Recently by Ellesmere Port Pioneer

THE Parish of Our Lady Star of the Sea has a number of events coming up as part of its centenary year celebrations.

Starting on Saturday, between 12.30pm-6pm, the church will reunite ex-pupils of Our Lady's School in the Parish Centre.

Monday then sees the start of a themed week of masses, culminating with a Friday mass celebrated by Bishop Brian Noble.

Founded in 1909, the parish was originally based at an old tin church in Enfield Road, Ellesmere Port, before the present building was built in 1931.

The actual date of its centenary was March 21.

ONE of the cornerstones of family history research is the certificate issued for the main events in all our lives - birth, marriage and death.

These have always been indexed for the General Register Office but are now being made available on the Internet.

And one of the most important resources for finding a birth, marriage or death in this county is Cheshire BMD, part of the UKBMD site.

The software for UKBMD was developed by Ian Hartas, who will be talking to the Bebington group of the Family History Society of Cheshire about the inside workings of the system.

D-DAY veterans who had thought they would never see the scene of their famous victory again left Ellesmere Port for Normandy to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day.

Among a travelling party of 84 are 41 veterans, including seven from Chester, five members of the Cheshire Yeomanry and helpers and carers. They all boarded a coach and three minibuses yesterday (Wednesday) morning.

Two wealthy benefactors stepped forward after hearing they had been refused money from the Ministry of Defence, which said they would only offer financial support for the 100th anniversary.

TV cameras from the BBC and Granada were on hand at Whitby Sports and Social Club to see the troop of pensioners off.

Secretary of the Wirral and Chester branch of the Normandy Veterans Association Yvette Innes said: "They're over the moon. They can't believe it.

A TV historian is helping people take a step back in time when they visit the Cheshire County Show.

Star of BBC 2's Victorian Farm Alex Langlands, who lived for a year as a Victorian farmer for the historical documentary about life in the past, will be creating a mini timewarp at this year's show.

Alex will be demonstrating old farming methods and practices, as well as explaining how the lessons of history can be used for a greener lifestyle today.

He will be passing on tips to the expanding 'grow your own' generation wanting to beat the credit crunch and anyone interested in reducing their impact on the environment.

Alex will be at the Tabley showground on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 23 and 24, demonstrating his passion for country crafts like bee keeping, beer and cider making, and stone walling.

Many of the methods that Alex has taken from 1885 can be used for a more sustainable and greener lifestyle today.

TOGETHER again 46 years after they first played, Vauxhall Motors - with a little help from the Pioneer - reunited some of the surviving members of the original works team that became Vauxhall Motors FC.

Back in 1963 workers at the plant, some originally from the firm's sister plant in Luton, decided to start a works team, as they had done down south.

With former West Brom player Fred Ward in charge the side came together quickly, joining the Ellesmere Port League.

A TEAM is being put together to stitch the story of life and faith in Ellesmere Port.

As part of its latest community project, Trinity Methodist Church is forming a group which will create a tapestry for the town.

Last week, 15 people attended a two-day foundation workshop where they were trained in the basic stitches.

Beginners and experts are invited to get involved with the initiative, called A Stitch in Time, and they can help with research, design or stitching.

It is hoped by the end of the year there will be sufficient interest and skill to start work on the panels, which will tell the story of the town.

MORE than 40 luxury apartments have been unveiled following the conversion of Neston's old police station.

The site, known as Renaissance, has been officially launched by Cheshire-based developers the Ladson group.

Guests at the opening, which included Neston and Parkgate councillor Brenda Dowding and outgoing Ellesmere Port and Neston mayor Keith Butcher, were treated to a glass of champagne and a guided tour of the development.

Members of neighbouring associations including Neston's Civic Society were also in attendance to celebrate the renovation of the listed 1930s building in Hinderton Road.

YOUNGSTERS have been bumped on boundary stones as part of an annual Cheshire tradition that dates back hundreds of years.

The 'beating of the bounds' was carried out by the Lord Mayor of Chester, Cllr Brian Bailey, the Ellesmere Port and Neston mayor, Cllr Keith Butcher and Vale Royal mayor, Cllr Malcolm Gaskill.

The four children who joined them were Emma Lilico, Daniel and Max Dagnall and Ciera Nelson.

The original purpose of the ceremony was to remind people of towns and villages about the extent of their boundaries, in the days before precise map-making.

As part of the tradition, the four children were ceremoniously bumped on each boundary stone, while the head of property and project management services tapped each stone down with a ceremonial rod to establish its setting.

At each stone, the mayor announced: "I, the mayor of the city of Chester, do hereby set this stone and declare it well and truly laid to mark the boundary of the city and county of the city of Chester at this point. God save the Queen."

Despite the recent councils shake-up, the traditional ceremony is expected to be continued next year.

THE National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port held an open day for people interested in becoming a volunteer.

Current vacancies at the historic seven-acre site include museum guide, archivist, boatman, gardener and Victorian housekeeper.

Steve Stamp, chairman of the Boat Museum Society, which co-ordinates volunteering at the museum, said: "Our volunteers get involved in many different aspects of the museum.

"On the day lots of us were there in overalls, cleaning or repairing boats and engines. Others were taking narrow boats through the locks or moving them about the canal docks.

"We also help out with the public and some of the team were demonstrating crafts or dressing up as characters from the past to help bring history to life."

OUR special three-part nostalgia feature with Ellesmere Port-born international artist Douglas Edwards last month brought back fond memories for his old friends.

Gwen Manning, of Wellesley Walk in the town centre, says she and Mr Edwards both attended John Street School.

And she tells us that, even though there was hardship after the war, she too loved her childhood.

Her experiences reflect the community spirit that many Port residents enjoyed in those decades.

Recalling her neighbours, Gwen said: "There was the old man who fetched the parcels on his horse and cart.

"Then there was the Hindmoors milk cart. I always helped on that when they came down our road.

"Then there was the Singing Fish Man, as we called him. His name was Price from Oldfield Road.

"We were very close to everyone in Crescent Road. There was a little shop there where everyone went called Hindley's.

"Mr Hindley was a very nice man who looked after us kids when the war was on."
During their childhood, there were many places in the Port for Gwen and her brother, Roy Morgan, to play.

She said: "Ledham's garage at the back of us was where my brother Roy spent most of his childhood playing.

"We used to play down the cattle arch as well, and there was a fairground in Westminster Road that was called Stoats. I spent many happy days there.
"I also spent a lot of time in the park in Westminster Road.

"We used to go to the tuck shop on the corner of Wilkinson Street in our dinner hour and go on to the park to eat it."

Gwen added: "My father, Watty Morgan, was abroad for five years, fighting the Japanese, so when he did come home, he didn't know us. But it was like that for everyone, we just got on with it."

As she grew older, the much-loved Hippodrome (pictured above) became the Majestic Dance Hall where she enjoyed as many nights as she could.

When she left school, she went on to work at Anderson's newsagents.

Gwen explained: "I loved it there because I knew everyone who came in.

"All the mill men would come in at 5am each day for their baccie (tobacco) and we would have a joke with them, it was great.

"The Ellesmere Port Pioneer office was in Cromwell Road in those days and you had to go up the stairs to get into it.

"I remember some of the people who worked there because I had to collect the papers for the shop.

"I have never left the Port, I've always loved it here.

"I know it has changed but we had the best years when everyone knew everyone else and the Port was a busy place with plenty of work and things to do.

"I could go on and on about the Port. I have got some good memories of the old days."

FORMER town resident Colin Roddan told the Pioneer he has "thoroughly enjoyed" reading about the childhood exploits and memories of his old friend Douglas Edwards.

Mr Roddan, who used to live at 4 King Street, Ellesmere Port, was mentioned in his chum "Douggie's" three-part trip down Memory Lane.

He told us: "As young lads we went in Warrington contractor's yard. Ted Fletcher there was Uncle Ted, he lived next to the yard and was foreman in charge.

"He used to knock on our door to see my dad and say I had been in the yard.

"He was actually worried about us getting into trouble or getting hurt.

"My dad told him 'If you catch him in there again, give him a clip around the ear and he won't do it again'."

Mr Roddan, who now lives in Chipping Sodbury although his sister still lives in the Port, has a nostalgic return home every once in a while.

"I go down King Street and it's not really changed at all, except for at the bottom where there was a field on which we played football and cricket.

"Douggie was an artist back then and we used to marvel at his drawings," he added.

Douglas Edwards says thank you for the opportunity

I WISH to thank the Pioneer for publishing my memories of Ellesmere Port over the last three weeks.

I hope all your readers have enjoyed it.

I'd very much appreciate it if, through the paper, I could pass on my best wishes to Dorothy Lyth who so kindly phoned your office in the spring to say how much she had enjoyed my previous articles.

I was in the same class at school as a Sylvia Lyth from Worcester Street, who was always very pleasant and intelligent.

Sylvia had twin sisters, Pauline and (was it?) Dorothy or Doreen and the latter once worked as a telephonist at the Queen Street exchange in the years before self-dialling phones.

I remember once, on a visit to England, she and I recognised each others' voices when I'd asked her to connect me with a certain phone number in Liverpool, so we spent some time talking to each other.

I wonder if this person was your springtime caller?

Dorothy (or Doreen) was a participant in the Miss Ellesmere Port contest in the late 1950s.

There was also a brother, Colin, who had a very serious fall into the empty hold of a ship in dock in the Port.

Thankfully, Colin was not killed and eventually regained his health.

Anyhow, whoever the Dorothy Lyth is who enjoyed my memories, thank you so much for saying so.

DOUGLAS EDWARDS
Virginia, USA

EDITOR'S NOTE:
If the Dorothy Lyth referred to in this letter is still around in Ellesmere Port, maybe she'd like to contact us with her own memories. And if anyone else can answer Mr Edwards' question, we'd gladly welcome their views and thoughts.