Autumn 2022 Bulletin

All this year's events were overshadowed on 8th September when news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth reached the nation. The Parish Council sent a letter of sympathy to the King, on behalf of the residents. The Parish Council would like to do something to mark the Queen's reign and are currently considering options.

On Tuesday 8th February, a fire started in No. 6 Mill Grove, the home of Roz Yelland. Roz phoned the Fire Brigade, then went next door to alert her neighbours, Andy Rubbathan and Janice Ryan but then went back into her bungalow to rescue her dog. Without hesitation, Andy followed her to help. The bungalow was already full of smoke but he located the dog by following her barking, but could not find Roz. Back out he could only collapse on the grass, but luckily an appliance from Malpas turned up very quickly and using breathing apparatus, the firefighters were able to rescue Roz and resuscitate her before an ambulance took her to Leighton. Andy was taken to the Countess suffering from smoke inhalation. Both he and Roz recovered but both bungalows were uninhabitable. Roz went to live with one of her daughters in Crewe and Andy and Janice were put up in a hotel in Chester until Guinness Partnership found them a bungalow in Bunbury. The damaged bungalows are currently being refurbished for new tenants

QUEEN'S PLATINUM JUBILEE

A Mad Hatter's picnic on Bulkeley playing field took place on the afternoon of 4th June and was a great success thanks to Jane Mcrae, Judy Kendrick and many others in the village. Yes, it did rain for about 15 minutes during the afternoon but the tents and gazebos provided shelter. About a hundred past and present residents brought their own food and drink and several people including 5 year old Arthur Weddell had made cakes for everyone to share. The best hat competition was won by David (Den) Davenport and little Haf , Wendy Spreyer's great great granddaughter. The football posts were set up across the lower end of the field and Adam, who used to train the children of Manchester United footballers, was there to improve the skills of the children who wanted to take part. Later there was badminton and rounders but mostly the children just ran around and enjoyed themselves. The event finally wound up just before 11pm.

CORONATION

The Parish Council will organise an event to mark the coronation of King Charles 111. If you have any ideas please contact a Councillor.

TOASTING THE OAK

This annual ceremony took place on midsummer's day again this year. It was the turn of the Jubilee Lime Tree at the end of Mill Lane to be measured and toasted. We used to measure the trees with the aid of measuring poles, but both are now so tall that it is very difficult, if not impossible to get any accurate results. We tried using helium balloons to raise a long piece of string to measure the lime tree , but it was not very successful and I don't think we achieved anything like an accurate result. On Midsummer Day 2023, we will meet to toast the Millennium Oak tree on the main road opposite Yew Tree Close. Timing to be announced nearer the day.

PARISH COUNCIL

From time to time, the boundaries and governance of towns and villages in Cheshire are reviewed, and in Spring 2023, Bulkeley and Ridley will be joined into one Parish Council. In practical terms, it makes no difference at all, as the Councillors have always met and debated together, but now instead of having seven Councillors for Bulkeley and 3 for Ridley, we will have 10 for the one community.

OIL GROUP

For some time now I have run an oil buying group to obtain best quotes for central heating oil. Every two months between September and May, I ask the members of the group if they need a delivery of oil. Based on the response I ask local companies for quotes and arrange a delivery. If you would like to join the group, please contact me using the contact details at the foot of this bulletin.

SPEED WATCH

The A534 has been a major route for hundreds of years, ever since people from Wales came this way to buy salt from Nantwich. Heavy goods vehicles were unable to use the road because of the narrow medieval stone bridge across the Dee between Farndon and Holt, but after those villages were bypassed, the road was redesignated as a trunk road. Subsequently, an industrial park was built near Wrexham and the traffic on this road increased dramatically. On the whole, lorries do not speed to any great extent, but they increase congestion. Cars do speed, sometimes inadvertently and sometimes because the drivers just don't care about rules. A group of volunteers meet at irregular intervals to do an hour of Community Speed Watch in an effort to remind motorists that there is a speed limit through Bulkeley. If you could spare an occasional hour to help with this, please contact me. There are official moves to install more speed cameras in Cheshire, especially average speed cameras, so hopefully something will happen eventually, but don't hold your breath waiting!

Obituary

Donald Robert Mcrae died of pneumonia on 2nd January. Born in September 1935 in Birkenhead, he left school at 16 and went to work at Shell Research Centre at Thornton Heath. The firm must have recognised his talent because they kept his job open for him while he took his Chemistry degree at Loughborough University where he also met his first wife. They went to live at Ellesmere Port where their four sons were born. In 1966 Shell sent him to Sarawak and the whole family lived there for 3 years. Back in England he and his wife divorced and he subsequently married Judy, with whom he moved to Bulkeley in 1975. Still working for Shell, the family went to Curacao, Buenos Aires, the Netherlands and finally Saudi before Don retired to enjoy living with several parrots! He enjoyed playing rugby in his youth but increasing ill health and mobility problems meant he was seldom seen out and about in his last years.

Violet Blakemore died on 5th July after 72 years living in Bulkeley. Until ill health kept her at home, she spent many years working for Brenda and Sue Harvey with their catering business, and before that for other local residents. She and her late husband Fred celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary a few years ago. She leaves two daughters and four grandchildren.

Bulletin produced by Idina Hastings.