Recently by Crewe Chronicle

A 500-YEAR-OLD hymn book which has laid in Nantwich's St Mary's Church for decades has been handed over to the University of Manchester after it was identified as a great rarity.

The book, a collection of hymns from 1502, is one of only three known copies in the world, and was printed by Wynkyn de Worde - the first printer to set up a printing press in Fleet Street, later the home of the newspaper industry.

The council of St Mary's Church was concerned at the deteriorating condition of the priceless library in the church tower of St Mary's, and arranged for university staff to safely transport them to their new home.

A BOOK is being launched this week to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the formation of Nantwich Town Football Club.

Called Proud to be The Dabbers, it is available from Friday and charts the fortunes of the UniBond Premier League club since it was founded in 1884.

Written by former club president Michael Chatwin, the 128 page full colour book is lavishly illustrated and pays tribute to its Victorian pioneers, the characters who have served the club with such dedication over the years and the players who have proudly worn the club colours.

Nantwich kicked off its first season in 1884/85 and from hosting Liverpool's first ever FA Cup tie back in 1892 to lifting the FA Vase in 2006, most of those 125 years have been filled with incidents and tales.

Over the years, the Dabbers have crossed paths with England World Cup winners Alan Ball and Roger Hunt, the legendary Duncan Edwards and pre-war international stars such as Dixie Dean.

A FORMER director at Sandbach's historic ERF truck company has written a book on the world-famous firm.

Dai Davies OBE, 71, joined the now defunct company as an apprentice in 1954 and went on to become managing director of the iconic firms's South Africa, Australia and New Zealand operations before retiring after 43 years' service.

Dai, who now lives near Johannesburg, South Africa, with his wife Wendy, has returned to the firm's hometown to launch his book ERF - The Inside Story at Sandbach Library from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Tuesday and 5.30-8pm on Wednesday next week.

He said: "I am delighted to be back in Sandbach as I still have many close friends here.
"I would be thrilled to meet anyone who used to work for the company or anyone who is just interested in learning more about the company's rich heritage."

Dai is well placed to discuss the firm's history having experienced both its highs and lows in the UK and abroad.

AMID all the publicity on the death of superstar Michael Jackson, does any Chronicle reader know whether he ever came to South Cheshire?

One man who believes he did is retired Rolls-Royce worker Les Powell, who lives in Crewe.

Les has a photograph going back to February 1979 which shows the Jackson brothers visiting the Roll-Royce factory in Pym's Lane.

A REUNION of pupils who left Alsager CE Controlled Primary School in 1959 has just taken place in the very building in which they were taught 50 years ago.

The building, which is now the annex of Alsager Highfields Community Primary School, proved the ideal venue to reminisce and share stories of happy times.

Old classmates travelled from various parts of the British Isles to enjoy the occasion on a summer afternoon.

With a display of old photographs and an assortment of memorabilia, including a second edition of the school magazine dated 1959, everyone was in good spirits.
Past teachers' names came flooding back, with Mrs Robinson, Mrs Creed, Mrs Sheppey, Mr Riley, Mr Taylor and headteacher Mr Molyneux all remembered with affection.

Asda staff are trying to track down the first two customers to go through the checkouts when the Crewe store first opened its doors 30 years ago.

Alison Withers and her friend Jane Busby were both 15 when the Victoria Centre store opened on August 17, 1979.

They had been queuing since 6am for the 9am opening and were presented with gifts of chocolates and sweets on the day.

Amanda Glover, of Asda, said: "We will be celebrating our 30th anniversary on August 17 and Crewe and Nantwich MP Edward Timpson will be coming on that day.

"We are also trying to see if we can find Alison and Jane for them to be here as they were here on the very first day."

FORTY years ago on July 21, 1969, more than half a billion people watched in awe as Neil Armstrong took 'one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' as he became the first man to step on to the Moon.

And as those first grainy black and white TV images of the Apollo 11 mission were broadcast around the world, NASA scientists were relying on South Cheshire's eye in the sky, Jodrell Bank Observatory, to track the lunar module on the Moon's surface.

Scientists at the Goostrey centre were able to pick up signals from the Moon and ensure that one of the defining moments of the 20th Century went according to plan
A Jodrell Bank spokesman said: "With the 40th anniversary of the first Moon landing fast approaching, it is a fitting time to look back at a defining moment for the observatory and. indeed, our generation.

A SOUTH Cheshire school is looking forward to its next 100 years after celebrating its centenary.

Hundreds of pupils past and present turned up at Ruskin Sports and Languages College in Crewe for a series of open days.

Bursar Jean Golding said the reunion was even better than they could have hoped for.
"It was very successful. We were absolutely delighted with the numbers of past pupils who came back, particularly those from when it was the old grammar school."

The oldest pupil to return was Sybil Mercer, maiden name Barnett, who was a pupil at the Ruskin Road school between 1931 and 1939.

A MEMORY-LADEN book which gives an insight into the changing face of Crewe has just been published.

Crewe Through Time, by Peter Ollerhead, is an exciting examination of Crewe, its famous streets and faces throughout the 19th and the 20th Century.

The book, which is produced in full colour, invites readers to follow a timeline of events and watch the changing face of the town. Mr Ollerhead, who runs Copnall Books in Meredith Street, takes the reader through the town's streets.

He compares early street scenes with the more modern view giving detailed descriptions of the changes which have taken place.

LADIES of Crewe might recognise themselves in these Memory Lane photographs.
Jean Jackson, of Flixton Drive, kindly submitted the pictures to the Chronicle.

The first picture features a very familiar face of yesteryear, television and radio presenter Pete Murray, who later was awarded an OBE for services to music.

The picture, taken in the 1960s, shows him visiting Jean, on his immediate right, and her colleagues at the former Chester Barrie clothing factory.

Jean, who was a personnel officer at the site, which later became Austin Reed, said: "We had frequent visits from celebrities to look around. Sometimes they came to buy something and sometimes they just came to have a look at how things were done.

"Pete Murray was just in the area and wanted to have a look at what we had. The thing I remember most about him was the amount of make-up he was wearing, even though he wasn't on TV when he came here.

"We also used to make the outfits for the England football team, including the ones they wore in 1966."