June 2009 Archives
HE was one of the finest British road cyclists of his generation - a genuine pioneer who raced in the Tour de France six times and remains the only Englishman to win a stage at the world famous Giro d'Italia.
But the name of Vincent 'Vin' Denson rarely crops up in conversations about famous Chester sporting personalities.
The 73-year-old is never mentioned in the same breath Michael Owen, Beth Tweddle or Danny Murphy - though few are more deserving of a place in the city's sporting hall of fame.
Vin, who grew up in Handbridge, began cycling in his early teens after a serious knee injury forced him to turn his back on his first love - football - and try other sports.
CHESTER Cathedral held a Tudor day to celebrate the 500th anniversary of King Henry VIII's accession to the throne.
Nick Fry from the cathedral said: "Henry VIII was a very significant figure in the history of Chester Cathedral; in 1541 the King turned the old Benedictine monastery into the new Cathedral of the Diocese of Chester and as a result, the building we see today is one of the best preserved examples of a medieval monastery in the country."
Visitors were able to meet Henry VIII as well as his six wives, and find out about Tudor customs, crafts and games.
They listened to Tudor music and tried Henry VIII's favourite food.
The picture shows Danielle Siedlow and Steven Gratton of Chester Cathedral.
Letter from Avril Dunstan (email: johndunstan@supanet.com)
OUR HMS Black Swan Association is made up of veterans who served aboard the frigate which was commissioned in 1940 and broken up in 1956.
OUR HMS Black Swan Association is made up of veterans who served aboard the frigate which was commissioned in 1940 and broken up in 1956.
She saw extensive active service in the Second World War and was one of the ships who went to the aid of HMS Amethyst in the famous Yangtze Incident of 1949.
To commemorate the incident, veterans from the Black Swan joined members of the HMS Amethyst, HMS London and HMS Consort at the National Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, this April for a service of remembrance in the chapel and at the Yangtze Grove.
HMS Black Swan was adopted by Widnes in War Week 1942. Our association was formed in 1989 and reunions have been held in Widnes/Runcorn every five years where we have been royally entertained by the Borough of Halton and comfortably accommodated at the Holiday Inn, Runcorn. This year's reunion is being held over the weekend of September 11/12/13. However, due to the inevitable decline in member numbers, we're sadly winding up the association at this reunion.
GIANTS from across the country converged on Chester at the weekend for the 20th anniversary of the city's modern version of the Midsummer Watch parade.
Primary schools and community groups added their own splash of colour to the pageant dressed as geese, ravens, elephants, angels and devils.
Schools taking part included Boughton Heath, Belgrave, Farndon, Hoole, Cherry Grove, The Arches, Dee Point and Highfield. The Mulberry Centre in Sealand and BiG Storage both created their own giants.
Letter from Mrs B Marshall, Broughton, Chester
I AM WRITING in the hope that someone out there may be able to help me.
I am researching my family tree and I am trying to trace descendants/relatives of my Gt Uncle George Williams who married a Sarah Lloyd approx 1890's.George was born in about 1868, in Whitchurch, where his father worked as a boatman on the Canals.
He himself also worked on the barges from the age of 12 and then he was employed as a coal miner at St Martins, Oswestry, Shropshire, from about 1891 to 1901.
On the 1901 census he is shown working as a boatman again on the Canals and living at No 8 Queen Street, Chester, with his wife Sarah and their family as shown:
Emily - 10 - born in Nantwich 1891.
Susan A - 8 - born in Chirk 1893.
Fred - 6 mths - born in Chester 1900.
George and his family may well have remained living in the Chester area and I would very much like to trace any descendants/relatives who recognise these names from their own family history and may still be living in this part of the world. Any help or information would be appreciated.
My telephone number is: 01244 534395 and my e-mail address is: Muggins348@aol.com.
MARINE enthusiasts from all over Britain will meet in Cheshire later this year to honour one of the county's most celebrated adopted sons and the most famous "lady" in his life, the iconic RMS Queen Mary.
They will gather at the Nunsmere Hall Hotel, Oakmere, near Northwich to glorify the memory of shipping magnate Sir Aubrey Brocklebank.
To mark the event, the hotel has released a picture of him smoking his pipe in a rarely-seen photo from the family archive.
A PHOTOGRAPH of Eastgate Street without the city's famous clock is just one of the exhibits in a new photographic exhibition at the Chester History and Heritage Centre.
The photo, taken in 1897, is part of Chester in Focus: 100 Years in Photographs, covering the city from the 1860s to the 1960s.
The clock, which is said to be Britain's second most photographed clock behind Big Ben, was placed on the Eastgate in 1899 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee of 1897.
The exhibition shows how Chester has changed and developed during the age of photography, highlighting the city walls, the Rows and other familiar sites.
The photographs have been taken from the Chester Image Bank Collection which is available to browse online at www.chesterimagebank.org.uk
The exhibition runs until July 30 and the centre is offering a guided walk led by a Chester tour guide on Wednesday, July 1, entitled Ramble Around Chester. For further details call 01244 402110.
Chester History and Heritage Centre at St Michael's Church on Bridge Street is open Monday-Friday 10am-noon and 1pm-4pm. Free admission.
FOLLOWING our story on the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS), David Tottey of Saltney has sent in another photograph of the crew with his grandfather Thomas Tottey.
Thomas is second from the right on the middle row.
David said: "Unfortunately I don't know exactly where the photo was taken or the names of any of the other firemen.
"The only information that I have from my dad is that my grandad used to cycle to Frodsham from Saltney and from there they were taken to Liverpool and Wallasey to fight fires during the bombing."
If you have any information about the people in the photograph, email jo.henwood@cheshirenews. co.uk.
THIS week we look at life in the spotlight.
In 1980, the talented Flint and District Operatic Society staged a fundraising show at Rhyl's Coliseum Theatre.
A photo of some of the stars recently came to light in the Chronicle archives.
The ladies, resplendent in top hats, are all ready for a stylish soft shoe shuffle.
MOLD Chamber of Trade planned a big publicity campaign to increase membership among the town's traders.
DELYN Council was asked to make a grant towards the £5,500 cost of materials used in a renovation scheme at St Mary's Church, Ysceifiog (pictured).
THE demand for petrol in Clwyd fell slightly following the Budget price rise.
SECOND World War bottle bombs found by road workmen at Ffynnongroyw were removed by Army experts.
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