Welcome Sandyford and Goldenhill Residents Association (S.A.G.E.)
Welcome to our website
A residents association uniting the two villages of Sandyford and Goldenhill since 1999
An organisation that aims to improve the environment and lifestyle for all its residents who live in our community
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David Wood’s recollections start with his remembering of the Co-op and it’s white coated assistants. This is a sad place to start with this times story because about two months ago the Co-op moved out of Goldenhill and has been replaced by another food chain Supermarket. The down memory lane story goes as follows.
 3 Rodgers Street, Goldenhill in 1967 The Co-op with its white coated assistants who patted butter from barrels into oblong shapes and weighed sugar from the sacks into blue paper bags. When you paid your money to the assistant, it was placed into a canister and whizzed around on a pulley system the shop to the cashier’s desk at the back, a few minutes later your receipt and change arrived back by the same method. Can you still remember your mum’s “divi” number, I can.
Mrs Salmon had the ladies wear shop on the corner of Ann Street. If you search the internet you will find a couple of articles by her son David, he reminisces in much the same way that I do. A whole block of houses had no shops in it, this was between Anne Street and Wagon Road. The next business was Mr Harratt’s with a shop at the front and his bakery at the back.
Moving up to Dale Street or Andrew Street as it became, were the Public Conveniences, clean as a pin, all white tiled walls and if you were a young lad desperate to spend a penny, you were told to “get off home, this is for grown ups not children”. A council depot was at the back of here and they stored a road roller there.
Back to the High Street and we had a couple of bench seats supplied by the council for people to sit on, it was here where the salute was taken on Armistice Day by Major Lamb if my memory is correct.
The next terrace included Lovatt’s chip shop and Mrs Frost’s sweet shop. For tuppence you could have a drink of cordial which had been highly charged with carbon dioxide, it was supposed to be drunk slowly, if you drank it very quickly you couldn’t get your breath for a few minutes. Unfortunately the lady didn’t like young lads hanging about in the shop so you had to drink it as fast as you could, with alarming results.
On the corner of North Street was a big sign advertising Double Diamond and next to it was a monumental mason’s yard. All the way along the level was a field on the right hand side until you reached Oldcott Drive. I think there was a shop in the drive but I can’t ever remember going in there.
 Newsagents 764 High Street, Goldenhill in 1967 If you crossed over the road to the Travellers Rest the old slag heaps on the other corner were known as the Starvation Banks, why, I haven’t a clue, they landscaped them in 1961 with the intention of the area becoming a park, still waiting.
Further up the lane past Vera Neate’s stables was the playground with a good variety of rides to suit children of all ages. With today’s rules the rides would be classed as highly dangerous and not allowed. Who amongst you can remember taking a grease proof paper bread wrapper to lubricate the slide so that you flew off the end?
Down the track past the Tin Church brought you to the pop works or to give it the correct title, Goldenhill Mineral Water Company owned by the Wharton family.
So until next time please keep watching, when we can share some more of David’s stories of memory lane Goldenhill.
The funeral service for the late ex Councillor Dave Sutton who represented the Tunstall Ward is to be held at Carmountside Crematorium on Monday, September 12th at 2.30pm.
Friends are being asked to kindly meet at Carmountside. Family flowers only please, donations are preferred for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice. Donations and inquiries to: WILLIAMSON BROTHERS Family Funeral Directors, Birch House, Birches Head Road, Hanley Telephone 01782 212880.
Dave will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him.
The Closer to Home Walking Network, Age UK and SAGE are celebrating national Walk4Life Day by offering free healthy options refreshments at their regular Sunday walk in Sandyford and Goldenhill.
Walk Leader Ron Dutton said “The walk leaves at 2pm from outside the Mace Shop, corner of Shelford Road next to McDonalds every Sunday and Tuesday and takes in the scenic greenways of Sandyford, with some spectacular views of Mow Cop Castle, before returning for free healthy drinks and snacks.”
Sandyford and Goldenhill Residents United for a Better Environment (SAGE) Secretary Tom Simpson said “Health and fitness and people getting together is important for local communities to enjoy this free activity.”
Closer to Home Walking Network Lead Elise Butler said “So many people don’t realise the vast array of rolling landscapes that are available just on their doorsteps. A few minutes walk from Sandyford High Street you believe you are in the countryside.”
If you would like to find out more about this walk or any other walk across the City, please contact the Closer to Home Walking Network on 01782 831900, email: or log on to www.closertohomewalks.org.uk
Residents who have bought or been given fake whisky are being warned that it could be harmful to drink.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s trading standards team has issued the warning after discovering an illicit whisky contained cleaning chemicals.
The authority was made aware of the issue by a man from Tunstall who complained that drinking the fake ‘Highland Glen Scotch Whisky’ made him feel ill.
Tests carried out on the whisky revealed that it was not genuine or fit to consume.
Councillor Gwen Hassall, cabinet member for housing and neighbourhoods, said: “Thankfully the complainant is ok. He was given the whisky as a gift from a friend; it has not been seen in shops. But there might be other examples of this product out there.
“The whisky is not a genuine brand. It has a black and gold label with ‘Highland’ and ‘Glen’ in white letters. It is not labelled with the name and address details of the producer – genuine products will always have details of the producer.
“We are urging residents to be wary of this product – if you think you have bought or been given a bottle of Highland Glen Scotch Whisky do not drink it, and please call the public protection service on 01782 232065.”
If you know someone selling fakes, call the fakes hotline anonymously on 01782 238444 or visit
www.stoke.gov.uk/fakes
Former Councillor Dave Sutton passed away over the Bank Holiday weekend at the age of 61.
Dave Sutton who previously represented the Tunstall Ward as councillor, which included Sandyford & Goldenhill is believed to have died after suffering a heart attack.
 Former Tunstall Ward Councillor Dave Sutton who passed away at the age of 61 Dave Sutton has been the Chair of Goldenhill Community Centre since December 2010 and he has called bingo there on Friday evenings for a number of years.
Whilst being a City Councillor Dave was involved with the Fire Authority, especially in the planning of the new Sandyford Community Fire Station.
S.A.G.E. along with residents from Goldenhill & Sandyford would like to send their condolences to his brother Paul and the rest of his family.
Also, former Councillor Geoff Gettings passed away on Thursday 25th August. Geoff served on the City Council from 1992 to 1999 as councillor for the Tunstall Ward.
Residents have won their fight in neighbouring Keele to stop controversial plans to revamp the Golf Centre.
Jack Barker’s Golf Company who used to run Goldenhill Golf Course asked permission from Newcastle Borough Council to improve the course at Keele so as to encourage more people to use the centre.
It was proposed the firm would make the improvements by importing 80,000 tonnes of material to create a more varied course.
Residents who objected to the plans at Keele Golf Centre celebrated when the Borough Council threw them out.
To read more on this story follow the link http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Golf-course-revamp-plan-bunkered-tip-fears/story-13192778-detail/story.html
Motorists in Stoke-on-Trent are being invited to get their number plates fitted with anti-theft screws, free of charge.
Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are hosting the event and will be in attendance at two local petrol stations next week.
A marquee will be set up on the forecourt at the following petrol stations between 10am and 4pm:
Sunday 28 August – BP Service Station, Porthill
Tuesday 30 August – Asda, Tunstall
PCSO Karen Stevenson said: “This is a great and easy way for motorists to safeguard their number plates. The original number plate is removed and put back on with the special anti-theft screws.”
For more crime reduction advice, see our website www.staffordshire.police.uk
Going back to the High Street are more of David Wood’s recollections of village life in Goldenhill’s 1950s and early 1960s.
 735 - 741 High Street On the far left is the Roman Catholic church. Centre shop: G.E.Jones "Farm Produce" "Fresh Food Supplies" Right Shop (No 741) "Gowns & Mantles" On the corner opposite the Duke was Bollington’s sweet shop, moving along past a couple of houses and you had Harry Paxton’s hairdressers, his shop was about 10 feet square with a couple of seats and a barbers chair in it.
Next door was a fruit shop, owned I think by the Marsh family and on the opposite corner was George Hulson’s fruit and vegetable shop, George was in my memory, the first shop to sell frozen vegetables.
The news agents next door was originally owned by Albert Fryer but was bought by Bernard and Joan Ault about 1958, I had a paper round with them for 2 years before I left school, they were two of the nicest people in the village and I kept in touch with Bernard for many years afterwards.
After the alleyway stood a pair of shops which belonged to the Co-op, one was a confectioners and the other a butchers.
The Horse and Jockey deserves a mention as being the home of Goldenhill Pigeon Club and was hosted by Alice Stevenson.
The next set of houses which were demolished in the early fifties, were very small, 2 up 2 down terraces, despite their size my grandparents raised my mother, her 4 sisters and 1 brother in there at number 82. After they knocked them down they built a big advertising boarding and the council put a seat there.
 744 High Street, Goldenhill in 1967 The other side of the entry was the post office which was originally started by a Mr Lewis, from the research I have done this office stayed in the Lewis family until it was demolished in the mid sixties. Next door to the post office was a small house occupied by a Ralph Nixon, one of my mum’s uncles.
Who can forget Billy Poole’s hardware store, if you can remember the 4 candles sketch by the Two Ronnies, that is exactly what it was like in there. He was short of nothing, sand, nails, washing lines, timber and almost anything you might need from such an establishment.
The Wheatsheaf was next door and then Caton’s butchers followed by Mrs Jones’s sweetshop. Sam Whittaker who appeared in earlier versions of this series as a beer retailer in 1912, kept the Wheatsheaf public house. He stayed there until his death in 1961 and then his son in law Len Jeffreys kept it with his wife Doll {Dorothy} Whittaker until it was demolished. Doll passed away a few weeks ago in May 2011.
On that sad note of Doll’s passing away, we will leave the story until next time when we can share some more of David’s reports of yesteryear Goldenhill.
There is an Estate Walkabout planned for Tuesday 23rd August between 10 a.m. & 12 noon.
The meeting place will be at the junction of High Street and Colclough Lane at 10 a.m.
What’s an Estate Walk?
It’s where members of the S.A.G.E. Residents Association meet with Council Officers to take a walk around the estate and identify any problems, issues or improvements that can be made in the area.
The Estate Walk is open to all residents to come along and have their say – so if you have a particular issue that the City Council can help to sort out, please come along and poit it out to them!
S.A.G.E. depends on input from local residents – please come along and have your say.
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