 01952 813213
Give your vehicle the care and protection it
deserves with one of our stylish products!
SUPERIOR GARAGE DOORS
We supply the popular Tudor-effect doors, which are
created with a wood grain effect. Our specialists remove
your existing wood and replace it with a black, brown,
or cherry colour to enhance the effect. Rest assured that
this product will stand the test of time and remain for
the life of the house itself. We offer doors in:
• Wood • GRP (fibRe Glass) • steel
Your usual white front garages are also available here,
contact Abbey Insulation Ltd for deluxe garage doors
that will make your property the talk of the town!
www.wrekinnews.co.uk / 31