NEWS: car fireball / Blythe Vale go-ahead / footpaths concern / baby ballet!

News-in-brief  from Draycott-In-The-Moors in mid- November 2017
In this post we have news of…: car in explosion at Draycott Cross / approval for 118 new homes / footpaths consultation / ballet for babies…
(NB – There are also dozens of events coming up in our locality – including Remembrance Sunday events. Check out the Events page)
For daily updates about life in our district, keep checking the village Facebook page

– – –
Car in fireball

Details are slowly emerging of the weekend’s horrific car-crash at Draycott Cross.
On Friday evening, two cars collided near to Field’s Farm on Cheadle Road (half a mile up from the Draycott Arms) and, minutes later, one of them started into flames.
Fortunately some other, very courageous motorists at the scene managed to drag the young woman who was driving the car out of the vehicle … but only moments before a sudden fireball explosion.
The young woman, who has not been named yet, has severe injuries to her legs and is being treated in hospital.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

A local well-known couple, Karen & Tony Buckle, were in the other car – luckily, the pair were not injured.  In fact, Tony was one of the brave rescuers who – probably – saved the young women’s life.
A full account of the incident is on the front page of The Stunner newspaper, including a dramatic photograph of the blazing car.

What’s not clear is how the accident occurred.  Although the incident took place not far from a bend, in the darkness of night-time, yet it is a clear stretch of road just there.  Modern cars rarely burst into flame, so the police are also looking into why that happened.

– – –
Disappointment – with result, with council

Many local residents are expressing their disappointment at the result of last week’s SMDC Planning Committee decision over the Blythe Vale housing estate application.  The developers, St Modwen, got the go-ahead they were looking for (with just one vote against), so we can expect work on building the 100+ homes (behind the Chandni Cottage restaurant) to start sometime next year.
It was always going to be a tough proposal to fight, as it had the full recommendation of local planners and is part of a national scheme – both of which facts mean that it would have taken a strong team-effort to have seen it overturned.

However, there is also great disappointment about the role of Draycott parish councillors – who did almost nothing to oppose the application, even though they claimed to be fully supporting the local residents who feared it.
Not only did our own council not even put in a formal comment on the planning-application website (even though distant Checkley Council did!), none of them even turned up to speak against the application at the decision meeting  … A spokesperson later claimed that all seven councillors had busy lives, implying that this made it too hard for even one of them to get there.

The residents of this district have a right to wonder if these people should even be on the council, if their ‘busy lives’ make it too difficult for them to make some effort over what is the biggest thing to happen to Draycott for the past 25 years.  We shall see: elections are due in 2019.

– – –
Footpath maintenance under threat

Draycott & Cresswell are fortunate in having an extensive network of miles of public footpaths.
If one uses local footpaths regularly, the science says you’ll be healthier, happier and more at peace with yourself – great for thinking-time!
However, budget cuts mean that maintenance of our paths network is declining.Undergrowth is nearly choking this stile at Cresswell

Staffs County Council, which is responsible for local footpath maintenance, recognises that this problem has now turned into a major issue, and has started a public consultation to see what we all think about the current state of our footpaths & bridleways – and their future. However the county’s proposals are already causing concern; the Staffordshire Area Ramblers has filed comments already, not all favourable.
If you want to take part in the consultation yourself, click here  – you have until December 25^th to put in your thoughts.
We wrote up a recent article on our local footpaths – it might give you a few ideas to go on with.

The local Draycott parish council has a special responsibility for monitoring foortpaths in our district; let’s see what response they make.

– – –
Babies get balletic

Finally, this is a sentence we never thought we’d write: “baby ballet is coming to Draycott”…     But, no, not a performance by a troupe of six-month old prima ballerinas, but … some lessons for them!

We are not exactly sure what ‘b-b’ is but babies apparently get quite a kick (or a pirouette?) out of the classes.  Children up to six years can take part.
The classes get under way in January at Draycott Sports Centre.
So, we look forward to a fully staged performance by the pupils in twenty years time!

***
Want to comment on any of the items on this page?
Just use the comments box – near the bottom of this page.           (The form will ask if you wish to put in your email address.  You don’t have to – and it is always kept private anyway and never published -, but, if you don’t add your email, that means you might miss any responses to your comment

News: Izaak dark / kids sports / fayre success / rail path hope

News-in-brief  from Draycott-In-The-Moors in mid-July 2017
In this post we have news of…:  Izaak pub closed again / Cresswell-Totmonslow railway path / Draycott fayre success / local sports camps for kids…
(NB – There are also dozens of events coming up in our locality – including an Open-Acoustic/Open-Mic evening. Check out the Events page)
For daily updates about life in our district, keep checking the village Facebook page

– – –
Izaak closed again

The poor old Izaak Walton pub in Cresswell doesn’t seem to be blessed with the right star-sign. During the last five years there have been six changes of management, and – you guessed it – it has closed again.
Rob & Lucy put in a good shift at the pub for nearly eighteen months – with good wholesome food at reasonable prices – and this popular couple seemed to be making a real go of it.
But the strain seems to have told; and in the middle of last month, they abruptly departed with just a brief sign left on the door (see pic).

The Izaak, which is at least 150 years old, is a real icon of Cresswell and it would be great to think another owner or manager will want to reopen it.
It was quickly put on the market – for £325,000 – and the rumour is that there is already firm interest.
Fingers crossed.

– – –
Rail path support group

Our footpath network in this area is undoubtedly gradually falling into disrepair, but there may be fresh hope for one stretch of it at least.

The old railway branch-line between Cheadle-Totmonslow-Cresswell is now managed by Moorlands & City Railways, who lease the trackway from Network Rail.  They had hoped to restore a rail service on it, but that hope has disappeared; and so they decided in 2013 to open it up for public access, and now a lot of dog-walkers use it.
However, it is in fact still quite a rough track with ballast still lying on it and parts quite overgrown – so horse-riders and bicyclists have given it a miss so far.
(An exit from the path-track is (quite legally) blocked at the Cresswell end; and some walkers would like to request a permissive way put in to allow the path to be fully open at this Cresswell end).

But, a new group, The Friends of The Cheadle-Cresswell Railway, has now been started up, with the aim of seeing the trackway transformed into a more widely usable route. Darryl Worthington from Upper Tean is heading up the project, and he says support is growing for the idea.
The next meeting of the group is at the Anchor pub in Tenford (at the other end of Totmonslow’s Breach Lane) on Thurs 27 July, and all are welcome.

– – –
Sunday best

Yes, the Draycott St Margaret’s Summer Fayre on Sunday last must go down as one of the best-ever.

American Civil War re-enactors: stars of the fayre

Many more customers through the gates than last year, some spectacular events (truly spectacular!) and almost unbroken sunshine all day – it couldn’t be beaten for a great day out.
The money raised goes toward maintaining the village’s seven hundred year old church, so it’s a worthy cause.
One of the most popular side-shows was one that was quite new to the fayre – Christopher Reptiles. Snakes, iguanas, large lizards were all to be seen – and handled! When you’re being asked if you want a huge seven-foot long snake (see pic) crawling round your shoulders, it soon sorts out who are the bravest…

Thanks very much to John Clarke and his vast team of volunteer helpers who put on a fabulous day!
But don’t forget – there is no rest for this team. Work is already underway preparing for next year’s fayre; if you feel you can help, contact the team.

– – –
Summertime sports

Although there has been a lot of sunshine this year (as well as rain, admittedly), the summer is only just beginning for children, who are just now commencing their school holidays.
So… some of our community organisations are laying on stuff for the kids to do.

Draycott Sports Centre is leading the way with a packed series of sports days during August… A huge range of sports – tennis, squash, badminton, hockey, dodgeball, cricket & football – will all be on offer at its day-long ‘camps’. Children from five upwards are invited to sign up (with parents’ permission) but don’t wait around: numbers are limited. Click here for details.
For children who specifically want to improve their tennis, Draycott Centre is offering an intensive day on 22nd July (part of the Great British Tennis weekend) – click here for details.

Meanwhile a new weekly kids’ dance-tuition session is underway at the Quick Quick Slow Studios in Cresswell – styles range from street-dance to ballroom.

Meanwhile, in next-door Blythe Bridge, Leek Town FC is holding its local Street Soccer programme, providing weekly pop-up football sessions for children. The sessions are free of charge, open to any children aged 8-18, and are held at Blythe Bridge Recreation Ground for six Thursdays (7-8pm) from Thursday 26th July.
With luck, once they’ve tried all these, the kids will be just plain tired out.
(Well, maybe…)

– – –
RIP Kath

Sad to say, one of the great ladies of the parish has passed away.  Kath Bostock, of the Totmonslow Bostock family, husband of Bill, has died at the ripe old age of 94.
If you like, you can pay a tribute on this website

***
Want to comment on any of the items on this page?
Just use the comments box – near the bottom of this page.           (The form will ask if you wish to put in your email address.  You don’t have to – and it is always kept private anyway and never published -, but, if you don’t add your email, that means you might miss any responses to your comment)

NEWS: Ferrets at fayre / new Totmonslow housing? / parish council responds / pool team invite

News-in-brief from Draycott-In-The-Moors in early July 2016
News of…:  last minute attractions for fayre / housing plans for Totmonslow / parish council angry with district council / fancy a Draycott pool team? …
(NB – There are also dozens of events in our locality – including a rock disco… Check out the Events page)

– – –
Latest for the fayre

As usual, the summer just seems to go so fast!   The middle of the summer is always marked for us by the date of the Draycott Summer Fayre, and that seems to have spring on us quite suddenly…
Because… it takes place this Sunday (the 10th).  Yes …. THIS weekend!

Enjoying an ice-cream at Draycott Summer Fayre!

The organisers tell us that there has been an amazing growth of interest from people who want to run a stall at the fayre.  This year, for the first time, the Staffordshire Moorlands Spinning & Weaving Guild will occupy a spot in the ‘Country Craft Village’ section; and we will even see a man who is bringing along his racing ferrets.
The car-boot section has also expanded this year; if you have forgotten to book your car in, you may just have time to arrange that – just email the Fayre Organiser to see if spots are still available.

Another piece of real good news is that Moorlands Radio, the community radio station for this region, will be bringing their roadshow along, and will be broadcasting live from the fayre between 12noon and 2pm; so, if you are interviewed by someone with a microphone, remember you could be heard by thousands of listeners….

And the cherry on the cake is that there is no temptation to drink & drive.  If you want to enjoy all the beers and ciders being laid on by the Draycott Arms (who are running the bar), all you have to do is catch the shuttle-bus, which will be running in a loop from Tean to Cresswell to the fayre site to Blythe Bridge, dropping off and picking people up along the way.  (And it’s free!).  To see the timetable, click here.

There’s no space here to mention all the other stuff going on, so take a look at the main fayre webpage in order to see the complete (and huge) range of attractions.
Though… don’t forget also that Saturday (9th) is party-night…  ‘Rocking in the Marquee’ features a band, a disco, a bbq and a bar.  That’s what we call a party!  Click here for details or phone 01782 397055 for tickets.

– – –
Get sporty

Summer is also a time to think of sports.

Our local men’s tennis team (from at Draycott Sports Centre) seem to be positively running away with their division.  They are top of the first league, and were even seven points ahead a few weeks ago, which is astonishing.
If you fancy wielding a racket yourself, Draycott is having a ‘Great British Tennis Weekend’ event on July 16.  Rackets and balls will be provided, so whether you’ve never picked up a racket before or you’re a seasoned regular, there is fun to be had. But do remember to sign up to it before the day, to be sure of your participation.

We’ve also been contacted by local lad Luke Shaw, who asked us to mention that he is keen to get a pool team started in the neighbourhood.
He suggests the team should join the Thursday night Cheadle And District Pool League; and no one has to be verry very good as the team would play in the lower reaches to start.
Luke doesn’t yet have a definite venue in mind, but he has a few ideas.  Interested?  Call him on 07891692904.

– – –
Housing … responses – and – applications

The great Moorlands Housing-Development Proposal Plan rollercoaster ride goes on.

For nearly a year now, this region has been beset with uncertainty over what parts of the area are to be earmarked for new housing and for new travellers’ sites… and it seems like the uncertainty will go on for some time yet.
Although the so-called ‘Moorlands Local Plan Site Allocations’ public consultation is now finished, the council now has to assess all the comments from the public, and to decide what to do next; that will probably take until the end of August, keeping people on tenterhooks.

Draycott ‘site-allocation’ proposals.  The dark green blob (on both sides of the A50 road), is the proposed big new industrial employment site. The little yellow blob, wrapped inside the red blob, is one of the suggestions for a traveller site. (The light green space is Draycott Moor College)

Of course, the people of Cresswell already know their fate: a big new housing estate and a huge expansion of the industrial park definitely will go ahead, despite a huge response of unhappy comments from them last year.
It surprised many residents that two of our local Moorlands Council ward councillors, Mark Deaville and Dave Trigger voted FOR the draft Local Plan, as this draft document seemed to be positively pushing for the expansion of the Blythe Industrial Park.
Well, at least Cllr Dave Trigger has stood up and responded to those comments – you can read what he has to say by clicking here.

=

In fact, it was probably Cresswell’s experience that inspired the rather angry official response from Draycott Parish Council to this same Site Allocations consultation.
Its submission read:
“The developer of the Blythe Park and Cresswell planning application SMD/2014/0576 has never sought the opinion of Draycott Parish Council nor sought to work with the local community: a public exhibition only was held.
[Also] …. a local action group raised money to put a full report of objections forward and also had an independent traffic report written by JMB. However none of these objections were put on to the [Moorlands Council] planning portal until after the application had been passed at the February 2015 meeting.
Draycott Parish Council therefore feel that the positive evidence from the developer was noted – but nothing noted on behalf of the people who wanted to object. This is not Community inclusion but Community exclusion.”
Ouch!

Meantime, the people of Totmonslow may be waking up next year to a small housing development of their own.
A developer has recently put in an application to build five two-bedroom bungalows in Breach Lane.  Click here for details of that application.
It will be formally noted at this Monday’s parish council meeting.

***
Want to comment on any of the items on this page?
Just use the comments box – near the bottom of this page.      (The form will ask if you wish to put in your email address.  You don’t have to – and it is always kept private anyway and never published -, but, if you don’t add your email, that means you might miss any responses to your comment)

NEWS: Dark Izaak / shelter repairs booked / Parish enters C21st / weight-loss class

News-in-brief  from Draycott-In-The-Moors in late December 2015
News of…:  a bad year for Izaak Walton Inn / Draycott bus shelter to be refurbished / sports centre offers a Weight Watchers class / hard drive for Parish…
(NB – There are also dozens of events in our locality – including a New Year’s Eve ‘casino’! Check out the Events page)

– – –
In the dark about the Izaak

It is now almost a year since the Izaak Walton Inn in Cresswell closed.  The restaurant-pub has had a dismal record of closing and shutting and closing and shutting over the last five years, which makes one wonder just what the management company that owns it is up to.

Mornington Pubs, which seems to be an offshot of the Wellington Pub Company (which owns a number of other pubs across the Midlands) and they have a chequered record of being able to run pubs successfully. The Izaak is not one of their best examples.  To try to get it going again, Mornington reinvested in the pub in early 2014, but the experiment didn’t even last a year.

Hanging baskets at the Izaak Walton – now withering away

For months Mornington have not responded to any enquiries from us (on this website) or from our local councillors, and the pub (from the outside at least) seems to have just been left to ‘go dark’… so, maybe they are not too concerned about what the local community thinks.  The pub doesn’t even seem to be on the market anymore.

Who knows what will happen?

– – –
Stopping the rot

Some good news is that, at last, there will be repairs to the bus shelter by the Draycott Arms.  No buses stop there anymore, but school children do use it to keep out of the wind and rain when they are waiting for their school transports.
The fact is that the old wooden apex was simply rotting – including the tiles in the roof -, and leaks were coming in by the bucketful – and it was going to collapse sooner or later.

Missing tiles on Arms bus-shelter

So, Draycott Parish council has now found £400 from its accounts to do the necessary repairs, ordering felt-shingle instead of the current wooden tiles for the roof, but still keeping the ‘rustic’ design look.
A local man, Louis Cotterill, has been called in to do the work, and it’s hoped the renovation should be complete before the Spring.

Talking of public transport, it has been reported that the Cresswell to Blythe Bridge buses have had problems with… their tyres (!).   One parish councillor says that an eighty year old lady was recently asked to get off the bus a mile before her stop, because the driver was worried about the state of his bus’s tyres.
Has anybody else had issues like this?  Please email us if you have – we’d like to know.

– – –
Invisible sign

Thank you to Joey Marston who emailed us this photo.

Joey says: “… do you have a problem with speeding cars in Cresswell?  I wouldn’t be surprised.  This speed-limit sign is so faded it’s virtually invisible.”  The sign is on Cresswell Lane, just 50 yards from the Uttoxeter Road junction.
Well, we did report it a while ago…. but nothing has happened.

(If you too have any photos or items of info you think others would like to see, just email them to us!)

– – –
Watch your weight at sports centre

You’d have thought the wonderfully mild weather lately – which has seen the flowering of daffodils already in Draycott! – would have meant we all could walk off the extra pounds gained at the Christmas tuck-ins.  However, the miserable and continuing rain has forced a lot of us indoors.

So… Draycott Sports Centre is coming to the rescue – if you really are wanting to lose weight over the next few months, the centre has set up a group that will help you achieve your goals.  Yes, Weight Watchers has reached into even our sleepy little corner of the world.
The WW class is starting at Draycott Sports Centre on Friday 8th January at 5.30pm. Good luck!

– – –
Digital breakthrough for Parish

It seems amazing to think that, less than five years ago, all the records of Draycott Parish Council were kept on single pieces of paper.  To check the decisions of the council one had to go to the Clerk’s house and read over the papers…!

Well, two years ago, the parish council finally entered the 21st Century and the so-called ‘Age of Localism‘ – and started to create digital records.  Nowadays you can see all the discussions of the council online …

But, believe it or not, actually, all these official, legal digital records were backed up on a helpful & friendly individual’s private computer – not the safest option!  So… now at last, the parish council has bought an ‘external hard-drive’, on which all its records can be stored, and which is the full and legal property of the council.  Welcome to the 21st Century!

And a happy 2016 to all…

***
Want to comment on any of the items on this page?
Just use the comments box – near the bottom of this page.           (The form will ask if you wish to put in your email address.  You don’t have to – and it is always kept private anyway and never published -, but, if you don’t add your email, that means you might miss any responses to your comment)

NEWS: good Sport news / Draycott werewolf / community spirit / action funds needed

News-in-brief  from Draycott-In-The-Moors in mid November 2015
News of…:  construction projects for tennis and cricket clubs / Emma’s happy Halloween at Huntley / a show of community spirit by the Arms / fund-raising drive launch from action group …
(NB – There are also dozens of events in our locality – including a Star-Gazing Night. Check out the Events page)

– – –
Sporting good times

The best news we’ve heard in a while is the news coming out of our two big sports clubs.

At at Draycott Sports & Racquets Centre, it’s just been announced that tennis-courts 3 & 4 are about to be completely re-made with a new ‘astro turf’ surface. For those who like to know such things, the colours of the surfaces will be blue and green. The work starts at the end of this month.
The extra great thing about this is the belief shown in the club by the Lawn Tennis Association, which has put up an interest-free loan which will fund 75% of the project cost.  Obviously the LTA see a real future for the sport in Draycott.

And, just a hundred yards away, at Blythe Cricket Club, there is other good news. As you may well know, the club has been concerned about the state of their pavilion for some time. It’s almost ninety years since it was constructed, and the small building with its thin wooden walls simply doesn’t fit modern needs. So… way back in 2012, the club first set off down the track to planning and funding a replacement.

Blythe Cricket Club’s pavilion is showing its age

Well, the latest is that the process of seeking a Lottery grant for the new pavilion, aka the ‘Community Hub’, has gone through its last stage – successfully!  So – the money is in place, and building can start.
Of course, this will mean some disruption at the ground next year whilst the works are carried out, but it will all be worth it…

And, as we are on this stretch of Cresswell Lane, I suppose we shouldn’t forget the third sports club there – the Checkley Bowls Club, which plays on the green at Blythe Business Park.  The club, which is in its winter recess, recently had its awards evening; and our congratulation go to Eric Worsdale, who picked up the Cowans Cup award for the best average score across the season.

– – –
Werewolves in Draycott Cross

Did you have a sighting of a werewolf on Halloween night? Well, we did – as the guests of the Haunted Huntley Halloween Event experience.

The spooky Halloween activity took the form of a walk through the (very dark) Huntley Woods – with all sorts of weird and …gulp… gory sights along the way (we were on the Adults-Only walk!). Bits of corpses were strewn across our walk; a very strange forester came to talk to us, as did a badly wounded scientist; and there was howling coming from the old quarry. Unnerving: to say the least!
And then this Scarefest culminated with a … yes … a werewolf, stumbling out of the trees toward us.

One of the group managed to get a photo of the werewolf

Fortunately this hairy and snarling beast was eventually put down by the guides, using their special powers; and so Draycott’s Beast Of The Night was laid low.
Until next year that is, when, we are told, he will rise again….

One of the guides on the night was Emma King, one of the founders of the Huntley Wood Centre. Emma explained how, now the centre is up and running, she has decided to give up the actual management side; and has turned back to her first love, science.

Emma King (left) explains the Huntley Wood concept to a visitor

So, Emma, who is a cosmologist with a PhD in physics, will be running science shows for children in Staffordshire schools next year. One of her shows is called “Explosive Food”; children will probably have much fun with that!

– – –
Building on Blythe Business Park ?

One of the odd things about the planning proposals for Blythe Park is that they are STILL not signed off.
Although the SMDC Planning Committee gave formal approval for the plans – to build an extra 168 homes in Cresswell, and double the size of industry in the hamlet – way back in August, the proposal is still listed as ‘Awaiting Decision’.   This is because the community-agreements are not yet in place, and presumably there are still negotiations rumbling on.
Which all means that there is still a chance to defeat the plans.

The local community action group, VVSM, has taken advantage of the situation and have been roaring ahead with their work – briefing their legal team, brushing up on the research, and generally keeping spirits high.
The group has a period of six weeks following any finalisation of the plans to make a legal objection, and this is what their thinking is at the moment.

Of course, that all needs money; and the group has launched a fund-raising drive. If you want to help, click here to find all the details.

– – –
Dangerous junction

Sad to say there was another crash on Uttoxeter Road a few days ago. Two vehicles collided on the Draycott Arms junction, just as one of them was pulling out of Cheadle Road.
Fortunately, no one was really hurt, though the car looked a write-off to us when we saw it.

Good to know there is some great Draycott community spirit around though…
The first volunteer on the scene was none other than the chairman of Draycott Parish Council, Roger Holdcroft, who busily cleared the road of crash-fragments, so that the waiting cars (which were by now in a long tail-back), could progress.
And what of the lady involved in the crash? Well our Zara, landlady at the Arms, rushed over, and was able to take the lady back to the pub and give her hot tea until the rescue services turned up.
Good to see.

Incidentally, Roger will be holding his first come-and-meet-your-councillors session this Monday (16^th November) at the Draycott Church & Community Hall (in Church Lane), 6.45-7.15pm. If you fancy a chat about anything in the district, he says he will be all ears.

***
Want to comment on any of the items on this page?
Just use the comments box – near the bottom of this page.           (The form will ask if you wish to put in your email address.  You don’t have to – and it is always kept private anyway and never published -, but, if you don’t add your email, that means you might miss any responses to your comment)

NEWS: cuts to buses / VVSM action / Draycott champions / superfast arrives

News-in-brief  from Draycott-In-The-Moors in late August 2015
News of…:  change of bus provider, and cuts to services / we are the (tennis) Champions! / latest moves over Blythe Park development / at last, local Superfast Broadband goes live  …
(NB – There are also dozens of events in our locality – including a free music festival. Check out the Events page)

– – –
Goodbye number 4, hello number 12

Well, any bus-user will be feeling a bit fed up looking at the new bus timetables for our area, which will activate in in a fortnight’s time on September 6th.
The changes have been implemented by Staffordshire County Council, who pay for the service to operate.

Our district only has one bus service nowadays, which goes through Cresswell, then out to Blythe Bridge & Longton along Uttoxeter Road, and to Stone in the reverse direction.
Bennett’s will no longer be running this service through Cresswell-Draycott, which is now taken over by D&G Buses. So, the number 4 bus (Bennett’s) will be replaced by the number 12 (D&G).

Bennett’s Number 4 bus – a last sighting?

The route is very twisty indeed, going Cresswell – Blythe Bridge – Longton – Stone in a sort of loop.   You can get to Barlaston if you want.  See the complete new timetable here.
You can also see that the number of bus services passing through per day has now dropped from eight (four in each direction) to six.   Yes, they have now taken off the last bus, the one that used to run around 4.30pm.
There is an bus-information event in Stone on Thursday 3 September at Market Square (near the Co-Op) from 10am-2pm.  If you go along, and find out any more, would you let us know?

Things are getting so bad for bus-users, that, in neighbouring Fulford, the Parish Council there has helped to start up a voluntary car scheme to enable residents to get about.

Slowly, slowly, they are whittling our services down.  Soon, we will all need to be getting taxis!

– – –
Draycott Parish Council – a deafening silence

There was a nice big attendance for the meeting organised by local action group VVSM last week to discuss the latest set-back for residents over the Blythe Park development. Despite an overwhelming majority of residents in Cresswell expressing opposition to the plan and the fact that it broke Staffordshire Moorlands own Core Strategy, the SMDC planning committee confirmed its decision to approve the plans.

Unless VVSM can overturn the result legally (by proving negligence on SMDC’s part) all that remains is for the ‘Section 106’ terms & conditions to be thrashed out… though that could take months.

What’s amazing is the Draycott Parish Council’s complete silence over this matter, and over the other local big planning issue, the current housing allocation consultation for Draycott.
Most of us expected that the PC would call an emergency meeting, or at least issue some sort of statement to residents … but not a peep.
The members can’t all be in Tenerife, can they?

– – –
Champions … again!!

Well done to the Draycott Sports Centre tennis team, who have done us all proud by bringing the City & Suburban League Championship title back to Draycott again.

The team, ably led by Craig Leese, were trailing Florence for a lot of the season, but achieved a stunning result at the beginning of August, beating Florence 4-0.  That result made the way to the championship much easier.
Congratulations, lads!

The centre is now going to build on its brilliant tennis reputation by setting up a proper ‘tennis committee’ to develop the club’s plans to branch out even more into the community.  If that is something that you think you want to give some time to, just contact the club’s Jack Redfern.

Incidentally, talking of sport, the last we heard is that Tara Burndred (who is the 4th Dan Black Belt who runs the martial arts centre in Cresswell) is still planning to defend her world title at the Ju-Jitsu International Championships next month in Switzerland.
So, stay fit, Tara … and good luck!!

– – –
Superfast crawls in, at last

Well, after months (and months) of waiting, superfast-broadband is finally here in Blythe Bridge-Draycott-Cresswell.  Twelve months ago, we published an article asking what was happening to the roll-out!
However, the cabinet in the Cresswell lay-by (see pic, below) now proudly bears its little sticker.

The sticker means the cabinet is now live at last, and – if you upgrade your system – you should be able now to get download-speeds of 80Mbps and upload-speeds of 20Mbps.
If you do sign up, let us know if it’s working as well as that for you.

– – –
Busy busy

Finally, don’t forget to make sure your diaries are up to date with local events.
The pick of the crop are the Draycott Sausage & Cider Festival, which takes place this Bank Holiday Monday of course, and then the annual Cloggerfest Free Music Festival, which takes place the following week at Blythe Cricket Club (on September 5th).
Cloggerfest has over a dozen acts on stage – including Jimmy Dammage & The Shadow, Gypsy Whores, Quiet The Thief, Baxter, Barrelhouse Jukes, Ryan Doole, Rain, Hornswaggle, Dawn, Rich Clough, Nixon Tate and Venus Rising. And the whole event is free.
For parents, there is the good news that weekly Brownies sessions return to Draycott Church Hall in two weeks’ time.

But there are loads more events – check out our What’s On page for the details of these and all the other events.

One what’s-on notification we got did surprise us though…  The Quick-Quick-Slow Dance Studio in Cresswell is advertising a couple of dances that they say will sell out fast – so they are urging us to sign up asap.
And when do the dances take place?  At Christmas!!
(Whatever happened to autumn?!!)

***
Want to comment on any of the items on this page?
Just use the comments box – near the bottom of this page.           (The form will ask if you wish to put in your email address.  You don’t have to – and it is always kept private anyway and never published -, but, if you don’t add your email, that means you might miss any responses to your comment).

Six weeks of summer events

It’s going to be a busy couple of months coming up for anyone who likes getting out and about and enjoying themselves in this neighbourhood.

The Draycott Summer Fayre was terrific as usual, so that’s given the local summer a great boost already!, but still to come are three Open Days, a major sports tournament and two mini-festivals – and we want to draw your attention to them here.
Also on this page (but a bit further down the page) we are asking you for your photos of the Draycott Summer Fayre.

Six dates for your diary

*Wednesday 29th of this month sees a unique opportunity to walk round a solar farm, and see just what goes on. The Novus group, which runs the giant Lower-Newton Solar complex in Cresswell, is inviting all and sundry to come and see what they’ve been doing since they set up earlier this year.
However, you must book a place first – to find out how, see our What’s On page entry.

Lower Newton solar-farm complex

*Saturday 1st August is when Draycott St Margaret’s Church throws open its doors to all visitors for its ‘open afternoon’.  This is your chance to walk round the ancient building, to see the famous tombs of the medieval knights, and take a look at the 800-year old wooden chest.  However, be careful to get there on time; the church will only be open 2pm-4pm.

If Wimbledon was exciting for you, you may want to get down to Draycott Sports Centre for their Annual Open Tennis Tournament which attracts players from all round the region.  It runs for a week – from August 9th to the 15th – and features quite a few categories, from juniors to seniors to doubles.
Spectators are welcome; and if it rains, well… there is a bar at the centre for those who would like to sit and wait comfortably.

August Bank Holiday Monday (31st) is when the new owners at the Draycott Arms, Brayn and Zara, are putting on a fun family event – a ‘Cider & Sausage Festival’, in the pub’s beer garden.
There will be more than just food and drink through – a bouncy castle and live-music are also on the menu!

On Saturday September 5th, there will be the first-ever Open Day for the Huntley Wood Outdoor Centre up at Draycott Cross.  The centre specialises in hiring out its woods and facilities to ‘fantasy’ enactments, but also does survival courses and tackles ecological issues.
For most of us, it will be the first chance to see how the owners have totally transformed the old quarry into something more like a log cabin village, which uses modern environmentally-friendly systems in its construction.

Also on September 5th, don’t forget the terrific music-festival that is CloggerFest, at Blythe Cricket Club.  If everything follows the usual plan, there will be a bunch of young talented bands taking to the stage one after another out on the field – from the afternoon right up until the late hours.  There will be lots of dancing and merriment!
Click here to pick up the latest news of who’s playing and what’s going to happen.

St Margaret’s Fayre 2015

Sunday’s event was just great – a dry & warm day, with lots to do!  Congratulations to all the volunteers, once again brilliantly led by John Clarke.

The choice of a Sealed-Knot Civil War re-enactment group this year was inspired; and the ‘Cavaliers’ really joined in the family fun.  Sad to say for them, they were foolish enough to challenge the children of Draycott to battle … and they were roundly defeated, having to flee for their lives within minutes of the children’s charge!

Everyone will have their own favourite moment of the day, but for us it was the amazing feats of strength by local strong-man Fred Burton.  Fred is competing in the Record Holders Republic World Championship and was determined to break some ‘Guinness’ records… which he did.  Incredibly, he managed to carry a 56lb weight for fifty metres in 25 seconds – using just his little finger.  He then attempted the 100 metres in the same way, getting even faster (!) doing it in just 49.3 seconds.
His third feat was to carry the 56lb weight as far as he could – using just his teeth – and he managed 112 metres in 106 seconds.

Fred Burton celebrates his record-breaking achievements

It was amazing to watch.  Afterwards he told us that he has no secret to his strength.  He just thinks that healthy fitness habits learnt in his childhood have made him the adult he is.  That’s probably a good piece of advice for new parents to remember – i.e. start the kids off well, and they’ll finish that way!

One of the last-minute changes was to have a ‘real-ale’ at the bar, in the shape of Sharps Brewery’s Doombar beer.  Well done to the bar-tenders – Anita & Archie & Leigh – for serving a superb pint of it.

We will have a fuller report of the fayre when all the stats are in… but, would you help us out by letting us have your photos too?  Just email us a couple of your best ones if that’s okay, and we’ll put a gallery of photos up reflecting the breadth of all the day’s events.
If you can’t wait for photos, there is already a gallery of over fifty photos on the Fayre’s Facebook page – click here to start viewing them.

NEWS: solar farm / mobile library / Pointon paints / tennis day

News-in-brief  from Draycott-In-The-Moors in early June 2015
News of…:  solar farm coming? / uncertain future for mobile library / Rob Pointon paints the gardens / familiar tennis look  …
(NB – There are also dozens of events in our locality – including a tennis-for-all open day. Check out the Events page)

– – –
Solar panels on the horizon

There has been quite some interest in a proposal by a renewable-energy firm to put up a ‘solar farm’ on fields at Draycott Cross.  Last week around fifty people went along to a presentation by the firm to learn more about it.

What’s proposed at this stage (though no formal application has yet been tendered) is that a large number of solar panels will be erected across some thirty hectares of farmland.  The electricity they generate will be transferred to the National Grid.
Residents have been chatting about this already on the village Facebook page – see Draycott on Facebook.

The company, Solstice Renewables, tell us that opinions at the presentation were divided, with some people pleased to see a green energy initiative in the district, but with others concerned about its effect on the look of the landscape.

If you want to make up your own mind, follow these links…
To see more about the proposal, click here
To see more about how it will look and how our community might be affected, click here

– – –
Mobile library under threat

As we predicted, Draycott’s mobile library service is being targeted for the axe.
Staffordshire County Council, which runs the service, wants to make cuts across the board, and the library’s users should prepare themselves for the worst.
The authority says that less than 1% of the population of Staffordshire now uses the mobile library.

Mobile library stops by the Draycott Arms/St Margaret’s Court

The mobile library comes round here once every three weeks, stopping at Stuart Avenue and St Margaret’s Court.   It’s a particular boon for older people who can’t get over to the branch library at Blythe Bridge too easily.
It is true of course that the service is not well-used here in Draycott, but then it’s not very well publicised either…

The initial proposals have already been published (click here to see them) and there will be a consultation period in July and August.

– – –
Rob’s on his easel again

We’re told that the present spell of uneven weather will alter in mid-week and it will be a really sunny June.  If that’s true, no-one will be more pleased than local lad Rob Pointon, who has a big event this weekend.

Rob was raised in Draycott (his mum Janet still lives here), so he’s hoping a few neighbours and friends will go along this Saturday & Sunday to the ‘Wildacres’ property in Consall (ST9 0BE) which has some terrific wild-flower and wildlife-friendly gardens in its grounds.

Rob Pointon at wildacres

Rob has developed a skill in speed-painting and he has been furiously daubing canvases of the changing scenes in the gardens.  His twelve new paintings will be for sale when the gardens are opened up for visitors as part of a charity drive for the Moorlands NSPCC branch.
You don’t have to buy a painting of course; you can just go along to enjoy the gardens and the cream-teas!  However, if you are acquainted with Rob, he says he hopes you’ll stop by and say hello.
For more details, click here.

– – –
Tennis open day

Another event this weekend takes place on the Sunday (7th).
As part of the  Great British Tennis Weekend Project, Draycott Sports Centre will be putting on introductory tennis sessions for juniors and adults.

We often forget that Draycott is one of the major tennis clubs in north Staffordshire; so it comes as no surprise to hear the Draycott Men’s Team, the 2014 champions, are once again leading the pack in the the City & Suburban Tennis League.
So… if you really are interested in tennis as a sport for you, Draycott is just about the best place to be in this whole region!

***
Want to comment on any of the items on this page?
Just use the comments box – near the bottom of this page.           (The form will ask if you wish to put in your email address.  You don’t have to – and it is always kept private anyway and never published -, but, if you don’t add your email, that means you might miss any responses to your comment).

NEWS: proposals action / dole money / church good bye / tennis finals

News-in-brief  from Draycott-In-The-Moors in early March 2015
News of…:  further action on housing proposals / silence on traveller question / Draycott Dole tradition returns / curate leaves St Margaret’s / Draycott men reach tennis finals
(NB – There are also dozens of events in our locality – including a local Women’s Institute Open Evening.  Check out the Events page!)

– – –
Action!… from some

Understandably, many people still find it unbelievable that the SMDCouncil Planning Committee decided to go against their own experts’ advice and vote for major development in Cresswell. As it stands at the moment, the population and the industry in Cresswell will more than double in the next few years.
A video of the proceedings, taken by a member of the public, shows the debate – click here to see that video.

However, Draycott’s local community action group VVSM has not let the grass grow under their feet!
Jacquie Leach, the group’s vice-chairperson, was interviewed by the Cheadle & Tean Times, and her letter of protest featured large on the newspaper’s letters-page this week.   VVSM, it seems, are determined to continue the fight.
One councillor on SMDCouncil, Linda Malyon, has come out in vociferous support of VVSM, and she also thinks there may yet be a chance to defeat the proposal.

As to what happens next: we are not sure!
It’s now out of local hands – it won’t be re-considerd by SMDC or even Staffordshire County Council>
There was a thought that,  because it is so controversial, it would have to be considered by the Government in London, which could decide to ‘call it in’, but we now hear that that is unlikely…
VVSM have told us that a judicial review may be the only way to overturn the SMDC decision.

The chairperson of VVSM, Shelagh Wood, has called a public meeting for this Friday (13th) evening at Draycott Church Hall.  VVSM will report back on an emergency meeting they had with our MP Bill Cash.
If you feel strongly about this proposal – one way or the other – you are urged to go along, say your piece, and help to get action moving.

++

One odd thing to observe has been the relative silence of many of our local councillors on some issues.

As we reported some weeks ago, Cresswell has been earmarked as a possible location for a small traveller/gypsy site.
In Werrington, which has been similarly earmarked, the parish council has organised large meetings and action. This past week, Forsbrook Parish Council, where there are two of the other possible locations, has also organised public consultations in Blythe Bridge and set up a petition website too.
However, our own Draycott Parish Council has been quiet on the issue so far.

To see a map of the possible locations of the traveller sites, including the Cresswell one, and the ones near Draycott Level and near Totmonslow, click here.

– – –
Goodbye – and good luck

Sad to say, but as expected, the assistant priest at St Margaret’s Church, John Pretty, has now left the area.
John had only recently completed his training, but family circumstances have compelled him and his wife Angela to have to leave the place they love.

The Revd John Pretty, at last year’s Draycott Fayre

Clearly, Angela, who was a deputy warden at the church, and John will be missed – not least because the rector, David Bickersteth, is also leaving St Margaret’s in a few weeks when he retires. The next twelve months will be a difficult one for St Margaret’s, without any clergy, as nobody has yet been chosen to replace either of them.

If you never got a chance to say our goodbyes, don’t worry.   John and Angela return for a small farewell party in three weeks time. (See St Margaret’s website for details)

– – –
It is good to receive… on Mother’s Day

Being as it is Mother’s Day next weekend, there are the usual offers flying around. The Gandhi Restaurant, at the southern end of Cresswell, is offering a six-course meal on the day for £14.99.
Well, after six courses, at least no-one will need to eat (or cook) for the rest of the day…!

Mother’s Day (or Mothering Sunday, as it should properly be known) is also known in Draycott-in-the-Moors for the ancient tradition of the ‘Draycott Dole’.
Five hundred years ago, the then rector of the church left enough money in his will to enable an annual gift of money to go to the needy of the parish; and the money is always given out on this day.
Of course, nowadays, the money is (usually!) immediately put back into church funds – but it’s a nice custom, and is still strictly carried out.
To find out more about The Draycott Dole, click here.

– – –
Top at tennis – even in winter

Draycott Sports Centre’s men’s tennis team is one of the most successful in Staffordshire, so they decided a few years ago to compete in the National Premier League (NPL) winter-season as well.
The good news is that this year, they have made the national finals of the league!

After playing against clubs across the Midlands – including Leicester, Derby, Sheffield and Milton Keynes – Draycott managed to make the playoffs, during which the pair of Craig Leese & Elliot Farmer defeated all-comers, to make the finals.

These finals take place in Sunderland on the 9th & 10th April.
Craig, who is also club captain, said: “The team are going to be training harder than ever to play in these matches, which will feature some players with international rankings…  Thanks so much to the other players – Elliott Farmer, Jack Redfern, Andy Cresswell, Matt Chandler and Ryan Hallam – who have brought us this far”.

Inevitably, the lads will be taking a coachload of supporters with them to Sunderland.   If you’d like to go along too, just contact the club.
If not, don’t forget you can follow the lads’ progress at the event on Draycott Sports Centre’s Twitter feed (@draycottfitness).

***
Want to comment on any of the items on this page?
Just use the comments box – near the bottom of this page.           (The form will ask if you wish to put in your email address.  You don’t have to – and it is always kept private anyway and never published -, but, if you don’t add your email, that means you might miss any responses to your comment).

NEWS: work in snow / men in court / bar-bottle / losing weight / expensive house

News-in-brief  from Draycott-In-The-Moors in early January 2015
News of…:  The Moorlands second most expensive house in 2014 / local men in court on drugs charges / lose weight – locally! / snow pictures / cash in a bottle for churches…
(NB – There are also dozens of events in the area. Check out the Events page!)

– – –
Working in the snow

Thanks for photos of the recent snow…
Some great photos came from the folk at Huntley Wood Outdoor Leisure Centre, up at Draycott Cross.

Bookings slow down up there on the hill at this time of year of course, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot of activity!  It’s the time of year when repairs, renovations and improvements can all take place; and the pace – for the owners – is really as busy as ever.

Huntley Wood grounds under snow

The photo above is the view across the main camping field, also showing the double toilet block shell which has gone up over the winter.
For more photos of Huntley in the snow, click here.

– – –
Court appearance

Tomorrow, two local men will be up in court – following a raid by police on an address in Cresswell in the middle of last month.   During the operation, drugs including cannabis were found; and two people were arrested, and charged with intent to supply.

Charles Milner, (aged 24, from Rookery Crescent in Cresswell) and Douglas Malbon (aged 25, from Stuart Avenue on Draycott Level), will appear at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre.

– – –
New neighbours

We are always saying that Draycott is a nice place to live; and it seems like some people will pay a fortune for the privilege.
Yes, the second most-expensive property sold in the Staffordshire Moorlands last year (2014) was right here in Draycott.  The Grange, a country house in Cheadle Road (just up from The Draycott Arms) went for around £850,000.
We first reported it was up for sale two years ago, so it wasn’t exactly a quick sell.  But it is a lovely house & grounds.

The Grange

Whoever bought it may well be into swimming or boating – as it has a large natural lake in the grounds – and a log cabin to boot!
Welcome to the neighbourhood…

– – –

What is these coins’ value?

Cash for churches

Meanwhile, a little further down the monetary scale, we are pleased to report that money-bottle on the bar at The Draycott Arms pub is pretty much full.  Regulars have been dropping spare change into the bottle over the last two years as a way of raising funds for the two historic churches in our locality – St Margaret’s and St Mary’s.

As the money-bottle is full, it’s now time to count the cash; and, as a further attempt to raise just a little more, there’s an extra competition.   All the coins were poured out into a wooden tray – do you think you can guess how much is actually in the bottle?  Each guess will cost you 50p and there is a prize for the closest estimate…

– – –
Two ways to lose weight

Finally, if your resolution is to lose weight in the new year, well at least you are living in the right place, as there are two courses just getting underway to help you achieve just that.

At the Draycott Sports Centre, fitness guru Maria Emery is putting on her BodyFit course every Monday evening.  Interestingly she also gives advice about healthy eating; and one thing she warns everybody against is breakfast cereal…  she thinks it’s no good for you.

And, just three hundred yards away, at the Tatsu Kai Training Centre, Mia Arrowsmith will launch her Motiv8 programme next week.  This course also includes a hard & long examination of the foods we eat and what nutrition they are giving us.  But Mia is a PT instructor too, so it will be a mix of exercise and education…

Yes, we are definitely regretting asking for those extra portions of roast tatties…

***
Want to comment on any of the items on this page?
Just use the comments box – near the bottom of this page.           (The form will ask if you wish to put in your email address.  You don’t have to – and it is always kept private anyway and never published -, but, if you don’t add your email, that means you might miss any responses to your comment).

If you know of something that you’d like to us to mention, please email us.

If you find the photos on this webpage too small to see properly, all you have to do is double-click on the photo itself, and it will double in size immediately.