Sandbach, where I grew up.

As you all know I have finally made it to my parents, nothing much has changed really, the family is of course older the town now has a Costa Café.........apparently slightly unbelievable.  I have been busy most of the week surprising and meeting old school friends, volunteering to transcribe the headstones at St Mary's churchyard. 

A big job that is going to be, so many of them need cleaning.  I will also be digitizing the burials, though may have to go to Chester to look at the books from the 1600's if I can read them.  They do hold copies on fiche at the library however that can be rather hard on your eyes, at this stage I wont mention births and marriages.

It was -2 yesterday, though I had great fun been out and about with my friend Donna, we had lunch at the Glasshouse, shopping and of course coffee at Costa's.  Donna lives in the beautiful old farm house with all those lovely old low beams running through the ceiling, beautiful.

Meanwhile back to the history of Sandbach and here are some of the photos that I took over the last week.

 

This is taken from the Warm Walkway which is between the Black Bear Pub and an Estate Agents, no idea what it was last time I was here.

You can see St Mary's Church in the background, this is the churchyard that I am transcribing headstones for.

The shop opposite is a speciality store that is run by the Williams family and has been there as long as I can remember.

 

Now this is not really historical or interesting, however in the background is an old Mill where garments were made, this happens to be the first place I ever worked full time at the age of 17.  It was called Lowe's.  Today it is a rather good Antique Store, all three floors.

 

This is the Black Bear Pub it is over 400 years old and have been empty for a while now due to the lack of structural care.  It needs a new thatched roof as well as structural repairs, it is or was a beautiful pub and I so wish I could have taken photos from inside as well.

 

 

This is one of the first Banks in Sandbach

 

Our War memorial.

 

 

If my memory serves me correctly, then this row of cottages used to hold one of the first schools, it is connected to the Boys Grammar School of which I still have to get a photograph

 

 

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My mother tells me that tis building in the background was the first ever movie theatre in Sandbach, sadly they closed it down due to a report that the foundations were not strong enough, makes you wonder why it is still standing.  They did re build the Cinema however that is now gone and has been since I was a young child.

 

 

 

 

This is an old water fountain that fed the horses.  In the background to the right is an old coaching Inn called the Wheatsheaf.

 

Sandbach Town Hall.  On the 2nd floor there is a Ballroom, which is where I went dancing on Saturday night.  On the ground floor there are some shops under the arches and on a Thursday the rest of the hall is open to the public as an indoor market.  Sandbach Market has been around  for many centuries now.  The actual market is held behind the Town Hall on what is Known as the Scots Common.

 

Hope Street Chapel, this is one of the churches that my Grandfather was a minister.  Today it is not longer a church, though it is used as a business.

 

The is a small cottage just in front of the chapel and it is called "Chapel Cottage"  I did as k my dad if that was where the ministers lived and he said no.

 

 

My father noticed this one day, he has no idea why there is a cross of bricks on this building, I most certainly dont remember a window been their either.

 

This is the Old Hall, it is over 700 years old and haunted though I suppose that depends on if you believe in ghosts of not.  In 2008 this beautiful old building was derelict and many thought it would be torn down.  However as you can see it has been restored and is a restaurant with accommodation too.  This is the place that I surprised my parents on my dads birthday.

 

 

These are fragments of the Saxon Crosses as stated below on the plaque

 

 

 

Sandbach Saxon Crosses as they stand today.  The story goes that Cromwell's army pulled them down, people took the rubble away, they were only restored last century back on Sandbach Cobbles, the Cobbles is where part of the market used to be.

 

The Lower Chequers

 

 

 

Sandbach High Street

 

Well that is about all for now until I go wandering around a get some photos of the Boys school and maybe the school I attended too.  There are many stories, myths and legends  associated with Sandbach which goes back to pre 1086 when the first ever census was taken.

Surprising Mum and Dad

What a cracker that turned out to be. :-)

AS you all know I ended up at my sisters for my first night in Sandbach.  me and my niece went out for a drink, the first pub I have been in since arriving in the UK.

On Sunday it was my dads birthday, the family had arranged a surprise luncheon for him at the Old Hall.  Mum and Dad arrived in a taxi from church whilst I hid in a side room with my niece.  Once they were settled at the table my niece walked in with camera ready to capture their expression.

Putting my head around the door, I walked to the table, I was half way across the room when my mum espied me and her jaw dropped open, dad looked on slightly bemused, mum got up and a huge hug was given to each other. "How did you get here," she said.  "On a plane," I grinned, with tears in her eyes she let dad give me a hug too.  It was wonderful to see them.  The food was rather good as well.

Below is the jaw dropping moment that my niece captured on my camera.
 

 

 

The first big hug

 

Mum, Dad & Me

 

My bemused Dad

 

Best parents in the world

 

Isn't he gorgeous

 

The Birthday Cake

 

 

Cutting the cake.

 

Last but not least I thought you might like to see what the Old Hall in Sandbach looks like.  It is over 700 years old.  I will blog the history of Sandbach another time.

 

 

The Old Hall. 

 

 

 

My sisters house

Well I arrived at my sisters house at about 1pm today, I did try my parents first however they were still up town, not that I can blame them considering the day is lovely, just a tad cold. 

Anyway my parents wont find out I am here until tomorrow lunchtime now.  It is my dads birthday and unknown to him he is been taken out for lunch and I am going to walk in and give him the biggest hug ever along with a huge cuddle for my mum.

My niece Jen opened the door, she said "What are you doing here." No jaw dropping aarrrghhh, but never mind. Then we had a big hug, I can still swing her around, she is small compared to her cousins, and great things come in small packages.

No pictures yet though I will put some on from the luncheon tomorrow.

My sister is working at her voluntary job today, so I have not seen her yet, don't dare got to town just in case someone spoils my surprise, my parents know so many people.

I would like to thank David and Tina for having me and helping me get my health back in order you are a wonderful couple.  Spud the dog I will miss your antics, though I must say I hope you start to behave yourself, you have a hard head by the way, lovely bruise on my leg.  Sophie the dog, keep going strong you a beautiful lady.  I do hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year along.  Also like to wish a Merry Christmas to Lucy & Nick, Sue, Jade and Patrick and to my cousins Sarah and Simon.

Look forward to Skyping my family tonight and getting money on my phone so that I can use the net from my parents.

Bye for now.........

My visit to Skegness with Sarah & Simon

Well today I went to Skegness, this is a town that is on the east coast the sea no longer comes in right to the promenade.  Today there are still sand dues with the usual grasses, going back to Victorian times part of these that were marshy as well were reclaimed and built on.  It is strange seeing normal sand on the beach, most beaches I go to in New Zealand have black sand and I tell you something it is bloody hot to walk on in the summer, talk about burn your feet.

We meet up at Johnsons garden centre again to have a bite to eat first, they have scrummy food in this restaurant, if I had been feeling better the last time I was there then I would have eaten all the soup I ordered.......never mind.

The weather was certainly frosty and cold, I think we had a high of 4 c all day.  The bright sun and clear blue sky you wouldn't think that in other areas of the Uk that they had been flooded.

Skegness is said to have taken its name from the Vikings.  Skeggi's headland is where the name could originate.  The village is not in the doomsday book and the original Skegness was washed away by the sea in the early 16th century.  During the Civil War with King Charles I, queen Henrietta Maria had  raised some funds for him were forced into Skegness harbour by the Earl of Warwick who was a parliamentarian.

Skegness stayed a fishing village until the railway's arrived in 1875.  It wasn't until 1908 that Skegness was advertised as a place to holiday, the statue of the Jolly Fisherman helped the town get onto the world map due to him been part of many of the adverts.  Today his statue stands on the promenade on top of a fountain for all to view.


Had my camera ready, here are some of the photographs I took.

 

 

The clock tower was built in 1898 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee .  It's official name is The Diamond Jubilee Clock Tower, however it is better known to locals as The Clock Tower.

 

 

The Jolly Fisherman who helped to make Skegness a famous holiday resort.

 

 

 

The fairground.....

 

The ferris wheel.....hang on coz there are no seats during the winter.......lol

 

To show how cold it was, this log flume that is open during the summer months was frozen over.

 

 

From the beach walkway.

 

Sadly I didn't get a good shot of the pier.  Though it was once one of the longest piers in England it is now only 387 feet long.  Originally it was 1,843 foot long.  It was opened on Whit Sunday in 1881.

 

Most of the pier was damaged either by shipping and then by a fire, The pier head was demolished  by 1986 due to the state of repair and prohibitive cost.

 

 

Memories of buy hot donuts at the beach.

 

 

 

At the sea front

 

Strange to take a photo of some seating, though this is the sort of thing I remember from my childhood holiday in North Wales

 

No it isn't a Tudor building

 

One of the local churches which is situated behind the Hildred's Centre.  In Victorian times Hildred's was a hotel, sadly it burnt down.

 

Christmas is most certainly on the way

 

I noted the date of 1838 on this building, I have not discovered any history to go with it though.

 

 

This building is a replacement for an old Victoria building that burnt down.  The owner of this arcade had this built in it's place as you can see if is designed on the 1930s art deco style like in Napier New Zealand.

 

 

Do you like my invisible wind turbines.............lol.  Just 5 miles off the coast to be clearly seen by all are some massive wind turbines that produce electricity.  If you want to know what they look like then google the wind turbines on the Tararua Ranges in New Zealand.

 

 

Me & Sarah

 

Sarah & Simon

 

Skegness Seaweed

 

On the promenade.

 

 

The three of us.

 

That is about all for today, having another few quite days whilst I research my mother's Brereton line.  Sarah is a cousin from this line too.