This year (2025), Great Wyrley Wesley Methodist Church are celebrating their 100th year in the current building. To make the occasion they are running a Children’s Drawing Competition and are asking children from local Schools, Brownies and Scout groups to take part. All primary school aged children are welcome to take part, which are split into three age groups with prizes for the best drawing, painting or creation.
Three competition groups: Group 1 – Year 1 & 2 Group 2 – Year 3 & 4 Group 3 – Year 5 & 6 All winners will receive a grand prize from the church
When the question of building a church arose, the inhabitants could not decide whether the site should be in Great Wyrley or Cheslyn Hay. Edward, the first Lord Hatherton took a leading part in the affairs. Lord Hatherton and Mr Gilpin decided to talk to Reverend Smith, the vicar of Cannock, and Mr Sant who had both made generous offers toward the building of St Marks Church, and after much persuasion a new site was chosen. When it came to raising the money, Lord Hatherton said “the farmers and the poor people behaved magnificently,” also remarking that it was the growth of Gilpin Iron Works that had caused the need for the new church. Lord Hatherton gave £100, and his mother another £100, aswell as his unmarried sisters gave like amounts
We had a great day at Great Wyrley Carnival, with a massive turnout of people, from the village and surrounding towns, all coming to join in on the celebration. We were thankful for so many people coming to visit our stall, to buy books and have a go on our tombola, aswell as look at our photos and talking to us about their time in Great Wyrley. It’s nice to be surround by such lovely people.
We’d like to thank the carnival committee for organising the event and all the people that took part in the day from all the drivers of the vehicle, that gave their time up to driver around the village. The marching band, that must of been hot having to carry their instruments and wear their uniform in the hot weather. All the people that was involved in dressing up the lorries. The carnival committee must of had a difficult decision deciding on the best dressed lorry, has they all looked amazing. I was amazed to see how well behaved the kids (and adults) were on the lorries. The were sitting on lorries from 11:30am to take part on the judging and then with the ride around the village not returning until 2pm, it was a long time on a hot day. It was lovely to see local residents dishing out tiptops to the children on the floats, just want they needed.
Great Wyrley Carnival 2025 Float winners are:
1st place – Landywood Primary School With ‘A Visit to the Farm’
2nd place – Foundations and Peek a Boo Childminders With ‘A Visit to the Circus’
3rd place – Little Professors Nursery With ‘A Visit to the Safari Park’
Commendation – 1st Great Wyrley Scout Group with “A Cubs Day Out’
Has it’s Carnival time, it’s nice to look back on previous carnivals. These photos are from 1977 when it was the Silver Jubilee. It’s lovely to see the Wyrley Birds marching band, we don’t see that anymore as part of the carnival. The Great Wyrley Carnival in 1977 was initially a one-off event to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. It proved so popular that it became an annual tradition. The only years since then it hasn’t taken place, was during the Covid-19 pandemic for two years. The carnival at the time included a procession of floats(dressed up lorries) and marching bands.
Here’s a YouTube video from Great Wyrley Carnival 1977 Silver Jubilee, Alwyn Close Street Party – Tuesday 7th June 1977. What an amazing bit of video footage lasting 16.30 mins. It really gives a feel of the day and how Alwyn Close came together as a community to get the street dressed and join in on the party celebration.
Not about Great Wyrley, but has it’s carnival time, thought it was lovely to see what other villages did for the carnival. So many villages now haven’t carried on the annual tradition of dressing up the lorries and driving about the village. It’s such a shame, as it’s lovely to see and brings the village people together.
