Sunday 1 January 2012

THE MIDDLEWICH DIARY ARCHIVE

THE MIDDLEWICH DIARY ARCHIVE
Now that 2011 is finally behind us it might be a good time to remind everyone of the archive we have built up so far.
There are currently 319 entries (we have dropped the 'official' blogger word 'postings' because 'entries' seemed more appropriate for a diary) or 320 if you include this one.
Some of them, but only a few, are simply links to various useful web sites and Facebook groups owned by local organisations and companies.
Most of them are entries containing photographs of various vintages with explanatory notes, written by me. This is where the internet scores over conventional 'paper publishing'. If  (God forbid) I should get something wrong, or if anyone has additional information about a particular entry, it can be altered very easily.. 
Over the months we have had some epic struggles in our attempts to tease out the truth behind some obscure aspect of an old photograph:
BUILDINGS IN WHEELOCK STREET
If you're puzzled by the reference in the above entry to 'Sharon's Cafe', it's explained by the fact that from time to time we have received queries from our readers. A classic example of this was when Sharon Barnard innocently asked if anyone could 'remember a cafe near the Vaults in 1977', little realising what she was starting:
THE SHARON'S CAFE SAGA
There are two ways to access the entries in 'A Middlewich Diary'. You can either go to the blue list on the right hand side of each entry (scroll down to the bottom), which gives you access first to the year of the entry, then the month. Click on the relevant month and a list of that month's entries is displayed.
Or you can scroll down to the bottom of any entry to find the Diary index. We're in the process of tidying this up in order to make it easier to use
 Just click on any subject in the index and a list of Diary entries will be displayed.
A Middlewich Diary will continue throughout 2012 and into the future. We have lots of exciting plans which we'll be talking about as the year progresses.
We've just got space to mention one of those ideas here: 'The Middlewich Diary Pub Quiz'.
This has been inspired by the series of  quizzes we were involved with in 2010/11 in aid of the Mayor's Charity. By far the most popular and enjoyable of these quizzes was the 'Middlewich' quiz, held at the White Horse in March 2011.
It proved, as does the 'Middlewich Diary' throughout the year, that people in Middlewich are interested in their town and its past, present and future, despite what the dwindling number of miserable mutterers and moaners might say.
So we are proposing a series of charity pub quizzes throughout the year at various venues, each featuring at least one round of questions very much centred on Middlewich.
Proceeds will be given to various local charities.
These will be simple, old-fashioned pub quizzes, bringing you entertainment, nostalgia and fun..
And each quiz will feature (after the event, of course) on 'A Middlewich Diary' so that everyone can join in.
At the moment we're just trying to find out what level of interest these quizzes might have, so if you think it's a good idea, please let us know.
Dave Roberts
Editor


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