Personal memories of Church Minshull

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In reference to Tony Peet comments below: "My sister Trudy and myself read your comments and remember you and your sister Janice from our childhood days living in the village. I have just purchased a book from the church all about the history of the village and found it very interesting."
(Pat Norman, 20 September 2011)

My grandparents Harriet and Tom Bellamy lived at Brook Cottage, Church Minshull in the 1960s, then my gran lived in sheltered housing by the Badger Inn. My father George Bellamy grew up in Church Minshull being attached to the fire station in WWII and worked at Crewe works. His ashes were scattered by the little bridge going up the lane to Brook Cottage with kind permission of Mr Parton.
(Geoffrey Bellamy, 10 October 2010)

Some of the happiest days of my life were spent with my Grandfather & my great aunts at
"the Cottage" (almost opposite the village hall). I would spend every holiday I could with them.
The delights of helping out on Partons Farm have never left me, and I was greatly privileged
to be able to see a fast disappearing world. Miss Brereton with her ruff collar and cameo
brooch weighing out boiled sweets on the brass scales – like something out of Dickens, the
last of the plough horses on Partons farm (can't remember the name of the old chap who
drove them). One particular hot summer I remember the church organ being refurbished, and spent hours watching the repair man laying out 100s of intricate parts on the flat tombstones – I was utterly intrigued. The memories are too plentiful to list here. I don't know the current resident of the Cottage (if that's still its name) but if they wish me to see if I can find any old pictures or information then by all means drop me an e-mail.
(Mike Pearce, 23 March 2010)

I enjoyed looking at your website. Many years ago I lived in Church Minshull with my parents Annie and Alvin Parker and four brothers and sister. My dad lived in the village in one of the black and white cottages, I think it was thatched, the cottages were demolished in the 60's. Dad worked for Mr Parton as a farm labourer. We lived at Weaver View and went to
Church Minshull School, when I was about 7 we moved to Willow Tree Farm which belonged
to the Partons.. A few years ago we went back to Willow Tree, the willow tree was still in the
garden, I do remember the day Mrs Parton brought the tiny tree in a plastic bag, dad planted in the garden.
(Kathryn Hill, 7 June 2009)

"I went to the County Primary School from 1956 until 1962, the teachers were Mrs Bracken
and Mr Gore, Mrs Gutterage was the cook and later my mother. The lady who lived directly
behind the school kept lots of chickens, and they all wore little blue spectacles to stop them
pecking each other. The Post Office/shop was run by a Mrs Brereton and later this moved to
the house next to the school and was run by Mrs Calvert and her husband, who also made furniture in a glass lean-to adjoining the house. I had a job as the paper boy, 44 papers, and it took me an hour to deliver them as the round took in the outskirts of the village too, all for 10 shillings a week. Sadly the boy who took over from me was killed when he was hit by a car, somewhere near Eardswick Hall I believe.

We kept a few chickens and got corn from the Mill run by Mrs Billinge. Opposite the Vicarage, with the Rev. Peter Gains incumbent, was the blacksmith's, we would stop and watch shoes being made and fitted on the way home from school, the smell of singed horse hooves is still with me. It used to cost 1p bus fare on the K31 from my house in Minshull Vernon to school but usually we walked the two miles there and back, a penny bought an arrow bar from the shop or two ginger biscuits or one jammy dodger at biscuit time!

Myself and my sister Janice, together with John and Shirley Wagstaff, were walking home ne afternoon when we were nearly wiped out by a Rolls Royce which took to the hedge in front of us to avoid a lorry which had taken the corner wide. The roads from Minshull to the village were used by RR as a test route for their new vehicles. Summer holidays were spent 'helping with the haymaking' at local farms, playing in the woods or on hot days, paddling in the Weaver. Sundays were spent at Cross Lanes Chapel Sunday school, Mrs Buckley ran the Chapel and Mr Buckley was at hand with the threat of his belt to tame the unruly amongst us.
I had my fifth birthday party at that Chapel and I also sang in the choir in the village church. The hunt used to meet outside the Badger PH and we as kids followed it, earning a few shillings by opening gates for the riders who couldn't or wouldn't jump their horses. I visited the village a few years ago after the school had been sold as a private dwelling.
(Tony Peet, 14 December 2008)

My father grew up in Church Minshull in the 1920 s my grandparents Tom and Harriet Bellamy lived in Brooke cottage--my grandfather worked for a local farmer.
(Katrina Bunn, 21 April 2008)