Recently by Runcorn And Widnes Weekly News

A RUNCORN pensioner who served as a nurse on one of the world's most famous luxury liners is to be a guest of honour at a special birthday ceremony.

Dorothy Sharpe served as a nursing sister on the RMS Queen Mary during the 1930s.
The vessel - one of the most famous in history - once held the Blue Riband award for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic, and also served as a troop transporter in the Second World War.

Now Dorothy, 82, is to take part in the 75th anniversary celebration of the liner's launch.
She said: "I can still remember all the varied menus and wonderful food that we had.
"In fact, at the end of the voyage it was nice to get home and have something plain and simple to eat!

THIS Sunday, July 19, at least three quarters of a million people will be partying, in one form or another, throughout the length and breadth of the land.

Those who are avid perusers of the internet may have seen that the street parties revival is called the Big Lunch and the two men behind it are Tim Smit, founder of Cornwall's magnificent Eden project, and marketing guru Paul Twivy, best known for his efforts with Comic Relief.

They first came up with the idea in 2007 and, as the big day approaches, the Big Lunch website shows that 6,500 green dots mottle the map of Britain, each marking a street that has declared its intention to string up the bunting, shut down the traffic and party.
At a time in our lives when many people don't even know their next-door neighbours, Smit and Twivy wholeheartedly believe that the 'street party' is the best way of resuscitating the kind of community spirit which existed up until the late 1970s.

Will it catch on? Well, those who have signed up to the idea include parts of Merseyside and a bash for 5,000 is planned in Toxteth.

Street parties were last held in 2002 to celebrate the Queen's golden jubilee but the last really big wave of such celebrations was back in 1977 marking Her Majesty's silver jubilee.

EVEN a century ago, Chambers' Encyclopaedia described Chester as 'one of the most picturesque towns in England'.

But it is its place in history which gives it an added fascination for most of us who are merely visitors to the city, along with the many scores of thousands who descend on it from far and wide every year.

The July meeting of Runcorn Historical Society gave members an opportunity to see and learn much more about the city's attractions from a man who has made it his business to know all there is to know about the place.

Stephen Shakeshaft is chairman of the Guild of Chester tour guides and he treated his audience to a wonderful, highly entertaining insight into the city where once, back in AD43, some 5,000 of the 20,000 Romans who invaded Britain were stationed.

The Saxons extended the city walls and were followed by the Normans who arrived in the 11th century.

NEWS came my way about a former Runcorn artist who is still performing gigs, not in the Old Town but in the London and Hertfordshire areas.

The words and music of Raymond Page, along with his poems, will be of particular interest for local readers.

The artist focuses much of his work on Runcorn itself and also some of the old town characters who were well known in our part of the world.

They include 'Bogey' Marsh, Gladys Peach, Charles Nickson, Gwyneth Lunt and Nancy Keam.

RUNCORN'S wartime role in the production of mustard gas at the Ministry of Supply factory at Randle Works, Wigg Island, is now part of the town's industrial history.

But not so well known in this part of the world is the part played by the Flintshire site at Rhydymwyn Valley, Mold.

And one man who had an important role in the top secret work at both Randle and Rhydymwyn Valley was William John (Bill) Henney, of Moughland Lane.

Now in his 95th year, Bill went to Randle at the outbreak of the war.

BONESHAKERS they may have been, but we should not forget that the old Widnes buses hold a unique place in transport history.

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In this, the year of Halton Transport's centenary, it is worth recalling that this was the borough which launched the world's first-ever covered top double decker buses.

It was 9am on Friday April 9, 1909 that the first double decker bus left the old Transporter Bridge at West Bank, setting the wheels in motion for 100 years of service by the town's transport undertaking

CAN you help? Widnesian Sandie Hayes is currently researching the eight men of Cronton who gave their lives in the Great War. Nearly all the names appear on the memorial at St Luke's Church, Farnworth.

The eight are: Alexander Glover, William Webster, Arthur Houghton, William Norris, Harold Taylor, Thomas Hesketh, Enoch Pitt and Charles Wright.

Sandie says she cannot find anything that links Private Charles Wright to Cronton, although she has discovered he lived in Huyton and is buried in Widnes.

"Is there anyone living in the borough who is descended from any of these men?' Sandie asks.

THE growing popularity of the railways - passenger numbers are up by half since privatisation - has led train companies to promote the idea of reopening some of the branch lines closed by Dr Richard Beeching 40 years ago.

For railway lovers (and there are great many of us) it is good news. Unfortunately, as far as I can see, the first 14 lines currently under consideration are mainly in the South East and South West with only Rawtenstall, Lancashire, coming from the North West.

However, a report just published identifies 20 more lines where reopening could be justified on employment grounds.

Like Brixham, Devon, Rawtenstall carries steam trains run by heritage groups.
Elsewhere, some tracks have been removed and the lines converted to footpaths or cycleways.

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.

ONCE seen as little more than an obscure village, there were already signs, even in the first stages of the 19th century, that Runcorn was rapidly being transformed into a town of some importance.

Early directories of Cheshire, copies of which have been kindly provided for me by David Toft, of Moughland Lane, provide a fascinating insight into the changes which the town was undergoing.

In addition to Kelly's Directories of Cheshire, David also sent me Post Office directories published in 1857 and 1878 and one going back even further, published by Pigot's in 1822-23. The latter tells us about the 'renowned' Ethelfleda whose forts on the banks of the Mersey were specifically built (and strategically placed) to keep out the Danes.

This particular directory talks about 'the parochial church standing above the castle rock' and how, in succeeding reigns, the consequence of Runcorn decayed'.

The directory then makes it clear that before the coming of the Duke of Bridgewater's Canal, Runcorn was nothing more than an 'obscure' village.