A CRAFTY CHRISTMAS AT WILLOWMERE 2016 (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

Published on 30/11/2016
Re-published on 08/12/2016

MUSIC IN MIDDLEWICH:RECORDSVILLE DJs AT THE WHITE BEAR - FEBRUARY 3rd (ARCHIVED)

Continuing the fine old Middlewich tradition of playing records in the pub!

MIDDLEWICH MAKERS MARKET 2016

Your next Makers Market will be onSaturday 28th JANUARY 2017

Here is a note from Nicci Antoney
at Middlewich Town Council:

Due to unforeseen circumstances there will be no Makers Market on 17th December. 

However Middlewich Town Council are organising a Mini Christmas Market along Wheelock Street on Saturday 17th December between 10.00 am – 3.00pm.

We have some space for stalls, gazebo provided but you would need to provided your own tables. 

Price just £20.00. 

Community Groups are £10.00.

Any further information, please contact the office on 01606 833434

 FEATURING MIDDLEWICH TOWN CRIER
DEVLIN HOBSON 

Have Yourself A Merry Middlewich Christmas

with our 2013 Christmas video, featuring

photographs by CLIFF ASTLES and music

from JANE McDONALD

CHRISTMAS IN MIDDLEWICH (YOUTUBE)

DATES FOR 2016                           Middlewich Makers Market

MAKERS MARKET ON FACEBOOK

THE MAKERS MARKET (WEBSITE)

Middlewich Makers Market (Middlewich Vision link)

Published: 20/12/2015
Re-published: 30/01/2016
27/02/2016
26/03/2016
30/04/2016
28/05/2016
25/06/2016
29/07/2016
07/08/2016
27/08/2016
24/09/2016
29/10/2016
25/11/2016
27/11/2016
30/11/2016
06/12/2016

INSIDE LOCK 72 OF THE TRENT & MERSEY CANAL, MIDDLEWICH

by Catherine Green

by SpookyMrsGreen

Last weekend we took a trip down a long flight of metal steps, and descended into the bowels of a lock on our local canal. It was Lock 72 of the Trent and Mersey canal, to be precise, where it passes through Middlewich. The Canal and River Trust have closed off a section of canal and drained the water out, so that they can replace the worn, wooden lock gates. We were invited to step inside the lock chamber, where we learned a bit about the 200-year history of the canal system, and could view the chamber from the ground up. It was awesome, to say the least.

Add caption

You can see a slide-show of Catherine's photos of the lock open day

by visiting her blog 

SPOOKY MRS GREEN

I didn’t get to hear what our guide was saying, because I was distracted with our children, who had great fun splashing in a puddle along the length of the canal basin. But I did appreciate the beauty of the rough stone walls, and how it looked from below. There is a certain atmosphere around the canal that is both spooky and exciting. I felt a deep connection with the spirits of those who had passed through this lock during the past two centuries, and it was a warm feeling despite the cold weather.

A view from the depths of the lock, showing the pedestrian bridge above.
 Photo: Catherine Green

Although I am not native to Middlewich, and have only lived here for almost ten years, I feel a sense of home in this town. It was partly the canal and the river that confirmed my place when our estate agent suggested properties to view back when my husband (then fiancé) and I decided to move from Manchester. I want to raise our children with an understanding of the town’s heritage, because it is now their heritage, and when an opportunity arises to explore a place that is normally inaccessible, we jump at the chance. Lock 72 was a wonderful exploration, and one that will remain a fond memory for our daughters as they grow up.

The eerie, empty canal  
Photo: Catherine Green

© Catherine Green 2016

First published on SPOOKY MRS GREEN 3rd December 2016

CATHERINE GREEN describes herself as 'ghostbuster, author, mother and wife'.


She is the author of many short stories and novels including

THE REDCLIFFE NOVELS

CYNTHIA'S CAKE SHOP 1987

We travel back twenty-five years again for a couple of glimpses of that popular Middlewich institution 'Cynthia's', variously known over the years as 'Cynthia's Patisserie' or, simply 'Cynthia's Cake Shop'. For some reason something went a bit wrong when Diane was taking the picture above and the top part of the shop is missing, so we're unable to see what the shop sign looked like in those days. Perhaps it's a simple case of 'itchy trigger finger'. In the digital age Diane would have simply taken the picture again, after checking it on a little screen, included the shop sign and left out the chap in the white shirt. There's a lot to look at in the picture as it stands, though. If we study the above picture, in conjunction with the interior shot below, we can see that Cynthia's in those days was run on rather more traditional lines than it is now. The window display is festooned with old fashioned paper 'doilys' and the pendant lights also appear to be from an earlier era. This is, perhaps, a little misleading - the shop was only around a year old at the time.

In front of the shop is a 'Chopper' bike*, more usually associated with the 70s rather than the 80s, and the child's trolley outside the babywear shop next door  looks rather quaint when compared with its modern counterpart.

* Actually, as pointed out by John Capper and our most prolific contributor 'Anonymous'(see comments below) it's more likely to be a Raleigh Shopper than a Chopper. An important distinction, of course. No self-respecting 70/80s kid would ruin his street cred by riding around on a Shopper. 

Looking at the interior of the shop, we get a better look at those light fittings and also the heavy duty glass cases housing a selection of 'cakes and fancies' and pies. At the back of the counter are racks holding loaves of bread including some long-lost proprietary brands wrapped in greaseproof paper.On the telephone in the background is, we can now tell you, Andrea Astles (see Facebook comment below).

This picture was taken in November 2012 in order to provide a contrast to the ones from the 1980s and you'll notice that, like Diane, we have managed to exclude the shop sign from the picture (although it can be seen in Bill Armsden's picture on The Middlewich Directory (link below)).

UPDATE: To save you the trouble, here's Bill's photo, showing the sign:

The shop sign proudly proclaims the fact that Cynthias was Established in 1986

 The awning which hides the shop's name in our own photo has been opened out to protect the tables and chairs beneath from the Autumn weather (during the Summer it acts as a sunshade). The twenty-first century Cynthia's has embraced the idea of the 'cafe society' and is now a pleasant place for people to stop and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with the tasty pies and cakes sold within. If Middlewich's main street is ever pedestrianised Cynthia's will, deservedly, be ahead of everyone else in providing this kind of service.

UPDATE (1st December 2016): And now, four years on, even our 'NOW' picture is out of date. Peter Forshaw's Funeral Services, which occupied the premises to the left of Cynthia's, can now be found in Leadsmithy Street. Forshaw's former premises are now occupied by one of the town's many 'beauty' shops
You can find out more about the modern day Cynthia's on our sister site, The Middlewich Directory.

THE MIDDLEWICH DIRECTORY - CYNTHIA'S

Facebook feedback:

Paul Greenwood: Before that it was a hairdresser's called Headhunters, run by a friend of mine called Lisa Ducket

Geraldine Williams: I think the shop sold Roberts' bread and the shop next door (Margaret's) sold ladieswear. Wasn't it formerly a ZAN shop?

Cliff Astles: Yes, from what I can remember.

Andrea Astles: Great memories of Cynthias - I worked there in 86/87, and that's me on the telephone in the photograph of the interior! I used to make and serve fresh sandwiches in there at the time.

Gemma Collins: Cynthia's - the heart of Middlewich! Couldn't imagine Wheelock Street without it!!!!

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Geraldine Williams: Ha! It will always be 'Cnythia's to our family, Dave - homage to a 'Two Ronnies' sketch in which Barker was a local butcher who stepped in at short notice and so had to read the leading actor's part in a local am-dram play. The leading lady's name was Cynthia, but Ronnie B hilariously kept misreading it!

Dave Roberts: Yes, a memorable comic milestone which, at the time, led to many a Cynthia throughout the land being temporarily renamed 'Cnythia', among them being my sister. The 'Cnythia' soubriquet still surfaces occasionally to this day.



First published 1st December 2012
Up-dated and re-published 1st December 2016

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MCC PRESENTS..THE CHRISTMAS STORY

CHRISTINGLE SERVICE 2016 (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

VISITING WINSFORD ROYALTY 1973

For the 1973 Carnival our town was graced by the presence of Winsford's Carnival Queen in a handsome horse and carriage. It's not clear whether the carriage was provided by Winsford or Middlewich Carnival. Was Middlewich trying to upstage Winsford by providing such an opulent vehicle for their Queen, or was Winsford trying to put one over on Middlewich by sending along their Carnival Queen in a vehicle fit for a real Queen?
The only slightly  jarring note is the rather crude piece of paper with WINSFORD CARNIVAL QUEEN written on it in felt tip pen.
Nowadays something a little bit more sophisticated would be run up on someone's computer and, no doubt, laminated. There would probably also be a commercial sponsorhip message saying CHESHIRE FM or somesuch.*
The Queen is waiting to join the carnival procession outside the Big Lock at the end of Webb's Lane where it is joined by Finney's Lane. The building just in shot on the left is part of the pub  itself, although this particular part was not in use as such at that time. In those days the Big Lock was in  a rather strange condition with only small parts of it actually in use as licensed premises.
Looked at from Webbs Lane, or from the canalside, there were large areas of the building which couldn't be 'accounted for' when one ventured inside.
It was, and is, one of those canal side pubs which the late Brian Curzon referred to as 'stack pubs',  on two levels, with a bar at the top for the use of local residents and another on the lower level, opening onto the lockside for the use of the boating fraternity.
By this time the former shop at canal level, which was also provided for the benefit of people working the boats, had been converted into a function room where, the following year, the late Johnny McAlinden would, like me, be part of the early disco boom in Middlewich.
It was only in the 1990s that the entire pub was opened up to become the pub/restaurant we know today.
Note also the once ubiquitous red GPO telephone box (or 'kiosk' as some would insist). These are now very few and far between and found only in areas thought to be particularly picturesque.
There are none in Middlewich.
*Not any more. Cheshire FM closed down at the end of January 2012.

Facebook feedback:

Geraldine Williams Very impressed that the Winsford Carnival Queen's carriage had to be followed by a Group 4 security van (thought it was Del Boy at first!) so her jewels must have been real........!

First published 24th November 2011
Re-formatted and re-published 24th November 2016