TERRY'S BERRY WON THE PLATE

  Smiles all round  when veteran gooseberry grower Terry Price was presented with a prized plate by  Alan Garner, the  author, at his home in  Blackden,Goostrey.  

Alan hands over the plate

 The blue and white plate painted with a  gooseberry was Terry's reward for winning Goostrey Gooseberry Society's show in July with his Just Betty premier berry of 24 pennyweights and 22 grains.

  And Terry, competing for more than 40 years, will put the plate alongside an identical one at his home inTwemlow Green, the first to be awarded by the trust following his success  as the top grower  in a previous show.  

 The plate is funded by the Blackden Trust  based at Alan and his wife Griselda's home, the  Medicine House and Toad Hall, and is named the Frank Carter Memorial Plate in recognition of the late grower's prowess as a competitor and grower over many years in raising new varieties of gooseberries, including Terry's Just Betty entry.

  Many of the named varieties shown in gooseberry shows at Goostrey and in the surrounding area are from stock originally cultivated by Frank, who lived at Blackden Firs, only a short distance across the fields from where the presentation took place today.

 The winner of the plate must have won the show with a berry originally cultivated by the champion grower.

 Terry, who is the show's president, gained the premier spot with the smallest premier berry he has grown after one of the worst seasons on record.

The prized plate

    "I didn't really didn't think it had a chance of winning the show," he says.

Griselda, who is also a grower and showing member at Goostrey, cares for an archive of gooseberry cultivars in her garden at the Blackden Trust.

Click images to enlarge

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A DAY TO THE LAKES FOR LESS THAN A POUND


What an amazing find is this relic of charabanc travel before or just after the second World War. My pal Mike Arron, now living in Dunbar, found this promo board being used to cover part of his loft floor when he moved from Hale. It now sits in a corner of his daughter Clare's Scottish home. Similar outings are still organised by a village group in Goostrey but I bet they cost more than a few bob. For anyone born after decimalisation - and because my brain can't cope these days with translating real money into pence - the sum of 20/- (shillings) equals £1.00. So even in those days what a bargain was a day trip! 
The image should enlarge with a double click.

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HOLMES CHAPEL'S WHEELIE GOOD WELCOME

Tour of Britain arrives in the village

I think we ought to give three cheers to Holmes Chapel today for the great reception it gave to the Tour of Britain cycle race. The village had a kind of carnival atmosphere that did it proud - with the centre thick with crowds to welcome the tour on its third stage. Villagers from Goostrey also joined crowds on the A50 to watch the event. Here are some amazing pictures that tell the story better than a million words courtesy of Cheshire Portrait Photography. www.Cheshire Portrait Photography.com via Love Goostrey. Pictures on A50 courtesy of Jenny Mills
Follow the LINK BELOW for pictures on Love Goostrey
https://lovegoostrey.wordpress.com/2016/09/06/bike-race-photos/

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Goostrey 1975

....THE VILLAGE RETURNS HOME


This is without a doubt my scoop of the week - an episode from the Granada series about Goostrey the Village in the mid-seventies. Most of the main characters are now a little older, or long since passed on to other pastures, but it contains scenes of schoolchildren at the time, many of whom will still live today in the village. It is a real treat see the village as it was in the midst of its expansion to its present size, and a valuable memory of Walter Carter, a character I knew well and of the like who do not exist today. I am posting courtesy of James Lockett, a former Goostrey lad who emigrated with his parents, Mike and Julie Lockett and brother John and sister Jo to America. Julie the first woman member and secretary of Goostrey Gooseberry Society features in the film. The series has been televised again in recent years but I guess is still unseen by many villagers. Anyone interested in Goostrey or country life will find it a fascinating piece of social history. Thanks James for bringing back old memories. If there are any other episodes out there it would be great to have them edited so they can go on the blog and facebook.
Click on video to play
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NEW BUS IS TROLLY-DOLLY HEAVEN

Arriving to pick up at the Red Lion, Goostrey

It may have been a tad damp today but it was good for christening the launch of the new bus on the Goostrey-Twemlow Green-Holmes-Sandbach circular route. And the village's shopping trolly-dollies will be in ecstasy! The 29-seater has lots of room for those push-on shoppers, and driver Lee tells me it can be reconfigured to reduce the seating to cater for a variety of purposes. After 13 years of trundling through rural Cambridgeshire, the white Dennis service bus has been acquired by Tomlinson Travel for our village service. I am told that regular passenger Terry Price almost missed it - he failed to recognise the new vehicle as it arrived at Twemlow Green! Now it is hoped more villagers will be persuaded to join the growing number of passengers using the service, especially those eligible for free bus passes. Many have already discovered it is better by bus than the car for a quick trip to Holmes Chapel and Sandbach.  If you see the 319 bus and want a ride just put up your hand if you are not near one of the official stops in the village....It is as easy as that.

Timetable for the service

Picture shows the bus arriving at the Red Lion, Goostrey.
*Double click on images to enlarge
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Ian Godfrey

A VICAR OF FAITH AND COURAGE

A man of faith, humility and great courage in the face of health issues in his final weeks was how the Rev Ian Godfrey was remembered in tributes at his funeral in Goostrey. 

  But even as he was desperately poorly in a Manchester hospital, Ian was already planning for his work in the parishes once he was discharged, said the Archdeacon of Macclesfield, the Venerable Ian Bishop.

Leaving Goostrey for Swettenham

 The Vicar of St Luke's, Goostrey, and St Peter's, Swettenham, Ian's death stunned villagers in the twin communities. St Luke's was packed with family, close friends, parishoners and clergy for the service relayed to an overspill congregation gathered in the churchyard. For the committal at St Peter's church, Swettenham, Ian was transferred to a  carriage drawn by two black-plumed cobs to spend two minutes outside the church before the service.

 The formality of the 80-minute  funeral service conducted by the archdeacon and presided over by Dr Peter Forster, the Bishop of Chester, was also an occasion of celebration for the life of Ian.

 A knot of clergymen  led by Dr Forster processed to the church from Goostrey school in advance of the funeral service on a day blessed with sunshine.  And almost at the moment the service began a thrush, apparently hidden from view in the churchyard's 1,000-year-old yew tree, broke into song as if making its own tribute to a much loved vicar.

 Ian, who was 59, moved to Goostrey in March 2011, with his wife, Audrey and their daughter Louise from Mill Hill, London. Their two older children, Matthew and Christopher, continued to live in Mill Hill.

Ian is carried from St  Luke's

 Ian joined Barclay's Bank after leaving school and after a successful career spanning 35 years, he was a corporate director when he made the decision to become a full-time minister.  He was ordained priest in June 2002 at Hampstead Parish Church and was inducted as vicar in April 2011 at St Luke's, Goostrey, where his arrival was described as a "breath of fresh air..."

A section of the overspill congregation

The Rev Pat Jones,a friend and team vicar of Thatcham, spoke of Ian's life, his love of football, cricket, singing, the fact he was nicknamed "Goozie"  from primary school and sometime quirky aspects of his personality, such as being hooked on train spotting, and he was a devoted family man, with Audrey as his rock. "We all have fond memories of  Ian and can share in his humility, courage and faith". 

  Venerable Bishop said Ian served his communities beyond all expectations.

 "Time spent with him was time gained not lost," said the archdeacon.

Ian with Bishop Richard  Courtesy London.org

 "He was genuinely a faithful man and even when struggling with his health, he would not give in. He never bemoaned his health issues. A week before he died he was planning his return to work." Canon Martin Poll, chaplain of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, a close friend of Ian and his wife, and a former curate of John Keble Church, read the gospel during the service.

 Ian was at Goostrey Rose Festival where he chatted and joked with villagers and was at St Luke's for the parish communion service at the end of July. It was also in July that he travelled to John Keble Church for the patronal festival where he administered the chalice, and afterwards attended evensong officiated by the Bishop of London, the Rev and Rt Hon. Richard Chartres, who ordained Ian. 
*Double-click images to enlarge
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 Villagers mourn  death of their parish priest.

The Rev Ian Godfrey, vicar of St Luke's Church, Goostrey and St Peter's Church,

Ian Godfrey

Swettenham, has died at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Ian moved to Goostrey in March 2011 with his wife Audrey and their daughter Louise from Mill Hill, North West London. Their two older children Matthew and Christopher, both with established careers,continued to live in Mill Hill.  He was a non stipendiary minister serving John Keble Church, Edgware where he had been attending with his parents and brother since the 1960s before coming to the village.

St Luke's Church from the Bongs

After leaving school, Ian joined Barclays Bank and following a successful career spanning 35 years he was a corporate director when he made the decision to become a full time minister. He was ordained priest in June 2002 at Hampstead Parish Church and was inducted as vicar in April 2011 at St Luke's, Goostrey.

   His death on Sunday announced initially on the Love Goostrey website, stunned villagers who had chatted and joked with him at Goostrey Rose Festival only several weeks ago following an absence from the pulpit due to illness.

A vicarage tea party

  One of his last services was a special celebration of the Queen's 90th birthday attended by a packed congregation including the village's scouts and guides, cubs and beavers.

  Earlier this year, one of the highlights of his ministry was the visit of the Church of England's first woman Bishop, the Right Reverend Libby Lane, the Bishop of Stockport, to officiate at St Luke's annual Plough Service held at the Orchards Farm, Twemlow. 

  Parishioners have spoken of their sadness at the loss of Ian who arrived in the village to live at the Vicarage in Blackden Lane as a "breath of fresh air" as he took on the challenge of looking after the church and its flock in both parishes.

The Bishop of Stockport at Plough Sunday

  "Ian was an amazing man and quickly settled into his work in the parish," said a member of the congregation. "You could hardly keep up with him as he involved himself in church life and village activities. He was particularly keen on visiting people and dropping into the meetings of organisations involving all ages.

  "When he became ill he was still very determined to carry out his duties even though at times he insisted on doing them on crutches or from a wheelchair. 

"He was certainly one of the most courageous and lovely individuals one could wish to meet. He will be sadly missed by the parish both here and in Swettenham."

  Ian's funeral will be held at St Luke's Church on Friday, August 26 at 2pm followed by interment at St Peter's.
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