Sandyford and Goldenhill

S.A.G.E. Public Annual General Meeting

TITANIC “The Return of a Dream”

Titanic the return of a dream is at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery on Saturday 21st April 2012, 2.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

RMS Titanic departing Southampton on April 10, 1912

In this highly acclaimed presentation, the story of the ship from her conception in 1907 to rediscovery in 1985 is told in dramatic fashion.

An emotional performance is illustrated with audio effects, music and props.

Tickets £10 (concessions £8) Call 01782 232323 to book.

For more on the story of Edward Smith, Captain of the Titanic- follow the link

http://www.the-titanic.com/Passengers/Crew/Captain-Edward-Smith.aspx?gclid=COvDhuXyyakCFUMMfAodj2aKNQ

Telegrams to You Tube

David Wood’s story continues with the 1950’s Telegram and concludes with 21^st century You Tube technology.

David says, urgent messages were delivered by telegram because very few people had telephones and this was the quickest way to do it. The telegram boys rode little red motorbikes and fairly whizzed around the city, in fact everyone looked if they saw one because it usually meant bad news for somebody.

Police Constable Joe Smith was the man who steered us in the right direction, it worked Joe, but then again you know that, because we have met up a few times socially over the years since then. Thanks Joe.

My religious background is slightly complicated. My mum’s family all attended the Dale Street Methodist Chapel and had done so since time began and my dad’s family belonged to the Latebrook Baptist Chapel. It was agreed by our parents that we would be dedicated, that is named, as Baptists, in the hope that we would be fully baptised when we became adults. The other part of the deal from our mum’s point of view was that we would attend the Methodist Sunday school.

The Baptist chapel closed around 1956 and we outgrew the idea of Sunday school when we were teenagers. The strict chapel upbringing certainly didn’t do us any harm; in fact it gave us both a good basis for our future lives. The school rooms belonging to the Methodist chapel were further along Andrew Street towards the fields. Quite a few pantomimes, dances and social evenings took place there.

Jack Rhead’s brother Cyril, who was quite tall, played the part of the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk, it must have had an effect on me because I never looked at Cyril in the same light again. One year I was volunteered to read a monologue and I chose “The Lighthouse Keeper“. Follow the link to read it in all its literary splendour.

http://monologues.co.uk/Tall_Stories/Lighthouse_Keepers_Story.htm

The monologue was a humorous rendition of an imaginary lighthouse keeper’s bravery, as told by himself and it was to be performed in front of an audience in the Sunday school hall. Little did I know when I volunteered that there were fourteen verses which had to be learned and recited without the help of the script.

I think I was about thirteen or fourteen when this was a happening, I do recall that it was totally nerve wracking, but the sense of achievement was fantastic. There were another couple of similar performances, but modesty or embarrassment, prevents me from telling them here. What a pity we didn’t have You Tube then, I could have been preserved for posterity, well perhaps not.

Because there was very little in the way of alternative entertainment, we looked forward to evenings like those.

David talks about Police Constable Joe Smith earlier in the story and I am pleased to say that Joe is still going strong at the age of 80 and he still enjoys community life as the Chairman of Sandyford & Goldenhill Residents Association (S.A.G.E.).

Until next time please enjoy the reading of these interesting stories by clicking on the local memories tab.

Local GP Supports S.A.G.E. Regeneration Concerns

Sandyford & Goldenhill Residents Association (S.A.G.E.) is pleased to announce an exclusive story that Dr Chandra Kanneganti, General Practitioner at Goldenhill Medical Centre has purchased the former City Council’s Heathside House Residential Care Home in Goldenhill.

Heathside House, Goldenhill

Dr Chandra Kanneganti upon talking to S.A.G.E. has said that he is looking at reopening the care home within the next 12 months.

Dr Chandra went onto say that he regularly visits the S.A.G.E. website and when he read a recent website article on the sale of the old care home and it said “it is hoped that whoever it is who purchases the property is mindful to helping with the regeneration of the city and especially for the local residents who live in Goldenhill and Sandyford” that it was that comment, which finally persuaded him to buy the property.

Dr Chandra commented that at the auction there were prospective buyers from other parts of the country and the land/building could well have gone to them with the possibility of further house building in the area.

Dr Chandra added that the reopening of a residential care home in Goldenhill would offer much needed jobs to an ever increasing unemployment situation across the city.

Sandyford & Goldenhill Residents Association have discussed the recent purchase made by Dr Chandra and have said that they are very pleased that someone who lives in the area has taken the time and trouble to put money back into Goldenhill.

S.A.G.E. believe that by offering extra residential care back into the area and giving that much needed boost of additional employment will also help the local community to develop itself even further.

Goldenhill Gunman Flees

A gunman is being hunted after a shot was fired at a property in Broadfield Road, Goldenhill.

A part of the road was petitioned off for the most of yesterday whilst the police made house to house enquiries.

Chief Inspector Adrian Roberts of the Stoke-on-Trent North local policing team said “At this stage, it would appear this was a targeted incident and would like to reassure local residents of this”.

Neighbourhood officers are in the area offering support to local residents and anyone who has concerns can speak to them.

It is good to report to local residents that no one was hurt in the incident.

For more details on this story, follow the link.

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Gunman-flees-firing-shots-house-Goldenhill/story-15342280-detail/story.html

King George V & Queen Mary’s 1913 Visit to Goldenhill

Pictured is the Swan Inn Public House in Goldenhill, which was taken in April 1913.

Swan Inn, High Street, Goldenhill 1913

The decorated public house shows crowds of people standing outside and waiting to see if they can catch a glimpse of King George V along with Queen Mary.

In 1913 King George V would have only been on the thrown for 3 years after the death of his father King Edward VII.

The Swan Inn used to be located next to St John’s Anglican Church, which is on the High Street in Goldenhill.

Unfortunately, the Swan Inn was demolished in the 1960’s, possibly 1967.

Follow the link for British Pathe News of King George V and Queen Mary’s Silver Wedding in 1918

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/king-george-v-and-queen-marys-silver-wedding-proce

Thanks for the Memories

Alan Clewes says thanks for the memories, I used to live in the jolly colliers, I was born there and left when I got married and then went to live in eccleshall in 1963.

Yes I remember the Uffers, used it many times for snooker and the weekly rave-up upstaires, I also remember the pub knock-outs which as a lad I had the pleasure of playing and the jolly colliers won that year I played ahhhh the good times eh, thanks again.

Neighbourhood Watch “Bogus Calls”

It has been reported that on the evening of the 22nd February that a lady received a call from a male claiming to be from SKY requesting details from her including bank details. Fortunately she had the presence of mind not give out any details which in turn caused the male to become abusive. The lady has checked with Sky this morning and they confirm they did not make the call. REMEMBER under no circumstances shoudl you give out your pesronal details particularly any of your bank details to anyone over the phone. If you are unsure, refuse your details and ring the company from a phone number found by yourself to confirm the identity of the caller.

1950’s & 60’s Haircuts

David’s story this time starts with 1950’s & 60’s haircuts in Goldenhill, how times have changed. David also reminds us of the emergency services when the vehicles had bells ringing, how we forget the good old days.

Anyway, David’s story starts by saying, I used to have my haircut at Bill Eardley’s, for the little boys he placed a piece of wood across the arms of the chair to raise you up to a working height. You knew you were growing at last when you just sat in the chair and didn’t need the wood to lift you up. When my dad was poorly Bill used to nip across the road in his lunch break to give him a shave and a haircut, that was definitely good village life.

One of the most confusing things to happen in my childhood was to go to the pictures on a summer evening and come out into broad daylight. It was a real anti-climax because you usually went in at dusk and came out in the dark. So the problem was, did you go home and go to bed or did you play out for a while, mum usually decided.

In those days we had the main film and a lesser film, usually called the B movie and don’t forget the Pathe news. That was exciting, was it not, to be able to see news reels in black and white which were about three months old, but this was before television so actually it was quite good. The B movies were usually Hopalong Cassidy or some other old cowboy short films.

Who could ever forget, Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, The Bowery Boys, Old Mother Riley, Roy Rogers, The Durango Kid, Tex Ritter, Gene Autrey, The Marx Brothers, The Three Stooges, George Formby. I know that our Super Cinema didn’t open on Saturday mornings for the Chum’s Club, but we had some fantastic times at The Ritz and Barber’s Palace in Tunstall.

Lane’s chip shop next door to the Lord Nelson was the one we used the most, Friday night was pudding night and they had to be ordered by Thursday at the latest, with chips or new potatoes, what a decision to have to make. If you took a week’s supply of Sentinels you would get a free bag of chips. Buckley’s butchers specialised in Savoury Ducks, I don’t know what was in them but they had never been near a duck, that’s for sure.

1960's Ford Anglia Police car

As young boys we were taught to stop and remove our caps if a funeral went past in the High Street. The earliest police cars were the panda cars, pale blue Ford Anglias or Morris Minors, with a little blue dome light stuck on the top. The ambulances had bells not sirens.

What an interesting article it was this time David, I can’t wait until next time. So until then keep reading David’s other stories on the local memories tab at the top of the page.

Children’s Safety Comes First at St Joseph’s Primary School

Safety of the children who attend St Joseph’s Primary School in Goldenhill is now a top priority.

Since Steve Shaw, Vice Chair of Sandyford & Goldenhill Residents Association saw the problems arising from vehicles collecting and dropping their children off outside the school and it causing the area to become unsafe for everyone, it was then that he decided to do something about it.

Steve whose children attend the school approached the Head Teacher and started a campaign to address the problem. Steve gained sponsorship to make people aware of the problem through posters etc and he borrowed some cones on a temporary basis to place outside the school to deter motorists parking there.

The Vice Chair of S.A.G.E. was always aware the cones needed to be returned to the City Council but with help from Councillor Martin Garner to purchase 36 traffic cones from his ward budget will certainly help the school to keep on top of the problem and ensure the children are being kept much safer.

Councillor Garner informs S.A.G.E. that the new heavy duty cones will be delivered to the school next week.

Well done! everyone.