EARL'S YARD REVISITED

By Dave Roberts

We're taking the opportunity to bring together three photographs of a remarkable group of buildings, one from our own collection and two from the Frank Smith collection. Chris Earl carried on the builders and builders merchants business he inherited from his father, Ernie, at the top end of the land now occupied by the Factory Shop in Kinderton Street.

You can find the original diary entry describing these photos here.

Our main photo is a Kodachrome slide taken in 1973 showing the ramshackle and life expired buildings in Kinderton Street. The white building immediately behind them is the Masonic Lodge, and the junction with King Street is immediately out of shot to the left.

It's that huge wooden building right centre which got the attention of Frank Smith, because he knew its history.

In the first of Frank's photos, taken a couple of years later, demolition of the roadside buildings has begun. To the left St Mary's Catholic School in King Street (now the Parish Centre) can be seen. On the right is the frontage of the long timber structure which was such a feature of the premises, although it was largely hidden from view until the very end of its days.

And here's a side view of this remarkable building which, but for Frank Smith's foresight, might have been lost to posterity.

This much altered, patched up and decidedly wonky building was, according to Frank, a drill hall used by the Home Guard during the Second World War. On the extreme left the building which in later years became the Factory Shop has made an appearance.

The Earls were local builders for many years. You may even, without realising it, live in one of the many houses they built in the town over the years.

Ernie himself used to call into the rates office in Lewin Street, where I worked from 1969 to 1972, and pay the greater part of his rates bill in cash.

Later, Billy 'Cocky' Wilkinson, who lived on Seabank, just  a short distance away from Earl's yard, used to regale me in the Kings Arms with tales of working for Chris Earl both at the yard and at the family home in Chester Road.

And, of course, one of the Earl family is justly famous as a local historian and expert on all things Middlewich.

Allan Earl's books Middlewich 900-1900 (Ravenscroft Publications 1990) and Middlewich 1900-1950 (Cheshire Country Publishing 1994) are required reading for anyone wishing to know about the true history of our town. Coincidentally, while I was working in the MUDC rates department, Allan was working across the corridor in the council's Surveyor's department.

Chris Earl died in 2007 at the age of 92.

Do you have memories of the Earl family? Did you work for Earl's builders? We'd love to hear from you.

Don't hesitate to get in touch, either on Facebook or by email, or by phoning us on 01606 833404.

First published 11th March 2017

Re-formatted and re-published 11th March 2019

HEAR YE! HEAR YE! DEVLIN HOBSON, TOWN CRIER!

FIRST PUBLISHED: 11th JUNE 2014

UPDATED AND RE-PUBLISHED 17th JULY  and 17th September 2014

RE-PUBLISHED 17th SEPTEMBER 2018 (FOUR YEARS ON)

UPDATE:
On the 17th September 2014 it was announced that, after a gap of a hundred years, Middlewich was to have a new Town Crier and that Devlin Hobson had been appointed to the post.
Congratulations to Devlin and his wife Jenny. We look forward to seeing you both at events in Middlewich for many years to come!
Dave Roberts, Editor.

Below is our original Diary entry on Devlin which was put together to publicise the idea of reviving a Town Crier for Middlewich. You'll note that, at this point, we didn't know that the idea was for Devlin himself to become our MiddlewichTown Crier.

DEVLIN and JENNY HOBSON Photo: Devlin Hobson

Just before the Middlewich FAB Festival of 2014 the question of whether or not Middlewich should revive the tradition of  having a Town Crier arose and, after initial scepticism and doubts, the idea was enthusiastically embraced by people seeing a great opportunity for this symbolic figure to help in promoting the town. Any lingering doubts were swept away at the festival itself when Devlin Hobson, Kidsgrove's Town Crier, came along to show us all how it should be done.

Here's Devlin's biography:

I'm 59 years old and been a town crier since July 2013. In my first competition in Nantwich I was placed 5th out of 13 criers and at the British Championship Huddersfield 2013 I achieved 15th place out of 24 criers. I have also  won best content of cry and, with my Escort, best dressed couple, both of these at Garstang 2013. Given the short time that I have been a Crier this was a pleasing achievement. I keep involved with my town and enjoy putting Kidsgrove on the map with the competitions.

I had an unusual job before I retired, I was a High Security Papermaking Technician I made it and you spent it Banknotes.

I was a Samaritan for 7 years 5 of which I spent in Prisons supporting inmates and staff. I helped to organise and train inmates for Listener scheme's which operate in prisons. I became part of a regional team which looked after 13 prisons in our area. I have seen and heard many things. I found this very fulfilling work and to see that you actually make a difference to someone is a fantastic feeling.

On retirement I moved to Nantwich and was able to attend St Marys Church regularly, I am now a sidesman and do duties every 6 weeks.

I take my Town Crying seriously and enjoy being a member of both The Loyal Company and The Ancient and Honourable, which enables me to promote the ancient art of Town Crying and my town of Kidsgrove throughout the country.

(from visitchester.com)

After a little research we were able to establish that Middlewich did indeed have its own Town Crier right up, it would appear, until a few years before  the start of the First World War.

ORIGINAL DIARY ENTRY (JUNE 11th 2014)

by Dave Roberts

An extra special guest at this year's Middlewich FAB Festival is Kidsgrove's Town Crier, Devlin Hobson, who will be here on Saturday 14th to enliven the proceedings and make sure everyone knows what's going on and where.

There's been talk lately of Middlewich having its own Town Crier once again and reviving a tradition which was, surprisingly, still carried on in the town as late as 1906. Devlin will be here as a sort of trailblazer for the idea, as an ambassador for Town Criers in general and also, I imagine, as an additional blow to the Keep Middlewich Miserable Brigade, members of which desperately try each year to pretend that the Festival is not happening around them as they try to go about their same-old same-old business.

As you can tell just by looking at his photo, Devlin will be a hard man to ignore.

Watch (and listen) for him on Saturday.

When the idea of a new Town Crier for Middlewich was first mooted I was, at first, sceptical, being (to my eternal shame) under the impression that Middlewich had never had such an official in its long history and feeling uncomfortable with the idea of 'inventing tradition'.

This misconception is a little hard to understand as Allan Earl, invariably our first port of call for information on Middlewich history, mentions him  in Middlewich 900-1900 (Ravenscroft Publications 1990), a book which is required reading for anyone interested in Middlewich and its history and one which I have pored over numerous times over the years. 

Old age creeping on and causing memory lapses, perhaps?

On page 170 of the above publication Allan is talking about C.F Lawrence becoming Clerk to the Middlewich UDC in 1904 and says:

Mr Lawrence would have known the town crier of this time, a man named Peter Jackson. His nickname was 'Crutchy P' because he was crippled in both legs and had a humped back, but managed to get along on crutches. He would stand in the Bullring under the centre gas lamp, ring his hand bell and shout 'Oh Yes! Oh Yes!' and then announce such things as a crockery sale at the White Bear, giving the date and time. This type of bell man followed the bell man of earlier years who announced parish meetings, declarations, changes in the law, victories or defeats in war etc.

On the left of this old view of Middlewich Town Centre is the gas lamp where 'Crutchy P' would announce the local news all those years ago. The Parish Church in the background gives us a clue as to what the scene looks like now.

Allan Earl's Middlewich 1900-1950 (Cheshire Country Publishing 1994) also mentions the Town Crier who was still around in 1905/6 (and was, presumably still 'Crutchy P' although Allan doesn't say so) and was able to announce the building and completion of the Council Schools in King Edward Street.

The foundation stone of the new Council School was laid on Wednesday January 3rd (1905) by Col. France-Hayhurst and by the following November 1906 the building was completed and opened.....The new Council School was designed to accomodate 288 junior and 297 senior (pupils). The Town Crier was still operating at this date and he would have announced the school information as well as the dates of bazaars, smoking concerts etc.

The Council School in King Edward Street, now Middlewich High School and still going strong.
Paul Hough Collection

And having thought about the idea of Middlewich having a new Town Crier, I'm all in favour of it. Not only would it be a quite legitimate revival of an old tradition, it can serve a very useful purpose, particularly at events like the FAB Festival where a crier could act as an audio Notice Board, telling people what's going on.

A kind of human PA system (only much more entertaining and authoritative) which doesn't need batteries or electricity.

We'll leave the last word to Devlin....

(Please note that, in this instance, the use of capitals is not intended to denote SHOUTING!!!!! but merely talking in a loud, well projected, voice)

'I WILL BE IN MIDDLEWICH ON SATURDAY, HELPING WITH THE FESTIVITIES! IT'S A GREAT EVENT! COME ALONG AND ENJOY A GREAT DAY!'

Acknowledgments:Kidsgrove Town Council

                                     Devlin Hobson

                                     Jenny Hobson

                                     Margaret Poniznik (whose idea it was to revive a

                                     Middlewich Town Crier)

                                     Allan Earl

Facebook Feedback:

Geraldine Williams Great piece about the history of Town Criers in Middlewich, Dave - and a timely reminder of the days when the world was populated by 'Crutchies', 'Stumpies' and many other non-PC names for anyone unfortunate enough to have a physical or mental disability.

Dave Roberts Absolutely Geraldine. I don't care what people say, we now live in a much more compassionate and caring society than we did before. And what a lot of people refer to as 'political correctness gone mad' is, in most cases, just plain common decency.

Photo: Devlin Hobson

UPDATE JULY 17th 2014

Devlin (extreme right) and Jenny (extreme left) with a whole host of colourful Town Criers at the National Town Criers' Competition in  Lichfield, 2014

The competition was held, appropriately enough, at Lichfield's Speakers' Corner. 

Devlin in full flow. He was placed a very respectable 5th out of 12 contestants

Devlin and Jenny enjoy the company of  fellow town criers including, in the background, Shrewsbury Town Crier Martin Wood (in red and blue and sporting a white beard) who, at 7ft 2ins, is the world's tallest Town Crier!

 Although he's only been in office for a year, Devlin Hobson is already a veteran of quite a few competitions. Here's a particularly good report on the 2013 Nantwich event from our friends at the CREWE NEWS, featuring many photographs and even a video:

NANTWICH TOWN CRIER COMPETITION 2013

Devlin and Jenny can be seen at this year's  Montgomery event on July 19th, and at the Nantwich Competition on July 26th. They'll be back in Middlewich for the Makers' Market on the 30th August.

You can find out more by going to Devlin's Facebook Page:

DEVLIN HOBSON ON FACEBOOK

And, assuming that Middlewich embraces the idea of a Town Crier, which it surely must, how long will it be before we have our own Town Crier competition?

We're guessing not too long...

(UPDATE: In fact after Devlin had arranged for a National Town Crier Competition to be held here in 2015 the first Middlewich Competition was held in 2016. The contest is now a permanent fixture on the Middlewich events calendar each year. - Ed.)

(ARCHIVED)

ROYAL VISIT TO MIDDLEWICH 1946

by Dave Roberts

Following a discussion on Facebook, Emma Westmacott of Nantwich Road has kindly allowed us to use this photograph of crowds in Wheelock Street, Middlewich on the 17th July 1946. They're all waiting for the arrival of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of a Royal Visit to Middlewich that year.

Emma writes:

This is the photo I was talking about, Dave. On the back my Mum, Jenny Sant, has written:

'This photograph was taken just after the war, in 1946, in Wheelock Street, Middlewich.

We are all waiting for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to pass by on their Royal tour.

Notice the rainy day fashions, the Co-op shop window display and the baby's pram!

I am the little girl holding my Mum's hand and a big flag!'

I think this is a newspaper photograph . I'm sure there are a few (very old) faces which people might recognise!

There's a much better known photo of the same occasion, which can be found in many 'Old Middlewich' photo collections:

Notice that even as long ago as 1946 Reg Taylor's Newsagent was well established and can be seen on the left of the photo. It's now the office premises of Carrie-Ann Sudlow's web-design consultancy, and to its right is the shop long known as 'Luther Walton's' which is now Chimichango's Mexican restaurant. Next to that is the fondly remembered 'Meadow Dairy', now the site of Betfred's betting shop.

Here's a slightly abridged version of Allan Earl's account of the Royal visit. The full version can be found in Allan's  Middlewich 1900-1950 (Cheshire Country Publishing 1994). See pages 180-182.

The highlight of 1946 was a Royal visit on July 17th, the first to Middlewich since Queen Margaret in 1459. Their route would be over Wheelock Bridge, Chester Rd, Wheelock St, Lower St, Leadsmithy St, Hightown, Wheelock St (to Whiston’s Garage) and Nantwich Rd. (to Wallange Bridge)*. Because of the expected crowds from the surrounding towns, footpath space was reserved for schoolchildren and elderly people and for ex-servicemen in front of the War Memorial. Before the day an arch was erected over the road from the Golden Lion in Chester Rd. to the cemetery railings. Across the top it said, “Loyal Greetings to their Majesties the King and Queen”. Coloured light bulbs ran underneath the length of the arch. On the day of the visit approximately 1,200 children from the Sandbach area were brought to Middlewich in two special trains and given reservations on either side of Chester Rd., from Wheelock Bridge to Williamson’s garage. The older citizens were given seating accommodation at Newton Bank and the Junction of St Anns Rd. and Nantwich Rd. and in Hightown, in the churchyard. In front of the war memorial stood several ranks of ex-serviceman, plus the chairman of the council (Mr Blease) along with other members of the UDC and officials. Sandbach U.D.C. members and Holmes Chapel and Byley parish councillors stood alongside. One hundred and eighty Girl Guides and Brownies lined Leadsmithy St. and Lower St., together with all the Middlewich schoolchildren and teachers, plus children and teachers from Congleton, Hassall Green and Brereton private school. A special place had been reserved for the children from The Manor, which was now a residential school for the deaf. The parish Church bells had been ringing at intervals since mid-morning but about 15 minutes before the King and Queen were due to arrive they stopped. The bell ringers also wanted to see the royal visitors and so had posted a lookout at the top of the church tower so that when the Royal cars came into view, in Chester Rd., he could dash down to the ringing chamber and give the news. The bells rang out again as the Royal cars made the return journey through the town.

* Can anyone please remind us just where 'Wallange Bridge' is? We ought to know, of course...-Ed

Acknowledgments: 

Allan Earl
Middlewich Heritage Trust

MIDDLEWICH SHOW 1937

Watch the film here, or click on the Youtube link (below)

by Dave Roberts

Middlewich Show 1937 is just one of a small collection of films made in the 1930s by the Mid-Cheshire Amateur Cinematography Society, with members based mainly in Middlewich and Northwich. Prominent members were my Dad, Arthur Roberts, and my Uncles Bill Oakes and Clifford Ridgway.

Also involved were the Eachus Brothers, who ran a photographic shop in Northwich. In fact one or two of the Society's films were donated to the NW Film Archive by the Eachus family and now sit on the shelves alongside our own donated films.

Up until the early 1980s the 16mm films were in the possession of Uncle Bill who then lived at 'Three Willows' in Mill Lane off Nantwich Road (a beautiful house with a terraced garden sweeping down to the River Wheelock, just downstream from the weir we were looking at in this diary entry)

Occasionally, on high days and holidays during my childhood, someone would get hold of a 16mm projector and we'd all be able to see something of our local area as it was in the 1930s, and what our relations and their friends looked like in their younger days.

When Uncle Bill's wife, Winnie, died he decided to move to Knutsford and, while clearing his house, asked if there was anything I'd particularly like from the large pile of 'junk' destined for Middlewich tip.

Believe it or not, among the 'junk' was the collection of 16mm films we'd enjoyed occasionally for many years.

Thus I was able to save them for posterity.

The films then entered a 'second life' as a Middlewich attraction. I used to borrow a 16mm projector from the High School and show them at various venues around the town in aid of charity.

This, of course, was long before the days of DVDs. Even video was only then coming into fashion and there was no practical way these films could be shown in public other than in the traditional way, 'live' with a projector.

A very nerve-wracking enterprise, I can tell you.

Even in those days the films were getting on for fifty years old and becoming increasingly frail with each passing year. 

Any old-fashioned film projectionist will tell you that a film can only be shown so many times before you start to have problems, with broken splices, torn perforations, scratches and burned-out frames (where the film has stuck in the 'gate' and been melted by the heat of the lamp).

So, eventually they had to 'retire' before they fell to pieces altogether.

Local historian Allan Earl, who knew all about the films, approached me and asked if I would be prepared to donate them  to the North-West Film Archive at Manchester University where they could be conserved and looked after properly.

A name had to be found for the collection, and we dubbed it The Roberts Collection, that being as good a name as any, and Allan took them to Manchester so they could live out their well-earned retirement among the rest of the North West's filmed heritage.

Part of the deal was that two VHS video copies of the films should be made; one for our family, and one for the Middlewich Heritage Society.

Those low-quality videos are the source of the films from the Roberts Collection you see on Youtube today. One day we hope to be able to show them to you in better quality in the form of DVD files.

Incidentally, in the days when ITV, in the form of Granada Television, used to produce regional programmes for the North-West, theywould phone occasionally to ask for copyright clearance for sequences from these films for use in  a programme called The Way We Were, narrated by Stuart Hall.

You've been very patient, so now here is our main feature:

MIDDLEWICH SHOW 1937

(YOUTUBE VERSION)

A couple of years ago I was approached by the British Film Institute asking for permission to include Middlewich Show 1937 in their online Britain On Film series which features films from all over the country depicting daily life in Britain through the years. The institute also refers to this series as 'the National Archive'

And that is how our town came to be included in this fascinating online archive and how you can enjoy this particular film, at least, in something like its original quality.

MIDDLEWICH SHOW 1937

(BFI 'BRITAIN ON FILM' VERSION)

(Higher quality)

Please click on the blue link (above) to see the film

(Note: The strange, arabesque illustrations at the very start of this version of the film were bits of old scrap 16mm film fished out of a bin at Granada TV in the 1970s)

First published 16th July 2011

Revised, expanded and re-published 26th January 2011

THE VAULTS, DEWHURSTS AND VERNON COOPER 1970

This excellent photograph by Jack Stanier will help us clear up any remaining confusion about the Vaults and its car park. On the  extreme left is the building currently housing two hairdressing shops - Razor Sharp and J et Cie. Immediately to the right , and set back from the road, we can just see the frontage of The Vaults. The part of the building fronting onto Wheelock Street at that time was an off-licence, and beyond that were the notorious 'Black Bar' and, at the end of a long corridor, the vaulted bar which gave the pub its name. Alternative access to the pub was provided by a passageway which ran from  Pepper Street (behind the Dewhurst building) to the pub's back door. 
(Editor's note: According to Bill Eaton (see comment below) this is incorrect and there was no back entrance to The Vaults at that time. So the current back entrance to the pub must only have been created in the 1970s, after the demolition of the surrounding buildings.)
The next right, of course, is Dewhurst's butchers and its associated house (it is not clear whether the house was accomodation for the butcher or under separate tenantship). Then we can see the very narrow Pepper Street which led away from the town centre to Seddon's Salt Works, Powell's clothing factory, the telephone exchange and, ultimately to Webb's Lane. The Dewhurst's block was demolished to make way for The Vaults' car park.
Then came Vernon Cooper's TV, Radio and Electrical, a close rival in every sense of the word for Harold Woodbine TV and Electrical which was only a few doors away until it moved to number 28 Hightown in what is now the Church of England's 'drop in centre'. The  business,by the way, is no longer there,but now operates from Sandbach.
There are many points of interest in the Vernon Cooper Shop. Firstly, it is obvious from comparison with older photographs that this is the same building as the old 'Black Bear Inn' - the distinctive window over the 'Vernon Cooper' sign being the chief indicator. 

The Black Bear in 1900
(illustration from Middlewich 900-1900 by Allan Earl - Ravenscroft Publications 1990)

There are signs on the outside of the building advertising long-lost brands from the golden age of domestic TV and Radio - FERGUSON is one and EKCO Radio & TV another - EKCO being a contraction of EK Cole, a radio manufacturer of Southend-On-Sea.
If you look carefully into Vernon Cooper's window you can see why we have been able to pin this photo down to the year 1970. An advertisement there reads 'BACK HOME', the slogan of that year's England World Cup team and goes on to say something  like 'Choose Us For Colour' or 'Cheer Us In Colour'.  Does anyone know exactly what it does say? Colour TV had started three years earlier, in 1967,on BBC2 and in 1969 on BBC1 and Granada.
Finally, it would be nice to know something of Vernon Cooper himself. I recall hearing many years ago that he had something to do with motor racing, but present-day Googling brings up nothing but talk of Welsh Rugby Union Players.

First Published 14th August 2011
Updated and re-published 14th August 2016

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MIDDLEWICH PAST & PRESENT EXHIBITION APRIL 30th 2016 (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

The Mayor of Middlewich, Ken Kingston, in association with Middlewich historian Allan Earl and Kerry Fletcher, the Town Council's Heritage Officer, is presenting an unmissable exhibition at the Town Hall on Saturday 30th April featuring many rare photographs of Middlewich in the past with modern images for comparison.

Ken Kingston and Allan Earl            Photo: Middlewich Town Council

There are also objects from Middlewich Heritage's extensive collection together with rare archive film footage.

Photo:Kerry Fletcher

Kerry is Middlewich Town Council's Heritage Officer. Find out more about her work here

And here's a link to another ongoing local history initiative:

THE MIDDLEWICH VIRTUAL MUSEUM

Whether you're a long time resident or a newcomer to our town this is a golden opportunity for you to find out more about Middlewich's history, which stretches back to the Roman era and beyond.

Middlewich U3A Local History Group

Ken Kingston is the author of Middlewich Hospitality, a fascinating history of licensed premises in Middlewich. Find out more here

Photo: Allan Earl/Middlewich Guardian

Allan Earl has long been a recognised authority on the history of Middlewich. He is the author of Middlewich 900-1900, Middlewich 1900-1950 and Profiles of Middlewich. 
In this Middlewich Diary entry we take a look at his work:

ICONIC MIDDLEWICH BOOK NOW OUT ON CD

SEE ALSO: MIDDLEWICH HERITAGE SOCIETY

Photo: David Hubbard/Middlewich Guardian.

And, on the same day, Middlewich's involvement in the Civil War, and the two Battles of Middlewich, will be commemorated with the unveiling of a permanent marker outside the Town Hall. The ceremony will be performed by the Mayor, Cllr Ken Kingston.

Here's a report on the event from our friends at the Middlewich Guardian:

 BATTLEFIELD MARKER TO BE UNVEILED IN MIDDLEWICH

MIDDLEWICH TODAY'S REPORT AND PHOTOS ON THE UNVEILING COMING SOON!

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.