November 2008 Archives

A FOOTBALL match played this week held historical significance for those who gave their lives in the 1914-1918 Great War.

Thirty officers and soldiers from the Chester-based 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh (Royal Welch Fusiliers) played a football match in Frelinghien, France, to commemorate a brief time of peace that occurred on the first Christmas Day of the First World War.

The Royal Welch Fusiliers met their German opponents, the Saxons of the 133 Infantry Regiment and the Prussians of the 6 Jager Battalion, in no- man's-land for an impromptu game of football on what was a rare day of peace on Christmas Day, 1914.

Captain C I Stockwell, who was present at the original Truce, wrote an account of the events on "one of the most curious Christmas Days" he had ever experienced.

He describes the singing, cheering and the exchanging of beer that took place. However, after this one night of peace and festivity, the fighting was resumed the next day.

Captain Stockwell recalls: "The German captain and I both saluted. He fired two shots in the air, and the war was on again".

The football match this week was played on the site of the original Truce game. The opposing team comprised members of the German Army's Panzergrenadier Battalion 371, formed from the Saxon Infantry, who originally played in 1914.

British soldiers attended the unveiling of a Christmas Truce Memorial in the town. This Memorial displays the badges of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the Saxon infantry and the Prussian Jager. They also took part in a Service of Remembrance before the football match, taking part in a two minute silence.

The Commanding Officer of The Royal Welsh 1st Battalion, Lt Col Nick Lock, said: "We are delighted to be taking part. The Christmas Truce illustrated the basic humanity of the men from both sides engaged in that terrible conflict."

CHESHIRE airfields had a massive hand to play in the Second World War, according to leading historian Aldon Ferguson.

At the height of the conflict the county had nine operational airfields, with six of them purpose-built to aid the war effort at Calveley, Cranage, Stretton, Poulton, Little Sutton and Tatton Park, while airfields at Ringway, Hooton Park and Woodford were already in existence.

These nine airfields were used by the Royal Air Force and many war-time fighters and bombers were built, while thousands of pilots, navigators and paratroopers were also trained, according to Mr Ferguson's new book Cheshire Airfields of The Second World War.

The book explains in depth what has happened to all nine of the airfields since the war, with only two of the sites, Ringway and Woodford, still operating.

The other seven have been built over or returned to quiet fields.

Cheshire Airfields of The Second World War is published by Countryside Books, priced £12.99, and available at all good bookshops or direct from the publisher at wwww.countrysidebooks. co.uk.

RUNCORN may be a New Town, but it is also an old town with a long history.

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The words are those of historian Bert Starkey, eloquently summing up an introductory piece to his latest pictorial book entitled Runcorn - A Town Not So New.

The book provides us with everything we have come to expect from the historian's offerings: more than 200 photographs (the majority new to most of us) with every one accompanied by explanatory, lucidly presented, self-contained captions.

And once again, the contents are neatly compartmentalised, beginning with breathtaking pictures of the building of the Runcorn-Widnes Jubilee Bridge, followed by chapters on industrial Runcorn, town and country views, landmark buildings, church activities, pageants and processions.

Finally, there is a chapter on Some Runcorn Folk, in itself a modest title for a number of revealing and fascinating pictures, ranging from an Edwardian wedding 100 years ago to a picture taken at a banquet at the Exchange Station in Liverpool on December 7, 1916, when Hazlehurst & Sons Limited celebrated its centenary.

Hazlehursts was acquired from the United Alkali Company by Levers who closed the soapworks in 1913 and transferred production to Port Sunlight. Among the 150 guests were some retired employees of the firm. Hazlehursts brand name was still in use in the 1930s.

There are also photos of the boys of the old Runcorn County Secondary School, seen in formal pose in 1927, and a group of sixth formers of the Runcorn County Grammar School at the Waterloo Road site in 1946.

Within a couple of years the school was closed and the pupils were transferred to the then new Helsby Grammar School.

Bert prefaces his book with an easy-to read account of the town's 1,000-year history, skipping easily though the years from the third century AD when the Romans established a settlement at Halton Brow.

Published by Avid Publications, Runcorn, A Town Not So New is priced at £12.99 and is available from the Curiosity Bookshop, High Street, Runcorn

THE much awaited book telling the story of the Crewe Kings speedway club will be published in May - but there is still time for Chronicle readers to have their stories included.

The launch of When They Were Kings - The Crewe Speedway Story will coincide with the 40th anniversary of British League speedway beginning at the old Earle Street stadium in 1969.

The authors Mark Potts, Tony Marks, Kev Tew and Andy Scoffin have all but completed their labour of love, which is to include all the heat details from all of the 350-plus meetings which involved the Kings. Junior and training school matches and details will also be included.

The authors are interviewing ex-riders for the final chapter of the book, who include Dai Evans, Dave Morton, John Jackson and Phil Crump.

The foreword has been penned by Dave Parry, who was involved in the Kings story from start to finish, first as a rider, then manager and promoter.

Readers are being invited to send in their memories and stories of the Crewe Kings to the Chronicle office at 32-34 Victoria Street Crewe; e-mail crewe.news@cheshirenews.co.uk. The top 10 will be published in the book and the best one will receive a free copy.

The launch next year will involve many ex-riders who will be present to sign the books.
The 375-page hard back book, published by Brookmark Publications of Nantwich (Quayside Creative) will feature many never previously published photographs and will retail at £12.99 (ISBN 978-0-955-6733-4-4).

Cheshire airfields had a massive hand to play in the Second World War, according to leading World War II historian, Aldon Ferguson.

At the height of of the Second World War, Cheshire had nine operational airfields, with six of them purpose-built to aid the war effort at Calveley, Stretton, Poulton, Cranage, Little Sutton and Tatton Park, while airfields at Ringway, Hooton Park and Woodford were already in existence.

These nine airfields were used by the Royal Air Force and many war-time fighters and bombers were built, while thousands of pilots, navigators and paratroopers were also trained according to the book Cheshire Airfields of The Second World War.

The book explains in depth what has happened to all nine of the airfields since the war, with only two of the sites, Ringway and Woodford still operating.

The other seven have been built over or returned to the quiet fields that they once were, with a corner of the old Cranage airfield now lying under the M6.

Detailed research takes the reader through the action during the conflict that took place at the airfields during the war, including the construction of an aircraft that was amazingly assembled in just 24-hours, before having a successful test flight within just 45 minutes.

The book also describes how the airfields helped to protect Manchester and the docks at Birkenhead and Liverpool and how training at the airfields directly affected the D-Day Landings.

Mr Ferguson has also obtained access to several interesting photographs which help the reader to picture what the airfields looked like in the early forties.

AN OLD journal has been discovered which sheds light on life in South Cheshire more than 170 years ago.

It was written by Ellen Tollet of Betley Hall and describes two years in the life of a privileged 22-year-old living in the 1830s.

She was the daughter of a wealthy landowner and close friend of Emily Darwin, the wife of Charles Darwin.

The journal and a collection of letters have been transcribed by Staffordshire woman Mavis E Smith into a book called Ellen Tollet of Betley Hall which includes 60 illustrations and sketches.

The journals were found by Mrs Smith in the Shropshire archives and she got permission to transcribe them.

Mrs Smith said: "It's been a tremendously rewarding experience transcribing this book and I feel like I have got into the head of someone who lived an incredibly long time ago.

"The journal was written before trains and at a time when Crewe was just a small village."

From tragic deaths to house parties, the diary includes the deepest thoughts and witty observations of a well-educated lady.

It follows Ellen Tollet's experiences travelling before trains, and at a time when women did not enjoy the same freedoms as they do now.

The book also includes unpublished letters from Florence Nightingale and Charles Darwin.

It costs £12.50 and can be bought from the Nantwich Bookshop or directly from Mrs Smith on 01782 750176.

Any profits from sales or subsequent talks Mrs Smith may make will be given to a cancer charity.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF Newtown including this image of Christ Church school (above) are jogging a few memories.

The photographs form part of an exhibition called Newtown Remembered at Chester History and Heritage Centre until November 29. It features pictures and memories of the area, from the 1920s onwards.

Christ Church School, which opened in 1842, is now home to Chester Little Theatre.

If you have photographs or memories to add to the exhibition, e-mail Elaine Pierce Jones at Chester History & Heritage at e.pierce-jones@ chester.gov.uk or telephone 01244 402110.