Chester Chronicle - Cheshire Memories

Cheshire Memories: Historic Alvanley Cricket Club celebrate 125th anniversary

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:11:46 +0000

IT was the year of the siege of Khartoum, the first Oxford English Dictionary was published and building work began on the Statue of Liberty - but 1884 will also be remembered for the creation of Alvanley Cricket Club.

The familiar sound of leather on willow has now been heard in the rural village for 125 years and cricket is still making the headlines today.

Cheshire Memories: Photograph sparks happy memories at Alvanley Primary School

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:04:57 +0000

A READER has shed more light on a picture published last week of Alvanley Primary School in the 1950s.

Hilary Smith, née Shore, of Frodsham spotted herself on the photograph (back row, fifth from right) brought in by Grenville Britland and set about naming as many of her classmates as she could.

Mrs Smith, who returned to live in Alvanley six years ago and also owns the picture, recognised a host of characters from her past as well as headteacher Beatrice Hatton.

Chester Memories: Chester students model exhibits from My Favourite Outfit display at Grosvenor Museum

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:45:16 +0000

CHESTER'S Grosvenor Museum has dressed up in retro style for its latest exhibition My Favourite Outfit.

The museum on Grosvenor Street asked members of the public to lend their favourite outfits along with photos of them in their chosen "get-up" and to tell the stories behind the clothes.

Styles from the 1940s to the 1980s were displayed, as well as clothes dating from the 1930s and 1950s from the museum's own "handling collection".

Students from Upton High School held their own fashion show and were photographed in their chosen outfits from this collection.

Chester Memories: Chester town hall to recieve £2million to transform it into a cultural and civic centre for the city

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:38:01 +0000

CHESTER'S town hall is to be transformed into a cultural and civic centre at the heart of the city.

Cheshire West and Chester Council are to spend £2 million on the phased project designed to 'breathe fresh life' into the Chester's former local government centre.

The announcement coincides with the sale of County Hall to the University of Chester.
The £10m-plus deal will trigger the movement of hundreds of local government workers to the new HQ building by June 2010 as County Hall becomes the centre of the University's Faculties of Education and Children's Services and Health & Social Care.

Chester Memories: Exhibition of Lache features in Chester History and Heritage Centre

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:33:37 +0000

IMAGES of Lache in the 1940s will be shown alongside contemporary photos to portray daily local life linked across half a century.

The Lache Photographic Project, Life in Lache in 2009, funded by Lache Neighbourhood Management and the former Chester City Council, was started by celebrated photographer David Heke and took place earlier this year in February.

Chester Memories: Spooky scenes from a city steeped in haunted history

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:23:03 +0000

Here is another instalment of pictures from the recent exhibition at Chester History and Heritage Centre.

Cheshire Memories: Were you one of Grenville's classmates at Alvanley Primary School?

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:22:13 +0000

ALVANLEY Primary School was a very different place in the 1950s.

While pupil numbers are similarly low today, this picture shows that the dress code was worlds apart.

Proud headteacher Beatrice Hatton stands at the far left with the whole school.

Chester Memories: Historic show on road

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:02:49 +0000

A SPECIAL exhibition promoting Black History Month is touring Cheshire West and Chester.

The exhibition is organised by Cheshire, Halton and Warrington Race Equality Centre and was officially unveiled at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Chester Memories: Chester amphitheatre gets £300,000 rejuvenation

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:53:21 +0000

IMAGINE the scene 2,000 years ago as two gladiators hacked at each other in a fight to the death as the crowd clamoured to see blood and guts spilled, writes David Holmes.

Chester's amphitheatre was used for such gladiatorial combat as well as executions of criminals and the slaying of wild beasts.

Wirral Memories: Travel back to Edwardian times with new exhibition

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:48:54 +0000

AN EXHIBITION of remarkable recently discovered photographs gives a fascinating glimpse into the life and leisure time of an Edwardian family from Wirral.

An Edwardian Family Album - which can be seen at the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight from October 23 until May 2010 - shows draughtsman Jack Urton, his wife Biddy and their young daughters Mary and Lois in the carefree sunny days that marked the period immediately before the First World War.

Chester Memories: The family of the founder of Eaton's Jessie Hughes village hall to visit

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:41:05 +0000

A LONDON family return to Eaton to visit the village hall which their grandmother founded.

Following the demolition of the old hall the new Jessie Hughes village hall was opened last year.

Chester Memories: £300,000 project to bring Chester's Roman Amphitheatre to life

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:08:32 +0000

WORK has begun on a £300,000 project to bring Chester's neglected Roman amphitheatre to life.

Phase one involves creating a footbridge, joining the two halves of the arena, with steps leading from its centre down into the gladiators' entrance giving visitors an awe-inspiring perspective.

Scheduled ancient monument consent has been gained to build low red sandstone walls on the footprint of the original walls (circa AD 80-100) to represent the structure as it would have looked almost 2,000 years ago.

Frodsham Memories: A Victorian conservatory in Castle Park has been refurbished after spending years boarded up and fire damaged

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:11:55 +0000

AN ORNATE Victorian conservatory in Castle Park has been refurbished following an arson attack in the first phase of a £3.2m restoration of the site.

The project, which includes work on the historic gardens and new features in the park, was made possible by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Big Lottery Parks for People and Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Cllr Richard Short said: "This ambitious scheme will be enjoyed by generations of people and visitors and is on track to be finished in spring next year.

"Work is progressing on the renovation of the Edward Kemp designed formal and American gardens and apart from the restoration of the old, we know that new features such as the two new tennis courts and a multi-use games area will also be very popular."

Chester Memories: Spooky scenes from a city steeped in haunted history

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:45:42 +0000

THERE'S plenty of ghostly goings on at the Chester History and Heritage Centre.

With Hallowe'en just around the corner, the museum is showcasing a 'Murder, Mystery and Mayhem' exhibition exploring the city's eerie and paranormal past with sections on ghosts, a haunted hospital, witch trials and some unexplainable curiosities.

Cheshire Memories: Residents have say on future of Chester History and Heritage centre in meeting with Cheshire West and Chester Council

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:08:39 +0000

When the Chronicle exclusively revealed last month that there was a threat to the future of the Chester History & Heritage Centre, it led to an avalanche of letters that shows no sign of abating

Our reporter MARK DOWLING attended a consultation meeting at the Grosvenor Museum when petitions containing hundreds of signatures were handed over to Cheshire West & Chester Council.

THE future of Chester's beloved History and Heritage Centre came under the microscope in a stakeholder consultation meeting last Wednesday.

The well-attended meeting, held in the Grosvenor Museum's lecture theatre, saw residents have their say on four ideas put forward by Cheshire West and Chester (CWaC) council to safeguard the future of the centre and its cultural facilities.