Mushroom Hunt

In spite of the weather, and a poor turn out, the 'Mushroom Hunt' was a great success.

With a 2 hour walk through the Goyt Valley ending at the Shady Oak for lunch, it was easy to forget why we were there.

Only armed with cameras and a mushroom book, we hunted and walked and hunted some more, turning up some beautiful specimens.

Thank you Steve Cliffe for suggesting a route for us.

Heritage Open Days 2009

This year's Heritage Open Days were blessed with the best possible weather for the time of year, which added to what was a full menu of walks, talks and a welcome to all who had never visited the Heritage Centre before.





A new walk around St. Mary's graveyard, by Jill Trumble, went down very well and could have been filled three time over.

A big thank you to everyone who put in the work to make this an enjoyable four days.

Heritage Centre's 10th Birthday

Stockport Heritage Trust celebrated it's 10th birthday on Sat 5th September with an unveiling ceremony. Ann Coffey, Member of Parliament for Stockport, officially presented St. Mary's Church with a new noticeboard, paid for by the Trust to commemorate their ten year partnership.


The celebrations continued inside the church where she also opened the new 1939 exhibition "The Outbreak of War".

The evening celebrations were held in St. Andrew's Church Hall were Iain Maclean and Roger Scoones both spoke briefly about how the Heritage Centre came about and what it has meant to both organizations, working together.

To view Iain's speech click on the link below.
Iain's speech

New Marple Book

There is a new Marple Book out now.

It contains over 90 old photographs and postcards of Marple and District, which includes Chadkirk, Marple Bridge, Mellor, Compstall, Hawk Green, Strines, High Lane and the Roman Lakes.

Each old picture has a corresponding modern photograph to accompany it.

This book will be a record for the future. Compare the scenes of yesteryear with those of today, and have a keepsake record of the area in 2009.

It can be obtained for £12.99 from-
Stockport Heritage Centre, St. Mary's church, the Market Place.

stockportheritagemagazine.co.uk

or direct from the authors, Coral Dranfield 01614274006, Steve Cliffe 01663719129

2009 Chadkirk Festivel

The weather could not stop the annual Chadkirk Festival, although on the Sunday it did try.

Romans and Eastern Dancers added to the fun and the usual stalls and entertainments.

The Trust were there with 'Norman the Knight', who, although being shot many times by the children, was still standing at the end of the weekend.

Heritage Destroyed

More of Marple's heritage was destroyed this week, when a WWII command post was flattened by contractors preparing a work site ready for next years repair of Dan Bank.

The work site will probably be there for 12 - 18 months. The command post has been there for 60 years.

An unusual construction, with two rooms each with a metal arched roof.

The arched riveted steel roofs were the last thing to be seen of what was probably a unique relic in the borough.

Summer /09 Magazine Out Now

The Summer issue of the Stockport & District Heritage Magazine, is on the shelves now and just as good as ever.


There are stories about -
Happy school days.
Pubs with character.
Life of a photographer on the Stockport Advertiser.
Daw Bank's early 'House of Industry'.
A ramble around Reddish.
The Monkey Run.
Underbank Hall.
Old Cottage of Brinnington.
When a hayloft became a school.
St Philip's Cheadle.
Arden Hall.
As well as book reviews and many letters from readers.


Get your copy from local newsagents, Stockport Heritage Centre in St. Mary's Church, Market Place, or direct from the Editor. www.stockportheritagemagazine.co.uk

Marple Lock's Festival

A little rain was not enough to stop the people of Marple from turning out for the 2009 bi-annual Locks Festival.

Plenty of fun, food and fine weather turned the day into a great success.

The Trust was present as usual and were greeted by many friends.

Thank you to the team lead by Alison and Malcolm Allcard for a very well organised event.

Edwardian Garden Party

More summer fun, when members of the Trust gathered together on Sunday afternoon, for an Edwardian style garden party.





Croquet on the lawn for the sedate set.

Connect Four extended the brains of the thoughtful and Boules gave an excuse for the more pedantic among us to quibble over the score.

Good food and good company made for a pleasant day.

Canal Trip

Eighteen brave Heritage Trust members set out on Wed 20th May, to conquer the Ashton to Marple canal, with the aid of two comfortable barges.



After much sunbathing, eating, drinking and considerable laughter, they arrived safely back at base, with no undue signs of fatigue.




The trip had been book up in the first week and a cry for more went up from the heroes after a very enjoyable day.


Thank you to Kevin Dranfield for organising the outing, and how about doing it again next year?

Old Town Walk

June 13th Jim Clare will be taking a Blue Badge guided walk around Stockport's Old Town.

This is £5 per person, half price for members if you produce a current membership card on the day.

Leaving the Tourist Information Centre at 12 noon, places need to be reserved through them in advance.

Heaton Moor Historical Society

Heaton Moor Historical Society

FUTURE EVENTS

On Wednesday the 10th June we are having an evening walk around part of the Heaton Moor Conservation Area.

We'll meet at the Plough as usual at 7 pm. This will be a wheelchair-friendly flat circular 1½ mile stroll which will take about an hour.

On Wednesday 22nd July our guest speaker will be Jim Clare, the chairman of the Stockport Heritage Trust. His illustrated talk will be on St. Mary's Parish Church in the Marketplace. He will also tell us about the legacy of the Rector Richard de Vernon, who built part of the existing sand stone church, the chancel and the oratory, between 1306 and 1334.

Best wishes,
Phil....
07752 368308

Avro Heritage Trip

The Heritage Trust took a day off to visit the Avro Heritage Centre at Woodford.
12 members turned up, including some new faces.

After a very nice lunch in their canteen, overlooking the airfield, we were taken through the hanger, where Nimrod's were being made.

The Heritage Centre is a credit to the team that have put it together and open it to organised groups. Our guide was very knowledgeable and most entertaining. All in all a great day out.

Thanks to Phil Rowbotham for organising it.

Dan Bank - Phase 2

click on picture to enlarge.

Easterfeast

Easter Saturday was a huge success for both the Market and the Trust.

Many activities around the town attracted large numbers of people to Stockport and the Heritage Trust, as part of the attractions, put on a display of 'Crime & Punishment' in the Old Dungeon on Mealhouse Brow.


A good turn out of Members, many in costume added to the enjoyment and atmosphere of the day.

Spring 2009 Magazine - Out Now !

The latest issue of the Stockport Heritage Magazine is in the shops now.

If you buy it from The Heritage Centre in St. Mary's Church, the Trust gets a percentage of all sales.

Read about -
Evacuees in Stockport
Heaton Norris School
The Cheshire's in Ireland
Vernon Park childhood
Heaviley Hall
Murder on Great Egerton St.
Offerton Fold
Joseph Dean's legacy at Cheadle Heath
A Skeleton in Offerton
St Mark's School Bredbury

If you are not a resident of Stockport, you can buy your magazine from the website listed in our links on the right of this page.

Rochdale Trip

Ten Trust members turned out for a day in Rochdale.

Quite a surprising town, with a beautiful Town Hall, Norman Church and the Touchstone Museum as well as the Pioneers Museum, housed inside the first Co-operative store. There was lots to see.

They also claim to have the widest bridge in Europe at 445 metres.

Can Stockport challenge that claim?

Does anyone know how wide the Mersey Bridge it?
Thank you Kevin for organising another successful trip.

Final Gravestone Transcribed

The project to catalogue the gravestones around St. Mary's Church on the Market Place is almost complete. After a great deal of hard work by Jill Trumble and Nuala Kay, the last stone was transcribed on 27th February.

The information complements the copy of the burial records in the Heritage Centre, which has already been of great use to visitors researching their family history.

The inscription on the last stone reads as follows:
(....... = erosion)

In Memory of

(carved picture of a bell)

George Smith who was a Ringer
at this Church fifty years.
He died whilst ringing
for Divine service Jan 10th 1836
aged 68 years
Take ye heed......and pray for ye
I know not when.......Mark 13. v. 33

Heritage Walks

A program of Heritage walks has been put together by Jim Clare and Kevin Dranfield. The next will be a Historic Food and Drink Walk. (not a pub crawl), on Sat. 11th April at 1 pm.

Book at the Tourist Information Centre in the Market Place, where the walk will start from.

There will be a charge of £4 per person, and the walk will last 2 hours.

Trust members will be 1/2 price on production of a current membership card.

Marple Warehouse Redevelopment

The old Warehouse along the Macclesfield Canal at Top Lock Marple, is up for redevelopment.
The warehouse itself could be divided internally into two dwellings, without changing any of the external features. A row of modern houses is proposed for the wast ground alongside Church Street.

Millgate/Churchgate Crossing

As many people will now be aware the road through the Market Place will no longer be closed on Market days.

This is of great concern to members of the Heritage Trust, as being based in St. Mary's Church, on the corner of these two roads, we have seen the road getting more and more dangerous.

The Trust is now working with the Council to try and improve the situation and provide a safer means for pedestrians to cross from the church to the market.

Victorian Market

Was everyone in Stockport at the Market Place on Saturday to help celebrate the opening of the re-developed Market Hall? it certainly seemed that way.

With free entertainments and side shows for the kids, as well as roast chestnuts and mulled wine, it was a shame to miss it.
The Trust were out in force, joining the market traders in getting in the Victorian spirit.