FOLK, BOATS, SALT AND BISTO!

Tools used in the production of open pan and cut-lump salt

by David Roberts

This photograph from the 2011 FAB Festival illustrates another important aspect of our town's most hectic and exhilarating weekend.
From its earliest beginnings in 1990 the festival was seen not only as an important musical event and celebration of Middlewich's canal heritage but also as an opportunity to showcase the town's long and hitherto rather neglected history as one of the famous 'Cheshire Wiches'.
There can't be many British schoolchildren who weren't taught about Nantwich, Middlewich and Northwich and their tradition of salt-making stretching back to a time even before the Roman invasion, so that almost everyone would have heard of our town, even if many of them probably couldn't have told you exactly where it was.

Every year now, thanks to the sterling efforts of  Middlewich Town Council's Heritage Officer, Kerry Fletcher, and the work put in by many volunteers, including members of the Middlewich Heritage Society, the history of Middlewich is displayed and interpreted for the benefit of both townspeople and visitors.

Modern day Bisto Kids pose in front of the mural rescued from RHM Foods when the factory closed in 2009.

 See GONE,  BUT NOT FORGOTTEN - RHM

Festival visitors on the Narrowboat Sweden, formerly one of the fleet of boats used by Henry Seddon & Sons to bring in coal and export salt from their Wych House Lane and Pepper Street works along the Trent & Mersey Canal (the Wych House Lane works was situated  to the right of the boat on what is now known as the 'Salinae Field'. Part of the field can be seen above the boat's engine compartment.).
Sadly, since this photograph was taken, Sweden has been repainted in a livery representing a different period of her long life.

With the Town Bridge in the right background, Cliff's photo shows the scene at Town Wharf a few years ago (one of the wharf buildings is on the extreme left). The wharf and the immediately adjacent Salinae Field are really the point where the 'Folk & Boat' parts of the festival come together; concerts are staged on boats moored by the wharf and stalls and exhibition stands help tell the Middlewich story to Folkies and Boaties alike.
When the 'Gateway To Middlewich' scheme comes to fruition  this part of town will have become even more attractive and welcoming, not only at festival time but also throughout the rest of the year.
(Editor's note: We're still waiting! That line was from the original 2013 edition of this diary entry and in 2015 little has changed as far  as the wharf is concerned.)
UPDATE (JUNE 2018) It's now beginning to look like our long-awaited Town Wharf Scheme is not going to happen at all. Rumours are rife that the site has been sold and that the buildings will be flattened and housing built where they once stood. If this proves to be the case, this will be a tragedy for Middlewich and for those interested in the town's history.

...and just in case anyone might have forgotten how it all started back in 1990 here are the legendary MIDDLEWICH PADDIES who have appeared at all 25 Festivals through the years.

On the left is Graham Sivills, centre is Richard Devaney and on the right, Dave Thompson, formerly Folk & Boat Festival Artistic Director and now running the FAB Festival on behalf of the Town Council as Events Manager.

SEE ALSO: THE FIRST MIDDLEWICH FOLK & BOAT FESTIVAL 1990

Diary entry originally published 12th June 2013 under the title
FAB FESTIVAL 2013: PADDIES, BOATS, SALT AND BISTO...

The title was changed to 'FOLK, BOATS, SALT AND BISTO' in 2018 because in previous years, Facebook's algorithms had spotted the word 'Paddies' and decide that it was a politically incorrect 'pejorative term' God help us all.

Many thanks to CLIFF ASTLES for permission to use these photographs.

Facebook Feedback (11th June 2020):

Heritage Officer Kerry Kirwan writes:

All will be back on display by the end of the year (hopefully!)

First published as 'Paddies, Boats, Salt and Bisto' 12th June 2013

Re-published 7th June 2014

10th June 2015

17th June 2017

Title altered to Folk, Boats, Salt and Bisto' and re-published

11th June 2018

10th JUNE 2020

A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

A MEMORY OF CHRISTMAS 2014

A Christmas to Remember

On Saturday 13th December, Chris Eaton and Abby Scott will be in concert at St. Michael and All Angels Church, Middlewich at 7:30pm.  The Middlewich Festival Choir, based at St. Michael’s, will also be taking part. 

The evening will be a very special concert which will commemorate 100 years of the Great War and also celebrate the ultimate Peace and Hope of the Greatest Promise given to us at Christmas through the birth of Christ.

Chris Eaton is a contemporary Christian singer-songwriter who has recorded his own albums and also written songs for numerous artists: he wrote “Saviour’s Day” the 1990 Christmas number 1 for Cliff Richard.  

Chis has written a new song called ‘1914 , The Carol of Christmas’ and it has been recorded by an ensemble of military voices and soloists. It is to be released as a single to raise money for the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, and ABF The Soldier’s Charity. 

Chris says: "My hope and prayer is that my song '1914, The Carol of Christmas' will move and inspire all generations as they listen, to remember with honour and respect  those, past and present, engaged in war, and be filled with hope for everlasting peace through the message of Christmas!"

The song will be available for download on iTunes from 15th December with 100% of the profits from the sale of the single going to the three charities. 

Tickets for the concert cost £7.50 for adults and £5 for concessions with refreshments included.  All proceeds will be donated to St. Michael’s Restoration Fund.  Tickets are available from the Church Office at No. 28 Hightown or by calling 01606 619721.

This entry also appears on our

MIDDLEWICH AND THE GREAT WAR

site

(Part of the Great War Centenary commemorations in Middlewich)

Facebook Feedback:

Peter Cox Absolutely Marvellous! A great show and a good night's entertainment.

Originally published 10th December 2014

Re-published 22nd December 2015

MIDDLEWICH MAKERS MARKET 2014 (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

MAKERS MARKET  WEBSITE

DEVLIN HOBSON

Middlewich Town Crier

Now firmly established as a monthly fixture in Middlewich, the Makers Market, following on from the pioneering Artisan Market, gets more popular as each month goes by.

With the introduction of monthly markets in Middlewich the  Town Council quickly  saw the potential for revitalising trade  and drawing people together to make each market a Middlewich occasion. 

Wheelock Street traders also realised that the markets were a great opportunity to promote their own businesses and show people what the town can offer, not just on one day a month, but during the rest of the month too.

The advent of the Makers Market has meant that the Council and Middlewich Vision have been able to work together with market organisers to promote the market both locally and further afield as a part of the regeneration of the town.

Crucially, the organisers have realised the importance of integrating the market's activities with other events happening in Middlewich and have enlisted the aid of local organisations such as  the Middlewich Rose Fete and schools and youth groups in the town to make these monthly markets unmissable.

The whole philosophy is summed up in the Makers Market's slogan;

'Bringing The Community Together'

The Makers Market takes place on the last Saturday of every month in Wheelock Street.

THIS MIDDLEWICH DIARY PAGE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED

FOR UP TO DATE MAKERS MARKET INFO SEE:

MIDDLEWICH MAKERS MARKET 2015

THE LAUNCH OF THE MAKERS MARKET (ARCHIVED)

MAKERS MARKET WEBSITE

THE FIRST MIDDLEWICH MAKERS MARKET - 29th MARCH 2014

First Published 24th April 2014
Updated 31st May 2014
              28th June 2014
              19th July 2014
              30th August 2014
              23rd September 2014
              25th October 2014
              29th November 2014
              20th December 2014

MIDDLEWICH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

Courtesy of  GO LOCAL

Here's your chance to influence what happens in our town over the next 30 - 40 years. The Town Council and Middlewich Vision are creating the Middlewich Neighbourhood Plan which will play a vital role in making sure that Middlewich people have a real say in planning decisions affecting the town.
This is not just another in a seemingly endless series of questionnaires asking us what we think about the town, and what we would like to see happen here, it is something which will make a real difference, because the Neighbourhood Plan, once it is finalised and adopted, will become a part of the wider Local Plan, which Cheshire East is currently putting together to make sure that planning, particularly of new housing development, is carried out properly and fairly.
There's a little more information on the Neighbourhood Plan here:

Courtesy of  MIDDLEWICH TOWN COUNCIL

You can have your say by completing the online form at:

THE MIDDLEWICH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

Or you can fill in the form (shown at the top of this page) in the Dec/Jan GO LOCAL magazine.
If you haven't got a copy of GO LOCAL, please feel free to download the form from this page.[right-click the form and click on 'save image as' (or equivalent)].

More information from Town Clerk Jonathan Williams at

clerk@middlewich.org.uk

This is what you've been waiting for: your chance to make a REAL difference!

SEE ALSO: GO LOCAL LATEST EDITION OUT NOW!!!

GO LOCAL DECEMBER/JANUARY EDITION NOW OUT

The latest edition of the popular GO LOCAL MAGAZINE, covering December 2014 and January 2015 is out now.As well as the usual valuable community information and What's On listings there are full details of Christmas Church Services in the town, Christmas and New Year opening times for the Oakland Doctors' Surgery and an interesting article about New Year celebrations throughout the world. In a fascinating article about the town's heritage, Julie Elizabeth Smalley asks us to consider Middlewich's place in the world and, in particular, in Cheshire. Julie asks if there are any other places in the world which bear the name 'Middlewich'.

This is something the Middlewich Diary pondered a while ago, and the closest we could come up with was this:

THE OTHER MIDDLEWICH 

Also included in this edition of GO LOCAL is an item concerning something very important for the future of

our town - the  Middlewich Neighbourhood Plan'.

Find out more here:

MIDDLEWICH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

ICONIC MIDDLEWICH BOOK NOW OUT ON CD

by Dave Roberts

We were delighted to see that Allan Earl's definitive history of Middlewich in the first half of the last century has now been re-published in CD form. 
Allan kindly sent us a copy of the CD version of Middlewich 1900-1950  as a 'thank you' for helping to publicise his books on The Middlewich Diary.
He writes, 'From the number of requests for copies of Middlewich 1900-1950 it would appear to be the most popular of my literary efforts, closely followed by Profiles of Middlewich' (see below).
Plans to re-publish the book in its original form had to be abandoned as the cost would have been prohibitive, so the decision was taken to convert the pages into PDF files and publish the volume in CD form. The CD is now available priced at a very reasonable £10. If you're interested in buying a copy let us know and we'll be pleased to put you in touch with Allan.

The CD is also available from

CHESHIRE COUNTRY PUBLISHING

as are many other books and CDs of interest to those interested in the history of Cheshire.

The original book from 1994 (Cheshire Country Publishing ISBN 0 949001 10 4)

Above is our own, well-thumbed copy of the original Middlewich 1900-1950, the standard reference book on the history of the town during that period. The book starts with Victorian Middlewich, taking in the Boer War and the Coronation of Edward VII and chronicles the development of the town's schools and public works during a time of progress. Chapter two profiles many notable Middlewich persons, including William Boosey, Joe Smallwood, the Rev. John Fortnum and, of course, Charles Frederick Lawrence who did so much to chronicle Middlewich history in the late Victorian era. Chapter three takes us through the period of The Great War and contains the full Roll Of Honour for Middlewich. Later chapters chronicle the unemployment and industrial unrest of the 1920s and the start of wholesale demolition, road-widening and redevelopment in the 1930s which gave us the basic layout of the town which is still recognisable today. The second world war is, of course, covered in detail  as is the development of the salt industry by the likes of Henry and Ralph Seddon, Richard Yeoman, L.A. Simpson and G.L. Murgatroyd which paved the way for today's modern vacuum salt plant, keeping Middlewich at the forefront of salt manufacturing in Britain. There are numerous photographs and illustrations from Allan's own collection and a fold-out map of the town in 1909 with a key indicating salt works (working and disused) and other buildings and landmarks in the town.

Other books by Allan Earl...

Middlewich 900-1900, published in 1990 (Ravenscroft Publications ISBN  1 873139 01 2)

The sister volume to Middlewich 1900-1950, published in 1990 and covering the period from the Anglo-Saxons to the Victorians. The book contains many photographs and illustrations and a fold-out map of the town in 1898 with a key to the important places in the town at that time.

Profiles of Middlewich. Published in 2006. (CC Publishing ISBN 0 949001 31 7)

A large format (A4) book featuring over a hundred rare photographs, prints, posters and postcards from Allan's own collection.

ALLAN EARL

Born and bred in Middlewich, Allan is President of Middlewich Heritage Society and a member of the Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire. Allan is renowned for his talks on Middlewich and district, as well as his broadcasts on local radio.
His interest in local history stems from his time as a local government officer (Middlewich U.D.C.) and over the years he has amassed an outstanding collection of Middlewich illustrations, ephemera and memorabilia.

CHESHIRE POLICE BAND AT THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION CLUB - 15th NOVEMBER 2014 (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

LINK: BAND OF THE CHESHIRE CONSTABULARY

WILLOWMERE CHRISTMAS MARKET 2014 (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

LEST WE FORGET...

Photo: Stuart Warren-Twigg. Reproduced by permission

(this also appears on our Middlewich & The Great War site)

MIDDLEWICH BEER FESTIVAL 2014 (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

THE FLOATING MARKET, TOWN BRIDGE, MIDDLEWICH, OCTOBER 2014 (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

THE FLOATING MARKET, OCTOBER 2014

For details contact Middlewich Town Council 

on 01606 833434

MAASAI WARRIORS AT MIDDLEWICH TOWN HALL SEPTEMBER 25th 2014 (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

Tickets still available! Contact DAVE THOMPSON on 

(01606) 833434!

Links:

www.osiligi.org
Middlewich Town Council Website(select 'Events')

MIDDLEWICH MUSIC FESTIVAL 2014 (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

Photo: Middlewich Music Festival

There's already a lot of enthusiasm for this new Middlewich Music initiative, and we're happy to lend our support to it.
Since 1990 our town has gained a good reputation for folk music and its associated activities, but this kind of music is, it goes without saying, not everyone's cup of tea (including, we can assure you, several members of the original Folk & Boat Festival Committee!).
The Middlewich Music Festival aims to feature local bands who may not fit into the existing MFAB formula and, presumably, those from further afield as the idea finds its feet.
The exact format for the new Festival has yet to be thrashed out, and this will be done at the inaugural meeting which takes place at the White Bear in Middlewich on Wednesday 30th July starting at 7pm.
These are early days for the Middlewich Music Festival and the organisers would like to hear from anyone who'd like to be a part of the event, either as performers or on the organisation/administration side of things.
If you're interested email us on middlewichdiary@aol.com and we'll put you in touch with the team. And/or you can go along to the White Bear on Wednesday at 7!

MIDDLEWICH MUSIC FESTIVAL ON FACEBOOK

UPDATE: (12th AUGUST 2014): After much discussion both at the inaugural meeting and later, it was decided that the first Festival would take place in the Summer of 2015 and that smaller events would be held in the meantime to build up the new festival's public profile
The first of these events was announced for the 20th September 2014

THE BEAR WYCH PROJECT

from 2pm until 11pm

The best of new music

(STRICTLY NO COVERS)

THE BEAR WYCH PROJECT (ARCHIVED)

100 YEARS ON...

Photos by Cliff Astles

On the 4th August 2014 at 2pm the people of Middlewich came together in the town centre for a short service to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War and to remember the fallen.

Among those in attendance, along with members of the public,  were the Mayor and Mayoress of Middlewich, representatives of the Royal British Legion and Town Crier Devlin Hobson who read his own poem about the War.

Middlewich's War Memorial was erected in 1934 by public subscription and originally placed at the junction of Lower Street and Hightown where once stood Butcher Lees shop (later to be converted into a bank) and the large gas lamp where our  Town Crier  of the time would have stood to announce the outbreak of war on the 4th August 1914.

Middlewich Town Centre  in the years leading up to 1914. (Courtesy of Kath & Barry Walklate)

The verse:

Through all eternity their names shall bide,

Enshrined as Heroes who for Empire died.

was written by Charles Frederick Lawrence, former Clerk to the Middlewich UDC and local historian.

With the demolition of the properties on Hightown in the early 1970s and the building of 'the piazza', the Memorial was moved a few yards further toward the Parish Church, and retained that position to within a few yards when the current 'amphitheatre' was built. Thus it has only been moved a short distance in the 80 years of its existence.

The original dedication of Middlewich's War Memorial by the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire and the Bishop of Chester, November 18th 1934. PHOTO: PAUL HOUGH COLLECTION

Crowds watching the procession in Wheelock Street  on 18th November 1934 . Note the White Bear sign on the extreme right PHOTO: PAUL HOUGH COLLECTION

Town Crier Devlin Hobson was on hand to mark the occasion by reading his own poem, which is reproduced below with his permission.

Devlin Hobson

Remembering the fallen

Cllr Paul Edwards, Mayor of Middlewich, lays a wreath on behalf of the Town Council and the people of Middlewich

Wreath Laying

Photo added 7th August 2016

Many thanks to   CLIFF ASTLES
                              DEVLIN HOBSON
                              MIDDLEWICH TOWN COUNCIL
                              MIDDLEWICH ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
                              GERALDINE WILLIAMS

This Diary entry also appears on our
MIDDLEWICH AND THE GREAT WAR
site