Whitchurch “Better Welcome”
Text Box: ——————————————————————————————————————————-- NEWS….NEWS…..NEWS….NEWS…..NEWS……….. Re-enactment of Cheese Run The early 1900’s era when Whitchurch was the epicentre of Cheshire farmhouse cheese production was brought to life on Monday 21st September. Whitchurch’s Better Welcome committee assisted by friends and supporters re-enacted a ‘cheese run’ – when cheese sold at the town’s cheese fair was brought to the canal-side and loaded on to canal boats for distribution to towns and cities. The re-enactment used Saturn – a Shropshire Union Canal Company Fly Boat originally used for carrying cheese and lovingly restored by the Shropshire Union Fly-Boat Restoration Society. Saturn was pulled by boat horse Buddy, brought from Welshpool for the day. On board and on the towpath were students from Sir John Talbot’s Technology College dressed in period costume as working canal children. A team of helpers assisted as they loaded the cheese from a pony and trap, and took the boat from the Whitchurch arm of the Llangollen canal to Blackoe. The event which cost £1,000 to stage was grant funded with support from Shropshire Sustainable Tourism and was filmed by professional cameramen Chris Smith and Martyn Chidlow from Videoactive, a firm based near Whitchurch. The film of the Cheshire farmhouse cheese history is one of three Better Welcome initiatives promoting the tourism experience, celebrating the rich industrial heritage of Whitchurch and the surrounding area. Footage will be made into a short film about the local cheese industry– to be launched at the town’s Blackberry Fair on 3rd October – and a longer information film will be used in the Heritage Centre, by local tourism businesses and for educational purposes. A full length DVD is also being produced and will be available to visitors throughout the area in the New Year. Jane Bebbington – co-ordinator of the project for Better Welcome – said: “It was a fantastic day. We have had superb help from Sue Yates of the Saturn Trust, the Horse Boating Society, staff from Sir John Talbot’s and Edith Hockenhull from Willington who brought her pony and trap to bring real authenticity to the filming. “ “This re-enactment could not have been achieved without the support of many people. We must thank Jan and Paul Wynn who allowed us to use their farm at Hadley for parking and as a refreshment stop. “We must also thank John and Justin Beckett of Belton Cheese for loaning two cheeses, and donating cheese to feed the children on the day, also Chas Bebbington for making replica cheeses, and Jan Wynn for covering them with cheese cloth. Barbara Rainford took photographs for us on the day. “The students – all aged 13 – were superb actors really entering into the spirit of the era and learning so much from both the Saturn Trust members and Sue Day, chairperson of Horse Boating Society, about working life on the canals. “The flyboats ran to a strict timetable, and cheese picked up at 10am at Whitchurch on a Monday would have reached Manchester Market by 10am on Tuesday. The canal boat teams worked throughout the night running on ahead to open lock gates to ensure a speedy passage. The boat horses were changed at intervals to ensure they were always fresh enough to keep up the pace. “We hope a lot of people will come and see the short film version at Blackberry Fair when many of the cheese producers and cheese makers involved in this project will be attending. The longer version will be available on DVD later in the year.” Buddy the Clydesdale horse was managed by Stephen Rees-Jones, and Saturn was handled by Tony Lewery, Bob Jervis, and Bill Walker, all volunteers from of the Saturn Project. The students involved – supervised by Design Technology Teacher Laura Skeith - were Koebe Matthews O’Hara, Jed Stokes-Jones, Grant Valentine, Jimmy Crone, Owen Burton, Amy Henesey, Emily Smith, and Daniel Thelwell. The Whitchurch cheese fair held every three weeks was the biggest in the country in the early 1900s. In the 1920s, an average of 1,411 tons were produced for sale annually.

To contact us:

 

Write to the Chairman at The Round House, Tilstock, Whitchurch, SY13 3NR

E-mail: info@whitchurchwhispers.org.uk

Or ring the above telephone numbers

Chairman:

Chris Chambers

Tel: 01948 880765

Or Mob: 07891 208191

 

Secretary:

Joanna Dakin

Tel: 01948 860146

Email:

joanna51@btopenworld.com

 

Committee members:

Doris Ankers

Jane Bebbington

Steve Chapman

Sue McKeon

Peggy Mullock

Paul and Jan Wynn

Laura Skeith

 

 

Supported by

Advantage West Midlands

www.advantagewm.co.uk

 

Sir John Talbots School

www.sirjohntalbots.shropshire.sch.uk

 

Whitchurch Chamber of Trade

www.whitchurchchamberoftrade.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Our logo

Links

Whitchurch Town Council

www.whitchurch-shropshire-tc.gov.uk

 

 

Shropshire Council

www.shropshire.gov.uk