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GWLHS – Newsletter January 2019

Our thanks to Lesley Flint from the Museum of Cannock Chase for an interesting talk. It bought back memories of miners, coal fires and toast done by the fire on a cold winter’s day.
A reminder that the centre is open every fourth Thursday for anyone to come and look at our records, photographs, or just for a cuppa and a natter.
We are always on the lookout for your photographs we can copy them and return them.

Does anyone recognise any of these children? It was taken on a trip to London 1985. They must be in their forties now!!
After putting the photo on Facebook, we managed to get most of the names.
L-R: David Walton, Frances Bedford (Nee Wiggin), ?, Jonathan Edwards, ?, Darroll Wheatley, Helen Cooper, ? , Dawn Boulton (Nee Kendrick).


This bill is for the wiring of the organ at the Jacobs Hall Lane Church in 1954.

This was inside the brochure for the opening of the new organ on 29th April 1954.

Unfortunately the church was destroyed by fire on the night of the 2nd –3rd of May 1984, thought to be an electrical fault.

Did you see Great Wyrley on the Great Railway Journeys with Michael Portillo? Our Paul Ford did a grand job, although only a small portion of what was filmed, was actually shown on the programme.
There will be a full report and photographs of the day it was filmed in the Summer Magazine.
We were asked not to publish any comments or photographs until the programme had aired.

2018 was a Great Year

Last year we attended St Georges day at Harrison’s in April. We held a day trip to see the Terracotta exhibition in Liverpool in June, we held a Black Country evening at the Senior Citizens in September, Cheslyn Hay we visited in October and Bridgtown in December at the Bethel Church, in between those two we held our Annual Day at Harrisons to commemorate the end of the Great War, and by and large it was a good year all round.

Tribute to Terry Challenger (Grigg)

Ten years ago I was introduced to Terry and wife Sue by Trevor Pearce, they had been life long friends. Together, a group of us founded the Great Wyrley History Society, after seeing the growth of the Cheslyn Hay History Society. Terry played an important roll, he was our first Secretary and formed part of our committee. We started doing small exhibitions and stalls at the local carnival, where Terry was always on hand to help, whatever the task. We never always saw eye to eye, as he was ‘gold and black’ and myself ‘blue and white stripes’ but we worked well together.
Due to Terry’s breathing problems, he left the society, as it became to much for him. He took up a new hobby playing computer games, when his son Chris introduced him to Runescape and the World of Warcraft. We still had contact, but noticed that his breathing was getting worse. He would use a scooter to get around and would carry an oxygen tank, which he became reliant on.
The last time I saw Terry was at the Great Wyrley Carnival, about six months ago. He didn’t look too bad, but I could see then that he was in some discomfort. I got to find out how Terry was through Trevor, and of course, later told me Terry had passed away on Sunday 2nd December 2018. I always respected Terry’s straightforward speaking, he would call a spade a spade, so I hope he has found a partner up there to continue his internet gaming. Click here for full service tribute
Gary Smith

The Garratt Bench – A letter from Jenni Bond

The following is a letter received from Jenni, granddaughter of Thomas and Nellie Garratt.
Whilst visiting from my home in Australia, I came to see the bench in memory of my grandparents Thomas and Nellie Garratt. The bench has been restored after damage and placed in the Great Wyrley Memorial Garden.

Geoff Hackett and Jenni Bond (nephew and granddaughter of Mr & Mrs Garrett) August 2018

My grandfather is part of the Garratt family who have been in Great Wyrley as miners since 1830, my grandmother Nellie  Hemmingsley is from a similar Cheslyn Hay family. I lived in Great Wyrley since early childhood until leaving to go to University. Ours has been a family deeply involved in the life of the village, both my parents, Jim and Marion Homeshaw being Parish and Rural District Councillors.

Thomas was one of those responsible for the building of the ‘Institute’ and establishment of a library for the use of working men. Nellie formed the Cooperative Women’s Guild which provided social and practical help for local women, many of them miners wives who lived very hard lives.

Living in Great Wyrley during World War 2 and after, I was very aware of the importance of the Memorial Gates, especially during the Remembrance Service each year.

It is important that we remember: not only those who died in the wars but also those who served in the armed forces, hospitals and ambulance

services. We must not forget those who kept us alive working in agriculture and factories.

Friends of Great Wyrley Memorial Garden (FROGS) have recently done a huge Amount of work so that it is now a place of peace, tranquillity and beauty. Many thanks are due to them and the Great Wyrley Parish Council for creating this asset in the centre of Great Wyrley.

This is only the start: updating of information and repair is necessary for the gates and the group wish to add to the site to improve information for the community and to make more widely available e.g. through the library and schools, knowledge of the history and meaning of our village and those who lived  here.

I heartily support their efforts and hope funding will be made available to them.

Commemorative Bench

Autumn 2017 Mr. Rob Caddick was tending the garden at the home of Mr. Eric Prichard on the Walsall Road when he discovered an eight foot bench, on closer inspection he realised the bench had an inscription on it.

“In memory of Thomas Garratt first chairman of this Fellowship and of Nellie his wife 1959″.

Apparently this bench had been removed from the Senior Citizens Centre many years before as it was being vandalised.

Rob reported his find to his mother, Cath, who mentioned it to the Local History Society. They took it upon themselves to get the bench restored. Two members of the District Council , (Cath Williams and Janet Johnson) donated towards the renovation and the Parish Council gave permission to situate the bench in the Memorial Garden, this will be done in the spring.

Mr. Owen Ingles offered to restore the bench, and a wonderful job he made of it.

  

Jenni Bond (nee Homeshaw), who now lives in Tasmania, and her cousin Geoff Hackett contacted the society and reported that Thomas Garratt was their Grandfather.

We would like to know what “the Fellowship” was. We assume it was held  at the Co-operative Hall on the Walsall Road as the Senior Citizens centre did not open until February 1959, and Thomas died in 1951 and Nellie 1957.