HAIR-RAISING TRIP FOR A TRIM         

    You might think I'm  a little daft (oreccentric) when I decided I must have a haircut and took several buses and trains to have a trim. But more in the manner of an experiment, I took off overland  by public transport from Goostrey to my  regular barber's at Lostock Gralam. Now, yes, I  know, I hear what you say that 15 minutes or so in the car and you are there. That supposes a vehicle is at hand but on this occasion there was nothing in the stable I could take, My electric bike was a tad tempting but one look at the weather decided otherwise. It had to be public transport using my free bus pass and rail card .The first part of the trip was child's play. The local bus from the Red Lion to Goostrey station, then within minutes the stopping train to Chelford. But that is where a simple journey becomes a little fraught. I saw the slipstream of the bus to Knutsford just settling as a stepped from the train for the two minute walk to the village.  The next bus was almost an hour later I found but no worries. What the matter there was a fine  home-made pork pie from Boon's butchers shop as compensation for the wait - although it did occur to me not many years ago the Dixon Arms, now replaced by what appears to be granny stackers, would have provided a more hospitable waiting room than the solitary bus stop !
The village centre of Chelford is  one of the most hostile places to stand for a bus as the
 main road from Knutsford to Macclesfield is alive with with the thunder of heavy lorries and a constant flow of other vehicles mostly travelling like bats out of hell. There is a speed limit of sorts that seems to be universally ignored and why the local community hasn't risen in protest at this intrusion I don't know. If ever there was a case for a by-pass Chelford should have a good chance.
It was with relief, with pie consumed and battered by traffic noise, I finally stepped on board the bus for the next stage of the journey. This turned out to be far more pleasant experience. A few minutes on arrival in Knutsford I was able to catch  a connection to Northwich, stopping at Lostock Gralam. Only trouble was it dropped me something like half a mile from my haircut. The driver, I will call Mr Grumpy (in fact he was a miserable  bugger) said if I wanted to catch him on the return he was back in 20 minutes. Sure, I was the only client but even when finished and dusted down within 10 minutes an Olympian sprinter would have missed the bus. This is where a Plan B is essential when travelling via  public transport. Lostock Gralam is served by the Manchester to Chester rail line, stopping at Knutsford, so the return home was easy. Apart from the near-hour waiting for the train's arrival, another forty-five miniutes for the bus to Chelford and a little over half an hour for the train to Goostrey! The total journey time, including hanging around, was five and a half hours but the haircut was worth it !  

   HOST FOR TEA WITH THE VICAR

What a difference 12 months can make. A year ago, I said Goostrey's newly-installed vicar, the Rev Ian Godfrey, and his wife, Audrey, defied the rain to host St Luke's garden party on the vicarage lawn, Yes, if you remember, last year was  noted for its rain sodden events, too.  But in a summer fraught for organisers of outside functions, this year has been an even more prayer-like state of  anxiety.  Like some Biblical miracle, however, the rains parted for St Luke's on Sunday ( despite  the occasion also being St Swithin's day and its dire warning of 40 days of rain )  for tea and cake at the vicarage. If it wasn't exactly a barmy summer's day it did at least keep fine.  Much  to the delight of the host and hostess and a brigade of ladies from the church  eager to please with their helpings of home-made treats and goodies. The manicured lawns - a credit to Audrey's work on her new sit-on garden tractor - provided the setting for what was for all a relaxing afternoon of chit-chat over the clink of teacups !

  SHOWERS BUT  IT WAS NO WASHOUT

                                      The Merry Maypole Dancers from Goostrey school

*Click on the pictures to enlarge

Captain Mainwaring we presume

Dad's Army on parade

Well, if someone had said I told you so, it would rain on the Rose Festival, I guess I'd  admit it probably would. It didn't rain. It just downed buckets between heartening shafts of sunlight. But those taking part in this festival of fun in Goostrey are a stoic lot. It takes more than rain to washout a day a year in the making by a dedicated team. If anything the long parade of decorated floats from the west to the east end of the village fared the worst. Just as it was assembled to be off, the heavens opened whipped up by a sea-like breeze to drown the proceedings. But, if wet and soaked from the elements, the parade made it to the school field encouraged on its way by a  throng of loyal spectators.                        

The Scouts smoked us out !

It had to be Budgie

 I joined the Gooseberry Society float again this year with the theme of Dad's Army. It was much admired with its motley uniformed crew of baby boomers (I guess I was the only one able to claim I actually saw Dad's Army in action !)  and the tunes and patriotic melodies of the period blasting the route. Alas, despite all our hopes, it was not the fourth time lucky to win the trophy for the best senior turnout. This went to Goostrey WI, still on a roll from winning silver at the Cheshire Show, with a Jubilee year theme of The Guards and Queen Margaret Kettle complete with cut-out corgi. It was a brilliant well-earned coup for the ladies ! But not without a  little controversy right from an episode of the Archers. Only hours after the event  Facebook was alive with - I can only think tongue in cheek -  cries of foul play from the dispirited Dad's Army. Unable to pick their gooseberries for a barrage, they threw a few verbal raspberries at the ladies success in the contest, albeit judged, so it was claimed, by a WI member ! I'm sure they will reply with a few well aimed pots of jam and a round of Jerusalem !

Queen Margaret greets her subjects

The rest of the day appeared to go well despite several showers. Notable was the village school's maypole dancers.
*Sad to say I missed a picture
of the Rose Queen - if anyone
would care to email a copy.

FINGERS CROSSED FOR ROSE DAY SHINE

The village has been on a bit of a knife-edge this week - or possibly should say weather watch - in the run up to Goostrey Rose Festival. My lucky rabbit's foot told me it would be fine and sunny this Saturday. But had a bit of a shock when I checked just moments ago - the forecast has turned to rain! But optimism shines. As I write the sun is beaming through the window, same as yesterday, when it was doom and gloom. I won't utter the words "We are doomed" for the festival as I might be sent down by the judge for giving away one of this year's best kept secrets in the time honoured  parade of decorated floats.
Margaret Kettle, a veteran of the event as former Rose Queen in 1936, tells me there have been more wet days than fine ones. When she was made President in the mid-eighties she got a red umbrella which since then has acted either as parasol or brolly depending on the state of the day. Like many villagers she has turned out over the years as one of the costumed characters, among them Charlie Chaplin, Barbara Cartland  - and of all celebrities and stars, Jordan!  Margaret, now nearing 90, will be involved with Goostrey WI float but like all others what it will represent is a closely guarded secret. "I couldn't possibly tell you what it will be," she says.
Rose Queen Alice Keeling, who will ride in state for her crowning, is from a family with ancestral links to the festival first held in 1905. Her mother and grandmother were queens attendants and great, great aunt Alice Bayley was crowned in 1925. The first traditional act of the soon to be crowned queen is for five minutes of prayer at the cenotaph conducted by the vicar, the Rev Ian Godfrey. Ian's wife, Audrey, says she hopes Alice will be well supported in this act of remembrance outside St Luke's Church. It is often missed by festival crowds making for the main event on the school field. There is a full programme of family fun and events, including maypole dancing by Goostrey Primary School, the Ka Ramba Samba Band and Bruce Airhead's comedy cabaret, a regular at Glastonbury. 
Let's hope  he has left the rain behind him !

County Show Picture Blog

 SHOW GOES ON AS CLOUDS ROLL AWAY

I'm afraid I missed the Countess of Wessex - the first Royal to visit the Cheshire Show in a dozen years. But Royal patronage or not, the event at Tabley lived up to its reputation of being among the best of county shows. It is flagged up as the town meeting the country and it certainly didn't disappoint the thousands on the first of the two days. This year remarkably in a near week of incessant rain leaving the showground a tad spongy, the dark clouds rolled away just in the nick of time.

I guess Goostrey was well represented in all the  the animal classes and events, and certainly Goostrey WI members are feeling pretty pleased with themselves with a silver trophy to bring home for their competition entry. Jodrell Side WI was also well represented with a delightful entry in the same competition.
What I find comforting is that farm-based enterprises  offsetting loss of income from traditional farming continues to flourish in Cheshire as well as in other counties. One young man, Henry Cureton, whose family has lived and farmed in Shropshire for 300 years, brought a selection of game products to sell.
Henry's great grandmother made cheese for the Royal family and he is the fourth generation to cook and bake pies in the family kitchen at Ellesmere.

BLOG STOP PRESS

 ROW OVER WASTE PLAN GOES TO COUNCIL

   The controversy over plans for a waste plant at Twemlow is to be discussed tonight (Tuesday, June 12 ) by Goostrey Parish Council. The council, which is urging villagers to attend the meeting to voice their concerns, will be considering its stance on the application. The plant at the former Ministry of Defence site between Twemlow and Goostrey will process silage, slurry and food waste on an industrial scale. Opponents of the plan claim that extra traffic and odours from the plant will affect a large part of the surrounding area. Campaigners against the development have an email contact point TAGnotowasteplant@gmail.com Objections to the proposal have to be lodged with Cheshire East Council by June 20.