Tuesday 27 December 2011

COALPIT LANE IN THE SNOW

Photo from Robin Lord's CLIKPICS site 'East of Eden'. Used with permission
by Dave Roberts
Here's a nice seasonal picture showing a little of the natural beauty which surrounds us here in our 'pretty town, seated in a valley' in the centre of Cheshire.
Coalpit Lane connects Stanthorne Crossroads near Wimboldsley with the Middlewich to Northwich/Winsford road, the turning at the Middlewich end being in Chester Road,  a few yards from the bridge over the River Wheelock and  close to the Town and Borough council boundary.
The lane provides a useful (too useful, some would say, in these days of 'rat runs') alternative route between Stanthorne and Middlewich.
Another junction at the top of the hill similarly provides an alternative route to Winsford.
There was always great excitement when the little single-decker Crosville bus which took us all from the bus company's garage in Wheelock Street to Wimboldsley School every day, was diverted, usually because of some problem with the Nantwich Road aqueduct, to take us along this route which itself crosses the SUC Middlewich Branch canal via an overbridge in a very picturesque location.
One part of Middlewich I have never seen, even in photographs, is that stretch of the River Wheelock between Nantwich Road (where it runs through an aqueduct under the canal said to be the twin of the familiar Nantwich Road one) and the Wheelock Bridge in Chester Road.
And I wonder if anyone took any pictures of Wimboldsley School during its recent and sudden expansion?
The establishment is now at least three times bigger than it was in the 1950s, a sure sign of its enduring usefulness and popularity.

2 comments:

  1. Elizabeth Bleasdale nee.Yardley17 January 2012 at 15:58

    I attended Occlestone (Wimboldsley) School from 1940-46. My Aunt Lydia Clarke (nee. Smallwood) taught alongside Connie Hulse (Headmistress) who was pretty fearsome and frightened us all to death!
    I had a friend there, Rosemary Platt, who's father took us to school and back in his car.
    I also remember the Healers(?) from the Farm near the School. Phillip was my partner in Country Dancing, he was very shy.
    My younger sister Jennifer and her (late) twin John attended the same school c.1951-1954 and then transferred to Park Road until c.1957
    I have lived in the Isle of Man since 1987
    Are you the Dave Roberts that used to live in Nantwich Road?
    I have lots more info about life in Middlewich 1936 until then.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Many thanks for your comments, Elizabeth. Yes, I lived in Nantwich Road from 1952 - 1959, and my parents were Arthur and Doris Roberts. My elder brother Glynn sadly died in 1999, and there are now three of us - myself, my sister Cynthia (who moved back to Nantwich Road and nowlives at no 45, and my brother Chris wholives in Sale.
    We'd be delighted to hear your memories of Middlewich.

    ReplyDelete

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