Apparently, it’s mandatory to like football, especially during the world cup….
A Tram in Moorland Road, Burslem
This picture of a tram outside The Wedgwood Big House, on Moorland Road Burslem, was taken by my Grandad, W. T. Vickers.
I still have the original plate glass negitive and Grandad wrote on it, in pencil, that it was taken in 1925. I don’t know the exact date, but it was 1.30pm according to the Town Hall clock.
This is now 100 years ago and Grandad would have been 18 years old when he took it!
The picture has been published many times both in print and online, but it was first printed in Ernest Warrilow’s famous book “A Sociological History of Stoke-on-Trent” in 1960.
The first image is one I scanned directly from the negitive a few years ago and is a better scan than Hanley Library took not long after Grandad died. This one has been floating around online for a while now (hence the watermark on mine as people don’t credit Grandad).
The second image is a scan of a print I have that is hanging on my wall. This was printed in 1948 and I found it in a bundle of prints Grandad had done but not displayed. The print has a different feel as it’s sepia.
The last one is an AI generated one I found recently on Facebook. I think it’s from the Hanley Library scan. If you look closely, you can see that the AI has screwed up a bit! It’s having issues with the spelling of “Andrews”, there is a second, vertical trolley pole at the front that has appeared and the middle window seems to disappear!
I think it’s amazing such a clear and well detailed photograph was taken 100 years ago by my then 18 year old Grandad. It wasn’t all point and shoot in those days!
I have no idea why he took this, as this is the only photo of a tram, that I know of, that he took (if you exclude the one in the background).
The Potteries Electric Traction Company’s trams ran for another three years until they were withdrawn in July 1928. The PET continued as Potteries Motor Traction, PMT, First Potteries and now First Bus.
VE Day 80
VE Day 80
This video was made by Porthill Scouts for VE Day 75, at the hight of lockdown, to commemorate the men of Porthill parish who died serving in the armed forces during WW2.
You can read about Porthill’s War Memorial and the names on it here – https://remember.porthillscouts.org.uk/…/the-war-memorial/
The End of a Scout Group
1st Stoke on Trent & Newcastle st. Andrews Porthill Scout Group 1908 – 2024
I am sad to say that my Scout Group, 1st Stoke-on-Trent & Newcastle, St. Andrews Porthill has now closed. This is due to a lack of people willing to volunteer and take on leader roles and because our meeting place since 1909, St. Andrews Church Hall is closing.
I have officially been a Porthill Scout, since I was 8. Unofficially, since I was born. Mum and Dad ran the Cub Pack for many, many years and we went on lots trips and camps as a family.
I have been camping in tents, buildings, bivvys, under the stars and HMS Belfast. I have abseiled, climbed, sailed, canoed, rafted and bell boated. I’ve shot arrows and guns. I’ve camped with Greek and Swedish Scouts and camped with many Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Ventures and Leaders. I’m a Queen’s Scout. I’ve celebrated the Group’s centenary with families and friends at a camp, then been on many family camps. There’s been Remembrance Day parades, especially the big ones in 2014 & 2018. I’ve taken Beavers on their 1st train rides to Manchester & Cadbury World, Cubs Bell Boating on Trentham Lake and Scouts to London and the top of Snowdon. I’ve helped keep Scouting going through the pandemic and helped with online cooking, making lava lamps and singing (our Leader’s ingenuity during this time was fantastic!). I have helped raise thousands of pounds for the Group, St. Andrews Church and various other charities. The Group has done a lot!
I’ve had to deal with endless paperwork, bureaucracy, politics and people who didn’t have the Group’s interests at heart, only their own narrow agendas. I’ve had emergency phone calls at odd times, had to visit hospitals and tended to wounded, upset and scared children. I’ve seen people leave Scouting for various unfortunate reasons. COVID. I’ve been stressed, harassed and lost a lot of sleep.
I’ve seen shy, timid children join Beavers and seen them leave Scouts as confident young adults. I’ve seen hundreds, maybe over a thousand, young people pass through the Group and gain many, many awards. There are even some of them who now have their own children who have joined Beavers (I feel old!). My own children have been through Beavers, Cubs and Scouts and have had a fantastic time. I’ve worked with many brilliant Leaders and adult volunteers and we’ve run some absolutely fantastic activities and events for our Scouts of all ages. I’ve made many lifelong friends. I met my wife!
I have been a Porthill Scout all my life.
I am a Porthill Scout.
Remember
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. John McCrae, May 1915
Porthill Scouts Killed in World War 1 and World War 2
William Edgar Wood, my Great Grandfather, killed in France 1918
Rowland Rowley, my Great Great Uncle, killed in France 1915
Spencer Rowley, my Great Great Uncle, killed in France 1917
We will remember them
D J Wood M.B.E. RIP
David John Wood 01/04/1943 – 09/04/2023
Remember
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. John McCrae, May 1915
Porthill Scouts Killed in World War 1 and World War 2
William Edgar Wood, my Great Grandfather, killed in France 1918
Rowland Rowley, my Great Great Uncle, killed in France 1915
Spencer Rowley, my Great Great Uncle, killed in France 1917
We will remember them
Remembering Don
Thinking about our friend Don who passed away this morning (22/02/2022).
My earliest, most vivid memory of Don was when Porthill and Bradwell’s Cubs were together doing a joint event and we had a campfire. I think we did it at St. Barnabas as I remember Don on the stage. I wasn’t a Cub myself, but I must have been around 6 or 7 (being there because of Mum and Dad running our Cubs).
Don did this song –
“Dunner chuck yer muck in our dustbin, our dustbin, our dustbin,
Dunner chuck yer muck in our dustbin, our dustbin’s full.
There’s rats in, an’ cats in, an our owd man’s ‘ats in,
So, dunner chuck yer muck in our dustbin, our dustbin’s full!”
He then turned to the Cubs and said, “of course in posh areas like Porthill, they sing it like this”. He saw that little 6(ish) year old me had taken umbridge at this and then sung at me with a smile on his face –
“Do not place your rubbish in our refuse receptacle, our refuse receptacle, our refuse receptacle,
Do not place your rubbish in our refuse receptacle, our refuse receptacle is full.
There are rats in and cats in and our father’s hats in,
So, do not place your rubbish in our refuse receptacle, our refuse receptacle is full!”
RIP Don
Remember
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae, May 1915
Porthill Scouts Killed in World War 1 and World War 2
William Edgar Wood, my Great Grandfather, killed in France 1918
Rowland Rowley, my Great Great Uncle, killed in France 1915
Spencer Rowley, my Great Great Uncle, killed in France 1917
We will Remember them
Remember
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae, May 1915
Porthill Scouts Killed in World War 1 and World War 2
William Edgar Wood, my Great Grandfather, killed in France 1918
Rowland Rowley, my Great Great Uncle, killed in France 1915
Spencer Rowley, my Great Great Uncle, killed in France 1917
We will remember them
2020-10-04 Smoke Without Steam
A trip to the Apedale Valley Light Railway for the their Smoke Without Steam event.
Basically all the running locos over the weekend were petrol, diesel or battery powered – no kettles!
2020-02-02 Voyagers at Conwy
A quick video of Avanti Voyagers heading to Holyhead at Conwy.
2020-01-18 DRS Farewell to the Class 20 Tour
Filmed at Longport
Tigger Creates Art!
While on his trip to London last week, Tigger visited Tate Modern
He decided to recreate his art installation from 2008 called ‘Tigger sitting on a big crack in the floor of the turbine hall of Tate Modern. Apparently this is art!’
The new installation is called ‘Tigger sitting on a big crack in the floor of the turbine hall of Tate Modern which has now been filled in. Apparently this is still art!’
New Hornby Dublo Layout & B12s
After rather long absence, I’ve decided to try and start writing again. But now not just specifically Scouting, although that is still an active part of my life (I just ran out of stuff to say!), but going back to what I originally did, write about what is interesting to me or on my mind.
So today we start back with model railways.
I’ve intended to set up a small Hornby Dublo 3 rail layout for a while now as I have been adding to my collection, but not really had anywhere to run the trains.
I had a small oval of track that I made a long time ago which was 2 and 3 rail convertible, but the glue on the centre rail was failing so it was time to do something!
I decided to extend the board as much as I could in the space available and the video shows the results, from the original board, to the extensions to running and a few modifications.
You’ll see some of my locos along with my full collection of N2s (including 2 of my Dad’s). One of these has been restored and repainted, the 2 GWR ones have been repainted (not by me) and one is on a much later chassis than it should be.
They all run, a bit more oiling and dusting is needed, but a couple, including the pre war N2, need re-magnetizing.
The second video is of three of my (Triang) Hornby B12s running together.
The first is the original model from the early 1960s (mine’s a hybrid 60s & 70s version), rather nicely detailed for me by my uncle.
The second is the late 1990s Hornby version, which was the original one, slightly updated and now made in China.
The last one is the rather nice, current, modern, highly detailed version.
I must admit to the 1st one being my favourite, because it was specially detailed for me! Still runs very well for something that is around 40 years old!
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