DAY BY DAY 16th MARCH 2025

 

DAY BY DAY 16 - 16th MARCH 2025

 

GOOD MORNING!

This information will be updated throughout the day, so please keep calling back.

SUNDAY 16th MARCH 2025

A cold but dry day.

Some forthcoming events for your diary:

The regular DRESS DOWN SUNDAY sessions continue at the King's Lock on SUNDAY 30th MARCH.

..and just a few days later at the same venue it's OPEN MIKE NIGHT on Tuesday April 1st

SALT TOWNS RADIO, YOUR NEW ONLINE STATION FOR MID-CHESHIRE
LAUNCHES ON MONDAY APRIL 7th. The station is currently broadcasting test streams.
The website goes live soon.

SALTTOWNSRADIO.ONLINE

AMONG THE NEW PROGRAMMES OF INTEREST TO LISTENERS IN MIDDLEWICH, NORTHWICH, WINSFORD, SANDBACH, HOLMES CHAPEL AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN WILL BE THE RETURN OF CHESHIRE FOLK, BACK IN ITS OLD TIME-SLOT OF 6PM to 8PM EVERY SUNDAY, STARTING ON APRIL 13th. STR IS THE OFFICIAL FOLK & BOAT BROADCASTER (FOLLOWING ON FROM FGTB RADIO LAST YEAR) AND WILL BE BRINGING YOU NEWS OF THE FESTIVAL ON ITS NEW MAIN SITE OFF POCHIN WAY AND THE FRINGE AT VENUES ALL OVER TOWN.

THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING TAKES PLACE AT VICTORIA HALL ON 
WEDNESDAY 9th APRIL. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR TOWN COUNCIL IS DOING FOR YOU

FRIENDS OF FOUNTAIN FIELDS ARE HOPING THE WEATHER WILL BE KIND
FOR THEIR FIRST EVENT OF 2025, BUT IF IT ISN'T THE EVENT WILL BE
HELD AT THE VICTORIA HALL, COURTESY OF MIDDLEWICH TOWN COUNCIL

MIDDLEWICH IS COMMEMORATING VE DAY, 80 YEARS AGO THIS YEAR.
HERE'S THE FULL PROGRAMME OF EVENTS FOR THE DAY, AND BELOW IS THE 
POSTER WITH DETAILS OF THE SPECIAL VE DAY CONCERT FEATURING FESTIVAL FAVOURITE SGT DOM COLLINS!

THIS IS EXPECTED TO BE THE LAST MAJOR COMMEMORATION OF VE DAY AND TICKETS ARE BOUND TO BE MUCH IN DEMAND.



If you'd like to tell us about something happening in or around Middlewich, please email us (with poster/flyer/photo if possible):

Middlewichdiary@aol.com

From the Middlewich Diary archives:
VERNON COOPER AND THE BLACK BEAR INN

Acknowledgments:

Kevin Lever (Salt Towns Radio)
Khorie Greig (Friends of Fountain Fields)
Cllr Garnet Marshall (Middlewich Town Council/Cheshire East)

Cllr Simon Whittaker (Middlewich Town Mayor)

DAY BY DAY 15 - 15th MARCH 2025

 

GOOD MORNING!

This information will be updated throughout the day, so please keep calling back.

SATURDAY 15th MARCH 2025

A frosty start to the day, but still plenty of early spring sunshine.

Some forthcoming events for your diary:

The regular DRESS DOWN SUNDAY sessions continue at the King's Lock on SUNDAY 30th MARCH.

..and just a few days later at the same venue it's OPEN MIKE NIGHT on Tuesday April 1st

SALT TOWNS RADIO, YOUR NEW ONLINE STATION FOR MID-CHESHIRE
LAUNCHES ON MONDAY APRIL 7th. The station is currently broadcasting test streams.
The website goes live soon.

SALTTOWNSRADIO.ONLINE

AMONG THE NEW PROGRAMMES OF INTEREST TO LISTENERS IN MIDDLEWICH, NORTHWICH, WINSFORD, SANDBACH, HOLMES CHAPEL AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN WILL BE THE RETURN OF CHESHIRE FOLK, BACK IN ITS OLD TIME-SLOT OF 6PM to 8PM EVERY SUNDAY, STARTING ON APRIL 13th. STR IS THE OFFICIAL FOLK & BOAT BROADCASTER (FOLLOWING ON FROM FGTB RADIO LAST YEAR) AND WILL BE BRINGING YOU NEWS OF THE FESTIVAL ON ITS NEW MAIN SITE OFF POCHIN WAY AND THE FRINGE AT VENUES ALL OVER TOWN.

THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING TAKES PLACE AT VICTORIA HALL ON 
WEDNESDAY 9th APRIL. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR TOWN COUNCIL IS DOING FOR YOU

FRIENDS OF FOUNTAIN FIELDS ARE HOPING THE WEATHER WILL BE KIND
FOR THEIR FIRST EVENT OF 2025, BUT IF IT ISN'T THE EVENT WILL BE
HELD AT THE VICTORIA HALL, COURTESY OF MIDDLEWICH TOWN COUNCIL

MIDDLEWICH IS COMMEMORATING VE DAY, 80 YEARS AGO THIS YEAR.
HERE'S THE FULL PROGRAMME OF EVENTS FOR THE DAY, AND BELOW IS THE 
POSTER WITH DETAILS OF THE SPECIAL VE DAY CONCERT FEATURING FESTIVAL FAVOURITE SGT DOM COLLINS!

THIS IS EXPECTED TO BE THE LAST MAJOR COMMEMORATION OF VE DAY AND TICKETS ARE BOUND TO BE MUCH IN DEMAND.



If you'd like to tell us about something happening in or around Middlewich, please email us (with poster/flyer/photo if possible):

Middlewichdiary@aol.com


From the Middlewich Diary archives:

WYCH & WATER - DEEP IN MIDDLEWICH SALT COUNTRY

Acknowledgments:

Kevin Lever (Salt Towns Radio)
Khorie Greig (Friends of Fountain Fields)
Cllr Garnet Marshall (Middlewich Town Council/Cheshire East)

Cllr Simon Whittaker (Middlewich Town Mayor)

DAY BY DAY 14 - 14th March 2025

 

GOOD MORNING!

Welcome back to THE MIDDLEWICH DIARY!

This is our first 'DAY BY DAY' entry since last June and the Folk & Boat Festival.

We thought it might be useful to revive this feature to bring together information on some of the things happening in Middlewich at the moment.

This information will be updated throughout the day, so please keep calling back.

FRIDAY 14th MARCH 2025

A cold morning, but plenty of early spring sunshine.

First,  some forthcoming events for your diary:

The regular DRESS DOWN SUNDAY sessions continue at the King's Lock on SUNDAY 30th MARCH.

..and just a few days later at the same venue it's OPEN MIKE NIGHT on Tuesday April 1st

SALT TOWNS RADIO, YOUR NEW ONLINE STATION FOR MID-CHESHIRE
LAUNCHES ON MONDAY APRIL 7th

AMONG THE NEW PROGRAMMES OF INTEREST TO LISTENERS IN MIDDLEWICH, NORTHWICH, WINSFORD, SANDBACH, HOLMES CHAPEL AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN WILL BE THE RETURN OF CHESHIRE FOLK, BACK IN ITS OLD TIME-SLOT OF 6PM to 8PM EVERY SUNDAY, STARTING ON APRIL 13th. STR IS THE OFFICIAL FOLK & BOAT BROADCASTER (FOLLOWING ON FROM FGTB RADIO LAST YEAR) AND WILL BE BRINGING YOU NEWS OF THE FESTIVAL ON ITS NEW MAIN SITE OFF POCHIN WAY AND THE FRINGE AT VENUES ALL OVER TOWN.

THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING TAKES PLACE AT VICTORIA HALL ON 
WEDNESDAY 9th APRIL. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR TOWN COUNCIL IS DOING FOR YOU

FRIENDS OF FOUNTAIN FIELDS ARE HOPING THE WEATHER WILL BE KIND
FOR THEIR FIRST EVENT OF 2025, BUT IF IT ISN'T THE EVENT WILL BE
HELD AT THE VICTORIA HALL, COURTESY OF MIDDLEWICH TOWN COUNCIL

MIDDLEWICH IS COMMEMORATING VE DAY, 80 YEARS AGO THIS YEAR.
HERE'S THE FULL PROGRAMME OF EVENTS FOR THE DAY, AND BELOW IS THE 
POSTER WITH DETAILS OF THE SPECIAL VE DAY CONCERT FEATURING FESTIVAL FAVOURITE SGT DOM COLLINS!

THIS IS EXPECTED TO BE THE LAST MAJOR COMMEMORATION OF VE DAY AND TICKETS ARE BOUND TO BE MUCH IN DEMAND.

If you'd like to tell us about something happening in or around Middlewich, please email us (with poster/flyer/photo if possible):

Middlewichdiary@aol.com

From the Middlewich Diary archives:

THE TURNOVER BRIDGE

Acknowledgments:

Kevin Lever (Salt Towns Radio)
Khorie Greig (Friends of Fountain Fields)
Cllr Garnet Marshall (Middlewich Town Council/Cheshire East)

Cllr Simon Whittaker (Middlewich Town Mayor)

MHS REVISITED 1990: 1969 AND ALL THAT...

1990

Another delve into the Middlewich Heritage Society Newsletter archives, when we were looking at the momentous events of twenty-one years earlier, in 1969. Momentous, that is, as far as Middlewich was concerned. There's no mention of the Moon Landings, but the hourly pay rate of cleaners at Chadwick Court is included, as is the news of ERF Limited's plans for part of the old ICI Soda Ash works site. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the future delights mentioned in this article also appear in our companion article concerning the events of 1970 which you can find here

Based on newspaper cuttings collected by the late Albert Robinson

by Dave Roberts

1968 ended portentously. Just before Christmas the dreaded 'yellow peril' hit Middlewich, as the County Council introduced 'No Waiting' restrictions in Wheelock Street. This was expected to help solve the town's horrendous traffic problems.

In many ways the end of the sixties was the end of an era for Middlewich. The old method of making salt had died out, but British Salt were expected to have their £3 million factory open in the Autumn.

Other great schemes were also in the offing in 1969, all of which are now taken for granted (or were in 1990 - ed)

August was to see the start of the new inner by-pass (St Michael's Way), expected to cost £220,000

 April would see the completion of the Civic Hall, built by the UDC for the princely sum of £30,000 (the cost later 'rocketed' to £40,000).

The County Council also planned to build a new fire station, and the GPO were to introduce an automatic telephone exchange.

In February the news broke that the 'Sandbach Motor Engineering Firm', ERF Limited, had applied for planning permission for a spares and service depot on part of the disused ICI soda ash works site. ERF promised to build the depot on the understanding that the Council would improve Brooks Lane to provide a proper access road.

Middlewich Council were advertising for part-time cleaners at Chadwick Court. The successful applicants would work a ten hour week for 4s 9d an hour. General labourers in the Council's Parks & Open Spaces Department were paid £14 5s 10d per week, in accordance with the NJC for Local Authorities Services.

Also in 1969 the town's Crown Post Office closed and the sub post office which replaced it began its nomadic wanderings around the town. The first sub postmistress was Mrs Beryl Lees who ran the Central Warehouse at 29 Wheelock Street.

In June the wonders of modern technology came to the town, and Middlewich's telephone subscribers (800 in all) were linked up to the S.T.D. equipment in the new automatic exchange. The first call was made by the Chairman of the Council, Mr Wilfrid Faulkner.

In July the subject of local government re-organisation was in the air. The Maud Report was proposing a 'Super Council' covering Sale and East Cheshire on which Middlewich would have had only one representative (in 1970 Middlewich Councillors were to hold discussions with Northwich and Winsford Councillors on the idea of a Mid-Cheshire Authority. A second-best plan including Knutsford was also considered.
On Friday 12th September the new Civic Hall was opened by Council Chairman Wilfrid Faulkner.

You could hire the hall for an evening for £10 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, £12 on Wednesday and £15 on Friday and Saturday. There was dancing on the opening night to 'The Ray Douglas Music'.
Middlewich was about  to move forward into the 1970s...
© Dave Roberts/Salt Town Productions 2011


Postscript:
Also in 1969 a young Mr David Gareth Roberts left school and, after an excruciatingly embarrassing and unsuccessful interview at the NatWest Bank, began work at the MUDC's Rates Office.
September the 12th, the day of the Civic Hall's opening, was my 17th birthday. I'm sure I remember the legendary Percy Bailey Band playing in the hall in the afternoon, but I can find no confirmation of this. -DGR

Originally published 29th November 2011

Reformatted and republished 14th March 2025

DAY BY DAY 13 21st JUNE 2024

MIDDLEWICHDIARY@AOL.COM

 FRIDAY 21st JUNE 2024

10am: A lovely warm, sunny start to the day Obviously the Folk Festival weather we wanted has arrived a week late.

We've been away for a few days, for obvious reasons. But now we're back to pass on any  news of forthcoming happenings in Middlewich which come our way. Please email us on the address above if you've anything you think we should know about.

The Cheshire Folk Show can now be heard every Sunday at 6pm on FEELGOOD THROWBACKS RADIO, broadcasting from THE WHITE HORSE BUSINESS CENTRE in Lewin Street, Middlewich. From Sunday 30th the show will be extended to two hours, from 6 until 8pm.

FGTB RADIO LIVE LINK

This Sunday:

LISTEN LIVE TO FGTB RADIO

Coming soon:

Alison Roylance-White writes:

After many conversations with the Trustees of the Wych Centre, we have decided to cancel our car boot sale on 4th August.

It was a fundraiser for The Youthie, the weekly club for 7-12 year olds.

We started advertising this on the 10th June and had bookings then this week, the Town Council decided to advertise their own car boot sale, free to have a pitch and the week before us.

We cannot compete with the weight of the Council so sadly our fundraiser has been parked and we will need to find another way to raise funds.

It costs c£7k per year to run the club as we have a skilled staff team and really appreciate the volunteers who help us. We get no money from the Town Council or Cheshire East but the kids do pay a membership fee which covers some of the costs.

If you need venue for an event, please remember us as the hall hire helps towards The Youthie.

Middlewich Diary editorials are as rare as hen's teeth. They represent my view and my view alone as distinct from the 'view of the Middlewich Diary', whatever that may mean. As, despite what anyone may try to tell you, I'm not opinionated and can usually see both sides of any given argument, it's not necessary in most cases to make the distinction.
But I thought I'd say a little something about narcissists. Some will know why I mention this phenomenon, and some will be, and will remain, in blissful ignorance.

Widespread use of the internet, and Facebook in particular, has meant that it's easier than ever to recognise a narcissist. Apparently, if you're born with a narcissistic personality, that's your personality for the rest of your life. You can't change it, and nor can anyone else.  Narcissism can be hidden but the narcissist can be triggered by certain events or people and then that awful personality trait becomes clear for all to see.
A narcissist has an unshakeable belief in his or her abilities. They're prone to boastfulness and claiming powers and intellect way beyond their actual capacity. They're never wrong about anything, and they take criticism, even constructive criticism, as a personal insult, leading them to lash out at their perceived 'attacker' with a venom which sometimes beggars belief. They'll tell lies about people and then claim to have been lied about. It's called 'projection'. Narcissists will insult and belittle their 'enemies' with an intense fury, and when challenged will claim to be the victim. They're adept at getting people on their side, as they so often have the 'gift of the gab'  and find it easy to fool the gullible, who'll defend them against all comers. They have no sense of humour about themselves and will see the smallest  joke aimed at them as a major attack, warranting retribution. Narcissists are never able to admit mistakes and would rather die than do so. If they do manage to gain any power or status in a community, when they lose that power or status they're unable to stand the loss and will go into meltdown, lashing out at everything and everyone. It's tempting to say, 'there but for the grace of God go I' and conclude that they are more to be pitied than censured. But no, they can cause such damage to a community that they must be identified, so they can do no further damage. There are narcissists in Middlewich, just as there are everywhere else. Once you know the signs and symptoms it is so easy to spot them. So please don't be gullible. Watch out for the signs. But if you know someone who is an obvious narcissist and you're still enabling them, then shame on you.

Dave Roberts

21st June 2024

DAD AT WORK AT CEREBOS (LATE 40s/EARLY 50s)

by Dave Roberts


This photo first appeared on Facebook, not as part of the regular 'Middlewich' series, but on Father's Day 2011 as a tribute to my Dad, Arthur Roberts, who was a foreman electrician at Cerebos Salt Ltd (later to become part of RHM Foods) from the late 30s until his retirement through ill health around 1969. Dad is pictured here in the generator room at Cerebos in (we think) the late 40s/early 50s. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the generator plant and its controls and, when he had to retire, was retained as a consultant and driven up to the works at weekends by Percy Wrench in the works van to check that everything was OK. The Cerebos generating plant was very efficient for its day, as the steam used to run the generators was not released into the atmosphere but recycled to provide heating and hot water for the whole factory, as well as for a very unusual salt pan which can best be described as a giant 'electric kettle'. The steam heated a giant element in the pan which, unlike the coal fired pans at Seddons and Murgatroyds, could be kept going for days and weeks on end, making it far more productive than most salt pans. A lot of the power produced, went to run the vacuum salt plant, fore-runner of the one now in use at British Salt which produces the greater part of the country's salt requirements.

Salt plants and electrical generators are, of course, run with the help of computers these days, but in Dad's day, all the knowledge was, literally, in his head. He taught himself electrical engineering in his spare time by correspondence course.




see also QUEEN MUM


First published on Facebook, Father's Day, July 11th 2011

Republished June 15th (Fathers Day) 2014

Republished June 19th (Fathers Day) 2016

Republished June 18th (Fathers Day) 2017

Also June 17th (Father's Day) 2018

June 16th (Father's Day) 2019

June 21st (Father's Day) 2020

June 20th (Father's Day) 2021

June 19th (Father's Day) 2022

June 18th (Father's Day) 2023

June 16th (Father's Day) 2024

DAY BY DAY 12 12th JUNE 2024

 

MIDDLEWICHDIARY@AOL.COM

WEDNESDAY 12th JUNE 2024

Welcome back. We've missed a few days owing to pressure of work, but now here we are on the brink of what looks like being the most incredible Folk & Boat Festival ever! The town has taken the FAB Festival to its heart as never before following last year's successful relaunch as the community festival the Folk & Boat was always intended to be. I know others lay claim to being Middlewich's 'biggest music event' and so forth, but no other Festival comes even close. And that's because everyone in Middlewich wants to be a part of this Festival of Festivals! There's so much happening this weekend that to try to take it all in can give you a headache. My advice to you is to just let it wash over you. You'll never get to see everything, because there's so much to see, but I promise you'll never be bored (unless you come to see me reciting my daft poetry in between times at the JOHN McATEER FOLK STAGE at MIDDLEWICH TOWN FC!)

But before we even start the Festival, there's this:

Tonight, Matthew, I'm pretending to be a Bingo Caller at this very worthwhile event raising money for FRIENDS OF FOUNTAIN FIELDS and SADS UK.

Then tomorrow night, so close to the Festival that there's no going back....there's this!

A Festival institution which has been going on for years and has been dotted all around the Festival schedule, from hungover Sunday mornings at The White Horse to a memorable Saturday evening at the Boar's Head smack in the middle of a folk session! We seem to have settled on the Thursday before the Festival as the time for this venerable tradition. This year, as you'll have seen, we're raising money for the FAB Festival's sister event, THE MIDDLEWICH ROSE FETE and CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL! Please note though that, like everything else to do with MFAB, it's not your normal quiz! So, if you want a quiet, tranquil and sedate start to your Festival Weekend... you'd best look elsewhere!

More later! Please keep calling back. Sorry to trouble you - don't you know there's a Festival on?! - DR

DAY BY DAY 9 9th JUNE 2024

 

MIDDLEWICHDIARY@AOL.COM

SUNDAY 9th JUNE 2024

Middlewich Town Council