Wrekin News 253

Wrekin News 

New look 

Wrekin News 

- same great 

content and 

features! 

LOVE 

& magazine 

Issue 253 

Our community... your magazine! 

WN 

Back in print and online - www.wrekinnews.co.uk

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1

AROUND THE WREKIN 

LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS 

New lease of 

life for cafe 

Wellington Town Council has recently handed over a new 

five-year lease for the cafe at Bowring Park. 

Tenants Donna Miles and 

David Cheshire have been 

operating from the park for 

the past two years during 

which time they have built a 

successful business from scratch 

and been awarded a five star food 

hygiene rating. 

They have responded to 

challenges of the Covid pandemic 

by adapting and diversifying their 

business model, delivering food 

to their existing customers and 

attracting new ones. 

Wellington Mayor Anthony 

Lowe said that the town council 

was proud to have assisted and 

had worked closely with Donna 

and David. 

“We consider them to be 

offering a fantastic service to 

visitors at our beautiful Bowring 

Park. 

“The addition of the cafe has 

been made a real transformation 

to The Bowring – we are 

delighted at the way it has 

enhanced the use of the park and 

● Donna Miles and David 

Cheshire pictured being handed 

their new lease by Wellington 

Mayor Anthony Lowe 

has been so well managed.” 

Donna commented: “We have 

adapted the business well during 

lockdown - serving ready meals 

and doing a vast amount of 

deliveries. Our existing customers 

have been so loyal and we’ve also 

attracted new customers who 

didn’t even know we were here 

before.” 

Dylan’s street picnic party! 

Dear James, 

My name is Dylan and I am 12 years old. I am in Year 

7 at Thomas Telford School. 

Last month my Mum told you about the ‘Heroes’ 

project in New Church Road, Wellington. 

So on Bank Holiday Monday, I wanted to do something 

for our street too. 

With my mum’s help I typed out a little plan and posted 

the information through each of my neighbours doors. 

At 4 o’ clock our picnic party started and everyone 

was very kind. We all stayed two two metres apart had 

great fun. Everyone said thank you to me which was 

very nice. 

I made pop corn for my neighbours and they gave out 

sweets, biscuits, little plants, BBQ food and information 

about our street in the olden days. 

2 

Thank you, Dylan Guy 

WN 

Fantastic effort Dylan, well done! 

www.wrekinnews.co.uk

KEN FRANCIS BUTCHERS 

LOCAL QUALITY MEAT 

Est 1979 

● Butchers and purveyors 

of the nest local lamb, 

beef, pork and chicken. 

● We cater for the more 

adventurous customer 

by providing lesser 

known cuts of meat. 

● Sausages and burgers 

are hand made in the 

shop. 

● Ham, pork, beef, and 

turkey are expertly 

cooked on the premises. 

● We’re proud to sell 

Russell’s pies. 

● We can wrap items 

without plastic if you 

prefer or you’re welcome 

to bring your own 

containers. 

“Thank you for all the support, help and 

understanding we’ve received from so many 

of our loyal customers and friends, new and old 

especially in recent months.” 

Welcome to new 

employee Josh! 

Self isolation delivery available. 

Find us on Facebook 

Laura, Lizzie, Tony and 

Lee look forward to 

seeing you soon! 

9 MARKET STREET · WELLINGTON · TELFORD TF1 1DT · TEL 01952 249966 

www.wrekinnews.co.uk 

3



Wellington Orbit screens exclusive 

interview with BAFTA award winner 

Cinemagoers at the recently re-opened Wellington Orbit will 

be treated to an exclusive interview with a BAFTA winning film 

producer from Shropshire. 

Early Day Films co-founder, 

Linn Waite who alongside her 

co-producer Kate Byers won 

the 2020 BAFTA Outstanding 

Debut Producer Award for the film 

“Bait” which is to be screened at 

Wellington Orbit. 

The critically acclaimed film 

was made with 1970s equipment 

and Kodak 16mm film which was 

hand-developed by the director 

to give the film its unique look. 

Described by film critic Mark 

Kermode as ‘one of the defining 

British films of the decade’ it 

explores the story of Martin, a 

fisherman without a boat, his 

brother Steven having re-purposed 

it as a tourist tripper. 

With their childhood home now 

a get-away for London money, 

Martin is displaced to the estate 

above the harbour. 

The interview conducted by 

Wellington Orbit Marketing 

director, Andy Smith, and takes the 

form of a Q&A session and will be 

shown at the end of each screening 

of “Bait”. Andy said: “we are 

extremely fortunate to have this 

opportunity and it is our hope, as 

an independent cinema with a big 

screen, to be able to set ourselves 

apart with more such interviews in 

the future.” 

The interview will be shown 

after the film which is showing on 

the 21st and 26th August at 7pm 

and 22nd August at 2pm. 

Tickets, as usual, on line at 

www.wellingtonorbit.co.uk or on 

the door – social distancing applies 

at the counter and in the cinema 

and the Orbit would encourage 

customers to book on line if 

possible. 

Get walking and cycling in Telford 

Get Telford Walking event that would 

have happened on Sunday 24 May had 

to be cancelled due to Covid 19. 

However, a consortium of local 

walking groups including the local 

ramblers, walking for health and walkers 

are welcome have put their heads 

together to encourage local people to 

access the many walkways and cycle 

routes that already exist around Telford. 

These walking groups will be happy 

to advise on other places to walk and 

on walking and cycling routes to get 

from A to B. 

People starting back to work will find 

these routes and maps helpful if they 

would like to walk or cycle instead of 

using the car or taking public transport. 

Also, many who have enjoyed walking as 

part of their daily exercise will find the 

following links invaluable. 

Walking leaflets are available to 

download from a number of sources. 

The T50 50 mile walking route 

provides excellent maps along 

footpaths all round Telford. 

Wellington Walkers are Welcome 

have expanded their walking leaflets 

page: 

www.wellingtonwalkersarewelcome. 

org.uk/our-walking-leaflets 

For other links to other walks their 

secretary can be contacted at: info@ 

wellingtonwalkersarewelcome.org.uk 

4 

WN 


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LOVE 

Love Wellington 

www.lovewellington.co.uk 

The message is clear - support your 

local economy and shop locally! 

The Let’s Get Local campaign is 

still going strong with posters in 

many businesses. The message 

is clear - support your local 

economy by shopping locally 

and using local suppliers as much as 

possible. 

Many of the businesses have 

re-opened with special measures in 

place to make sure everyone stays 

safe in Wellington and that shoppers 

and visitors feel reassured enough 

to return. Paola from the team put 

together a brilliant video showing all 

the measures in place. 

Love Wellington has held a number 

of virtual meetings via Zoom - with 

businesses and with the council 

and public protection officers to 

help make sure Wellington can 

bounce back from Covid as quickly 

as possible. We’ve also been helping 

businesses with how to access grants 

and the various schemes available, 

and have provided posters for 

shops, kindly donated by Matt Kemp 

of Emerge Design, to help remind 

people to wear face coverings in 

shops. 

We’ve launched a new website 

www.lovewellington.co.uk - do 

check it out ! in it there are 

directories of businesses and shops, 

details and links to many of the 

volunteer groups that make the 

Wellington community so unique 

as well as links to maps and walking 

and cycling routes and the new LA21 

websites of The Wrekin Forest and 

the Weald Moors. Huge thanks to the 

very patient IT team from Telford 

& Wrekin Council who created this 

for us. 

In late July it was time for 

Wellington to Bloom! Mayor and 

Mayoress Anthony and Julie Lowe 

judged the ‘Wellington in Bloom’ 

entries. 

The competition was launched in 

the middle of the Covid lockdown 

to try to cheer people up all around 

the town - especially as so many 

people were taking great comfort in 

their gardens during the spell of good 

weather. 

Whilst the hanging baskets and 

planting around the centre of 

Wellington look fabulous - this was 

a way to recognise the efforts of 

residents town wide. 

The winners were presented with 

prizes and certificates and all entries 

were awarded a green rosette, all 

donated by Wellington Town Council. 

● The winners were: Front Garden - 

Kieran West, Haygate Road. Hanging 

Baskets - Helen King, Cherry Tree 

Close. Best Children’s Planter - 

Flora Pascal. And a special Mayors 

Award to the Taylor family from 

Combermere Drive for their ‘lock 

down vegetable front garden’. 

Love Wellington 

website 

After many months of hard work, we are 

delighted to announce that we recently launched 

the website for Love Wellington. Please do go 

and take a look. It’s easy to navigate and is a great 

resource for residents, visitors, shoppers – in 

fact the whole community! 

www.lovewellington.co.uk 

6

@LoveWellington @LoveWellington1 lovewellington2019 

LOVE 

Please use the hashtag #lovewellington 

Love Wellington Business 

WhatsApp Group 

Love Wellington launches 

Business WhatsApp Group 

As a tool to effectively communicate all the changes 

and new guidelines that have been put in place, 

Love Wellington also set up a Business WhatsApp 

group. This enables all Wellington based businesses 

to communicate with each other and has proved to 

be an invaluable service at a time of need. 

There are currently over 70 businesses in the group 

and vital information and updates from government 

and Telford & Wrekin concerning grants and safety 

have been quickly passed on using this facility, as 

well as businesses supporting each other. 

Virtual meetings took place in June and July on 

Zoom and fingers crossed the next meeting on 

Tuesday 15 September will be able to take place, in 

person, at the Wrekin Masonic Hall. 

Join the Group 

If you are a business and want to join – please 

send your details to Lovewellington2020@ 

gmail.com to be added to the list. 

● On the Love Wellington admin team are: Sally Themans, Jocelyne Fildes, Caroline Farrell, Kath Howard, Claire Dowdall, Paola 

Armstrong, Tania and Peter Jones, Sarah Chard, Hanna Leeson, Stuart Tyrer, Paul Kalinauckas, Kevin Tanner, Gareth Bellamy 

and Naomi Wrighton. 

7

GEORGE EVANS 

A very nice 

cup of tea 

HISTORIC CHANGES TO A COMMON HABIT 

“I like a nice cup of tea in the morning, Just to start the day you see, 

And at half past eleven, then my idea of heaven is a nice cup of tea“. 

That’s how the old music hall song goes. 

It continues, “I like a nice cup of tea with my dinner and a nice cup of tea with my tea, 

And when it’s time for bed there’s a lot to be said for a nice cup of tea.” 

Long ago – before the Last 

World War - the simple 

process of making a cup of 

tea was quite different to 

today’s version. So were many 

other things, and they aren’t 

necessarily any better nowadays, 

though as usual the modern 

practice is easier. Most folks now 

grab a mug and chuck a tea bag 

in, covering it with boiling water 

from an electric kettle. Then it’s, 

“Sugar?” to which the answer 

is almost always, “No thanks,” 

with “Yes please,” for milk. Oh 

how different it used to be! All 

through the Last World War, 

when sugar was very strictly 

rationed, most people wanted 

at last one spoonful in their tea, 

whereas now most don’t take 

sugar in tea at all. Why, then, is 

it that far fewer people used to 

be overweight, a bit heavy or just 

plain fat? 

8 

Here are instructions for doing 

it the old way; that’s if you have 

the equipment. Do you have 

beautiful, delicate bone china 

cups with matching saucers, 

several big fat china or silver 

teapots, a proper iron kettle on a 

proper coal grate and a wooden, 

metal-lined tea caddy? No, I 

thought not – neither do I. 

All this fuss 

How about a matching milk 

jug and a cream jug with (also 

matching) sugar basin, or 

possibly two because someone 

may prefer brown or Demerara 

sugar? Perhaps you may need 

a third sugar basin for the cube 

sugar with sugar tongs to pick 

up the cubes. There really was 

all this fuss and trouble about 

sugar, especially just after the 

sugar factory opened, when there 

was confusion over whether the 

WN 


The Wrekin’s favourite 

columnist writes... 

new stuff was better than the 

cane sugar we had had before. 

As a matter of interest there’s no 

difference at all. 

Stir the fire up 

Start with the kettle. First take 

it off the hob, where it has been 

all day, and throw away the water 

in it, refilling it with clean, fresh 

water. Stir the fire up a bit with 

your poker and put the kettle on. 

You’ll have to wait for the water 

to boil. As everyone knew then, ‘A 

watched pot never boils’. Modern 

kettles are far too scared of being 

chucked away if they keep you 

waiting, so they’re always in a 

hurry to boil the water. You may 

well think that all this choice took 

a very long time and you’d be 

right but having lived most of the 

century I’m writing about, drinking 

tea most of the time, I can assure 

you that the old fashioned tea 

tasted better. Was it worth the time 

and money spent? That’s for you 

to decide. 

Talk about the tea 

Now let’s talk about the tea. I’m 

told that loose tea is still in some 

of the supermarkets; I wonder 

if the old brand teas are still on 

the market. Some of the best teas 

came from Darjeeling, in India up 

in the mountains of Assam, where 

it had been planted mostly by 

British firms which had brought 

the original seedlings from China, 

where the tea plants originated. 

I’m fond of making jokes about the 

present -day Yorkshire women in 

their beautiful saris plucking two 

leaves and a bud to make Yorkshire 

tea, though we all know that the 

tea bushes are not commercially 

grown in our climate. 

Strong individual flavour 

Years ago teas were advertised 

mainly as products of their 

country or place of origin, such 

as Darjeeling, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 

or Kenya. Now the emphasis 

seems to be on individual, usually 

international, companies or 

‘cute’ names like Rosie Lee from 

Cockney rhyming slang. Some 

specialist names, like Earl Grey 

have survived despite the long 

time they have lasted because of 

their strong individual flavour. 

Various names for teas in different 

languages are often quite similar; 

for example in the British Army 

it’s called char from a similar 

Indian word, Russian soldiers 

whom we met in Germany called 

it chai and in French the word is 

thé. All countries seem to have 

their own traditions, with Chinese 

continuing to do it their way, 

Nepalese preferring to add yak’s 

milk and many middle eastern 

country never using any sort of 

milk. I remember taking tea with 

Pakistani friends and finding the 

tea, milk and sugar had been 

stewed in the teapot long before 

serving. That was a surprise 

adventure! 

Coalport China 

A wonderful industry sprang up, 

like the tea, from China; that’s the 

making of fine bone china tea cups 

and saucers,, teapots, sugar basins, 

milk jugs, cream jugs, and plates 

of various designs. One of the 

finest collections is at Coalport in 

the county of The Wrekin, where 

everything is on display except 

the fierce stench from the burning 

of animal bones for bone china 

(we must be glad of that). These 

displays are magnificent, especially 

the one bequeathed by the Pointon 

family of the Forest Glen. Most 

local families collected Coalport 

china after the workers who made 

it went on strike for an extra 6d a 

week pay. 

The ‘real stuff’ 

Long ago (the 1960s I think) 

I remember encountering my 

first tea bag in a café in London. 

Having never seen or heard of 

them I asked what it was but 

the waitress didn’t have enough 

English to explain. On asking at 

home I was assured me that it 

was what modern people called a 

teabag and used instead of the ‘real 

stuff’. Many friends were sure the 

bag’s contents were the sweepings 

of the floor. It does seem to have 

caught on here. Are you going to 

try a bit of the old stuff? 


WN 

9

YourWellington 

www.wellington-shropshire.gov.uk 

Enterprise and resilience 

A message from your Wellington Mayor Cllr Anthony Lowe 

The normal term of office for a 

Wellington Mayor is one year. 

However, hand-over to 

the Deputy Mayor is 

at the Council Annual 

Meeting, which has 

not yet taken place 

due to Covid. 

We will now have a virtual 

Council Annual Meeting on 

Tuesday September 8th 

which will be live streamed on 

Facebook and at that point I will 

pass the buck to the new Mayor 

for 2020-2021. 

Talking of the pandemic, 

Wellington traders and shoppers 

are showing enterprise and 

resilience “in the face of 

adversity”. 

More of us are acting on the 

exhortation from Love Wellington 

“Let’s Get Local” because we 

understand that our commercial 

future is largely in our own hands. 

Footfall and spend drive inward 

investment. 

Our historic Market (Charter 

granted in 1244) has new 

owners who are undertaking 

an ambitious program of 

improvements, including an all 

new Food Quarter, due to open 

this autumn. 

Although the population 

of Wellington is “only” about 

26,000, we are the 3rd largest 

Borough town in Shropshire, 

excluding Telford, serving a 

greater area of about 60,000 

inhabitants (according to 

Wikipedia). 

Just imagine the difference 

it would make to our market 

traders, town shopkeepers 

and local businesses if more of 

these nearby residents could be 

tempted into town! 

Our cafes and pubs would be 

buzzing and our streets would be 

as busy as they used to be. 

Wellington Town Councillors 

are focused on this task and Sally 

Themans and Paola Armstrong, 

who lead Love Wellington, are 

doing all they can. Please, please 

prove that this investment is 

worthwhile by shopping locally. 

One of my roles as Mayor is 

to attend opening ceremonies 

and ribbon cutting events. Please 

advise our office if you are having 

an official opening. 

Another of my roles is to raise 

funds for my chosen charities. 

This fund raising has not been 

10

How to contact Wellington Town Council 

Civic Offices, Larkin Way, Tan Bank, Wellington, Telford, Shropshire TF1 1LX 

Telephone: 01952 567697 

Email: wellingtontowncouncil@telford.gov.uk 

www.wellington-shropshire.gov.uk 

www.facebook.com/WellingtonTCShropshire 

twitter.com/WellingtonTCI 

going as well as expected 

because I have been unable 

to hold the usual Mayor’s 

Dinner Dance which had 

been scheduled for just 

after the lock-down. 

My charities are Manin 

Place, based in Wellington, 

who have done an even 

more remarkable job since 

March “getting everyone 

in” off the streets and TACT 

(Telford Aftercare Trust), 

again based in Wellington 

at Strickland House, who 

help those recovering 

from alcohol and drug 

dependency. Please donate 

what you can via the icon on 

the Wellington Town Council 

website. Thank you! 

As this is my last Wrekin 

News intro, I would like to 

thank you for your support 

over the past 16 months. It 

has been a true honor to 

have served our town 

in this way and I have 

learnt a lot! 

Perhaps my proudest 

day was the 75th 

anniversary of VE Day 

on May 8th when 

we had wonderful 

celebrations here, all 

socially distanced of 

course, with excellent 

coverage on BBC 

Midlands Today. 

The sun shone, the 

Last Post was played 

at the Peace Garden 

where the two minute 

silence was observed, 

and there were decorations 

all round town. 

Ercall Lane residents as 

well as those on New Church 

Road had really “gone 

to town” decorating the 

outsides of their houses. 

Three cash prizes were 

awarded for the best 

decorated house frontages. 

We had a tribute vocalist 

who performed here as well 

as outside The Plough which 

was netted up and covered 

with bunting, and outdoors 

at Farcroft Nursing Home, so 

at four different locations. 

What a tribute to our war 

veterans and to our proud 

Wellington. 

Finally, I would just like to 

say: “keep well and safe and 

be especially kind to others” 

as we go through the next 

phase of this wretched virus. 

The 

Square 

Deal 

Calling all local independent 

businesses! 

Did you know you can 

advertise your business 

or services on the digital 

board in the Market 

Square for FREE for the 

rest of 2020? 

To book your space contact 

Caroline Farrell: 

Wellington Town Council · Civic Offices 

Larkin Way · Tan Bank · Wellington TF1 1LX 

Telephone: 01952 567696 

Wellington Town Council 

supporting local 

businesses... 

11



Kneale Allen 

Dear Readers, 

To all who knew my brother Kneale Allen who died on April 9th 2020. 

I felt I would like to share with you the words that Ken Francis 

Butchers’ staff wrote on my card. 

Dear Sue, 

We were all saddened by the passing away of your dear brother. The 

world lost a kind talented, brave, witty, interesting and lovely man. 

We are all thinking of you at this time and send you our love, warm 

thoughts and best wishes. He was blind but saw more than most 

perceive. Always jolly and ready for a laugh and a joke. Let’s hope he’s 

showing St. Peter how to play his harp. 

Love from Ken, Tony, Lizzie x Laura x Lee and Josh. 

I am sure you will agree with 

me that the words were so how 

he was. He was Wellington born 

and bred like me. Son of Joe 

the barber on High Street who 

worked for Mr Giles of New Street 

and in turn taught the whiteway 

brothers. Kneale entered the 

world awkwardly as he was 

breach born, delivered by nurse 

Meakin in Ladycroft in December 

1936. 

He had retinitus pigmentosa, a 

rare genetic disorder which took 

his sight and despite an operation 

when he was 14 he remained 

unable to see for the rest of his life 

save for detecting whether it was 

day or night time. He had happy 

childhood memories of visiting 

the Grand Cinema with me and 

sharing a bag of chips afterwards. 

He learned to play Spanish guitar 

under Mrs Rutter of Kinnersley 

and was a great fan of jazz music. 

One of his particular favourites 

was an American saxophonist 

Stan Getz. 

He supported Sounds in the 

Square and the Midsummer 

Fayre, both in attendance and 

financial support for which 

Wellington H2A are and always 

will be most grateful. 

He Loved walking from 

Addison Road into the town and 

the market to do his shopping 

where he was always so warmly 

welcomed and helped by so many 

of you. 

This is a photograph of him that 

was taken in Lloyds Chemist in 

Wellington Square. 

Kneale loved being in his 

garden, listening to his jazz music, 

and taking his beloved dog Lola 

for walks on the old recreation 

ground. 

He will be lovingly remembered 

and missed dearly by many not 

least by his faithful friend Lola. 

He was in hospital during the 

lockdown and I was unable to 

visit him in his hours of need. 

God bless you and keep you my 

Brother. 

All my love, always. 

Sue Robinson 

Art Exhibition 2020 - Wellington Methodist Church 

For the last nine years the Art Groups at Wellington 

Methodist Church have organised an exhibition for Art 

Group members and local artists to exhibit their work. This 

summer 2020 it has been cancelled at the Church due to 

the social limitations of the Covid-19 pandemic, but they 

decided to have an online exhibition instead. The exhibition 

will be online from Friday 7th - 28th August, on the Creative 

Arts and Crafts web site: www.creativeartsandcrafts.co.uk 

This will be their tenth Art Exhibition, held in a very 

different way to their previous ones, the first nine were a 

great success and they’re hoping this one will be as well. 

If you would like to know more about an artist or wish to 

purchase a particular piece of artwork please contact them 

by email: WMCAG@creativeartsandcrafts.co.uk 

12 

WN 


ALLUMS 

THE JEWELLERS 

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l Watches & Clocks repair also undertaken 

l Engraving on all types of Materials done 

l The One Stop Shop For All Your Repairs 

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Telephone: 01952 244983 

13

wellington HISTORY GROUP 

This article is in response to an enquiry Wellington History Group recently received about the whereabouts of Hydraulic 

Bank. The attached image shows the roundabout in Oakengates at the junction of Lion Street, Stafford Road, Canongate 

and Station Road. COVID-19 has resulted in the suspension of our programme of talks for the foreseeable future. An 

announcement will be made when we are able to resume. - Neil Clarke, Chairman, Wellington History Group. 

Hydraulic Bank 

by Neil Clarke 

Hydraulic Bank was the old name 

for the road that climbs from 

Oakengates over Snedshill to St 

George’s which later took on the 

name Canongate. It’s not entirely clear 

when or why the road acquired that 

name. It was originally constructed 

as a result of an Act of Parliament 

of 1730 promoted by the Watling 

Street Turnpike Trust to provide a 

more direct route from Oakengates to 

Priorslee and Shifnal over Snedshill 

Coppice. The Shropshire Canal, 

opened in 1792, passed under the 

road at it’s Oakengates end, in the 

vicinity of which an experiment in 

canal engineering took place two 

years later. During the 19th century, 

a coal pit, ‘Hydraulic Pit’, one of the 

Lilleshall Company’s Priorslee Colliery 

mines, was located adjacent to the 

road. 

Turnpike Road 

Before the opening of the new route 

over Snedshill Coppice in 1730, the 

Shifnal section of the Watling Street 

Turnpike ran south eastwards from 

the centre of Oakengates, along what 

is now Station Road, around what was 

then called Mumpern Hill, and took a 

broad sweep via Hollinswood to join 

the existing road beyond Priorslee 

village. London-bound traffic from 

Shrewsbury and Wellington continued 

to take the 1730 route until the 

opening of a new section of road from 

Potter’s Bank (Ketley) to Snedshill, 

which bi-passed Oakengates, in 1817- 

18. Thomas Telford’s new section of 

the Holyhead Road from Priorslee to 

Snedshill in 1822 provided a further 

improvement. 

Caisson Lock 

In 1794, somewhere near where 

the Shropshire Canal passed under 

the 1730 turnpike road (and where 

Queesway now passes below 

Canongate), Robert Weldon of 

Lichfield built a half-sized model 

to demonstrate his newly patented 

‘Hydrostatick Caisson Lock’. This 

was a type of canal lock in which 

a barge was floated into a sealed 

watertight box in a water-filled 

chamber and raised or lowered 

between different levels of the canal. 

Little is known of this demonstration 

at Oakengates, but it appears to 

have attracted some interest among 

canal promoters looking for ways of 

saving on the construction of flights 

of locks and preventing wastage of 

water. An interesting reference to 

the demonstration is given in a letter 

(writer unknown) in September 1794: 

The ‘cassoon’ is now completed 

between Coalbrookdale and 

Donnington Wood near the 

Oakengates where the turnpike road 

from London to Holyhead crosses 

the said canal… and was yesterday 

exhibited to several persons of 

distinction and others conversant in 

that business who expressed very 

great satisfaction in seeing so useful 

an invention. 

The idea of utilising a ‘cassoon’ 

(caisson lock) was in fact taken up 

by the committee of the Somerset 

Coal Canal but, following problems 

with building the first of three such 

projected locks, the scheme was 

abandoned and more conventional 

solutions were found. 

Lilleshall Company pit 

The Lilleshall Co. operated a large 

number of coal mines in the area. By 

1870, Donnington Colliery comprised 

23 pits and Priorslee Colliery 20, one 

of which was Hydraulic at Snedshill. 

By 1910, only six Lilleshall Co. pits 

survived, the smallest being Hydraulic 

with just 20 men. There appears to 

be no record of Hydraulic pit after the 

First World War. 

The name 

The word ‘hydraulic’ denotes water 

or another liquid being conveyed 

through pipes or channels. Its use as 

a name for this road may come either 

from (a) the canal demonstration 

– with the word ‘hydrostatic’ being 

corrupted to ‘hydraulic’; or from (b) 

the nearby pit - whose unusual name 

may have been the result of the need 

for additional hydraulic pumping to 

deal with excessive amounts of water 

in the pit. On balance, the latter seems 

the more likely explanation unless 

evidence to the contrary comes to 

light. Either way, the name of the 

road was changed to Canongate at 

some later point - and that is another 

puzzle. 

14 

WN 


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This programme is co-financed by the European Social Fund

Up the 

Jockeys! 

by Dawley Jockey Pete Jackson 

Hand sanitiser 

and spectators 

registered for 

tracking and tracing 

were the order of the day as 

newly named Dawley Town 

football club kicked off the new 

season with a friendly against 

Wednesfield Town on Saturday 1 

August. 

In a spirited performance the 

Jockeys went down 3-5 to an 

experienced Wednesfield team 

with goals from Craig Ryan, Dan 

Beddows and ex-AFC Telford 

United Nathan Rooney. 

This year they celebrated their 

50th birthday being a football 

club in the heart of Dawley under 

the name of Telford Juniors. 

The new name brings a new 

kit, sponsored by Hazel 

Grainger, a new club badge 

designed by Tim Willis and a new 

nick name ‘the Jockeys’. 

For the new season the club will 

leave the West Midlands Regional 

League and compete in the new 

ground breaking Salop Leisure 

league. 

The Shropshire FA had 

revealed plans in April to launch 

the first county feeder league 

directly into the National League 

system – to be played at the 

current equivalent to step seven 

– the season is set to kick off in 

September. 

As local legend Captain Webb 

said ‘nothing great is easy’ and the 

club have no illusions about the 

size of the task to progress up the 

football pyramid. But the effort 

of volunteers off the pitch has 

started to transform the Doseley 

Road pitch into a venue fit for 

greater things. New foundations 

have been built to to erect a 50 

seater stand and to comply with 

spectator requirements of the 

Salop Leisure League. 

Club spokesman and Town 

Councillor Ian Preece said: “These 

are exciting times for football in 

Dawley and the name change 

reflects our determination to build 

a football club that all of the town 

can be proud of and get behind. 

Our Junior teams, Ability team 

and Womens team will continue 

to run under the Telford Juniors 

banner this season and we 

want to build a community club 

WN 

16 www.wrekinnews.co.uk

@Dawley Town FC 

@DawleyTownFC 

dawleytownfc 

The Jockeys’ progess continued on Saturday 8 August 

when they beat higher league opponents Wyrley FC 

at Doseley Road. The highlight of the game a hat-trick 

including this goal from a free-kick by Dan Beddows. 

that encourages all parts of the 

community to get involved.” 

The new season kicks off on 

10 September and we want 

local people to come out and get 

behind us.” 

Up the Jockeys! 


WN 

Pictures by JAMES BAYLIS 

@snapperjames 

17

MARTIN SCHOLES 

SOME MEMORIES 

OF WELLINGTON 

As I was saying, back in March or whenever… Actually, no. I am 

going to keep my article Coronavirus free this time! 

Iremember when the Doctor’s 

surgery we visited was in 

Church Street, in a converted 

house. I remember both Doctors 

Pooler being there. You went 

in and there was a waiting room 

with chairs round it and you 

waited your turn. 

Later that building was turned 

into a solicitor’s office and is now 

a playschool/nursery business. 

Do you remember when there 

was a bus park off Spring Hill? It 

was next to The Smithfield and 

was filled with Midland Red buses 

and was overspill parking from 

their Charlton Street premises. 

Also, I remember that Midland 

Red had a canteen that was 

underneath a building in Queen 

Street? I believe it was in the 

basement of that building the 

upper floors were a cafe and 

Mustoni’s Hairdressers, plus 

the Midland Red Travel Shop, 

operated very efficiently by Dave. 

The canteen was accessed from 

a door level with the Midland Red 

depot where buses were stored 

and also worked on by their highly 

18 

skilled mechanics. 

There was also a bus recovery 

vehicle that was a very elderly 

service bus that had been 

repurposed as a recovery vehicle, 

having the rear part of the 

bodywork removed and replaced 

with a hand operated winch, tool 

stores, etc. 

Shopping was great, back then. 

There were at least two fresh fish 

shops, Mac Fisheries was one and 

I think there was another one in 

Market Approach. 

In New Street you could 

get whatever you wanted in 

Woolworths, from a Winfield 

branded lightbulb to a tin of 

prepared snails from their 

fantastic delicatessen. Some 

people argue that the ultimate 

downfall of the Woolworth chain 

in the UK came about as a direct 

result of their decision to stop 

selling foodstuffs and to close their 

delicatessen. Nowhere could beat 

their sandwiches, cheeses and pies 

and you would always see queues 

of office and shopworkers looking 

to buy a wholesome, nourishing 

WN 

and tasty lunchtime meal to take 

back to work with them. 

Waterworths was also in New 

Street, a few doors up from 

Woolworths and they were a high 

class greengrocers, but they sold 

more than that. A very interesting 

shop. 

If you wanted radios and TVs, 

you would be able to walk up to 

Rumbelows or Currys on New 

Street. Currys also sold bikes, but 

if you needed spare parts or tyres, 

inner tubes there was Bill Perry’s 

bike shop in Park Street. They 

also sold bikes, too. I believe they 

made them, so were obviously 

more of a specialist dealer than 

Currys were. 

In fact, you can still buy bikes, 

bike parts and accessories and 

have your bike serviced by Perry’s, 

though these days you will find 

their premises on Tan Bank, in 

Wellington. 

If you wanted to do some 

homework research as a child, 

Wellington Library was in Walker 

Street and I think they had late 

opening on at least Tuesday 


“Shopping was great, back then. There were at least two 

fresh fish shops, Mac Fisheries was one and I think 

there was another one in Market Approach” 

Bridge Road 

Queen Street 

evening and the research section 

was always very well stocked with 

up-to-date reference works and 

the library staff were, in the main, 

very helpful. Though I recall one 

male librarian who was very fussy 

about the positioning of books on 

the shelves! 

There was the snooker hall on 

Tan Bank. I thought it quite ironic 

that the Rechabite Hall had gone 

from being the home of a fiercely 

teetotal group (the Rechabites) 

to being a snooker hall. I often 

wondered what the Rechabites 

would have thought of their 

building being employed for such 

purposes? I even think that the 

snooker hall even had a licence 

to sell alcohol, but I’m not 100% 

certain of this. 

There were three cinemas at 

one time and now the last cinema 


building, The Clifton, is to be 

knocked down. A pity but that’s 

progress, I suppose. I wonder 

what it will be replaced with? 

Also, who remembers when 

on the corner of Bridge Road and 

Groom’s Alley there was a one 

story brick built building that was 

WN 

a wholesale newsagents? I think it 

was called Mansell’s? 

Can anyone confirm this, 

please? 

If you have random memories 

about your town or village, please 

do send them in to The Wrekin 

News. 

19

THE WREKIN NEWS GALLERY

I grew up by the sea, went on to college to train as a chef, then was lucky enough to travel 

with my work to places like Austria and France. I am now a full-time Head Chef at a local 

restaurant in Wellington, married with two boys and have been into photography over the 

last year or so. I absolutely love taking photos and feel I have a very keen eye. My company 

name is Krisography Studios. I’m a locally based photographer who’s looking to develop 

my passion into a successful business. I’ve done many types of photography from portrait, 

landscape, street photography and family shoots. In Shropshire we have some of the most 

stunning locations to photograph. I think my work is quite quirky and unique. I have just 

created an A3 calendar for next year (2021) called ‘Views from the Wrekin’ some of these 

photos featured on this calender. This is available to buy direct from myself. 

Check out my Facebook and instagram pages. I also have a successful YouTube channel. 

facebook: krisography studios / Instagram: krisography_studios 

Youtube: krisography studios / Contact 07794604355 / email: stoffer@hotmail.co.uk

letterbox 

Coronavirus and 

the wartime spirit 

Coronavirus – or COVID19 - are words which have integrated themselves into our vocabulary with great 

rapidity over the past few months. This is a pandemic which has struck terror into us all on a global scale, 

something so surreal never to have been experienced before. 

They say that out of 

austerity emerges triumph 

and this certainly can be 

applied to the stalwart 

efforts of our NHS. They 

have provided round the clock 

assistance with the aim of 

bringing the virus under control. 

A huge ‘THANK YOU’ to you all. 

However, a crisis of this nature 

can bring out the best and 

unfortunately the worst, in people 

but, as has been proved over the 

best part of the year, the majority 

of us have acted in a responsible 

and caring manner towards 

friends, neighbours and those 

we have previously had little 

contact with, by keeping in touch 

by telephone with people living 

22 

by INGRID FINCH 

alone and those in poor health. 

Offers of assistance with everyday 

tasks such as shopping etc. have 

proved an invaluable help. 

It is regrettable, however, 

that what would have been a 

mammoth celebration of VE Day 

and an acknowledgement to those 

who brought about peace in our 

time, many paying the ultimate 

price in so doing, had to be a 

vastly curtailed and muted affair 

due to the present situation. 

As with all major conflicts, 

music and words play a 

prominent part in lifting our 

WN 

spirits. It is ironic that Dame 

Vera Lynn, whose voice brought 

comfort, solace and hope to 

servicemen and women and 

their families during WWII, died 

during the ‘lockdown’. I am sure 

her valiant efforts will be duly 

celebrated at a future date. 

During the First World War the 

words of our own Wilfred Owen 

and his contemporaries, who had 

witnessed the horrors and carnage 

of the time at first hand, brought 

a degree of peace and harmony to 

readers of their immortal words. 

On a lighter note, the humorous 

activities of the cartoon character 

‘Old Bill’, a WWI veteran created 

by Bruce Bairnsfather, brought a 

degree of levity to those troubled 


Please send your letters 

and stories by email to: 

james@plus2media.co.uk 

or by post to: 

Plus2, PO Box 515, 

Telford TF2 2JE 

times. 

When London was bombarded 

by the Luftwaffe in the early 

part of the last war. Most of the 

capitol lay in ruins with burst 

water mains and what remained 

of people’s homes reduced to 

mountains of rubble. This only 

reflected a minute picture of 

the catastrophic devastation. 

Nevertheless, the indomitable 

British public continued their 

daily lives to the best of their 

ability, despite the awesome 

difficulties they were faced with. 

One memorable lady who 

brought a degree of calm to those 

dark days by presenting her daily 

lunchtime concerts in the National 

Gallery, was the renowned 

pianist, Dame Myra Hess. Her 

music attracted office workers 

on lunchtime break, soldiers on 

leave and many others across 

the spectrum of society including 

Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen 

Mother) who was often spotted 

in the audience. ‘Jesu joy of man’s 

desiring’ became her ‘signature 

tune’ and was attributed more to 

her than its composer J. S. Bach. 

On the home front, concerts to 

aid the war effort were regularly 

held, I believe, in the Clifton 

cinema in Wellington using the 

stage behind the screen to host 

performances. 

I think it has become the 

common belief of late that 

the ‘Wartime Spirit’ has been 

suffocated by the modern world 

and faded away. I beg to differ. I 

am convinced it is merely lying 

dormant, ready to emerge at the 

appropriate moment, as has been 

proved recently. 

My best wishes to everyone. 

May you all remain healthy, Keep 

Calm and Carry On! 

A story 

to tell 

As an artist who has, over the 

years exhibited his paintings and 

drawings, writing and publishing a 

novel at the age of 83 has been a 

challenge. 

Friends have asked me as to how I came to write my story, called ON 

THE OTHER SIDE, and how have I gone about it. Firstly, let me say that 

writing 86,000 words came easily. Indeed, deciding what to leave out 

was the problem. 

My story began four years ago. My wife, Pauline, had entered the last 

stages of Parkinson’s. Delusions and bouts of dementia meant that I could 

not retire to my studio upstairs to paint, draw, and write. So, I bought a 

laptop, and every evening, after Pauline was settled in her chair, where I 

could keep an eye on her, my story unfolded. 

My background is Irish, and in tracing my late father’s line, I came across 

many articles about Irish emigration to the New World. In particular, I read 

a letter describing landing at the Castle Gardens, the Battery, Manhattan. 

(note that Ellis Island did not open until 1892) This painted a picture of 

what new arrivals could expect on arriving at New York. 

At this point let me explain that many writers are planners. That is, they 

have a complete picture in their minds of how their story will evolve, and 

any research is ready to hand. 

However, I have found that there’s more than one way to write a story. 

and I have to say that I enjoy, the not knowing. Yes! I know the general 

outline, but I find it exciting as new ideas creep in. It is very much like my 

oil painting: I find a colour on my palette that I like, and once on the canvas 

I have to revise the surrounding areas. 

In my story, Brendan O’Neil leaves Donegal, in Ireland to make a new life 

for himself in America. And, of course, you have to have a female! And it 

follows that they become lovers. 

Every evening, with Pauline safe, I escaped to the world of my 

imagination, often interrupted by researching history via Wikipedia ( what 

would we do without it? ) And as my story built in my head, my characters 

became alive and I looked forward to seeing what they had been up to. I 

must confess that I came to adore Anna! 

I completed my tale in November 2018. It lay hidden in my computer 

until, one day a year later, I sat down to read it with fresh eyes; and I 

wanted to read on. I came to a sad part, and found my eyes welling with 

tears. Later, in bed, the thought came, that if it affects me, then, possibly 

it will affect others. So, I decided to self-publish. 

My only advice for anyone reading this is, that it is essential that you 

have your story edited by a professional. You may think it is perfect, but an 

experienced eye will soon point out the errors. In my case I use an editor, 

Helen Baggott, who has helped me not only with the writing but also in 

getting my book onto Amazon. 

Roland Twynam 

Wrekin Writers 


WN 

23

CHRIS OWEN 

WORLD WAR TWO STORIES... 

Secret History of WWII 

The Second 

Dunkirk 

did you 

know? 

The second evacuation of the BEF 

at St Nazaire in France was never 

officially acknowledged. 

Ironbridge WW2 

Heroes: Lance 

Corporal James 

Brown 

Two weeks after the Dunkirk 

evacuation of the BEF from 

mainland Europe, UK PM 

Winston Churchill decided 

that the nation was too 

distraught and morale-battered to 

be told of an even greater tragedy 

that befell the UK’s stranded 

servicemen. France was rapidly 

being overrun by Hitler’s hordes 

and capitulation was barely weeks 

away. 

James’s death is listed in the 

Wrekin Honour Roll as follows: 

1917041 Lance Corporal James 

Brown, Royal Engineers. Lived at 

Coppice Farm, Madeley. 

Lost on RMS Lancastria at St 

Nazaire, 17th June 1940. A Stuka 

Dive Bomber dropped a bomb 

down the funnel of the Lancastria 

blowing the bottom out of the 

ship, which sank and settled in 20 

minutes. 

This graphic account of L/C 

24 

James Brown’s demise disguises 

the facts surrounding the sinking 

of RMS Lancastria. This British 

ship of the Cunard line was 

overloaded way beyond its 

capacity with BEF stragglers 

desperately trying to get back 

to the UK. Some 134,000 BEF 

(British Expeditionary Force) 

servicemen and other personnel 

(including elements of the French 

Army) were forced back by the 

advancing German army: Group 

‘B’ from the Northwest through 

the Netherlands and Group ‘A’ 

through the eastern Ardennes. 

After Dunkirk was captured, 

they then joined up and advanced 

to lay siege to other French ports 

on the Western Atlantic coast 

with one of the largest being St 

Nazaire. James and the remnants 

of his R.E. battalion managed to 

reach the port and secure berths 

on the Lancastria. 

WN 

The captain, Rudolph Sharp, 

was interviewed by two RNVR 

officers on site (part of Evacuation 

Operation Aerial: 15th -25th 

June) after arriving at the port 

on the night of 16th June. He 

was persuaded by them to take 

as many evacuees as he could 

load (upwards of 9,000) even 

onto the decks. He was advised 

to ignore the maritime board 

of trade regulations regarding 

the passenger number ratio to 

lifeboats (brought in after the 

Titanic disaster). Lancastria 

carried: 16 (plus 2,500 lifebelts) 

but this did not help as the ship 

sank so fast (approx 30 minutes: 

reported at 16:12pm) that there 

was no time to launch all the 

lifeboats even though an attempt 

was made which heaved women 

and children into debris-covered 

water. 

Survivors do recount that deck 


passengers were asked to crowd 

to the port side in order to assist 

with the buoyancy of the ship 

during the Luftwaffe attack. 

Unfortunately, this desperate 

action caused a catastrophic list 

which resulted in a fatal capsize. 

The bomb also fractured 

the boiler’s service tank piping 

spewing fuel oil into the sea. 

Returning German planes 

dropped flares to ignite the 

floating oil spilled amongst the 

would-be survivors attempting 

to swim away from the stricken 

vessel. 

In all, an estimated 6,500 

men,women and children were 

drowned, making it the single 

biggest maritime disaster of 

the war. This incident alone 

accounted for one third of 

the total losses of the BEF on 

mainland Europe. Churchill 

later maintained that he had 

WREKIN NEWS READERS EXCLUSIVE 

COMPETITION OFFER 

If you enjoyed Chris’s local history book: ‘Ironbridge 

in the Great War’ you will also enjoy reading about this 

event and other more startling revelations regarding 

Ironbridge’s WW2 heroes depicted in Chris’s forthcoming 

sequel: ‘Ironbridge in WW2’ (earliest Publishing date to be 

notified). Wrekin News Readers will benefit from receiving 

signed copies on pre-orders received by post or email at 

WN offices (or direct via chris.w.a.owen@gmail.com.) 

After the closing date of 30 September 2020, from all 

applications received, one entry will be drawn from the 

hat to win a free signed copy (Usual WN competition rules 

apply). 

To win a copy send your name, address and daytime 

telephone number to: Plus2, PO Box 515, Telford TF2 2JE 

or email: tania@plus2media.co.uk 

forgotten to remove the D Notice 

(Newspaper ban) he had placed 

on the reporting of the incident. 

Consequently it was to be several 

weeks after the event that the 

nation learnt the shocking details. 

More poignantly only then were 

James’s relatives informed of the 

full circumstances of their son’s 

death. All they had received up 

to that point was an initial War 

Dept. official notification telegram 

stating that he was missing in 

action presumed dead. 


WN 

25

A big thank you to John Dyson from Wrekin Writers who has sent in these lockdown laughs written 

by his youngest grand daughter Emma who is in Year 6 at school. Thank you Emma for sharing your 

wonderful thoughts, hopefully they have brought a smile to all of our readers! 

My mum became my teacher 

And sometimes even dad 

Lockdown Laughs 

I think the challenge of it all 

Nearly drove them mad. 

My bedroom has been tidier 

Than it’s ever been before 

I did get quite a nice surprise 

… There is carpet on my floor! 

I learnt to use a screwdriver 

And automatic drill 

My sister gave me a haircut 

And I refused to pay the bill. 

We’ve walked through every 

field 

And lapped the lakes and park. 

Jess hides when we say ‘walkies’ 

She hasn’t the energy to bark! 

We tried lots of different quizzes 

Weve played tons of games of cards 

Beating mum was easy 

But beating dad was hard 

My sisters 18 th birthday, 

Was a very special day. 

Lots of people popped around 

But none of them could stay. 

At the start the birds were nesting, 

By the end the chicks could fly 

It’s amazing what you can notice 

When you watch the time go by 

I’ve enjoyed all the things I’ve done, 

But I’ve missed my school and 

friends 

I cannot wait to see you all 

when this covid lockdown ends! 

By 

Emma 

Year 6 

26 

WN 


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Local children’s author Sarah Griffiths writes 

with news of an exciting new venture... 

The self-esteem and 

empowerment program 

Since the successful 

launch of 

‘Finding Stones 

for Grandma’, 

Sarah has created a 

signature program 

for 7-11 year olds. 

‘The Self-Esteem 

and Empowerment 

Program’. This will be 

available from October 2020. Here 

is Sarah’s biography: 

● The founder of ‘Enriching 

Young Minds,’ Sarah Griffiths’ 

Author Enterprise, teaches 

children through the power of 

storytelling, the importance of 

self-esteem, self-empowerment, 

emotional health and well-being. 

Delivering programs that speak to 

the individual child, giving them 

time for self-reflection, teaching 

practices and techniques that 

enrich their daily lives and take 

them on a powerful journey of 

self-discovery. 

● Author of 4 Amazon Top 

10 Best Sellers: Sarah’s stories 

are specially crafted to engage 

children’s imaginations and teach 

them how to connect with their 

inner-selves and learn how selfempowerment 

gives them the 

keys to success and happiness 

throughout their lives. 

● Supporting the wider 

community: Visiting hundreds of 

schools across the west midlands 

and beyond to support children 

to develop a love for stories, selfbelief, 

creativity, for reading and 

writing for pleasure. Ladygrove 

Primary School, Telford awarded 

Sarah the honour of ‘Griffiths 

House’ due to the huge impact of 

her well-being programs. 

● Collaboration with Key 

Partners: Working together 

28 

with EYFSHome. 

com as Creative 

Learning Manager. 

Supporting young 

children with daily, 

educational, fun and 

creative activities. 

Supporting children’s 

development in the key 

areas, through exploration, 

experiential, creative and practical 

learning. 

● Former Primary School 

Teacher: Sarah gained extensive 

experience in lesson planning and 

program development schemes 

across the primary educational 

sector. Creating lessons, courses 

and workshops that educate, 

inspire, promote inclusivity and 

have a positive impact for all. 

● Investing for the future: 

Training and self-development 

and personal growth with Dr Joe 

Rubino: internationally acclaimed 

expert on self-esteem. ‘Restore 

your magnificence’ program and 

’31 ways to champion children to 

develop high self-esteem’. Sarah 

promotes the importance of 

investment in ourselves, to grow 

and experience a future that we 

are excited about. 

Sarah is so passionate about 

supporting children’s futures and 

this is the aim of her work: 

“I help 7-11-year olds who 

constantly compare themselves to 

their peers and don’t have a strong 

sense of self, to tap into their 

inner power and potential, to build 

strong values and awaken to the 

power of their mind. So that they 

can have the freedom to be who 

they are.” 

To find out more about the 

program contact Sarah Griffiths: 

sjgriffiths76@hotmail.com 

WN 

The Smile 

I took a walk outside, 

I walked past a family, 

I smiled at a little girl, 

She smiled right back at me. 

Just a chance meeting, 

And we had just engaged, 

The very best gift, 

We had both exchanged. 

For that smile it is priceless, 

And it will never end, 

For the little girl she passed it on, 

When she bumped into her friend. 

Her friend she was delighted, 

She then shared it with her Dad, 

He gave her the biggest hug, 

It stopped him feeling sad. 

Then her father visited, 

His mother, who was ill, 

The smile it passed between them, 

And her heart began to fill. 

With love and happiness, 

Pure joy she felt inside, 

As the nurse came to check on her, 

Her smile she could not hide. 

The nurse, she felt such happiness, 

And her face began to glow. 

Her kindness, love and care, 

Became her smile that was on 

show. 

She took it home to her son, 

As she kissed him goodnight, 

He said ‘I love you mum’ 

As she turned out the light. 

The little boy, he nurtured it, 

As he fell asleep, 

The smile was so precious, 

And one that he could keep... 

But only until morning, 

When his sister came in the room, 

He smiled at her little face, 

As she sang a happy tune. 

So, when you see a smile, 

Feel it light up your very soul, 

As it travels around the Earth, 

We connect and become whole. 

By Sarah Griffiths 

@SarahGriffithsAuthor 


Independence and peace of mind 

at the touch of a button 

Your local 

lifeline 

alarm 

service 

WATCH offers assistive technology that provides 

reassurance and help when needed, 24 hours a day, through 

a dedicated monitoring centre. 

Lifeline pendant alarms 

Falls detectors 

GPS watches 

Door contact sensors 

Pill dispensers 

First aid trained Mobile 

Response Officer* 

To find out more information or book an alarm 

installation please call 01952 217151 

* This service is not available for new 

customers during the COVID-19 crisis

COMMUNITY 

& health 

Shropshire care provider invests 

in thermal imaging cameras 

Shropshire’s largest independent 

care provider has invested 

almost £50,000 in state-of-theart 

thermal imaging cameras to 

enable it to reopen its homes to 

visitors. 

Coverage Care Services, 

which cares for in the 

region of 800 residents 

and employs around 

1,200 staff, has installed 

the cameras at each of its care 

homes, including Farcroft in 

Wellington, as part of several 

new safety measures. 

The high-tech cameras 

supplied by Shrewsbury-based 

Border Communications are 

being used to scan and assess 

the body temperature of every 

individual entering its care 

homes to make sure they are 

safe to be on the premises. 

It is considered to be a less 

invasive process than requesting 

to check people’s temperatures 

with a thermometer. 

Screens have also been 

installed at reception areas and 

a new protocol for visitors has 

been drawn up. 

Coverage Care Chief Executive 

David Coull said: “We care for 

some of the most vulnerable 

people in our communities 

and we have kept our visiting 

restrictions under constant 

review over recent months. 

Coverage Care Chief Executive David Coull pictured with Steve Mills from Border 

Communications at Montgomery House in Shrewsbury where new thermal imaging 

cameras have been installed. 

“Towards the end of June 

we began a phased reopening 

of our homes to visitors and 

the thermal imaging cameras 

presented a significant 

investment, demonstrating how 

seriously we take the safety 

and health and well-being of 

residents, staff and visitors. 

“Anyone now coming through 

our doors will have to agree to 

having their body temperature 

scanned and will only be allowed 

to enter if they have a normal 

temperature. Any sign of a raised 

temperature and people will be 

turned away. 

“Other new safety measures 

include plastic screens in our 

reception areas and a visitor’s 

protocol which must be agreed 

and signed by anyone entering 

our homes. 

“Designated visiting areas 

have been set up which are 

cleaned thoroughly between 

each appointment and for the 

time being we are not allowing 

children to visit our homes. 

“The safety of residents and 

staff remains our absolute 

top priority and visiting 

arrangements are being 

monitored extremely carefully 

30 

WN 


Community Events 

Tell us about your community event, email details 

to james@plus2media.co.uk for inclusion in the 

next issue of Wrekin News.. 

at all times. In line with new 

Government guidance we will 

be moving towards a system 

in August where residents will 

designate a ‘constant visitor’ 

to help limit the number of 

different individuals entering our 

homes. 

He added: “We know that 

families have been desperate to 

see their loved ones after such a 

long time apart and it has been 

heart-warming to see residents 

reunited with their loved ones 

over recent weeks. We hope the 

changes we have put in place 

will enable residents to continue 

to see their family members in a 

safe and controlled way.” 

Sam Thomas from Border 

Communications added: “We’re 

proud to be supporting Coverage 

Care in protecting its residents. 

“We have always prided 

ourselves in providing first class 

communications and technology 

solutions to Shropshire 

businesses. 

“It’s fantastic for two local 

businesses to be able to come 

together to protect some of the 

most vulnerable local residents 

in times of crisis like these.” 

It is thought that Coverage 

Care Services was one of the 

first care providers in the region 

to take action to restrict visitors 

when it placed all of its homes in 

lockdown on March 16, a week 

ahead of the Government’s own 

official announcement. 

Homes have strict safety 

measures in place to prevent and 

limit the spread of any infection 

and staff continue to be able 

to access supplies of Personal 

Protective Equipment (PPE). 

Homes are accepting new 

admissions and referrals but 

under strict new guidelines 

including quarantining arrivals 

where necessary and anyone 

with active COVID-19 symptoms 

will not be admitted. 

For further information about the care provider visit the website: www.coveragecareservices.co.uk 


31

PETE JACKSON 

Cinderloo 2021 

With just six months to go till the 200th anniversary of the battle of Cinderloo the group set up 

to commemorate the events in 1821 have been reflecting on how to mark the events in 2021. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has 

impacted on all aspects of 

community life and plans 

that Cinderloo 1821 had have 

been no different. Social distancing 

prevents some of the group 

activities that we had planned, 

school closures have stopped the 

history and art work organised and 

grants being bid for to Heritage 

Lottery Fund & The Arts Council 

will need to be resubmitted. 

However the pandemic period 

has thrown up new issues that 

are worthy of investigation and 

comparison. 

The Black Lives Matter movement 

sparked by the brutal murder of 

George Floyd by a Minneapolis 

police officer has become a symbol 

of black people fighting back against 

police oppression and wider on 

going discrimination in society. 

The comparison with the hanging 

of Tom Palin and shooting by the 

local yeomanry of William Bird 

and Thomas Gittins are from a 

different time but fundamentally 

about keeping people in their place. 

Seeing young people, black and 

white protesting in Telford Town 

Park is something Cinderloo 1821 

sees as part of the same struggle 

200 years on. 

The role played by some care 

homes in the pandemic, many 

financed through off shore hedge 

funds, providing poor personal 

protective equipment and paying 

staff meagre wages are the 

equivalent of the mine owners back 

in the day. No health and safety, 

two shillings a week, appreciated 

by their families and communities 

but at the end of the day numbers 

and statistics not mentioned in the 

history books by name. 

Once the media had moved on 

to another topic the colliers like 

the carers are left with the same 

conditions and a patronising pat on 

the head for their troubles 

The Forge Retail Park, the 

location of the Botfields iron 

foundry and the site of the 

Cinderloo riot, has been up for sale 

as part of a property deal worth 

£400m. It fell through as the future 

for retail looked threatened before 

the pandemic. Now with Frankie 

and Bennys, TUI , Curries , DW 

Sports all closing stores the site 

is once again a barometer of the 

state of the local economy and 

a recession will see the workers 

once again paying the price as land 

owners and investors cashing in 

with no thought to the impact on 

the local community. 

These are issues that Cinderloo 

1821 will want to explore during 

2021 and will wish to partner with 

other groups locally to draw out the 

lessons from 1821 and how they 

apply to Telford today. 

Our plan is to:- 

● schedule events during 2021 that 

we have planned and rehearsed 

previously such as walks, talks, 

and events to connect with the 

communities and localities that 

set the back drop for Cinderloo 

marchers 

● work with a number of schools 

that have started using art, poetry 

and out door activities to learn 

about the events 200 years ago 

● research the family connections 

of the main characters involved 

and who died or were arrested 

to publish materials that people 

interested in their own families 

involvement in cinderloo might use 

● run creative writing workshops 

with Shropshire Archives and 

including a visit to Shrewsbury’s 

Dana Prison 

● gather work together into a 

public exhibition at the gallery at 

Jackfield Tile Museum 

As in 1821 the future now 

is uncertain, second spikes in 

COVID-19, concern about social 

distancing and impact on families 

and communities all make planning 

difficult. However Cinderloo 1821 

are keen to use all the creativity and 

knowledge of our growing group 

of members to ensure that the 

200th anniversary of the battle of 

Cinderloo has an impact on Telford. 

It will be remembered by future 

generations as a time when people 

learned about their history and 

were proud of the struggles their 

anecestors had to create a society 

that sought social justice and 

celebrated those that fought for it 

then and and even more so now. 

more information 

If you would like more information look at our website www.cinderloo.com and if you have an idea or 

would like to be involved in 2021 please contact us at cinderloo@gmail.com 

32 

WN 


The Shropshire 

Funeral Plan 

Your peace of mind now... 

their gratitude later 

Call us today.... 

The C J Williams Funeral Service of Telford 

Dawley Bank ...................................... 01952 505835 

Madeley ............................................... 01952 580616 

Harry Edwards of Wellington .......... 01952 244949 

John Williams of Shifnal ................... 01952 460669 

www.theshropshirefuneralplan.com

ROADTEST 

How I wish the songs of Spring 

were back in the air instead 

of the evil mists of Covid 19. 

Keats famously lamented 

their loss in his poetic ‘Ode 

To Autumn’. He wanted to claim that 

‘The season of mists’ had its own 

music. He might have had a point. I 

know for a fact that the romantic Mr. 

K never took to the road in a Skoda 

Fabia Monte Carlo - but had he been 

treated to such an experience ‘O. 

Sad K’ would have discovered ‘Skoda 

music’ of a quality far superior to the 

murmuring of pesky gnats. 

For me, I can’t wait for a return to 

the budding season. In the 

meantime I’ll settle happily 

for Skoda music of the 

Fabia Monte Carlo kind. 

To drive this awardwinning 

supermini is to feel 

a surge of replenishing sap 

course through one’s veins. 

This car is an endorsement 

of peppy pleasure: a true 

reminder that life should be 

lived to be enjoyed. 

Behind the wheel the 

grey filters of mundane 

existence fall away in exchange 

for a bright kaleidoscope of Skoda 

sportiness. How is it achieved? 

Through a sensible approach to vim 

and vigour. This Skoda is a ‘supermini’ 

that is just a little bit more superrefined. 

And no, it’s not a tarmac 

scorching tornado of twisting torque. 

Sense, you see. No harm in having 

extra zip - for instance in the way 

of sporty trim, alloy wheels, tinted 

windows and other styling add-ons. 

The key note is lively fun. Of course, 

you need a gutsy little engine plus 

sporty suspension. Add a quick-flick 

five speed gearbox and....well: you 

get the picture. It’s sporty but within 

sensible limits and you get excellent 

economy. Skoda claim over 50mpg - 

and you get that easily - even though 

it is a car that invites exuberance. 

‘Curses! Only a 95PS 1.0 litre 3 

cylinder petrol engine and a top 

speed of around 115mph’ I thought. 

‘That won’t threaten a low-flying jet 

fighter.’ But that’s not what a car like 

this is about. It is a wonderful little 

engine that is smooth and lively to 

a point where you think ‘What joy!’ 

What do I need more power for on 

today’s roads? This variant of the 

Fabia is about reminding oneself on 

grey damp days that clear skies do 

glow with radiance. 

But there’s a limit to words. Live 

with the Fabia for a few days and 

you appreciate what good value this 

practical five-door supermini, with 

its easy room for four in comfort and 

with Wrekin News 

Motoring Editor 

Syd Taylor 

Music of the Fabia Monte Carlo 

a decent size boot, represents. 

The bright and fashionable interior 

makes one wonder whether one’s 

own bright clothing is superfluous as 

traffic cameras blink at any drivers 

and passengers bold enough to 

execute the ‘full monty’. A reminder, 

if you like, that this is the Monte 

Carlo and not the Monty Python. 

This car certainly lifts your spirits. 

Handling and ride are perfectly 

poised in the sweet spot of genetic 

automobile engineering. You get 

more pleasure per mile than you 

might imagine, enjoying the lighttouch 

controls on roads that are a 

delight to devour in the company of 

this adroit supermini. 

Ultimately the best news involves a 

cliche that will have editors groaning. 

At £17,850 it won’t bust the bank. 

For such a little cracker of a car you 

get the real deal without hazarding a 

fortune. In today’s era of quantitative 

easing the Fabia offers ‘qualitative’ 

easing in the context of a superlative 

supermini motoring experience. 

34 

WN 


Missing a dog 

in your life? 

Become a Barking Mad holiday host 

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Companionship, friendship 

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• Dogs to suit your lifestyle 

• Completely flexible 

• Trial stays to ensure compatibility 

• Full support and advice 

• A playmate for your own dog 

BarkingMad.uk.com 

Call Anne Kessell on 01952 677704 

0845 8623845 

‘SMALL JOBS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME WITH’ 

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ELECTRICALS 

● NO CALL OUT CHARGE 

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● Local Low Cost Repairs 

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35

Please take 

your copy 

LEGAL CORNER 

with the experts at Parry Carver Solicitors 

Protect yourself 

from property fraud 

Property fraud is on the increase and 

can be difficult to spot. Your property 

is more at risk if: 

● You’ve been a victim of identity 

theft. 

● You rent out your property. 

● You are not resident in the UK. 

● Your property is not occupied or is 

empty for long periods. 

● You don’t have a mortgage on the 

property. 

● Your property isn’t registered with 

Land Registry. 

● If your marriage or relationship has 

broken down. 

If your property is registered at 

Land Registry, you can take some 

simple steps to protect your property 

from being fraudulently sold or 

mortgaged: 

1. Make sure your details are up-todate: 

If your contact details are out 

of date then Land Registry cannot 

by sarah clinton 

contact you. Land Registry allows 

three addresses to be registered 

against your property. These can 

include a postal address, email 

address and an address abroad. 

Having up-to-date contact details 

means Land Registry can contact you 

with any queries or activity on your 

property. 

It is also important to ensure that 

your name is correct too. If you 

change your name by marriage or 

divorce, let Land Registry know so that 

the property register can be updated. 

2. Register for the Property Alert 

Service: 

This free service from Land Registry 

is designed to alert you if certain 

activity occurs on your monitored 

properties, i.e. someone tries to put 

a mortgage on your property. This 

allows you to be fully informed at all 

times and take immediate action if 

necessary. You can get alerts for up 

to 10 properties so this is a great free 

service, particularly for second home 

owners and landlords. 

3. Apply for a Restriction on your 

property: 

You can apply to have a restriction 

entered on to the title register of 

the property which restricts the 

registration of a transfer or mortgage 

unless a solicitor or conveyancer has 

certified that the person who signed 

the transfer or mortgage deed is the 

registered owner of the property. 

If you live at the property the Land 

Registry fee for putting a restriction on 

a property is £40.00. If you do not live 

at the property then Land Registry do 

not charge a fee for the restriction. 

If you would like further information on protecting yourself from property fraud or any other residential property 

matter, please contact Sarah Clinton at the Shifnal office of Parry Carver Solicitors on 01952 460777 or Corina Olivieri 

at the Wellington office on 01952 641291 or email sarah.clinton@parrycarver.co.uk 

OUT NOW 

Issue two of This Is Our Wellington, the official newsletter of 

Wellington Town Council and Love Wellington... Pick up your 

free copy in town today... 

This is our 

Wellington 

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF WELLINGTON TOWN COUNCIL 

Welcome to issue two of This Is Our Wellington, 

serving the residents and businesses of our town. 

We hope you enjoy this issue and find it informative 

and interesting.... 

LOVE 

This is our 

Wellington 

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF WELLINGTON TOWN COUNCIL 

Welcome to issue two of This Is Our Wellington, 

serving the residents and businesses of our town. 

We hope you enjoy this issue and find it informative 

and interesting.... 

LOVE 

Picture by: Paola Armstrong 

Inside 

August 

2020 

Acts of kindness 

around our region 

New Love 

Wellington website 

FREE 

Picture by: Paola Armstrong 

Inside 

Acts of kindness 

around our region 

New Love 

Wellington website 

August 

2020 

36 

WN 

We lington Town Council Newsle ter.indd 1 02/08/2020 11:21 

FREE 

Please take 

your copy 

We lington Town Council Newsle ter.indd 1 02/08/2020 11:21 


Free Will Writing Service 

Parry Carver Solicitors are supporting Midlands Air Ambulance 

Charity’s Free Will Writing Service, which is available for those 

aged 55 and over. Whether you are looking to make your first 

Will or update an existing one, it’s important that you properly plan 

your financial affairs to ensure your loved ones are looked after. 

Talk to us at Parry Carver today about having your Will written 

for free, for that extra peace of mind. 

7 Church Street, Wellington, 

Telford TF1 1BX 

Tel: 01952 641 291 

Mon - Fri 8.30am - 5pm. Sat 9am - 12pm 

The Forum, Victoria Road, 

Shifnal TF11 8FE 

Tel: 01952 460 777 

Mon - Fri 8.30am - 5pm. Sat by by appointment 

Authorised & regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority - Parry Carver SRA 71413

Green Fingers 

In the Wrekin News garden with Robert Hudson 

of Lilyhurst Plant Centre 

IT’S FAR from normal 

in the AUGUST garden 

This should be the month for 

sitting back and enjoying your 

garden. This year, however, 

things are, in all sorts of ways, far 

from normal. 

The wet winter and early 

spring followed by the very 

warm dry spell, followed 

more recently by cooler 

and wetter periods has 

caused havoc with all plants. We 

must hope that we do get some 

good weather, even average 

temperatures would be nice, 

which will encourage us to relax 

and enjoy our past labours. If 

we do it will also slow the grass 

growth so mowing will not be 

so urgent. If we get a prolonged 

spell of dry weather, and we 

can hope, remember to lift the 

mower blades to allow a slightly 

longer growth this will improve 

water retention, as if we have not 

had enough of it, and prevent 

scorching which leads to brown 

patches. 

Trained trees should have a 

summer prune, this is necessary 

to keep them in shape and any 

fruit will be more prominent so 

easier to check when ready for 

picking. This should only be a 

light pruning as a hard prune now 

will kick start the tree into a flush 

Robert Hudson of Lilyhurst 

Plant Centre 

of growth which will probably 

not have sufficient time to harden 

before winter and will, therefore, 

be killed by any early frosts. The 

danger here is not from the frost 

damage which can easily be 

removed but these damaged areas 

are a weakness which allows 

disease to entre. 

As fruit bushes crop, they can 

be pruned. With red currents 

and gooseberries, once cropped, 

the bushes should be thinned 

by removing some of the older 

branches to allow new growth 

which will carry fruit next year. 

The constantly changing 

weather has been the ideal 

conditions for weeds to grow so, 

whenever you walk around the 

garden it is wise to have a hoe 

nearby so that weeds can easily 

be eliminated. At this time of the 

year a quick swipe with the hoe 

will sever roots from shots and 

the latter can be left on the soil 

surface to dry in the sun, well 

if we get any, and even without 

should gradually wither away. 

If you are going away, and I 

know some who are planning 

a trip, do remember to heavily 

water any containers and if 

possible group then in a shady 

spot to try and preserve any 

moisture as much as possible, I 

am again hoping for some fine 

weather. This approach also 

applies to hanging baskets, if 

you do not have someone willing 

to water them for you. The flat 

bottomed baskets can be stood 

on the ground but those with 

round bottoms ned to be stood 

on buckets or pots. Mow your 

lawns at the last possible moment 

so that an untidy lawn does not 

broadcast the fact that you are 

away, unless you are in the habit 

of letting your grass get shaggy. 

38 

WN 


The 

Record 

Man 

with Austin Powell 

johnny horton 

A Honky-Tonk Man - All the Hits And More 

Jasmine JASMCD 3762 

Country legend 

Johnny Horton was 

at the very peak of 

his popularity when 

he was killed, in an 

automobile accident, in November 

1960. In Britain we’d first heard 

him in 1959 when he fought a 

losing battle with Lonnie Donegan 

over The Battle Of New Orleans; 

Horton’s version made number 

16, Donegan’s made number 

two. As if to add insult to injury 

Donegan then covered Horton’s 

follow-up Sal’s Got A Sugar Lip 

and made number 13 with it. 

In America Johnny Horton had 

been a big country and western 

star since 1956 when Honky Tonk 

Man was a Top 10 country hit. 

Three more Top 10 country hits 

followed before he hit the top 

spot with When It’s Springtime 

In Alaska (It’s Forty Below) in ‘59 

and a year later topped that chart 

again with North To Alaska, which 

was also a Top 30 hit here. 

In this thirty-three track CD, 

you’ll find all Horton’s American 

and British hits (including three 

posthumous hits he had in 

America) along with his earliest 

recordings which date from 

1952 and show off his talent 

as a rockabilly artist before he 

switched to mainstream country 

music between ‘56 and his death. 

There have been Johnny 

Horton collections released 

before, but none have covered 

his career as well as this one. 

With country music these days 

often sounding more like rock 

music, it’s refreshing to be able 

to go back in time and sample 

the music of one of country 

music’s heroes from a time when 

country music was a whole lot 

more innocent - but none the less 

entertaining. 

Austin Powell spent almost all his working life in the music business beginning in his 

home area of Mid Wales in the mid-sixties. For some years he managed popular 

Telford pop group Fluff, before moving to London where he worked in record 

promotion, music publishing and the management of record labels. Over the years 

he’s also managed several successful radio stations. Now retired, his love of music 

is undimmed and, although now retired, he continues to write regular features for 

‘Record Collector’ magazine about the music of the sixties and seventies. 


WN 

39

SPORT 

Wellington Cricket Club round-up 

with David Ross 

WELLINGTON START 

NEW SEASON IN STYLE 

WITH AWAY WIN 

It may have taken until 25th July for the Henshalls 

Shropshire County Cricket League to get 

underway in 2020, but for Wellington the wait 

was certainly worth it. 

Early season form batter Tom 

Masters in action against 

Frankton on his way to 49 

(Picture: John Cutts) 

Spectators at Whitchurch’s 

Heath Road ground 

witnessed a remarkable 

come-back from Wendell 

Wagner’s side who 

appeared down-and-out at 29-6 in 

the first innings. From there, the 

home team might understandably 

have expected a comfortable 

victory, but opener Tom Masters 

had other ideas. 

Having watched the wickets 

tumble at the other end, he 

forged partnerships with two 

debutants in Tom Ellis (48) and 

Ben Byram (51) as Wellington 

counter-attacked in style. Masters 

carried his bat for an unbeaten 

64, helping move his side beyond 

respectability to an imposing 40- 

over total of 191-8. Ellis (2-26) 

claimed the much-prized wicket 

of Maisam Hasnain to put his side 

on the front foot in the second 

innings. Continued pressure from 

fellow seamers Sam Bloor (2-20) 

and Wagner (2-30) ensured that 

Whitchurch stayed at arm’s length 

throughout the chase. The hosts 

ended up on 165-8 as Wellington 

kicked their season off with the 

most unlikely of victories. 

In this truncated season, 

the SCCL Premier Division has 

been split into two groups with 

Wellington pitched in the ‘Mike 

Robinson’ group. The winners 

of the two sections will play off 

for the title in a grand final in 

September. 

If Wellington were to harbour 

hopes of a place in the final, 

a home win against league 

newcomers Frankton was a must 

on 1st August. Steve Brooks 

collected 4-23 for the home side 

in the first innings as the north 

Shropshire team were dismissed 

for 169 with one ball of their 40 

overs remaining. 

Dan Lloyd and Byram were also 

amongst the wickets, claiming 

two apiece for their afternoon’s 

work. 

After the break, the home 

team were business-like in their 

approach, taking no risks on their 

way to a six-wicket win. Masters, 

the hero of the opening weekend, 

was again the top-scorer with 49, 

whilst Lloyd (43) also contributed 

with the bat. 

James Flynn’s cameo of 20 off 

11 eased his captain’s nerves in 

the final stages as Wellington won 

out with six balls to spare. 

SPECTATORS WELCOME 

Spectators are very much welcome for all matches at Wellington this summer. Visit: wellingtoncc.co.uk to 

find out who’s playing and how the club are ensuring the safety of all visitors. The club is also offering the 

‘Biggest Beer Garden in Shropshire’ on all matchdays (contactless payments only). 

40 

WN 


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Wrekin News 253

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