Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, Issue 79

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Issue 79
Uttoxeter
& Cheadle
Uttoxeter
& Cheadle

2 If you are responding to an advertisement in The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, please let the advertiser know. Thank you for your support.
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3Let The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice take your business to 15,000 local homes. To advertise, call 01538 751629 or 07733 466 970.
Publisher and Editor: Nigel Titterton
The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice is published by Community Voice Publications Ltd
Telephone 01538 751629 e-mail uttoxetervoice@hotmail.co.uk
The views expressed in this publication are those of our contributors and are not necessarily those of the
publishers, nor indeed their responsibility. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright Community Voice Publications Ltd.
Designed and Produced by noel@sergeantdesign.com
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH
The Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice is wholly independent and is published at 3
Spode Close, Cheadle, Staffs ST10 1DT
15,000 copies are distributed free to homes and businesses in Uttoxeter,
Cheadle, Ashbourne, Rocester, Denstone, Bramshall, Stramshall, Alton,
Oakamoor, Tean, Lower Tean, Checkley, Leigh, Church Leigh, Crakemarsh,
Combridge, Kingsley, Mayfield, Draycott, Cresswell, Saverley Green & Fulford,
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Froghall, Hollington, Marston Montgomery, Meir Park areas.
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W
elcome to the first Voice colour magazine
of 2018! We do not produce The Voice in
January as everyone needs a little time to
get over the Christmas and New Year periods but
sincere thanks to all of you who have emailed and
phoned us to ask when they will receive their first
2018 magazine – it means a lot to us when readers say how much they enjoy reading
our magazine and also when advertisers tell us they have received great responses
to their adverts.
I don’t know about you but I’m getting really fed up about Brexit!! I mentioned
after the Referendum that all Political Parties and the people of the UK must come
together and face up to the European Union ‘establishment’ in Brussels!
I said the EU would make it as hard as possible for us in the negotiations and
they would give us nothing and would only want to secure a deal which is good for
them.
Well, thank you to all UK politicians for making us a complete laughing stock in
the World...
Talk about coming together, all you hear on the TV and in the newspapers are
infighting in the Politicial Parties and point-scoring off each other – it’s a disgrace
to us, the genuine British public!
In my opinion, the BBC news coverage against Theresa May and Brexit has been
scandalous!
So to the politicians and the media, you had better get behind Great Britain pretty
soon and get us a great deal or you will face the wrath of the people.
On a completely different note, I love the people in our community, and during
the last few weeks I have noticed that we have lost a lot of lovely genuine folk.
Many who have died have for many years been cared for by family and our
wonderful NHS as they battled numerous conditions.
Most of us have been through the emotionally draining task of caring for a loved
one until the end comes. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all carers
most sincerely - what you have done is a magnificent achievement which brings with
it its own rewards and obviously sadness.
One such person I would like to comment on is the late Sheila Skinner’s (nee
Emery) brother Keith... Never can anyone have cared for a family member more
than him - 365 days a year pushing his sister in a wheelchair around Cheadle in all
weathers. Take a bow lad...
And take a bow all you wonderful carers - your dedication was hugely
appreciated by those who you did it for...
I hope you enjoy reading this issue of The Voice colour magazine
Nigel Titterton,
Editor & Publisher
Dear Reader,

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7 The Square, Market Place, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 8HN
Tel: 01889 560111 Mob: 07929 201128
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We now offer
Tiles by:

Mind, Body &
Wellness Event
The Guild Hall, Cheadle
7th April 2018, 10.30am-4pm
Free Admission
Talks and demonstrations throughout the day on
yoga, meditation, hypnotherapy, past life regression,
introduction to crystals, amongst others.
Exhibitors, organic skincare, shamanic products,
health foods, crystals, international readers, holistic
therapies, Indian head massage, crystal healing,
Reiki, reflexology and much more.
Raffle supporting local charities
Kerry Huckerby and
Eunice and Jen Foster
07855 935 326 or
07808 844 380
Email: kejevents15@gmail.com
Facebook: Holistic Health and Wellness
Hosted by Holistic Health and Wellness Events Ltd
Providing a
complete
cremation service
for your pet
Green Pastures is a family run crematorium
situated in the heart of the countryside, near
Uttoxeter in Staffordshire.
We have been providing a complete cremation
service for pets since 1987.
As caring pet owners, we know only too well how
much a part of the family your pet becomes.
So many people, like ourselves refuse to allow
their pets just to be disposed of but instead seek
a more compassionate approach.
At Green Pastures your pet will be treated with
the care and dignity a loving friend deserves.
We hope that by exploring our website many of
your questions and concerns will have been
addressed, if not please contact us.
Dove House, Hollington Lane, Stramshall,
Uttoxeter, Staffs, ST14 5EP
www.greenpasturespetcrematorium.co.uk
Tel/Fax: 01889 507451
Mobile: 07831 399444
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Y
ou may have noticed that it’s easier to find
your way around Doveridge these days and
that it’s looking somewhat tidier and cleaner.
This is thanks to the work of local boy James
Cooksedge who seeing that some of the road signs
in Doveridge were obscured by overgrown
vegetation and well overdue for a clean, took it upon
himself to do something about it as part of his fund
raising efforts for his forthcoming World Challenge
Expedition to Vietnam and Laos.
James said: “I want to do something to improve
the community which has supported me and my
friends so far in our fund raising efforts and I hope
will continue to do so. These jobs haven’t been done
for years, hopefully people will notice the
improvement.”
As well as cleaning and clearing road signs James
has given the main bus stop on the entrance to
Doveridge a much needed deep clean and cleared
decades of overgrowth behind Doveridge Village
Hall, making this long abandoned area available to
be put to good use. James has made a short video
showing all the work he has been doing. It can be
viewed on his website www.jamescooksedge.co.uk.
James is working very hard to earn the £4,500
the trip will cost. As well as well as this community
work he is working as a lifeguard at Uttoxeter
Leisure Centre, and as an assistant at Balance Street
Dispensary. He also offers a pressure washing
service to houses in Doveridge.
James’s work has been voluntary, but if you
would like to show your appreciation of his efforts
and make a small donation, you can do so at his
website. The site also contains details of his patio
and drive cleaning service.
James is one of 44 pupils from Thomas
Alleyne’s School who will be making this trip.
Teacher Mrs Fletcher said: “I’m really proud of how
creative our students have been in raising their
funds for the World Challenge Trip in 2018. James
has really embraced the ethos of World Challenge
by helping others which is one of the main aims of
his visit to Vietnam and Laos. He will be
completing project work for under privileged
communities as well as trekking through jungles
and becoming immersed into new cultures. I hope
that what James and the other pupils learn during
their expedition will stay with them throughout
their lives. It’s a fantastic opportunity and I thank
everyone that helps them to achieve their
fundraising target.”
James cleans up Doveridge as he fundraises
for his World Challenge Expedition dream!

I
t’s Panto time again in Cheadle. OH YES IT IS! And
C.A.T.S. (Cheadle Amateur Theatrical Society) is
inviting you to the circus!
C.A.T.S. 2018 production is the fun filled,
traditional family Pantomime, ‘Goldilocks and the
Three Bears’ written by Victoria R. Wood and directed
by Jake Allsop.
Dame Pixie Locks (Andrew Farrington,) and her
son Curly the clown (Ben Cleaver,) run Goodies
Circus, which has just rolled into the town of Lil’
Cheydul on Lieu. However, their circus days may be
short lived if Dr Von Volt ( Becky Snow) and the
Cirque du Eeval have their way.
Goldilocks (Victoria R. Wood) and her friends,
Philly the horse trainer (Miriam Hermolle) Durriken
(Megan Hermolle) and the Amazing Ronaldo, (Sam
Stephens) may be able to help save their beloved
Goodies Circus, but only if they can find a unique new
act to bring in some money. Can three porridge loving
bears, (Jason Greenwood, Samantha Hughes-Johnson
and Megan Probyn) save the day?
With colourful sets, fabulous costumes, magic
tricks, a brilliant, unique ultra violet scene, lots of
surprises and a script packed full of un-bear-able jokes,
‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ has all the ingredients
to make this C.A.T.S. pantomime “just right.”
Sadly, the inspiration behind this year’s pantomime,
Alan R. Price, is no longer with us. ‘Goldilocks and the
Three Bears’ was Alan’s first pantomime which he
wrote and directed for C.A.T.S. in 1996. When Victoria,
who has been in several of Alan’s pantomimes and
productions, expressed an interest in writing a
pantomime herself, he suggested Goldilocks. Victoria’s
version is an updated of Goldilocks and started the
journey of writing a new script and introducing
characters, over 15 months ago. This production is
dedicated to Alan, a true gentleman who filled theatres
with laughter and was an inspiration to many.
With a cast of more than thirty people of all ages,
‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ is a mammoth task to
bring to the stage. New imaginative costumes have
been designed and made and there
will be an amazing jumbo feature
on stage that C.A.T.S is keeping
under wraps at present. Front of
House will be aiming to keep hold
of their Best Front of House
Trophy awarded in 2017 by the
North Staff amateur Theatrical
Association.
Everyone of all ages is invited
to bring along their favourite
Teddy Bear to join in the fun.
From the moment Teddy Bears
and their well behaved owners
arrive, they will be in for a big
surprise when they are
transported to a world of circus,
carnival and fairytale.
Director, Jake Allsop is excited
at directing his first C.A.T.S.
production. He says “This year’s
Pantomime will be a mix of old
and new traditions, which will
create something that C.A.T.S.
have never seen before.”
‘Goldilocks and the Three
Bears’ will be performed from
Wednesday 21st to Saturday 24th
February, at the Cheadle
Community Theatre, Cheadle
Academy, Station Rd, Cheadle.
Show starts at 7pm. Doors open 30
minutes prior to showtime and a
bar is available.
Get your paws on tickets now
to avoid disappointment. Adults
£8 and Concessions £6. Available
at Crafty Urchins, NuSyte
Opticians, Xtra Clean, (all on High
Steet, Cheadle) the Cheadle and Tean Times and online
at C.A.T.S. website www.cheadle-cats.org.uk (booking
fee applies.) Or call Stephen on 01538 752138 for more
details.
Dedicated to CATS legend,
the late Alan Price, a True Gentleman

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M
uscular Dystrophy UK is the charity
for the 70,000 people living with
muscle-wasting conditions in the UK.
It brings together people affected by more than
60 rare and very rare progressive muscle-
weakening and wasting conditions.
Muscle-wasting conditions are very rare,
affecting just over one in every 1,000 people so,
some health professionals may never come across
anyone with a muscle-wasting condition and not
many people outside of the medical community
have heard if the condition let alone the charity
that supports people affected by it and research
into it.
It is a condition that is very personal to us as
a family with Chris’s mum being affected greatly
by it and ultimately causing her death in 2013.
Claire has already completed the London
Marathon once before raising over £2,000 for
charity and so when both Chris and Claire were
awarded places for this year’s race it was even
more exciting and a great opportunity to support
a very special charity once more. Their target is
£3,750 but of course that is just the target and
they hope to raise even more through a variety of
fund raising events. One of their initiatives is the
Smartie Tube Challenge. Everyone is welcome to
take part in this challenge with a chance to win 4
tickets to Alton Towers Resort.
In addition they have set up a just giving page
- www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ clairecarter
80 and are also seeking sponsorship from
companies in exchange for putting their logo
onto their running kit. St Thomas’ school in Tean
are running a coffee morning for pupils and
parents and Chris and Claire are currently
planning blind wine tasting as well as a murder
mystery night.
All of the family are joining in to help
fundraise and raise awareness. Their Son and
Daughter Lily aged 8 and Ioan aged 6, from St
Thomas’ Catholic school in Tean, have organised
their own fundraising event. Ioan will be washing
local cars in Tean in exchange for a small
donation. Precious Washers in Stafford have
generously donated equipment to Ioan. And Lily
will be running a mammoth 10k around JCB on
15th April. If you would like to sponsor Lily or
check on her updates please visit her just giving
page - www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lily-
ioan
Top left: Chris & Claire
Right: Lily
Chris and Claire Carter from Upper Tean
are running the Virgin London Marathon for
Muscular Dystrophy UK
See how
The Voice
can
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your
business
Give us a call on
01538 751629
or 07733 466 970
or Email:
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hotmail.co.uk
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Thomas Alleyne’s High School, Dove Bank, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 8DU
t: 01889 561820 | e: office@tahs.org.uk | w: www.thomasalleynes.uk
The opportunity to educate other people’s children is our
privilege and brings with it a huge responsibility to make sure
that we provide students with the opportunities they require to
achieve happiness and success in their future lives.
Alongside ensuring our students achieve academic success,
we are passionate in providing opportunities to ensure students
have the chance to develop skills in teamwork, independence,
resilience and creativity. We place great emphasis on the
importance of having a rounded education, with a balance of the
Arts, Sciences, technical and creative subjects.
School production. Last term, students put on a wonderfully
challenging and thoroughly professional production of the play
‘Woman in Black’. This was followed by our school music
concert. A number of young people, who are ex- students of
the school and currently at studying at the Birmingham
Conservatoire, returned to Thomas Alleyne’s to support the
school and play for us once more. Students showed passion,
commitment and care for each other throughout the evening as
well as providing us with a superb show.
School Farm goes from strength to strength. Last term saw
our school farm go from strength to strength. The support of the
local community for our school farm is much appreciated.
Students participated in a wide range of events including the
Winter Fayre at the Staffordshire County Showground. They
entered a number of different competitions showing confidence,
presenting the animals well and answering all the judge’s
questions articulately. As a result they managed to secure first,
third and fourth places.
Success in sports. It has also been a busy term for sport.
Thomas Alleyne’s U14 Girls and U16 Girls teams became District
Cross Country champions. Alongside this the Badminton team
were District winners. Students had success in the full range of
sports including rugby, football, hockey, netball, and basketball.
As a Duke of Edinburgh Registered Award Centre, we are thrilled
that an incredible 100 students have signed up for the Bronze
Award our Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme this year. The Silver
and Gold teams continue with their success. It was wonderful
to see them at their Awards Even ing in October.
Our superb House system, which was praised by Ofsted,
enables students to immediately feel part of our school
community. Students have the opportunity to represent their
House and contribute towards its success in a rich variety of
competitions. This term students are producing shows for our
School House Drama competition and last term competed in
House Cross-Country, Rugby, Hockey, and Basketball
competitions.
Academic success. At the start of this year Ofsted shared with
us their ‘Inspection Data Summary Report’. It is full of positive
news for departments and for the school overall. We have an
established record of students making excellent progress. The
Science department were placed in the top 24% of schools
nationally. Similarly, the Maths department were placed in the
top 17% of schools nationally.
We are ambitious for all our students and were thrilled that our
leavers last year secured top university places and Higher
Apprenticeships in companies such as Total IT Solutions, Ernst
Young, Rolls Royce and AstraZeneca a global pharmaceutical
company.
Individuality, Progress
and Opportunity at
Thomas Alleyne’s
High School Uttoxeter

Serving Breakfasts and
Homemade Scones & Cakes
Daily Specials
Boat trips start in Spring
Specialising in Teas, Italian Piacetto Coffee
and home baked scones
Welcoming families, ramblers, cyclists,
dog walkers and canal enthusiasts
Open Tuesday-Sunday from 10am-3pm
and 10am-4pm weekends
Froghall Wharf, Foxt Road,
Churnet Valley ST10 2HJ
Situated 5 minutes from Cheadle &
15 minutes from Ashbourne on the A52
by the canal in Froghall Wharf.
Tel: 01538 266288
CARLTON UPHOLSTERY
RE-UPHOLSTERY & REPAIRS • EST 1979
Three-Piece Suites • Odd Chairs & Sofas
Headboards • Bedroom Furniture • Re-Springing
Replacement Seat • Foam Cushions/Fibre
Repairs to Upholstery
Antique Restoration also Undertaken
For a FREE Estimate call Carlton Upholstery on
01538 756274 or 07976 794811
Carlton Upholstery, 1 Rawle Close, Rectory Fields,
Cheadle, Staffs ST10 1UX
Taekwon-do
We train at The Parkwood Community
Leisure Centre In Cheadle on Tuesday Night
6.00pm to 6.30pm 4yrs to 6yrs
6.30pm to 7.30pm Junior/Beginers Grades
7.30pm to 8.30pm Senior/Advanced Grades
Call John on 07854 806581
www.nctkd.co.uk
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COALD. J. Martin Solid Fuel Supplies
Phone Dave for a very competitive price on
07541 078667
any day before 8.30pm
or evening: 01889 569787
Sweet Meadow Farm, Dagdale Lane,
Bramshall, Uttoxeter ST14 5BJ
Fully trained and registered with
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Tel 01889 564216
tyreways@uttoxeter.ndo.co.uk
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How I can help
Sometimes we can feel lost,out of kilter,confused,
stressed or consumed with grief.I offer a safe
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GlitzDancewear
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New fantastic costumes
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But hurry to avoid disappointment!
We stock all styles of dancewear,
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Large selection of Adult &
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28 Bank Street Cheadle
01538 754414
Email: sales@glitz-fancydress.co.uk
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F
ulford Community Choir was formed as a small, short term community project back in
September 2012 but proved to be so popular that it now has over 65 regular members meeting
in Fulford Village Hall on Sunday afternoons. The choir has attracted all ages from 11 years old
up to members in their senior years often with no previous singing experience but for the past two
years the choir has become confident enough under the leadership of Choral Director Dan
Hollingshurst to take part in choral competitions around the country as well as local annual concerts
in Fulford Village Hall, Fulford Church and Victoria Hall, Hanley.
The choir sings a wide range of music including traditional songs from various countries, gospel
medleys, rounds, contemporary pop songs, excerpts from musicals etc.
It is open to anyone who wishes to join and is always looking for new members from Fulford and
the surrounding villages/areas so that they can also enjoy the experience of singing in a group and
the social benefits that rehearsing and performing gives you.
You don’t have to be able to read music, will not be auditioned or put on the spot but will be offered
a very warm, friendly welcome and are guaranteed to have lots of fun!
For information about costs (first rehearsal free), rehearsal dates or a general chat about the choir,
please contact Wendy Godfrey: via email wendy.godfrey51@yahoo.com or call 01782 398186
Fulford Community Choir
- a great success story
Garden Centre of the
Year 2017!
Fairways Garden Centre Named GCA Garden Centre of the Year 2017 !
A
local traditional family-run business has scooped the prestigious title of Garden Centre of the
Year 2017! Fairways Garden Centre in Clifton, Ashbourne, were presented with the award at
the GCA Conference held in Stratford-on-Avon on January 22nd and 23rd.
The proud owners were also named Best Garden Retailer, winning the GMA award.
The standard of the event is getting higher each and achieving the pinnacle of success in an
increasingly competitive market gives Fairways huge pride.
Fairways on the Midlands Garden Centre of the Year award earlier last year which led to the local
business competing against garden centres across the country in the national finals.
Owner Alyson Haywood commented: “We are passionate about our customers with quality plants
and products, sourced locally wherever possible, backed by good old fashioned customer service.
“We have two centres, both set in the beautiful English countryside - one just outside the historic
market town of Ashbourne and the other one on the outskirts of Macclesfield.”

W
e are now less than 6 months away from the much-anticipated
return of Cheadle Carnival. We are currently in the process
of finalising the route for the infamous Parade. If you are a
local business, charity, school or nursery and you are interested in having
a float in the parade then please do contact us.
If you are a local business wishing to show your support, Sponsorship
Packages are now available.
Our Carnival Lottery has again restarted for the next year, its not too
late to join there’s two winners drawn every month and there will be a
big draw during the carnival weekend for one lucky person to win £500.
I costs £1 per number per month to be made payable for 1 year in
advance.
We have our first fundraising music night of 2018 on 24th February
at the Guild Hall, we are having a 90’s Britpop Night, with Simon
Clewlow and his band and guest DJ taking us back to the days of long
hair, Parka wearing and idolising Liam Gallagher. Tickets are £7.50 and
the doors open at 7.30.
Our 2018 Soapbox has been confirmed for 20th May and is filling up
fast, if you want to enter a team there’s still a few spaces left. This is
guaranteed to be a great family day out!
You can contact us via Facebook @Cheadlecarnival and email
cheadlecarnival@hotmail.com
Regards
Tim Cliffe, Chairman
Cheadle Carnival Committee
Cheadle Carnival 2018 Diary
Diabetes
awarenessBy Steve Shields, Uttoxeter Lions
I
n conjunction with the Makers
Market, Uttoxeter Lions have arranged
a Diabetes awareness event.
Our local club is part of the largest
service club in the world which on the
international stage has done so much for
sight related problems since 1917.
Diabetes is one of the serious health
concerns of the 21st century and all Lions
clubs have been asked to do their bit to
highlight the issue.
Over the past three years I have visited
all the clubs in our District and apart from
seeing how different clubs and
personalities operates one is able to
‘borrow’ good ideas. On a visit to Tamworth I learnt about Silver Star, a charity based
in Leicester, whose purpose is Diabetes awareness. They have mobile display units
with qualified staff who carry out a simple screening and give advice.
We have booked a unit to come to the Makers Market on 24th February. There
will be no charge to those who take advantage of the service. No appointments just
turn up on the day. Uttoxeter Lions will make a donation to the charity to help cover
the costs.
Lion President Terry Adams said “We are pleased to bring in Silver Star for the
people of Uttoxeter. Much of our raffle ticket selling is done at the monthly markets
and we thought it appropriate to give something back to the people who are so
generous to our causes.”
We are very grateful to the Makers Market organisers for finding space in the
High Street and again supporting the community.
I know when setting up new listeners for the Talking News service how many
times their sight loss is linked to Diabetic retinopathy and the more we can do to
help people understand about the problem the better.
O
ptions Trent Acres, based in Kings Bromley,
are pleased to announce the opening of their
new co-educational specialist school for
children aged 8 to 18 years old.
Established by Options Autism and part of
Outcomes First Group, the 30 place school will be
providing education to children with complex needs
including Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, ADHD and
impaired social and cognitive functioning due to early
life trauma.
Trent Acres will specialise in offering a person-
centred, outcomes focused approach that is designed
to encourage young people, who may have previously
struggled within educational settings, to exercise
choice and control and to engage positively in school
life.
A diverse curriculum for both primary and
secondary will promote educational experiences that
reach beyond the classroom and support the students
to develop social, communication and life skills. In
addition, a high staff to student ratio and a specialised
team of clinicians will give every student the support
and guidance needed to strive and succeed.
The “classrooms are bright and welcoming” (Ofsted
Dec 2017), with quiet areas to retreat to, allowing
teaching staff to
manage a variety of
different behavioural
needs. The school
places particular value
on teaching students
vital skills useful for
employment and life
beyond, such as
domestic science,
horticulture, animal
husbandry and
independent living
skills.
Set within a 12
acre site, there are an
extensive range of
extra-curricular
activities for the
students to benefit
from including the
schools indoor and
outdoor equestrian
arena, an outdoor
gym, tennis court,
swings, trampolines, a
games area and a
variety of animals to
learn about and care for including alpacas, chickens,
rabbits, goats, donkeys and horses.
Mel Callaghan Lewis, Head Teacher at Options
Trent Acres, commented: “Our new school will be
incredibly beneficial to the community as well as the
people that we support and we look forward to seeing
it go from strength to strength.
“The school is situated in a beautiful location and
we are proud to be able to offer so many facilities that
will support our young people to learn new skills that
foster creativity and spark excitement, whilst also
keeping them engaged with the outdoors.
“We are thrilled to be welcoming students through
our doors and supporting them to develop into
confident and happy individuals.”
Outcomes First Group is a leading specialist
provider of education and care services and operates a
national network of award-winning DfE registered
special schools and therapeutic care homes.
To learn more about Options Trent Acres School,
please visit the website www.optionsautism.co.uk/
school_home/options-trent-acres or call 01543 473772.
New school opens for children with complex needs

JAK BAKER
YOUNG TALENT CATEGORY
NATIONAL FINALIST
New Year
New You
t: 01889 568708
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T’s & C’s: Not valid in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. Valid at Francesco Group Uttoxeter
for new clients only on a Cut & Finish and/or a Colour Service on selected days with selected team members until
28/2/2018. Quote AD10CUTCOL on booking. Skin Allergy Test required 48 hours prior to colour service for all new
colour clients. Appointments are subject to availability.

Just the
perfect day...
Mark and Jackie met 20 years ago when they
both worked in Hanley.
They moved in together 17 years ago. Mark
proposed to Jackie in December 2015 and they
immediately started to look for a venue. They
looked at a few places and somebody who Mark
worked with suggested The Upper House Hotel
at Barlaston so they went to have a look and fell
in love with the place straight away.
Luckily they had the date available that they
wanted in November 2016.
Then Mark and Jackie started to go to lots of
wedding fayres looking for ideas. Everything was
all planned but unfortunately Jackie suffered a
brain haemorrhage in March 2016. She spent 5
weeks in critical care and was moved to a high
dependency ward for another 2 weeks until she
finally came home.
It was decided to postpone the wedding for a
year and Mark set about rearranging the
suppliers that they had already booked. Luckily
they were all available for the same date in 2017.
Jackie couldn’t walk, eat or drink and her face
had dropped on the right side, she still has
problems today with all of these things but her
determination to get well enough for the wedding
has been a credit to her.
Jackie along with her mum and dad stayed at
The Upper House Hotel the night before the
wedding to keep the tradition of the bride not
seeing the groom before the day.
On the morning of the wedding, Jackie and
her mum were joined in the bridal suite by her
future mother in law Linda and all of the
bridesmaids. They were so excited to be getting
into their dresses and could not believe the day
had finally arrived.
Jackie’s dress was by Justin Alexander and
bought from Bridal Couture in Cheadle, it was
an ivory, fit and flare strapless gown, with pearl
and diamonte detail. The bridesmaids wore floor
length sage green dresses by the Dessy Group and
both were purchased from Bridal Couture in
Cheadle. Aimee wore an ivory floor length John
Roche dress.
Mark got ready at home and dressed their car
in wedding ribbons and bows ready to arrive in
style at the venue. When he arrived he was met
by Keith, father of the bride, and his stepdad
Colin who was also his best man, now they were
ready to greet the first guests arriving.
The venue was dressed by Enchanted Designs
of Sneyd Green and it looked fantastic and the
owners Sarah and her Mum came up to the bridal
suite with all of the flowers for the bridal party
and the men’s and ladies button holes. The
bouquets were of ivory and peach roses with
orange freesias and autumnal berries and they
were stunning.
That morning the four tier wedding cake
arrived that was made to Mark and Jackie’s own
design by Debbie Marland (Iced Maiden) of
Bradeley, the detail was far better than they
imagined.
The guests gathered in the ceremony room,
which was bathed in sunlight, while an
instrumental of All Of Me played quietly in the
background.
Bride: Jacqueline Finney, of Kingsley
Groom: Mark Chesters, of Kingsley
Bride’s Parents: Keith and Carol Finney, of Kingsley
Groom’s Parents: Linda Stonier and stepdad Colin Stonier, of
Sandyford
Maid of Honour: Clare Johnson
Bridesmaids: Sophie Johnson and Aimee Chesters
Best Man: Colin Stonier
Wedding and Reception: The Upper House Hotel, Barlaston
Photographer: David and Beverley Foster

Then it came time for Jackie to walk down the aisle with her
Dad, the music changed to A Thousand Years by Christina Perri.
All of the ceremony music was carefully chosen by the couple.
Mark and Jackie said their vows in front of 49 guests and when they
were pronounced husband and wife everyone cheered and clapped.
After the ceremony there was a champagne reception while
they had their photos taken. The photographers, David and
Beverley Foster put them at ease straight away and captured the
day perfectly. They took some stunning photos of the couple in the
atmospheric rooms and they were lucky enough to be able to have
some photos taken outside in the glorious sunshine and the
autumn colours were beautiful, they even caught the sunset which
made for some fantastic photos.
The speeches were heartfelt and meaningful and along with the
toasts to the happy couple, there was a roar of hip hip hooray.
Mark and Jackie were joined at night by another 50 guests who
saw the newly-weds have their first dance to All Of Me by John
Legend and then they danced the night away to music by AKA
Discos.
The couple honeymooned in Anglesey, North Wales.
It was a long time in coming but so worth it, to be surrounded
by the people who mean the most to them on their wedding day –
The happy couple would like to thank everyone for making their
day so special.
7 Cross Street
(off the High Street),
Cheadle ST10 1NP
Tel 01538 755550
info@bcjosephine.co.uk
www.bcjosephine.co.uk

Just the perfectday...

Field Funeral Services
Ffs
Dedicated to Dignity & PEACE
our family to yours
t: 01538 722665
Independent Family Funeral Directors
Field Funeral Services |37a High Street | Tean
Stoke on Trent | Staffordshire | ST10 4DY
www.facebook.com/fieldfuneralservices
fieldfuneralservice@hotmail.co.uk
Local author has
success all stitched up
L
ocal seamstress Sarah Harbour has temporarily
put aside her needle and thread in favour of
putting pen to paper with a new sewing book
out now titled Bridal Alteration Techniques.
‘With the popularity of GBSB needlework
enthusiasts are eager to embrace new and rewarding
challenges, altering wedding dresses is just one of
them. The thought of adjusting a bridal gown would
dissuade many a talented dressmaker, but really
wedding dresses are not as scary,” said the Doveridge
based author.
With over 25 years in the bridal industry
designing, making and altering bridal gowns Sarah
brings a wealth of knowledge together in the only
book of its kind and covers all aspects of fitting bridal
gowns, shortening hems, taking in, letting out and the
much sought after skill of creating a corset back – a
must for any dressmaker.
Bridal Alteration Techniques opens up a whole new world of sewing skills that have perhaps been
long forgotten, and in the process helps to unlock the secrets of wedding dress construction.
Priced £16.99 the book has full colour easy to follow instructions along with expert tips for working
in the bridal industry and is available exclusively through www.bridalalterationtechniques.co.uk
Cheadle’s Pool of Talent
By Anna Lavan
P
addles Disability Swim School produced
their annual swimming gala with some
really bright stars in the pool. There were
20 swimmers competing, and their talent shone
through. Dave White, Para swimming pathway
officer came to the gala and said ‘’this is where
it starts for our swimmers by giving them a
chance to compete’’
We were also honoured to have the head
coach for Winchester swim club as our starter,
local girl Kim Hill who was totally inspired by
the event.
Our medal presenter on the day was Ged
Davis who has raised over £2000 for Paddles.
Anna Lavan (Owner of Paddles) said ‘’Ged is
the most generous person I’ve ever met, the
things he has done to raise money for us is
incredible, and we thank you so much”
If you wish to find out more about Paddles please check our website: www.paddlesswim.org.uk or
ring/text Anna on 07504 941142 Email: swimanna.lavan@gmail.com
Above right: Joe Harvey with Ged Davis. Below: Swimmers competing.
The Potting Shed
Garden Maintenance Services
Regular work undertaken
Hedge Trimming • Weeding • Lawn Cutting
Pruning • Planting • Borders Tidied
Shed & Fence Maintenance
Professional, reliable service • Free estimates given
Tel 07377 554289

H A N L E Y
A B L E W O R L D
430 Leek Road, Hanley
Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 3HU
Tel: (01782) 205901
hanley@ableworld.co.uk
At Joiners Square Roundabout
B U R T O N
A B L E W O R L D
Second Avenue, Centrum One Hundred
Burton-upon-Trent, DE14 2WF
Tel: (01283) 546867
info@ableworldburton.co.uk
Close to Morrisons Supermarket
Further details on all our stores can be found on: www.ableworld.co.uk

U
ttoxeter Racecourse have confirmed they have
secured a double line-up from the 80s and 90s
- with Heaven 17 and Lightning Seeds set to
play the Staffordshire venue on Saturday 19 May 2018.
The popular English new wave and synth-pop
band, Heaven 17 was formed in Sheffield in 1980. The
band, who splintered off from The Human League, are
now a duo of Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory.
Following a hugely successful 2017 that saw the band
tour America and the UK to sell out shows, Heaven 17
will entertain the Uttoxeter crowds with their string of
hit UK singles, including their classic debut single “(We
Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang,” as well as
“Temptation,” “Come Live with Me” and “Crushed by
the Wheels of Industry”.
Heaven 17 will also be joined by 90s indie-rock
legends Lightning Seeds. Formed by frontman Ian
Broudie, the Lightning Seeds have secured a reputation
as one of the most prominent bands of the 1990s,
finding success with anthemic UK top 20 hits, “Pure,”
“Lucky You,” along with “Sugar Coated Iceberg” and
“You Showed Me.”
After an ‘elongated break’, the band reformed in
2006 and have since been living ‘The Life of Riley’
whilst enjoying the festival scene. Set to play live after
racing during the 2018 World Cup Year, “Three Lions”
will definitely be on the cards and a clear sing-a-long
favourite.
Executive Director of Uttoxeter Racecourse, David
MacDonald, said, “Over the last five years we have
established our Live Music Raceday as one of the
premier live music events in The Midlands, securing
bands like The Human League and Kaiser Chiefs. For
2018 we have decided to turn the volume up a notch
and deliver two big acts with Heaven 17 and the
Lightning Seeds. We anticipate this event being yet
another sell-out and we’re already looking forward to
one of the best days of our season.”
Tickets for the Live Music Raceday featuring
Heaven 17 and Lightning Seeds go on pre-sale for 24
hours at 10am on Thursday 1 February 2018 and will
be available to those registered for news from Uttoxeter
Racecourse and Ticket Master. There will be just 1,000
pre-sale Premier enclosure tickets at £25, rising to £30
after February 1. Tickets will then go on general release
at 10am on Friday 2 February 2018.
Tickets are on sale both online at www.uttoxeter-
racecourse.co.uk, or by telephone from the racecourse
office on 01889 562561.
For further details visit www.uttoxeter-
racecourse.co.uk/whats-on/music-live-19-may-2018.
Uttoxeter Raceourse has already announced that
Melanie C will be the DJ at Ladies Night on Thursday
14 June. The appearance of Mel C is being seen as
another coup for the Uttoxeter Racecourse. She will
take to the decks to spin big hits with a party vibe to
top off what will be yet another amazing day. As part
of the biggest girl band the world has ever known,
Melanie C is a household name all over the planet.
Since then Melanie has gone on to have her own
amazingly successful solo pop and theatre career.
It’s a case of “I’ll tell you what I want, what I really,
really want” for racegoers to this popular summer
event. And further details can now be found at
www.uttoxeter-racecourse.co.uk/whats-on/ladies-
night-thursday-14-june-2018. Early Bird I prices will
add-up to a £10 saving (£22) for premier tickets bought
before 31 March; a £5 saving for Early Bird II premier
tickets; and a full-price premier ticket priced at £32
after 30 April.
Gok Wan, meanwhile, will make this year’s Ladies
Day on Friday 27 July all about style, fashion, and Gok’s
love affair with the decks.
Gok crashed on to Britain’s TV screens with his
infectious personality and deep understanding of style.
Best known for his award winning show, How To Look
Good Naked, he has gone on to present a multitude of
TV shows and documentaries about fashion, food and
lifestyle. His on-screen triumphs led to six book deals,
including his autobiography Through Thick and Thin,
as well as the accompaniment to Gok Cooks Chinese.
Gok’s other passion is DJing. Since his love affair
with the decks began, he has played at some pretty
impressive venues, and now he’s set to play at Uttoxeter
for the highlight of Staffordshire’s social calendar.
There will even be a competition for the Best Dressed
and Best Hat and it’s going to be bigger and better than
ever before.
Early Bird I premier tickets bought before 30 April
will cost £22. Early Bird II premier tickers bought
before 31 May will be £27. And full price premier
tickets after that will be £32. For full details visit
www.uttoxeter-racecourse.co.uk/whats-on/ladies-
day-friday-27-july-2018.
“Temptation,
keep climbing higher
and higher”
Uttoxeter Racecourse confirm
Heaven 17 and Lightning Seeds to
play their music live racenight

U
p and down the country annually there are
literary festivals in towns and villages. A
number of them commemorate a famous
literary person who lived in a particular place or who
wrote a book about it. There are 350+ events listed on
www.literaryfestivals.co.uk which also lists Book
Festivals, Story Telling Events, Poetry Readings, Folk
Tales and the like. Every year in September Uttoxeter
marks an act of penance by Samuel Johnson the creator
of the first English dictionary with a memorial service
in the Market Square. Uttoxeter’s connection with the
famous man is very slender based on his father selling
books on the market and a visit to Uttoxeter years later
by Johnson when he was at the height of his fame to
publicly express his regret at not responding to his
father’s request on one occasion for help with the
bookstall.
Lichfield rightly claims Johnson as her son where
he was born and lived for 27 years and celebrates his
life accordingly. Uttoxeter’s own literary figure Mary
Howitt, nee Botham wrote over 70 books and poems,
lived in and wrote about Uttoxeter but receives little or
no public acclaim in her home town.
In 1798 Mary’s Quaker parents Samuel and Anna
Botham left Uttoxeter for Coleford, Gloucestershire
with their baby daughter Anna on what turned out to
be a failed business venture. It was while they were in
Coleford that Mary was born in 1799. Around 1801-
02 the Bothams returned to the family home in Balance
Street. The house had been left to Samuel Botham by
his mother and had been in his mother’s family for
three generations. It was here that Mary grew up with
her older sister Anna and where her younger sister
Emma and brother Charles were born.
It was while living in Balance Street that the seeds
were sown that would lead to her successful writing
career and international fame. Mary Botham lived in
Uttoxeter from 1802 until 1809 when she and her sister
went off to a Quaker school in Croyden but had to
return home the following year because of their
mother’s illness. She spent a brief period at another
Quaker school in Sheffield in 1812 but then returned
to live in Uttoxeter with her parents until 1821 when
she married William Howitt, a fellow Quaker from
Heanor. They were married in the Quaker Meeting
House in Carter Street. William and Mary Howitt both
went on to become prolific writers and between them
are said to have written over 180 books and poems.
Over the years local historian and author Joy
Dunicliff has done much to highlight and promote
Mary Howitt’s life and work. In her book on the life of
Mary Howitt The Traveller on the Hill-top, Churnet
Valley Books 1998, Joy lists over 70 books by Mary not
including her translation of works by Hans Christian
Andersen and other foreign authors. Perhaps Mary
Howitt’s most well-known work is the poem The
Spider and the Fly (1829). Antedivian Sketches (1830)
was Mary’s first poetry collection, followed in 1836 by
Chronicle of Wood Leighton, a prose work for adults
set in Uttoxeter. She also wrote fiction and her books
for children, such as Illustrated Library for the Young,
were very popular. Mary Howitt and her husband
moved in literary circles in London and were close
friends of Charles Dickens – they contributed
anonymously to his Household Words, William
Wordsworth and Elizabeth Barrett Browning and were
said to have discovered Mrs Gaskell. Through the
marriage of their daughter Annie to Alaric Alfred
Watts, son of the painter, they got to know the pre-
Raphaelite painters and their set: Millais, the Rosettis,
Holman Hunt and William Morris. The Howitts were
also actively involved in social reform.
Fortunately for posterity little Mary Botham had an
inquisitive mind, an eye for detail, a retentive memory
and an imagination that was fired by stories from the
family maids particularly Ann Woodings known as
Nanny who lived with the family for fifteen years.
Mary and her sister Anna were eager listeners Nanny’s
stories and the gossip surrounding various houses and
the people who lived in them. She took the little girls
to events and through rough areas in the town that had
their strict Quaker parents found out about she would
have been dismissed immediately or severely
reprimanded. Indeed an earlier maid Betty was
dismissed for making the innocent little Mary write a
very inappropriate love letter dictated by her.
In My Own Story The Autobiography of a Child
published in 1844 Mary Howitt vividly describes the
Uttoxeter of her childhood between 1802 and 1809 and
includes many of the anecdotes told to the children by
Nanny the maid who in Mary’s words cast a spell over
them as they listened to her histories for hours – “In
one of these lanes lived the beggars, the rag-gatherers,
the chimney-sweepers and bone-dealers. Asses were
kept in the lower rooms; the unhappy wife chained to
her bedstead in an upper room of the house of the
butcher; sometimes Nanny took us past the old Hall
occupied by poor Grace Copestake where there was a
spectral lady who stole down the private staircase now
and then, and mysterious hands which held a bloody
bowl above a certain closet door; another old house
where the Duke of Cumberland had been entertained
by the Gardner family in 1745 on his way to Culloden,
the beautiful lady who lived there who one day took
her own life.
Nanny was full of anecdotes about all the people we
met, from the grandee of the town to the buyer of the
hare-skins in Smithy Lane, the bull-baiting in the
market place which lasted for three days every autumn”.
Francis Redfern quoted quite extensively from Mary
Howitt’s books in his History of Uttoxeter published in
1865. He also wrote to Mary’s sister Anna asking her
for information.
When they were little Mrs Botham nurtured her
children’s love of literature. In the winter months while
she was spinning flax into yarn at their home in
Balance Street the little girls sat at her feet while she
recited long passages to them from Gray’s Elegy,
passages from Cowper and other long poems all of
meditative and serious character. When they were
older and had finished their schooling Mary and her
sister Anna were avid readers and borrowed books lent
to them by their neighbour Lawyer Pipe whose wife
had run off with a fiddler, books lent to them by Mrs
Stubbs the vicar’s widow whose husband had been
killed when the gig he was driving overturned, books
borrowed from the Bell sisters whose father James Bell
a banker became bankrupt, lost everything and had to
leave the family home the old house where the Duke
of Cumberland had stayed.
Many people over many years have tried to obtain
greater recognition in the town for Mary Howitt’s
literary importance to Uttoxeter. Naming a street after
her is a very small gesture indeed. Heanor in
Nottinghamshire has gone further and named a school
after her even though it was her husband’s home town.
What Uttoxeter needs is a Mary Howitt Literary
Festival whereby her works and her life could be
celebrated not just for the people of Uttoxeter but
nationally and internationally with invitations to Mary
Howitt writers and lecturers at home and abroad,
invitations to Mary Howitt’s descendants, conferences,
lectures, readings of her books and poems, tours of the
places in Uttoxeter connected to Mary, pupils from
local schools making contributions to the Festival re-
enacting scenes from Mary’s childhood in stage plays
or on DVD, reciting Mary’s poems or writing their own
poems, visits to Nottingham University to look at the
large collection of family letters of the extended
Botham family, the setting up of various annual awards
for various age groups for the best written stories of
Uttoxeter life today and reminiscences of bygone years.
The ideal body to explore such a possibility and
make it a reality would be the Museum of Uttoxeter
Life in Carter Street and its trustees who are always
asking for ideas for the Museum. They have experience
of fund raising and were successful in their bid to the
National Lottery through its Heritage Fund thus saving
part of Uttoxeter’s heritage in Redfern’s House.
It would need a competent and professional Festival
Organiser to organise, launch and manage such a
project – someone who is able to work with the
trustees, who is able to attract support from local big
businesses like JCB, Uttoxeter Race Course, Fox’s
Biscuits, Alton Towers, Tesco, Asda,Waitrose,
Bagshaws, local shops, someone who is able to involve
local schools, the Library, East Staffordshire DC, parish
councils and community groups. Local schools should
be particularly involved and pupils given opportunities
to participate and have their say in any festival for their
town’s famous writer. A Literary Festival would bring
lots of local groups together and would bring people
from far and wide to visit Uttoxeter. Uttoxeter instead
of just being famous nationally for Horse Racing would
become known internationally as Uttoxeter the Home
of Mary Howitt.
The wonderful thing in this age of the internet is
that Mary Howitt’s books can be read freely online on
the Internet Archive and other similar sites. Mary’s life
in Uttoxeter is often overlooked in online reviews of
her works or given just a brief mention. The fact that
Mary’s formative years were spent in Uttoxeter from
1802 to 1809 and again from 1813 to 1921 needs to be
recognised as possibly the greatest influence in her
future writings.
It was during those years that her fertile
imagination absorbed the life around her in family
walks and drives in the country, taking in every word
of Nanny the maid’s riveting gossip and fairy tales,
listening intently to her mother’s stories of her
childhood, silently observing the lives of their
neighbours and townspeople. In My Own Story Mary
Howitt acknowledges her debt to Nanny when she
writes “I should be the first of story-tellers if I had a
power like she (Nanny) possessed.” A website
dedicated to Mary Howitt, nee Botham of Uttoxeter
would do much to highlight the influence of her early
life in Uttoxeter on her future writing.
William Howitt died in Rome on 3 March 1879
where he was buried. In May 1882 Mary was baptised
a Catholic. She died on 30 January 1888 in Rome and
by special dispensation she was allowed to be buried
next to her husband in the Protestant Cemetery there.
She was 84.
Mary Howitt Literary Festival
A Vision for Uttoxeter
By Jim Foley

Open 7 days a week: Mon-Fri 8.00-17.30, Sat/Sun: 8.00-12.00
Telephone 01538 750 737 or book online www.cheadletestcentre.co.uk
We want your car to PASS!!
Cheadle Test Centre, Brookhouse Way, Brookhouse Ind. Est.,
Cheadle, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire ST10 1SR
Independent M.O.T.
Testing in Cheadle
No associated workshop relying on
the failure work to fill it’s ramps
FACT!
• No appointment necessary, or
if you prefer, book online
• Free courtesy cars
• Free Re-Tests - Free Annual
Reminders
• Friendly Staff - Waiting/
Viewing Area
• If unfortunately your vehicle
fails, take it away to a repairer
of your choice.

The Hidden Gems in
Bramshall Road Park
T
he Friends of Bramshall Road Park, in conjunction with East Staffordshire Borough Council,
have completed the project “To explore Bramshall Road Park, Past, Present and Future”. The
team are very grateful to Tesco who funded the project through the “Bags of Help” scheme
administered by Groundwork (UK).
Several weeks ago, seven information boards were installed in the park. Two of these display QR
codes which will link Smartphones to webpages on the park. The boards provide all visitors to the
park with useful information as to the heritage and wildlife of their immediate environment.
As well as the History of the park, the boards point out hidden gems from the area’s past. The
classic “ridge and furrow” across the main field was created through medieval strip farming. As one
walks across these undulations one can easily visualise medieval ploughs getting the various strips
ready for planting. The brook at the Bramshall Road end show clear remnants of the Edwardian
Swimming Pool used between the 1930’s and 1950’s.
Bramshall Road Park offers the general public with an important interface to wildlife. One board
highlights the animal species to be found in the “Wildlife Pond”, created in the 1970’s with support
from JCB. The kingfisher is a frequent visitor to the brook and pond; it has recently been
photographed fishing. The park has an abundance of many species of trees, as discussed on the board
near the “tree classroom”.
The project also involved upgrading the Hockley Road entrance, installing bird/bat boxes and
sowing further wildlife flower seeds.
The chair of the Friends of Bramshall Road Park, Janet Dean, said “This is an important project
that will transform the visitor experience of all who use this attractive and tranquil asset of the
Uttoxeter region”.
C
headle Flower Club held their AGM recently in the Guild
Hall, to plan their forthcoming diary for 2018. The club
have demonstrations, and outings to gardens of note,
workshops, flowery and crafty !
Hopefully something for everyone’s tastes. The Committee,
being willing to serve a further twelve months, were re-elected
unanimously and a cordial invitation was issued to anyone who
would like to join us.
Meetings are held on the third Wednesday in the month, in the
Guild Hall, Cheadle, 7.30.p.m. Adverts for meetings are in the
Cheadle Times and Echo and posters are distributed in the town.
The next demonstration will be on Wednesday 21st February
when we have a Craft evening with Squirrel Crafts of Stafford. All
welcome.
Cheadle Flower Club
B
EAR is a young, independent Coffee,
Kitchen & Bar venue with stores in
Uttoxeter and Derby. Confidently
branding themselves as #notanothercoffeeshop,
they are committed to offering something new
and alternative to the average coffee bar,
delivering a unique sense of passion and
responsibility in everything they do.
As a solid beginning to 2018, BEAR have
recently launched their #CoffeeConversations
campaign which will run until the end of March.
Beneath this campaign, offers and events will
take place to help ignite the signature BEAR
coffee passion within their customers and
beyond.
The first reason for promoting this campaign
is to encourage and engage their staff in
educating the consumer about the endless and
expanding world of coffee, whilst remaining
careful not to get lost in the ‘pretentiousness’ with
which speciality coffee can so often be wrongly
associated. Under this concept, they are running
an ‘Espresso Education’ offer during January in
order to show the variety in flavour profiles
between two different origins or roasting
methods. When a Flat White, Aeropress,
Espresso or Espresso Macchiato is purchased in
their House or Guest roast, the customer will be
offered an Espresso taster in the opposite bean to
taste and compare.
The second motivation that has launched
BEAR’s #CoffeeConversations campaign is the
notion that ‘grabbing a coffee’ means so much
more than just the coffee itself. BEAR are
highlighting the responsibility they have as a
brand, and recognising that what happens to any
one of their customers in a day is completely
unique, and therefore the way that they engage
with their experience in-store will be too. It can
mean a catch up and a cocktail with a loved one.
It can mean treating Mum to brunch on her
birthday. It can mean some alone time with a
coffee and a good book. Whether it requires a
secluded corner or a group table, there are
countless reasons for someone to visit BEAR, and
they want to know what yours is.
Post a picture of your BEAR experience to
Instagram or Facebook, captioned with your
reason behind visiting and tagged with
#CoffeeConversations. If your photo gets
reposted to their account, you will win one of the
hundreds of prizes that they have available!
BEAR encourages customers to
join their #CoffeeConversations
Hannah Eadie (Tesco), Sara Botham (ESBC), Peter Coffin (FoBRP), Janet Dean (FoBRP),
Sheila Mould (FoBRP) and Jill Lock (FoBRP)

422 Sandon Road, Meir Heath, Stoke-on-Trent ST3 7LH
Telephone: 01782 39 22 11
Email: info@platinumpropertymam.co.uk
www.platinumpropertymam.co.uk
More please.
Our ongoing success means we urgently
require more properties to sell and let.

Can you help Zara to find
happiness quickly in 2018?
C
headle & District Animal Welfare Society have many dogs
that deserve a loving home and some have been waiting far
too long, but there is one particular little dog that is causing
them great concern at present who really needs to find a home
quickly, be it a foster home or permanent one. Zara is a very pretty
little Staffordshire Bull Terrier. She is however very stressed and
unhappy at being in a kennels environment.
Brenda, the Society’s Rehoming Volunteer says that ‘Zara is
lovely, full of energy, loves to play and gets on well with other dogs.
If she is to relax and make life bearable for herself and her owner
though she needs to live in a male free home. She deserves a lovely
home that will give her loads of long term support to help her
overcome her issues. We can only guess at what she may have
experienced in her early years to make her feel like this. She is
so wary of men in the household environment whenever ladies are
present. She is a very troubled little girl in that respect and it is quite
deep rooted. She seems to feel she must protect the ladies and barks
constantly at the man in the house whenever he moves. All efforts have been made to help overcome
this in her recent foster home where she stayed for 10 weeks but she cannot easily overcome it. She
has gained confidence when walking out though and walked happily with her male foster carer and
doesn’t bark any longer at men when out and about! She is a conundrum! In every other respect her
foster family say she is a delightful little dog and they really adore her but their environment which is
quite male orientated just isn’t helping Zara. They were all devastated to lose her.
She needs a home where there are no very young children just because of this lack of confidence
she has and a male free household. She is looking for a
patient owner and a home where she can have lots of love
and attention with plenty of regular walks and playtime! ‘
There is more information on the
www.cheadleanimalwelfare.org.uk website about her.
Please telephone 07731 616 025 if you feel you can provide
the environment she is so desperately looking for. Sadly
Zara isn’t alone in having such special requirements Scarlet
a lovely young Dogue de Bordeaux cross also needs a
similar male free environment. Her details are also on the
Society’s website. What a wonderful start to the new year if
homes could be found for Zara and Scarlet.
Scarlet
Zara
M
ichelle Ticehurst, lovely local hairdresser
from Cheadle has recently reached a special
milestone with her Slimming World Group
at Cheadle Guild Hall. She has maintained her Target
Weight for 10 YEARS - YES 10 YEARS!!! It proves that
Slimming World is a Healthy Eating Plan for Life rather
than a strict diet which people struggle to stick to.
Back in January 2007 Michelle’s son Liam made a
comment about her ‘builders bum’. Mortified she took
herself along to a local Slimming World Class to start
her weight loss journey. By mid April she had gained
her Club 10 Award which is losing 10% of your starting
body weight. In October she had lost 3 stone and then
went on to be voted Miss Slinky
by the other members of the
group.
Exercise has always been a
major part of Michelle’s life and
still is. She attends 3 different
Zumba Classes (Zumba Gold,
Zumba Strong & Zumba) at
Cheadle Guild Hall each week
run by her sister Maura.
4 years ago Michelle
changed Groups to Cheadle
and moved to a Slimming
World Group on a Wednesday
evening with Consultant Pam
Hughes. She has made lots of
lovely friends and has become
an important member of the
Social Team. Helping to
support Pam run the Group
and helping other members with food and meal ideas
and always has a valuable tip to help the new members.
With all her experience she is fabulous member to have
in Group each week.
Michelle says ‘don’t be scared to join as everyone is
so friendly and the support from Pam and the rest of
the group is fab. I attend every week as after all these
years things change and I am still learning’. She has
been voted Woman of the Year & Miss Slinky while
attending the Cheadle Group too.
Consultant Pam commented ‘for Michelle to have
stayed in her Target Range for 10 years is an amazing
achievement. She is a real inspiration to all the
members in group and I know they all getso much
support from Michelle. I am so proud of her and how
she stays so motivated’.
For anyone looking to join an Award Winning
Friendly Group there are classes at Cheadle Guild Hall
(Oakley Room) on Wednesdays at 5.30pm & 7.30pm
& also Thursday Mornings at 9.30am.
Also at Cheddleton Community Centre on
Tuesdays at 5.00pm & 7.00pm.
Call Pam 07983 938240 for more details.
Cheddleton Community Centre
Tuesday 5.00pm & 7.00pm
Cheadle Guild Hall
Wednesday 5.30pm & 7.30pm
Thursday 9.30am
Pam 07983 938240
Michelle, our trim hairdresser
Twenty years
not out!
Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
BRIAN MELLOR
F I N A N C I A L S E R V I C E S L T D
Independent Financial Adviser
Russell House • 20 Stockwell Street • Leek • ST13 6DS
Tel: 01538 371288 www.brianmellorfs.co.uk
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Reduce your chances of a winter crash!
W
ith a couple of months of winter still to run and the forecasts suggesting worse is on the
way, winter crashes seem almost inevitable! Becoming involved in one is bad for your
health and bank balance!
Almost invariably there are tell-tale signs as to what is about to happen. Recognising them and
applying advanced driving techniques will greatly reduce your chances ofbeing involved,it is what
sets Advanced Drivers apart from the crowd!
Cheadle RoSPA Advanced Drivers Group is a small but very active group traininglocal drivers
to take the RoSPA Advanced Driving Test, recognised as the most demanding test available to
civilian drivers.
A recent cluster of test passes, a high proportion of candidates reaching the GOLD standard,
means that the group can again put out their challenge:
“Think you’re good enough? Prove it!”
The Advanced Driving branch of RoSPA is a national charity aimed at reducing deaths and
injuries on our roads. There is even a scheme to assist drivers under 25 with the test fees.
This is definitely not for wimps!If you really think, you’re good enough:
The group meets every alternate Sunday morning, 4.2.18 onwards at Cheadle Fire Station at
9am.
See EMROSPA website for more details or ring 07975 961553
Ginny’s Community Corner
by Ginny Gibson of Uttoxeter
L
ast month the article featured a project that
enabled mums/women to be creative, so I felt it
was only fair to find a project for creative
dads/men this month. (Hopefully that will ensure I stay
on the right side of any equality discussions that are
taking place in the community!)
I found a gem of a project in Men in Sheds. I had
heard of them before, but in New Zealand, while
researching isolation in retirement for men. The group
in NZ comprised of retired sheep farmers who got
together once a week in an old farm shed to carry on
with repairing farm machinery and wood work, which
all of them had enjoyed while being farmers. It gave
them a sense of purpose and ensured that retirement
wasn’t the isolating experience that some farmers
experience.
The original idea came from Australia, and was set
up in 1990 to combat social isolation and improve
health and wellbeing in older men; the Age UK
brochure quotes, “there are 900+ Men’s Sheds across
Australia. Age UK piloted the first English Shed in 2008
in Northwich, Cheshire and later received a £500,000
lottery grant to set up sheds in Crewe, Ellesmere Port
and Chester. There are 6 other Age UK Sheds in the UK
and across the country, there are now over 45
independent Sheds operating, with a further 30 being
planned”.
Have a look at their website and you will find all
sorts of information available www.menssheds.org.uk
Now I hear you say, Chester and Ellesmere Port is
a bit far away to go to join one, but nestled in a shipping
container on the edge of Burton on Trent you will find
our local Men in Sheds project with currently 6 retired
gentlemen happily making all sorts of things from
wood. They meet twice a week, Monday and Thursday
between 10am to 12 Noon. I visited them on a rainy
morning but the warm welcome ensured that the
weather was soon forgotten. Walking into the shipping
container you are struck by the amount of creativity
that goes on inside. There was a large pink pig flower
planter, lots of flowerpot men dotted around, balancing
parrots and an amazing pull along squirrel. Clive,
Graham and Dave were all there busy making more
things in order to sell at the local craft fair. Fred, Alan
and Ian weren’t there on the day I visited.
The project was set up two years ago by Clive, who
was trying to find something to combat isolation and
loneliness in the local community and the Men in
Sheds concept was ideal, it allowed the area to have a
facility that in turn was giving back to the community.
The local Parish Council were keen to help, as
combating isolation was one of their key objectives, so
a shipping container was bought and Trent and Dove
Housing agreed to provide some funds for tools and
also to get all their furniture repaired by the group,
which would then be donated back to families in need
and the project took off.
Being self-sufficient is vital to the group, hence all
of the flower planters, jigsaws, jewellery boxes, coat
racks, flower pot men, balancing parrots plus at
Christmas they made reindeer and sleds. The majority
of the wood is donated by a local pallet company (pallet
wood is wonderful once sanded down) and if they do
need to buy timber, for one off commissions, like the
commemorative benches they made recently, then they
find Midlands Timber in Burton the best wood in the
area. The funds raised go towards the electricity,
insurance all the legal bit around using tools and the
peppercorn rent they pay to Horninglow and Eton
Parish Council for the shipping container.
www.horninglowandeton.co.uk/
projects-and-community-work-in-our-parish/
After chatting for a while I realised they were all
keen to get on with their projects, so I finished my visit
by asking each one of them what the project meant to
them, Clive said, “I enjoy working with wood and
giving something back to the community” (He was
given the Queens Award for Voluntary Services),
Graham said, “ it’s a sanctuary and allows me to
continue with the banter that I used to have at work,
while making things”, Dave said “I like it, as it keeps my
mind occupied and allows me to solve various
problems that all new projects have, like how do you
ensure the legs stay on the flower pot men, while also
holding the flower pot “ They all mentioned Alan, who
is an expert in jokes, the ones you find in Christmas
Crackers! Plus Fred and Ian who come up with lots of
new ideas for things to make.
I left the shed, realising that this group of men, were
not isolated or lonely while they were together, they
had found an innovative way of engaging socially and
if you wanted to join them, you would find a
supportive, friendly bunch, who are open to all sorts of
creative woodwork projects and if you are available on
Mondays and Thursdays mornings, then you will find
a warm welcome and a place to belong. Plus if you are
a community group and want something made out of
wood, they can turn their hand to anything.
Contact Clive on 01283 530038 and go along, even
if you only go once, you will not be sorry and you might
view sheds in a whole different light.
Dave, Clive and Graham
Are you getting
married this year?
Would you like to be part of
our Wedding feature?
Contact Nigel
Email: uttoxetervoice@ hotmail.co.uk
Tel: 01538 751629
Just the perfectday...

T
he first of a range of new
JCB site dumpers are
rolling off the company’s
World HQ production line –
including the unique Hi-Viz
model which brings new levels of
safety to the market.
JCB announced plans to
manufacture its own range of the
popular machine last year and
production is now underway at
Rocester - a move which will
create 70 new jobs in the next 12
months.
The range being produced
includes the innovative seven-
tonne payload JCB 7T-1 Front
Tip Hi-Viz model designed to
directly address growing
industry concerns over accidents
and serious injuries involving
site dumpers on construction
sites. The complete range is compliant with the latest safety legislation including ISO
5006:2017 and EN474.
It is part of a range of eight other site dumper models for the one to nine tonne
market. The biggest market for the machines is the UK and Ireland followed by France.
JCB Site Dumper Managing Director Richard Butler said: “We are delighted that
manufacturing is underway in the UK for a brand new range of JCB site dumpers,
which will bring new levels of safety to the market through innovation.
“Reaction to the launch of this new range has been exceptional and customers can
look forward to seeing the seven and three tonne models on the JCB stand at the
Executive Hire Show in February.”
The JCB 7T-1 Front Tip Hi-Viz model features a reduced skip height and unique
design which delivers huge improvements in visibility, while a longer wheelbase and
lower centre of gravity boosts stability. Operator protection is assured through a
ROPS/FOPS Level II JCB SITESAFE cab, which incorporates an integrated protection
system, potentially allowing the operator to remain in the cab while being loaded.
Production starts in UK of
innovative JCB site dumpers
A
s part of Waitrose ‘Community Matters’ scheme, Uttoxeter Community Farm
at Thomas Alleynes High School were presented with a cheque for £600. We
would like to thank all those shoppers who supported us by choosing our
project for their green tokens. Since September we have started offering a new course
on the farm and students are now able to choose to study for a BTEC level 2 award
in Animal Care as one of their option subjects. This qualification provides hands
on experience of a wide range of livestock and companion animals for students who
wish to pursue careers in veterinary medicine, animal care and farming as well as
those who just love animals and want to learn more about caring for them.
We are currently in the process of redeveloping the site and have been working
closely with Carillion Tarmac partnership and other local businesses to build new
pens and improve existing ones. The money from Waitrose will be used to repair
fencing around one of our outside poultry areas as well as replace our old wooden
hen houses with more suitable plastic ones. We can then increase our flock of laying
hens and improve our profits from egg sales. We are always keen to expand the range
of animals on the farm and have recently added two corn snakes and a tarantula to
our collection which includes geckos, bearded dragons, turtles, hens, ducks, geese,
sheep, pigs, cows, guinea pigs and rabbits. Uttoxeter Community Farm continues to
go from strength to strength thanks to the hard work, support and enthusiasm of
the students and local community.
Thomas Alleyne’s High
School in the community
By Justine North
Dignity Awards
2018. Do you know
someone who has
dignity at the heart of
all they do?
T
ake the time to nominate them for a Dignity Award, The National Dignity
Council campaign’s core values are about having dignity in our hearts, minds
and actions. Staffordshire County Council has a vision that Staffordshire will
be a place where everyone has the opportunity to prosper, be healthy and happy and
to improve quality of life for all. An aim that support is built around the person, and
that services are of the highest quality and demonstrate respect, dignity and
compassion.
To promote, recognise and reward those people whose actions make a difference
and serve as an example to others, Staffordshire County Council is delighted to host
the Dignity Awards for 2018.
We want nominations from everyone - whether it’s written, audio or photos we
want to hear it. We want to celebrate the achievements of as many people as possible:
young people, family carers, community groups, organisations, supportive friends
and neighbours. Do you know someone who has consistently gone that extra mile
and had an impact on the delivery of high quality services? This is your chance to
recognise them.
To be able to view the categories and complete an online Nomination Form,
Please visit or e-mail dignity@staffordshire.gov.uk for a form
www.staffordshire.gov.uk/health/care/dignityincare/dignityincarenominationfor
m.aspx
The closing date for nominations is: Friday 25th May 2018 , Shortlisted
nominations will be invited to a celebration event on July 18th 2018 where winners
will be announced and presented with their prize.
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WORKTOPS
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The Performance Physio
by Paul Williamson, Chartered Physiotherapist
W
ith 25 years’ experience in elite &
professional sports Paul has dedicated his
careers as both a professional athlete & a
clinician to achieving excellence. Paul competed for
Great Britain for over 11 years in athletics then turned
his attention to a career in physiotherapy.
Paul was Physio to the Great Britain Senior Men’s
Basketball Team & Lead Physiotherapist at the National
Football Centre working with professional footballers,
England Senior Women’s players and a wide variety of
other professional & Olympic athletes. He also works
with celebrities & the general public, particularly those
with complex issues. He is currently a consultant
physiotherapist to the premiership referee’s.
Paul has created ‘The Performance Physio’ a
specialist private physiotherapy practice based just
outside Uttoxeter. He uses all his experience of working
with elite sports to shape a philosophy for the everyday
champion, whether they are a weekend warrior, a
recreational athlete or those who want to continue with
normal daily activities.
Paul will be writing regular articles on general and
sports injuries, rehabilitation principles and exercise;
he will offer key tips on how to self-manage or when to
go to the expert for advice
New Year Exercise Benefits & Pitfalls
Every January thousands of people initiate new
exercise regimes aiming to get fit, to lose weight or set
goals based around preparing for sporting events such
as a Marathon, Tough Mudder or a triathlon. January
is a hive of activity for gyms, boot camps and personal
trainers, the excitement of a new challenge and the
prospect of a healthier fitter body is a huge motivator
for many.
The benefits to exercise are well documented but there
can be pitfalls if one is not careful. From a clinical
perspective I tend to see in increase in patients with
exercise related injuries around mid-February to March.
One could ask why this happens every year and the simple
fact is that people who have initiated their new exercise
programme have done too much in a short period of time.
In this article I will explore some the benefits of exercise,
the pitfalls to watch out for and provide some top tips on
staying injury free whilst exercising.
Benefits
Exercise is a stress buster; it makes you feel happier
by enhancing mood, reducing feelings of depression
and anxiety, whilst improving sleep quality. Exercise
stimulates part of the brain that regulates stress and
anxiety; it also helps to improve sensitivity to hormones
and release of endorphins which help to reduce the
perception of pain.
Exercise increases energy expenditure, using more
calories per day. Combining resistance exercise with
aerobic exercise can maximise fat loss and muscle
maintenance, this is the best combination of beginners
exercise in my opinion.
Resistance exercise is good for building muscle
mass and increasing bone density. During the aging
process we tend to lose muscle mass which has an
important function in maintaining normal functions,
likewise bone density declines in later life which can
lead to osteoporosis. Resistance and impact exercise
can delay and reverse both these processes.
Research into exercise has been shown to increase
energy levels in both normal populations and those
suffering with illness. Research has also indicated
regular exercise can reduce risk of chronic disease such
as diabetes and heart disease by regulating insulin,
lowering blood pressure and body fat.
Exercise is good for your brain, it promotes blood
flow and oxygen to this area and research has shown
improvements in memory and learning whilst reducing
changes to the brain that can cause Alzheimer’s.
Pitfalls
There are risks to exercise of course & those new to
exercise are always vulnerable to injury. The mistakes
I often encounter are ‘too much too soon’, when I see
patients with these new injuries we go through the past
few months to find out what I call the driver. Simply
put we try to find what has triggered the injury,
particularly if it was not due to a slip trip or fall or
contact in a game. I note that many are overuse injuries
due to an excess in training volume, intensity or load.
When you are new to training your body needs
time to adapt and change and the muscle, bone and
nervous system need to get use to new stress. These
systems really like homeostasis, so something new
triggers a reaction, the body repairs and adapts to
exercise stressors in preparation for it reoccurring. In
essence the body gets stronger to protect against
exercise.
When someone exercises excessively, which may be
something that you really don’t recognise as excessive
such as jogging for a few miles, your body may not
actually be able to cope with this. You repeat this on
several occasions over a few weeks or months and then
you strain your calf, or hamstring or the sole of your
foot aches, or your knees, or back starts to hurt.
The immediate reaction is to rest, let the pain settle
and then start again. You repeat this and before you
know it you are injured again. This cycle can go on and
on indefinitely or until you quit. I see this so much and
not just in the general population but also with elite and
professional athletes. Once you are injured you should
certainly seek advice from a qualified practitioner than
understands what your needs and can advise on how
to manage the injury and prevent any recurrence.
Top 10 Tips to stay injury free:
1. Get good reputable advice before you start
2. Set short and long term goals - weekly / monthly /
six month milestones
3. Be realistic with what you want to achieve
4. Plan your training which should include recovery
or rest days
5. Start slowly and make sure your routine is
progressive
6. Don’t do the same exercise all the time (example
just jogging)
7. Do combine aerobic exercise and resistance exercise
8. Do complete Flexibility training
9. Eat a balanced healthy diet and drink adequate
water to help recovery
10. Get a friend to join you because exercise should be
fun and social!
If you require any advice on training or injury then
please feel free to call on 07713 108036 or email
paul@theperformancephysio.com
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Lank’s Lore
By Steve ‘Lank’ Lavin
Golden Memories from one of Uttoxeter’s Favourite Characters
W
elcome everybody to the 2018 1st edition of
your Voice magazine I hope you all had a
nice Christmas and New Year and my
commiserations to anyone who didn’t with the loss of
a friend or relative or other tragedy during the
proceedings.
As usual we all had to endure endless programmes
on the box which were repeats. But saying that after
searching the TV listings I did find a movie that brings
back some memories to me, ‘Ben Hur’ the Biblical Epic
from the 50’s. This surely was one of the best films of
that era with the mighty Charlton Heston playing one
of the leading roles.
The bit where he took part in a chariot race to save
his skin in front of the emperor must surely, although
the filming by today’s standards was a little basic, be
one of the finest film sequences of its time ever,
brilliant!
As soon as I saw this film advertised I just had to
watch it although I have seen it umpteen times before
the reason being that it reminds me of my late father.
His forte was picking out blunders and mistakes in
any programme on TV, soaps, documentaries, news
belletins, films in fact almost everything he could find
any fault at all with and even though I say it myself he
was very good at it.
Ben Hur was certainly his all time film blunder
spotting achievement. At the time it was made he had
to wait for it to be rescreened again on TV to point out
to you the blunders that the film makers had made. But
later on when the video tape was invented and came on
the market he managed to get hold of a video tape copy
which he could replay time after time at his hearts
content picking out various errors and mistakes made
by the film producers which had escaped the cutting
room floor.
At every suitable available family get together he
would show this film to a captive audience showing his
mistake finding prowess.
The chariot race itself did bring out the best of his
blunder finding talents I must admit.
“There are motor vehicle tyre tracks on the floor of
the arena” He would spout. “That centurion in that
chariot is wearing a wristwatch” he would add.
“Looksie, there is a power line running over the arena
there”, coupled with “did you hear that, an extra just
shouted from the crowd of onlookers after one of the
chariot drivers was badly injured, quick ring for an
ambulance!” and low and behold “well I will go to our
house wasn’t that a motor car parked up in the distance
on that last bend, he just rode past”, stating the obvious
that these items were not around in these times, but the
excitement in his face after finding all of these made
these ritual events worth attending. Invariably he was
right but his blunder spotting talents did tend
sometimes to get a little bit boring.
Not only did this film remind me of my late fathers
talents but also of my school days.
In the film Charlton Hestons mother and sister
both contracted Leprosy and because of it being so they
thought, highly contagious were bundled off to a leper
colony.
When I was at school Leprosy was still very rife in
some 3rd world countries and missionaries used to
come round to the school asking children and their
parents alike to donate a few pence to help to research
and combat this dreadful disease which initially
infections are without symptoms and typically remain
this way for 5 to 20 years.
Nowadays although not quite as rife as in those
times the disease still exists especially in the USA more
than 200,000 new cases are recorded each year globally
and three million people are living with irreversible
disabilities, including blindness because of it. The
disease is now better well known as Hansens Disease
and the person contracting it is no longer sent off to a
leper colony unlike Charlton Hestons relatives in the
film but gets successfully treated and cured with
antibiotics. The disease is not highly contagious luckily
but close contact with an untreated person and
receiving infected droplets reaching your nasal
passages can lead to you contracting it, perish the
thought.
A lot of people refer to their childhood or early life
as the good old days of the 1930’s, 40’ & 50’s but when
you recall the diseases around in those years which
were commonly caught and not so curable as they are
today such as Cholera, Diphtheria, Malaria, Measles,
Mumps, Whooping Cough, Chicken Pox and Scarlet
Fever along with the world war tragedies were they
really good days?
I think these present times although they have got
their faults are possibly better, they certainly are health
wise.
Till next time,
Lank
A poster advertising the great bibical movie ‘Ben Hur’
from 1959

Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, Issue 79

Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, Issue 79

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Uttoxeter & Cheadle Voice, Issue 79