tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81144721232084995792024-03-12T18:33:37.674-07:00Castle Comfort Chairs Has Now Ceased TradingYou have found the Blog of the Castle Comfort Centre. We can put you in touch with other chair and bed trade suppliers for quality mobility products and great after care service.Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-50604507003691044062017-08-01T08:43:00.002-07:002017-08-02T04:44:27.208-07:0090 Year Old Dunkirk Veteran Can Stand At Ease<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">WW II Veteran Gets Comfy Recliner </span></u></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Our installations team had a special delivery to make recently to Dunkirk Veteran Raymonde.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Her new lounge chair will be perfect for watching the blockbuster movie "Dunkirk" on, which is currently in the cinemas. Or perhaps for just putting her feet up at the end of a long day.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raymonde pictured with Malcolm from Castle Comfort Centre</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Raymonde, aged </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">90, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">was a lookout for the French resistance in Dunkerque during the Second World War, and will be able to watch her telly with her feet up, or stand easily with the aid of a new riser recliner chair bought from Castle Comfort.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><u>What was life like back then?</u></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When all the British and French soldiers were on the beaches, some 300,000 of them, and
being bombed by German planes and having their ships torpedoed by
submarines – it looked a desperate situation, cornered
with nowhere to go. This is where the phrase Dunkirk Spirit comes
from – the overcoming of overwhelming odds stacked against you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In her own words...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br />I was born in Dunkirk in 1927. My father Louis Defeyer met my mother Madeleine Provou and they became engaged to be married in 1913, unfortunately the war broke out in 1914 and father was conscripted to the front line so the wedding was postponed until he was granted leave. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Father was billeted on the Somme and Verdin and life went on!. A problem then arose because mother got pregnant and father could not get leave from the front to marry. My father worried that if he got killed my mother would have no pension and so his officer arranged for a priest to marry them by proxy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Four years later demoralised and under nourished my father got leave from the Army and met his 4 year old daughter Marguerite for the first time. My parents had 9 children, 2 died in infancy and 2 of us remain, my dear sister Nicole who I am in regular contact with, is 80 years old. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As a child my schooling was basic and we all went to church regularly. My dad got a job working in the docks after the First World War, and mother had to help put food on the table by taking in sewing and patching our clothes to hand down, as there were no benefits to help my parents. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We were very poor and mother did wonders with the small amounts of food ingredients she could get. We had food and a warm clean bed. I remember father taking us to the beach to fill up flour bags with sand that he used to put into the oven to warm then put in our beds .<br /><br /><u>The worst years</u> <br /><br />When I was 8 years old my father was forced to strike along side other dockers, rail workers and miners and they were starved and bullied if they tried to break the strike. Following the strike in 1936 there was a Spanish Revolution so we had emigrants and in 1940 we were aware that among the Spanish emigrants we had the German Fifth Column infiltrated among the rush of emigrants. They were recognised by the red blankets they wore on their backs so it was not just the war in progress but the Germans had invaded and infiltrated the troops before the war started.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><u>The invasion of Europe</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br />The Belgians and Jewish people suffered the most as the German Nazi put markers on the Jewish houses and shops in preparation to arrest them and send them by train to concentration camps. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In 1940</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">the English soldiers were waiting in the dunes along the beaches to be rescued but the big ships couldn't approach so later civilian volunteers came from England in little boats before the Germans occupied Dunkirk. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This mass evacuation was codenamed Operation Dynamo and the troops made a sort of bridge out of abandoned cars, jeeps and trucks so they could beach the little boats. It was not easy because the German planes bombarded day and night never stopping. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When the troops were doing their best the town people of Dunkirk opened all the water towers around the town. I was 13 years old then and remember sheltering from the bombs in the towns Assizes Court. It was total carnage for a week as there was no escape. The people who died could not be buried and my dad and other civilians made a mass grave and boxes with names on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">At 15 years old I became a runner for the resistance and once when giving a British pilot a drink of water after he was shot down, a German soldier kicked me. Strangely I was to meet this British pilot many years later after I married my English husband who was in the Royal Navy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In 1950 we moved to Kidsgrove, his home town and that was where I met the pilot again, small world. My whole French family, mother, father, brothers and sisters are buried in the large cemetery in Dunkirk that is also the resting place of many brave soldiers, sailors and airmen from many countries </span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-left;"> Vive La Resistance!</span> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Image Courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/floris-oosterveld/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">F.Oosterveld</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444;">'We
shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We shall fight on
the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in
the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall
never surrender.' </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444;">- Winston Churchill speaking after the Dunkirk
evacuation </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Source: </span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/timeline/factfiles/nonflash/a1057312.shtml" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">The BBC </a></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><u style="font-weight: normal;">Competition</u></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We always find it interesting hearing the yesteryear golden age memories of many of our customers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you played a part in World War I or World War II then get in touch with us here at Castle Comfort with your story. You can <a href="mailto:info@castlecomfortcentre.com?subject=Wartime%20Stories%20-%20Dunkirk%20Blog%20Competition" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><u>email it to us here.</u></span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We will award a prize of a £50 Marks and Spencers voucher for the letter that our voting panel unanimously votes to be the best. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Competition ends 2nd September 2017 (Official anniversary of the end of WWII).</span></div>
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Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0Newcastle-under-Lyme, UK53.013208 -2.227300199999945152.9367835 -2.388661699999945 53.0896325 -2.0659386999999452tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-72098582150244659702016-09-10T07:22:00.000-07:002016-12-01T05:56:01.284-08:00Up, Up and Away! Balloon Ride Auction by 'Stairlift King' Keith<span style="font-size: large;">It might come as a surprise to find out that Keith, the managing director of <a href="http://www.castlecomfortstairlifts.co.uk/" target="_blank">Castle Comfort Stairlifts</a>, wouldn't be that comfortable with heights. After all, he does spend quite a lot of time personally seeing to the surveying and measuring of many people's staircases, some of which can be very steep!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So being used to heights, his team had clubbed together to buy six tickets for a hot air balloon ride for his birthday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">However, after a recent brush with the council <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/11499/326679.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">planning</a> office, (which will be another story) involving balancing up a ladder to attend to the eye-catching signs on the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/28083135@N06/4851091332" target="_blank">local landmark of Bank House</a>, he had developed a touch of vertigo and has decided to auction the tickets for the <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=12&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjTw6ml34TPAhULCMAKHQzaCvEQ_BcIoAEwCw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wickersworld.co.uk%2F&usg=AFQjCNFJtBAzCBtIaU-OszRRC9Vs9-PHGA&sig2=t8Pvuuv6LuBALJd7lY2F_Q&bvm=bv.132479545,d.d24" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wickers World</a> balloon ride company, for a flight setting off from the Shugborough Estate. The proceeds of this will be donated to charity.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Senior Stairlifts Engineer Malcolm Tackles The Heights<br /> With Keith Firmly On the Ground!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Nearly all of the balloon flights you would have seen near the Trentham or <a href="http://www.shugborough.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shugborough</a> estates are from Wickers, which have been going as long as Castle Comfort, virtually twenty years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Setting off in just the right weather conditions you will be rewarded with panoramic views of mile upon mile of the Staffordshire countryside, stretching off into the horizon. This is something which has to be seen to be believed, and is often a once in a lifetime opportunity.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.donnalouisetrust.org/opportunities" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3gGExcGkO_kLvapG_cCdcG74irInGRFNtqAj0i4E6G0dNCQW5e3j35tZXYtFV5KDIOs7_1LMwAYGwU3NtYqcQYB3Y7zBYE_hrA5xM3g5HqVBOYx5FbahAkslfsr44yPFmfBdE7a8gQ/s640/DonnaLouisePic.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What makes this auction extra special is that the highest bidder will be sharing this breathtaking experience by being joined by 5 of their closest friends, family or work colleagues - whoever they choose to accompany them. And if that isn't enough, all of their generous bid will be donated to the <a href="http://www.donnalouisetrust.org/opportunities" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Donna Louise Children's Hospice</a>, so it's all in a good cause.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To make your offer for these special tickets, which are worth nearly £800, please contact 01782 611411 or you can bid by email to </span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:info@castlecomfortcentre.com">info@castlecomfortcentre.com</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The auction closes on 31st October 2016 so you have time to organise who you will take. Happy bidding!</span><br />
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<br />Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0Wolstanton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle ST5, UK53.029996999999987 -2.216099999999983133.233724999999993 -43.524693999999982 72.826268999999982 39.092494000000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-13416155921546618192016-09-06T05:54:00.000-07:002017-02-10T07:43:36.877-08:00Retirement Apartments in Newcastle under LymeNewcastle under Lyme is a well regarded place to live, and for many good reasons. It's got a lot going for it to suit all ages but particularly the more senior members of society who are in retirement.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/121958154@N04/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flickr-Rept0n1x</a></td></tr>
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Being smaller in size than a family-sized home, an independent living flat, whether it is one or two bedroomed, is much easier to look after, because maintenance is taken care of by the complex management, and also because the gardens and grounds are all beautifully landscaped and without you needing to lift a finger!<br />
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The popularity of such developments is perhaps due to the lack of individual private and unique opportunities - as seen here:-</div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.castlecomforthomes.co.uk/2015_03_01_archive.html&source=gmail&ust=1473251853825000&usg=AFQjCNEHU1Y2WTLZe5DfUV9ecHUHIXGbuw" href="http://www.castlecomforthomes.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.castlecomforthomes.<wbr></wbr>co.uk</a></div>
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Private
apartments in Staffordshire are indeed rare. And those lending
themselves to a perfect retirement situation - with the added advantage
of an adjoining place for the family (or carer) ... even rarer.</div>
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All the senior living apartment complexes in the Newcastle under Lyme area have all been built in the last couple of decades, so benefit from enhanced insulation and modern central heating, so keeping warm in winter won't be nearly as expensive as an older home.<br />
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Compared to a larger residence where a widow or widower may be living alone, apartment living has the option of being more socially involved with other residents as they have organised activities and clubs that you are free to join in with or not, as you choose. In this way, isolation and loneliness won't become a problem.<br />
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Most complexes have been sited near to a hub of local shopping facilities or on the bus route to them, so it makes life easier <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/Products/Getting_Around" target="_blank">for getting around</a> even if your mobility is not as good as it was. A few also have their own minibus for shopping trips or days out, so you don't even need a car.<br />
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If there is a requirement for additional support needs, then staff within the homes can attend to this for you. For example managing financial affairs, personal care needs or cleaning, laundry or shopping tasks can all be dealt with for a small extra fee.<br />
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The available flats in the Newcastle under Lyme area consist of both those for purchase as well as rental. There are also part-buy flats through housing association managed complexes.<br />
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Let's look at a couple of the newest developments.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRW7iz_5hfHzPocnptmIkMqnrLjPkbSf6xFzNBG0FcBSCDY_KDC-EfKNc9wIIsUdvOvfxKFRq7MK36fyce-QLzrSYbQduwdmSt9TV-ORfGEAuGGNP5o8oU6u5Lm3VvVPinswKGV0Wng/s1600/IMG_2287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRW7iz_5hfHzPocnptmIkMqnrLjPkbSf6xFzNBG0FcBSCDY_KDC-EfKNc9wIIsUdvOvfxKFRq7MK36fyce-QLzrSYbQduwdmSt9TV-ORfGEAuGGNP5o8oU6u5Lm3VvVPinswKGV0Wng/s400/IMG_2287.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rykeneld <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Retirement Apartment Complex, Wolstanton</span></td></tr>
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The most recent private complex with apartments for sale is Rykeneld Court in Wolstanton. Probably the most well known provider of retirement housing for the over 50's, this is a McCarthy and Stone development and is very nearly sold out.<br />
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Situated facing the Marsh in Wolstanton this apartment complex consists of 18 one bedroom and 13 two bedroom luxury apartments. There are 4 x 2 beds still available which are priced from £216,500 to £231,500. There are more 1 bed apartments available which are priced from £171,500 to £176,500.<br />
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The video below shows a computer animation of what the development looks like, including the grounds at the back, but you can visit the complex when it officially opens on Saturday 10th September with a champagne tour. You can book your place by emailing <a href="mailto:rykeneldcourt.salesoffice@mccarthyandstone.co.uk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the office</a> with the Subject Line "Sparkling Opening RSVP"<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qVpQcDOFzO4?rel=0" width="360"></iframe>
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These apartments are obviously for those downsizing from a larger family home, where room sizes tend to be larger. For this reason a new start in a new home can bring the opportunity for a fresh start with a <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/Products/Riser_Recliner_Chairs/American_Phoenix" target="_blank">space saving lounge chair</a> to match the decor. As the best known provider of special chairs and adjustable beds Castle Comfort Centre is just around the corner from this development at 50 High Street, Wolstanton, Newcastle under Lyme. So it's really handy for picking up any mobility aids you might need. Call in for some simple advice, a replacement ferrule for your walking stick or to try out any of the <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/" target="_blank">comfortable furniture or beds</a>. Wolstanton really is the place to be!<br />
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<h3>
Beechwood Newcastle under Lyme</h3>
For those not looking to buy their own apartment, then renting is the option, so nearing completion, again not far from the Wolstanton showroom is the Shire Living complex named "Beechwood" in the Brampton on May Place. This is a bigger site than the McCarthy and Stone complex at Rykeneld Court and has about double the number of flats available. It has 65 apartments in all - 37 x 2 bedroom ones and 28 x 1 bed apartments.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQnDvzKHadJH4ay0u3YJKXP2_Xdqc7uEjrPKNHauVRaqK236VfN0wnyWuawK3T7gtJpy0KAwU4-fxEAoPHK1ODj3tXeCpS-1cbRRMyLSEQVzlmYS1U-M7rp_2zM3lxf7BAR_rtN6Rpg/s1600/FullSizeRender%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Shire Living, May Place, Newcastle under Lyme" border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQnDvzKHadJH4ay0u3YJKXP2_Xdqc7uEjrPKNHauVRaqK236VfN0wnyWuawK3T7gtJpy0KAwU4-fxEAoPHK1ODj3tXeCpS-1cbRRMyLSEQVzlmYS1U-M7rp_2zM3lxf7BAR_rtN6Rpg/s320/FullSizeRender%25288%2529.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shire Living Beechwood Retirement Apartment Complex, Brampton</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These retirement apartments for rent are priced approximately at £114.23 per week for 1 bedroom + £81.51 property service charge + £18.24 per week lifestyle charge + £20.34 for utilities - so for around £225 a week you can rent an apartment in the Brampton. You would only need to add council tax, broadband and telephone to this. <br />
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These apartments are suitable for those over 55 with either a low, medium or high care need and you must have a connection to the area, either personally or with immediate family to be considered.<br />
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Contemporary kitchens and an accessible shower room are part of each flat, with on-site cafe/restaurant and video entry and 24hr on call staff it is both modern and safe. <br />
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To apply visit <a href="http://www.shireliving.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.shireliving.co.uk</a> or call 0800 0232244. A show flat will be available for viewing this month.<br />
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It's only just opened but we already have made our first mobility product delivery to a resident at Beechwood in May Place, Newcastle under Lyme, ST5 0RJ<br />
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Organised by their family this resident was very pleased to have a riser recliner chair installed in her new apartment, and because of her partial sightedness, we also went along to thank her for the purchase and gave her a new walking stick for free, as the old one had seen better days.<br />
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Here's the before and after pictures below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hI63Hu_KJJWYF8Ua7E00i2EhxdP2o1Ke_D5RQOJd1bWNqzl1L49PpFJWo0Tqny0m9tZJqtNn3nxJLtoW1t84FeYyzK8sbzqv2kjrDxoR6-89EKNawAf48yB9SsMk2zvgeRDo8pyT9Q/s1600/Beechwood-Shire-Living-Retirement-Apartments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hI63Hu_KJJWYF8Ua7E00i2EhxdP2o1Ke_D5RQOJd1bWNqzl1L49PpFJWo0Tqny0m9tZJqtNn3nxJLtoW1t84FeYyzK8sbzqv2kjrDxoR6-89EKNawAf48yB9SsMk2zvgeRDo8pyT9Q/s640/Beechwood-Shire-Living-Retirement-Apartments.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So if you are looking to move into either of these developments we are very close by as a friendly source of information and advice on anything to do with independent living products for the elderly.<br />
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If we don't stock it, we know someone who does. <br />
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We hope to see you soon at either of our showrooms in Newcastle under Lyme - Castle Comfort Centre in Wolstanton, and Castle Comfort Stairlifts in Cross Heath. <br />
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Call in anytime between 9.30 and 4.30 Monday through Saturday or <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/Products" target="_blank">visit our website</a> anytime to see our full range of products. Phone ahead to 01782 611411 and by appointment we can arrange to open our showrooms outside these hours for you to make your purchases.<br />
<br />Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0Wolstanton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle ST5, UK53.029996999999987 -2.216099999999983133.243316499999992 -43.524693999999982 72.816677499999983 39.092494000000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-86943845195463322432016-05-20T11:32:00.000-07:002016-05-20T12:02:51.433-07:00Fall Prevention For The Elderly<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Are <i>You</i> At Risk Of A Fall?</u></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's not only the over 80's that are more prone to falls each year, though that age group has a 50% chance of falling at least once a year.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It can happen to those of us who are younger, in fact a third of those aged 65 and over will have a fall this year. There are a number of factors that increase </span><span style="font-size: large;">the chances of a fall, so let's take a look at them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Environmental Factors</u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnKuSGyKklIGs1quwoHTm80e5fW5-_Nix8acp1MjI2XlOP-iMeB4Ma7BeEaoEffkxlZzLzLW-ai2XZ0VMM4gi5a6Af05TrKyAB3KWISx_JBCbKVZ-NqflB7hsORshRIKggvkCNuEHjQ/s1600/pictureofstaircasebw.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnKuSGyKklIGs1quwoHTm80e5fW5-_Nix8acp1MjI2XlOP-iMeB4Ma7BeEaoEffkxlZzLzLW-ai2XZ0VMM4gi5a6Af05TrKyAB3KWISx_JBCbKVZ-NqflB7hsORshRIKggvkCNuEHjQ/s400/pictureofstaircasebw.png" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is your staircase safe?<br />
Image Credit:<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/62337512@N00/albums" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anthony Kelly</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The stairs are the number one most likely place for a fall and so you need to make sure that a banister is in place. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Is that carpeting properly fitted and not </span><span style="font-size: large;">causing trip hazards on the staircase? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Is the lighting bright enough on the stairs? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">In winter time an overcast day can mean that the only light coming through </span><span style="font-size: large;">a hall window is very dim indeed. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Add in a low wattage bulb right at the top of the stairs and it can be quite difficult to be climbing safely up or down, whatever your age. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If any of the other risk factors are present, </span><span style="font-size: large;">which we will get to shortly, and you can see why the stairs could be a dangerous place for some.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Lifestyle Factors</u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are older and on a pension, maybe living alone, you might want to save money by not having the heating on as much, and the same for not wanting to switch your lights on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you go </span><span style="font-size: large;">cold, then the circulation can be less vigorous and so you might be stiff when moving. Trying to save a few quid, by leaving the lights off can be a danger, as you need to see where you're going wherever you are in</span><span style="font-size: large;"> the house. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Are there trailing cables or ruffled up carpets or lino? Do you have a lot of ornaments and belongings around, perhaps in piles where you store things around your home? These are all potential </span><span style="font-size: large;">trip hazards and need re-arranging for safety reasons.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Personal Factors</u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you have fallen already, you are then more likely to fall again. You need to let your doctor know, even if you weren't injured, in case your medication was a factor in </span><span style="font-size: large;">the fall. You need to make sure that your vision is checked regularly too.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQFC35tNAIc9NAWlHDQDXpUEOhDKg2IWtdIa6kh_59VRI5c9b2GCQbqiu3eLlBQXPyWYiHzJXI3_JgJS_3eKY-zCwgBz08DR1SwAnQHaPxolS591Pynhx-DIrzhSXO5PE_FIOINuN_A/s1600/checkyoureyesight.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQFC35tNAIc9NAWlHDQDXpUEOhDKg2IWtdIa6kh_59VRI5c9b2GCQbqiu3eLlBQXPyWYiHzJXI3_JgJS_3eKY-zCwgBz08DR1SwAnQHaPxolS591Pynhx-DIrzhSXO5PE_FIOINuN_A/s320/checkyoureyesight.png" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eyesight checked recently?<br />
Image Credit:<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/funfilledgeorgie/9213075139/in/photolist-f38qg6-8NYF2z-xhpgv-ps46jS-6dpDsp-ddZTc5-b9a9PX-84Q5ax-dtNkfy-aQtwDx-mgdgmS-nx5FdF-cbbBCW-g4p4ra-i9RNwm-fsr5aM-g4sKcf-etjenF-gWWVQg-6b76w2-fZXz2w-CN7CYY-5XJHM2-skgQAq-dNqK82-CyCpwQ-Nn4tA-qkLBSE-D8AmyA-sD9or-oFB3aw-852stu-niuhrv-pSJwMJ-k2AgmE-4o64uw-6bD4Ve-bJUu5X-2H7p22-cvQkWu-fZXG6y-6Tg7Ja-rcdHvE-bw5eDY-c5qqdL-o688sR-aM4WBx-jC5ffR-mGSjek-c2Yu9h" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">George Redgrave</a></td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Are your feet looked after by a podiatrist and/or chiropodist? and </span><span style="font-size: large;">is your footwear well-fitted and comfortable, with plenty of grip? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Is your eyesight checked regularly, and hence are you sure that your glasses prescription is up to date? </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">All of this will ensure that your foot placement is accurate when you are moving around your home, so lessening the chance of </span><span style="font-size: large;">you tripping over.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Local University Introduces Falls Toolkit</u> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The cost of falls to the NHS is around £2billion a year, so any efforts to reduce the risks of falling are very much in favour. Keele University, </span><span style="font-size: large;">with it's links with the local UHNS Teaching Hospital, recently publicised a falls assessment toolkit, which you can look at here <a href="http://cliks.it/click/bE2EP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click it here to go to the Keele website</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Although it was designed initially for health professionals, we think that the questions it asks could be considered by a worried younger member of the family, </span><span style="font-size: large;">to help mum or dad get the right advice, to help them to stay safe in their own home. This has already been used throughout the whole of the UK, and we are very proud that it was developed here in North Staffordshire. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Simple Products To Help You</u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You can equip your home with some or all of our helpful products, that will work towards fall prevention for the elderly. Wherever you are in the home there could be a hazard.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Lino or tiled floors in the kitchen or bathroom can become slippery, especially with the addition of water from the basin or sink, so the addition of grab rails or safety rails here and </span><span style="font-size: large;">at other specific points around the home, and particularly around the stairs area or the bathtub/shower, can be a good way to keep safe. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We even have <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/Products/Bed_Rails" target="_blank">specialist bed rails</a>, with or without an electric bed, </span><span style="font-size: large;">for assisting with getting in or out of the sleeping position.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are having one of <a href="http://www.castlecomfortstairlifts.co.uk/Locations/Stoke-on-Trent" target="_blank">our stairlifts for your stairs</a> you can still have a grab rail added to either the top and/or the bottom, which we can get you fitted for free* as part of your installation. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our premium range of electric riser recliner chairs can allow the move from sitting to standing, and back again, to be performed in a comfortable and easy way, if mobility is becoming more difficult. Take a look at <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/Chairs_Explained" target="_blank">how they work here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When you are out and about shopping, attending appointments or visiting, and even within the home, then any of <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/Products/Getting_Around" target="_blank">our aids to walking</a> can be a real boon. Lightweight yet strong walkers and walking sticks </span><span style="font-size: large;">help to give reassuring support to those who might be unsteady on their feet, and therefore at risk from a fall. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So if any of the factors mentioned above are at all a concern, then please see your doctor or </span><span style="font-size: large;">other qualified health professional, or pay us a visit at Castle Comfort Centre, where we have an array of products to assist in all areas of the home, from the bedroom, lounge and bathroom, through to </span><span style="font-size: large;">outside. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A warm welcome awaits you whenever you visit either of our showrooms here in the Potteries. See you soon!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">*Conditions apply. Please enquire about grab rails when you make your order.</span><br />
<br />Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-62567499455553637472016-04-24T11:27:00.002-07:002016-12-01T05:55:17.586-08:00Dementia Advice To Help Save You Money<span style="font-size: large;">Regular readers of our blog will know that we have been working at Marks and Spencer's to raise money for Approach the local charity that helps those who are affected by Dementia or Alzheimer's. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.approachstaffordshire.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI36DM2m5zrqTuassz5cazworjP7ONNrQwP1PbpimOKDSd93a0o-kfjxJl6a-n2jz-n8VYVsSgF9Ifjp8WQK8qC-ZiYySAuJPZMrPe4oXc2Z0MseUG5R2n4Fk8O3lK4aNhYWD6TxNcDg/s400/ApproachLogo.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Keith the MD, has found out some very useful information, i</span><span style="font-size: large;">n a chance conversation,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">which isn't very widely known, for those who may have a family member suffering with either of these. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Quite a few of us have had family members or have known someone who has signs of a condition like those just mentioned. It can be quite a burden to help continue to care for them in their own home, when there is a risk, however small, of them not being able to look after themselves.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEKymrYmS-39MFXA7Kb5vP4vTYUEJJwYjoYqf_1k2_gGoBsB6Un6sRev7W6zHirolqyBV5IArkR7vCgWl3HaLwpwCkoVgyAQCQ4vqMp3-g80lPCLNWyxGiInnr9unaZ2ipQyIxNNTgg/s1600/IMG_1580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEKymrYmS-39MFXA7Kb5vP4vTYUEJJwYjoYqf_1k2_gGoBsB6Un6sRev7W6zHirolqyBV5IArkR7vCgWl3HaLwpwCkoVgyAQCQ4vqMp3-g80lPCLNWyxGiInnr9unaZ2ipQyIxNNTgg/s400/IMG_1580.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle Comfort Staff - Keith (photographer), Ann Bruce and Dr.Neil Stirling visiting the Carers Cafe in Silverdale</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">With a simple process, not advertised by the local councils, there is a way to possibly have your council tax bill reduced or even </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>completely eliminated!</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><u>Council Tax Exemptions or Reductions</u></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><u>For those With Alzheimer's or Dementia</u> </span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If a relative of yours has had a diagnosis of Dementia or Alzheimer's, which can be classed as a severe mental impairment that makes them unable to look after themselves independently </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">with out assistance then they may well be able to get a full exemption if they live alone. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">All that is required is that the local council will require a confirmation of </span><span style="font-size: large;">diagnosis with the form and it is straightforward to apply. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is worth applying also if a family member</span><span style="font-size: large;"> is a carer as they would get a discount too. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If the person with such a diagnosis lives in your home with you, and there are just two of you in the house, then you can apply for a 25% discount on the council tax bill. See this page on the <a href="https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/tax/council-tax/council-tax/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">citizens advice website</a> for more information.</span><br />
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<u style="font-size: x-large;">Here's the steps to follow for Newcastle under Lyme Council</u><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1)<a href="https://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/sites/default/files/IMCE/CouncilTaxAndBenefits/Council_Tax/smi_discount_exemption.pdf" target="_blank">Click Here to download this form</a> (Claim Form for Council Tax)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2)Print it out and complete it with confirmation of the diagnosis (which doesn't have to be from the person's own GP, it can be another suitably qualified individual, consultant or medical professional.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3)Post to:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Revenues and Benefits</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Civic Offices</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Merrial Street</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Newcastle-under-Lyme</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Staffordshire</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">ST5 2AG</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are a carer for the person you can make a separate claim with <a href="http://revenues%20and%20benefits%20civic%20offices%20merrial%20street%20newcastle-under-lyme%20staffordshire%20st5%202ag/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this form</a> and follow the same procedure, and post to the same address. Help with the form is available on 01782 715500 or by emailing counciltax@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk </span><br />
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<u style="font-size: x-large;">Here's the steps to follow for Stoke on Trent City Council</u><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1) <a href="http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/download/asset/?asset_id=1060576" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Download this form</a> that needs to be signed by a medical professional confirming diagnosis.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2) Once completed by the doctor it needs to be scanned into your computer before it is uploaded when you complete the online application form.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3) <a href="https://myaccount.stoke.gov.uk/myforms/fms-33912.aspg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Go to this page</a> to complete the online application form.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">There is advice and assistance on 01782 234234 or you can go online and use <a href="https://myaccount.stoke.gov.uk/myforms/fms-33932.aspg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this initial enquiry form here</a>.</span><br />
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<u style="font-size: x-large;">Here's the steps to follow for Staffordshire Moorlands Council</u><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately there isn't a detailed form for completion directly on the Local Council website, though all local authorities follow roughly the same procedure, requiring a medical diagnosis for exemption, however you can enquire online about it, giving your council tax reference number, so at least the process can be started. There is <a href="http://www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/sm/council-services/do-it-online/council-tax-and-benefits-contact-form" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">an enquiry form here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">There is also a phone number to call if you want to speak directly to someone in the Council Tax section - 0345 605 3011</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>More money off!</u></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">As well as the council tax reductions mentioned above, there are also cases which a lot of our customers have had success with, where a reduction is made for someone who lives there with a physical disability. This discount is called the "Disabled Reduction."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The only criteria to meet are just one of the following, i.e. you don't need to meet all these criteria, just one. </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">A room, other than a bathroom, kitchen or lavatory, which is used mainly by the disabled person and is required for meeting their needs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Or an additional bathroom or kitchen which is required to meet their needs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Or enough space for the use of a wheelchair where one needs to be used inside the dwelling.</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Once the form is completed your home would be banded at the next rung down in terms of council tax due. For example if you lived in a band D property you would only have to pay the band C rate for it. </span><span style="font-size: large;">So, downstairs wet-rooms or doorway alterations would count as an adaptation, or if you have a main living room or study which is set up to primarily meet just the disabled persons particular physical needs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So if you have been thinking about an additional <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/Products/Bathing" target="_blank">bathroom adaptation</a> at home for a physical disability then the money you save could help you afford to go ahead with your plans.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you want to save more money on helping you to live independently we also stock <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/Preloved" target="_blank">reconditioned riser recliner chairs</a> to help you to stand and sit more easily.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And finally, for a last money saving method we can put you in touch with grant awarding charities and schemes that can help with the purchase of chairs or stairlifts. Just call us on <a href="tel:08000075060" target="_blank">0800 007 5060</a> today to find out if you could qualify.</span></div>
<br />Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0Stoke-on-Trent, Stoke-on-Trent, UK53.002668 -2.179403999999976852.849849 -2.5021274999999767 53.155487 -1.8566804999999769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-59398132052962409442016-03-28T12:45:00.000-07:002016-04-07T13:53:54.881-07:00Happy Easter at Marks and Spencer <span style="text-align: left;">It was a Happy Easter for a lot of the customers that met us recently, not at our Bank House showroom as you might expect, but at Marks and Spencers on the Wolstanton Retail Park. We had had such a successful time in terms of helping people with getting new ferrules </span><a href="http://blog.castlecomfortcentre.com/2013/02/walking-sticks-stoke-on-trent-stockist.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">on their walking sticks</a><span style="text-align: left;"> before Christmas, that we repeated the exercise to make sure everyone with a stick had a safe and secure end to their walking aid, and if it wasn't, then we fitted a new one for free. </span>
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When we set up an earlier charity ferrule change with M and S for their Christmas shopping event, we raised a lot of money and also helped to raise awareness by <a href="http://www.approachstaffordshire.co.uk/upcoming-events/249-ferrule-stopper-exchange-with-castle-comfort-group.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">publicising the Approach charity</a> which helps the elderly in North Staffordshire. This Easter we raised several hundred pounds again in our time there, which will go to the charity.</div>
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We also appeared in the Sentinel Newspaper which helped to highlight the good work, and would remind those lucky people that had entered their name for the Easter Draw, that a prize might well be on it's way pretty soon.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">HERE ARE THE WINNERS!</span></b></div>
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The first name drawn who will receive the chocolate basket was <b><i>Mrs June Belfield of Basford</i></b> who we will be in touch with very soon.</div>
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For our 15 runners up, who are listed below, they will each receive a Castle Comfort China Mug and Saucer as pictured below. </div>
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<b><i>Mrs Barbara G of Bradwell</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mr Terry B of Milton</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mr Peter M of Alsager</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mr Charles G of Brown Lees</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mr Sydney C of Halmerend</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mrs Eileen D of Kidsgrove</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mrs Pauline K of Kidsgrove</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mrs Joan B of Newcastle under Lyme</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mrs Yvonne C of Tunstall</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mrs Alice M of Clayton</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mr Henry M of Trentham</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mr Jeffrey P of Burslem</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mr Brian M of Leek</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mrs Kathleen B of Leek</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Mrs Kathleen S of Hanford</i></b></div>
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For next draw in 2017 we will be arranging to have one of these special musical Easter chicks, which will appeal to all those who are young at heart in life (Choccy cakes not included!)</div>
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Remember that for everyone who entered, there is still the opportunity to take a £50 discount off any of the current chairs, beds or stairlifts in the showrooms at either Wolstanton or Cross Heath. </div>
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Just mention it when you make your purchase.</div>
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Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com2Wolstanton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle, Staffordshire ST5, UK53.029996999999987 -2.216099999999983133.209248499999987 -43.524693999999982 72.850745499999988 39.092494000000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-64631410369013285102015-12-23T12:43:00.000-08:002016-01-10T11:33:15.942-08:00Castle Comfort at Marks and Spencers Wolstanton<h2>
<b><strong>Marks and Spencers Wolstanton join forces with Castle Comfort Centre in aid of Approach</strong></b></h2>
Our December good deeds event this year was held in the Marks and Spencers store at Wolstanton in the run up to Christmas this month. Working together with Marks and Spencers, we were raising much needed funds to support <a href="http://www.approachstaffordshire.co.uk/" target="_blank">Approach</a>, a North Staffordshire charity that helps elderly people with dementia.
Will Boyce the CEO of Approach also presents a radio show on 6towns radio in Stoke and Keith went along to talk about the planned event and about some of the history of how Castle Comfort started off at Hanley Market. You can hear the interview and a great selection of music here.<br />
You can jump to the interview by clicking at the 49 minute mark.<br />
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The original fundraising plan was to donate £1 for every ferrule and provide free teas and coffees, but the demand was so great on what was quite a cold weather weekend that the Castle Comfort team kept running out of them and had to go downstairs to the store and bring more.<br />
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It was great for some of our staff as they met up with lots of familiar faces from recent customers of the Wolstanton store, and some that remembered them from their Hanley market days nearly twenty years ago!<br />
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The event itself was very successful and raised £770 for the charity and around 200 ferrules were changed. More events are planned.
The community room itself is on the first floor of the store and for those readers who missed it Keith took a video tour of the space to get a feel for it. <br />
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Photos of the day are below and include the presentation of the cheque for £770 outside the store, which was also featured in the Sentinel to highlight the good deed.
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Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0Wolstanton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle, Staffordshire ST5, UK53.029996999999987 -2.216099999999983133.243114999999989 -43.524693999999982 72.816878999999986 39.092494000000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-91816194783713092402015-10-16T14:17:00.001-07:002015-10-16T16:08:26.346-07:00Womble in Stone Cleanup Prompts Charity Cheque For Dougie Mac<iframe width="100%" height="450" scrolling="yes" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/228737654&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true"></iframe>
<h2><b><strong>Stone Town Centre Cleanup Helps Out In More Ways Than One</strong></b></h2>
When Keith from Castle Comfort was out delivering a riser recliner chair in Stone just the other week, the lady receiving it was listening to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radiostoke">Radio Stoke</a>. The story they both heard was that a mystery man had been spotted in Stone Town Centre who was going round tidying up all the litter with a grabber - an often used aid that sells well at both of Castle Comfort's Stoke on Trent showrooms and is used to help reach and pick up items around the home as well as outside it.
But he wasn't a council worker as was first thought, but a retired member of the public who as part of his civic duty was keeping the local area clean and tidy while getting some fresh air and exercise. There were three reports about it on Radio Stoke over the course of several weeks, (which are all on the video below)
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Once his identity was discovered the story culminated with Keith meeting Andrew the Litter Picker aka "The Womble of Stone", to present him with a cheque for £100 as part of the Castle Comfort Good Deeds Fund. Both a Stoke Sentinel photographer and Emma the roving Stafford reporter on Radio Stoke were there to capture the unmasking of the mystery man and to find out more about how it all started - would you believe it - it began with 3 cows over 16 years ago. Listen to all the BBC footage on the video to hear the story progress.
Keen cleanup whizz Andrew can collect up to two full bin liners of litter in a morning's work and admits he doesn't mind being recognised now. As well as the giant cheque for £100 Keith also gave Andrew a new grabber as a backup and to help keep him reaching and picking up items easily as he approaches his 70th year - though he doesn't look like he is slowing down just yet. Andrew told us that he wanted to donate the money to the <a href="http://www.dmhospice.org.uk/">Douglas MacMillan hospice</a> which celebrated it's annual bring a pound a day fundraiser this week.
Here's some pictures from the day taken in Stone Town Centre.
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Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0Stafford District, Staffordshire, UK52.908760220549993 -2.14473164550781852.870445220549996 -2.2254126455078183 52.947075220549991 -2.0640506455078178tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-72572367897407899372015-09-03T14:00:00.000-07:002015-09-05T05:08:20.851-07:00Uniscan Walkers Showroom - handy for Staffordshire and Cheshire folk<div style="text-align: center;">
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Our best selling walking aid is the Uniscan</h1>
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3 wheeled walking frame.</h1>
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Where can I buy a uniscan rollator with a seat?</h2>
If you want a local Uniscan Showroom that is in easy reach of both Staffordshire and Cheshire and the wider West Midlands region then call us or visit one of our friendly showrooms in the Potteries. We also stock other home mobility aids that you could try or maybe just upgrade your walking stick to a newer model at the same time? The technical specifications of the Uniscan model can be <a href="http://castlecomfortcentre.com/Products/Getting_Around/British_Uniscan_Walker" target="_blank">found on our website.</a><br />
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Here's our resident Stairlifts Doctor - <a href="http://www.stairliftsdoctor.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dr. Neil Stirling MBChB</a> who at 86 years old doesn't need one of these walkers yet, but is willingly available to demonstrate how good they look as a helpful lifestyle accessory for some of his friends and colleagues at Richmond Court in Nantwich, Cheshire.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXFYfp3CFpS9F0MXZ-xzWLaHQU0WoR8Nogy36nVj4Nv8-6nIhtlCtUQFZ8qTb4n6JhyELF1NAxo4HfPm-29W4Dl5GFBHAHVpMvGFi4eF0mj58pJcuTrDpvCEwiY91UFKEVIDYpzOYkw/s1600/3+wheeled+rollator+walking+frame.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXFYfp3CFpS9F0MXZ-xzWLaHQU0WoR8Nogy36nVj4Nv8-6nIhtlCtUQFZ8qTb4n6JhyELF1NAxo4HfPm-29W4Dl5GFBHAHVpMvGFi4eF0mj58pJcuTrDpvCEwiY91UFKEVIDYpzOYkw/s640/3+wheeled+rollator+walking+frame.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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What do you get to help with your walking?</h3>
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This walking aid is easily our best known and most popular rollator. It actually has 4 wheels as one of the wheels at the front is a double for durability and stability on turning. Here below on the video you can see Malcolm senior engineer at Castle Comfort Centre showing you how it all works, but don't worry you don't need to be an engineer to drive one. They are very lightweight yet strong and surprisingly simple to operate. If you have ever ridden a bicycle then you will understand how the brakes work.<br />
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The brakes click down to secure the rear wheels so it cannot be pushed further forward. Combine that with the folding catch to secure it and the fold up seat and that's all there is to it - a wonderfully designed piece of equipment to make your life just that little bit easier. You get a walking stick holder built-in to the frame, and also a handy carry bag to stow away shopping too.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Are they heavy? </span></h4>
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Uniscan Walkers were the very first company to market with a foldable <u>lightweight walker </u>with a seat. Proudly made in Britain they are strong and also light enough to lift with a single hand and stow in the passenger footwell of a motor car, or in the boot for when travelling.<br />
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We always carry stock of these walking frames which are more adaptable and have a tighter turning circle than the aluminium zimmer frame that most people will be familiar with. In our opinion they also look a whole lot better too. Our best sellers are the blue (illustrated on the video) and the burgundy framed models, but they are available in 3 other colours on special order, if you wanted us to match it in to your own car for example.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/castle+comfort+centre/@53.0361995,-2.231933,13z/data=!3m1!4b1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">>> Click here << to see where we are if you want to try one in the showroom</a></b> </div>
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Alternatively just give us a call on <b>01782 611411</b> or <b>01782 631111</b>and we can bring one out to the home for you to try. Once we have got the height adjusted on the handlebars for you, and you are familiar with how it folds and unfolds then you can keep it if it suits you. See you soon.<br />
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Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle, Staffordshire ST5 0HE, UK53.031844799999988 -2.218336000000022153.031247799999989 -2.219596500000022 53.032441799999987 -2.2170755000000222tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-79906522626444302382015-07-03T07:08:00.002-07:002015-07-03T08:39:31.417-07:00Mobility Products Shop in Newcastle under Lyme near Stoke on TrentThere are quite a few local mobility shops in the Newcastle under Lyme area, but the one with the most branches is of course Castle Comfort Centre. Having a choice of showrooms to visit, allows us to stock more chairs and beds, so there is more available for immediate local delivery for you, unlike other shops where delays of several days or weeks could be the case.<br />
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Unmistakeable on the A34 in Newcastle under Lyme are the famous Castle Comfort dancing dummies as seen on the video above. The latest of these to add to the collection is Mr.Bean aka Rowan Atkinson. What does Mr.Bean have to do with riser recliner chairs you may ask?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mr Bean driving his car whilst sat in an armchair on the roof - not required for deliveries from Castle Comfort Centre. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Rowan_Atkinson_on_a_Mini_at_Goodwood_Circuit_in_2009.jpg/640px-Rowan_Atkinson_on_a_Mini_at_Goodwood_Circuit_in_2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Rowan_Atkinson_on_a_Mini_at_Goodwood_Circuit_in_2009.jpg/640px-Rowan_Atkinson_on_a_Mini_at_Goodwood_Circuit_in_2009.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo:<a href="http://flickr.com/photos/54877054@N00" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NathanWong</a> CC 2.0</td></tr>
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Well one of his most watched scenes is where he went to buy a chair but it would not fit into his car, a small Mini, so he placed the armchair onto his roof and then sat in the armchair whilst steering the car and using the accelerator with the aid of a mop!<br />
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Such methods wouldn't be required on buying a new chair or other mobility product from Castle Comfort as everything we do is professionally installed and demonstrated on delivery by our engineers. Same day delivery is often possible or if you have a hatchback or estate then you are welcome to put one of our takeaway bargain reconditioned recliner chairs in your boot at a special price. Just visit to see what is in stock at the moment or phone to enquire - details below.<br />
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You can visit us at<br />
Castle Comfort Centre<br />
Bank House, High Street, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 0HE<br />
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<span class="_QUg">Phone:</span>01782 611411</div>
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or </div>
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<div class="cards-entity-title cards-strong cards-text-truncate-and-wrap">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Castle Comfort Centre</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span>135 Liverpool Rd</div>
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Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 9HD<br />
Phone:01782 631111<br />
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We look forward to helping you choose the right mobility products for you or those you care for.</div>
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<br />Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-87367068606493385252015-01-30T02:35:00.000-08:002016-12-01T06:00:59.914-08:00Walking Sticks - Stoke on Trent Stockist<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Walking Sticks Shops and Stockists in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire</b></h1>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hand me down that
walking cane</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Une_canne_de_marchand_Ch%C3%A2lus.jpg/320px-Une_canne_de_marchand_Ch%C3%A2lus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Une_canne_de_marchand_Ch%C3%A2lus.jpg/320px-Une_canne_de_marchand_Ch%C3%A2lus.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source:<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fonquebure" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr>
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Walking sticks must be as old as man himself – at least as
old as when man evolved to stand on two legs that is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first walking sticks would have been branches pulled from
trees to assist walking through difficult terrain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact hikers still use sticks to help when they go off the
beaten track today and many traditional walking sticks are still made from wood<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The history of the
walking stick</b></div>
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Walking sticks over the centuries have been used as much
more than an <a href="http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/325247-overview" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">aid to walking</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">,</span>
although they have had their place in that area too.</div>
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The walking stick has been a symbol of power, a weapon and a
must-have fashion accessory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In ancient
Egypt for instance everyone carried a walking stick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The type of stick denoted your position in society so obviously
the Pharaoh’s stick was the most ornate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But shepherds and priests would also carry sticks and in this culture
everyone was buried with their walking cane too<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tutankhamen had 132 sticks buried with him! <span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span><br />
You won't have to go to Egypt for one though. See our google map at the bottom of the page or see below for a map of us and local attractions.<br />
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By the Middle Ages the royalty of Europe were commonly seen
with walking sticks which denoted their status. Sticks had become quite ornate with carving and added precious
jewels. Some had secret compartments
that concealed alcohol or weapons or other things.</div>
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Henry VIII and Charles I are both represented with walking
canes and Louis XIV and his Court all carried canes, though courtiers were not
permitted to bring theirs to Court. you can read more about Henry VIII and his use of mobility aids on another blog of ours as he is reputed to have owned the first stair lift type device.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Different types of
sticks</b></div>
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You can divide walking sticks into several categories:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ornate</b> – highly
decorated sticks were most popular from the 19<sup>th</sup> to the early 20<sup>th</sup>
Centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Handles were usually made of
silver, ivory, porcelain, glass or wood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most were elaborately decorated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These type of sticks or canes were mostly fashion accessories.<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Gadget sticks</b> –
these sticks had a dual purpose; their secret compartment might conceal
alcohol, an umbrella or a weapon.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Country sticks</b> –
still used today by hikers, golfers and others taking part in countryside
pursuits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes these have a
built-in compass in the handle.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">City Canes</b> – were
carried by ‘ladies and gentlemen’ of bygone eras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often the handles concealed tobacco or snuff, binoculars or opera
glasses and watches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were real
status symbols.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Professional sticks</b>
– related to the profession or rank of the carrier.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Weapons</b> – these
canes could be used as a weapon in their own right or to conceal a weapon such
as a sword, pistol or a blade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nowadays
it is illegal almost everywhere to carry a concealed weapon like this.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dancers’ canes</b> –
used as a prop on stage à la Fred Astaire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One theory is that singers and dancers often had to catch their breath
to sing and leaning on a cane made it look as though it was all part of the
act.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many of these sticks and canes are collectible items and
several famous people have been collectors including Queen Victoria and
Napoleon<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Modern walking sticks
and canes</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Currently walking sticks are used either by hikers covering
difficult terrain or by those with an injury or an infirm step that need the
stick as an aid to balance and mobility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To get the best support from your walking stick, it must be the correct
height for each individual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
measurement from the ground (user in shoes) to the wrist bone ensures this<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wooden sticks can be turned upside down to mark this measurement so that
the stick is cut at the correct height<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">,</span>
allowing for the tip or ferrule to be added.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Metal sticks come in a number of pre-measured heights.<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Crook handles are not always the most comfortable to walk
with<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">,</span> but can easily be
hooked over the arm when not in use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However a right angled handle is often easier to use and gives good
support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A strap which attaches around
the wrist can help to keep it by the user’s side when not in use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shaped handles help to spread the weight and
often feel safer to the user.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wooden sticks as we mentioned, are cut to height.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They usually have crooked handles and come
in a variety of thicknesses to take different weights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These need a ferrule added to the tip so
that the stick doesn’t slip; these are often made of rubber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They aren’t as flexible as other types of
sticks<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Metal sticks are usually stronger than wooden ones<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">,</span> but come in a variety of fixed
lengths rather than being ‘made-to-measure’; however most are
height-adjustable. They invariably have a non-slip finish on the end to avoid
slippage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Foldable, light weight metal
walking sticks can be useful to fold away when not in use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The metal sections are connected with strong
elastic.<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Walking sticks with seats attached can be useful for those
with heart or breathing difficulties who need to rest every so often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course a certain amount of strength is
necessary to open the seat on these sticks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are usually also a fixed height so it is important to get the
correct one.<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Long_cane.jpg/138px-Long_cane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Long_cane.jpg/138px-Long_cane.jpg" height="320" width="72" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source:<a href="user:Graham87" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Walking sticks for those with sight impairment are available
so that the user can feel where obstacles are to give them an idea of their
immediate surroundings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These walking
sticks can also be rigid or folding, have different handgrips, reflective
markings and roller tips which improve the cane’s sensitivity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sticks for those with little or no sight are
usually white which also helps others to realise and make allowances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who have both sight and hearing
impairments can have red tape wrapped around the white stick for awareness.<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can find more information at the <a href="http://www.dlf.org.uk/factsheets/choosing_walking_equipment_sponsored.pdf"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Disabled
Living Foundation</span></a> website and also <a href="http://blog.castlecomfortcentre.com/2012/12/mobility-aids-in-stoke-on-trent.html"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">.</span></div>
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Famous people who have used canes or walking sticks:<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Moses</div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Pope Benedict XVI<br />
<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> Voltaire</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Oscar Wilde</div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Benjamin Franklin</div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>George Washington</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/General_George_Washington_at_Trenton_by_John_Trumbull.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/General_George_Washington_at_Trenton_by_John_Trumbull.jpeg" height="320" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Public Domain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>George Bernard Shaw</div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Prince Albert</div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Crown Prince Hirohito</div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Harold Lloyd</div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Charlie Chaplin</div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Winston Churchill</div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Prince Charles<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Halle Berry, Brad Pitt, Courtney Cox, Jennifer Anniston
and other stars have all been spotted with walking canes after injuries<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>Dr House played by Hugh Laurie<br />
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<br />
****NEWS UPDATE****<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUO8ts4b0z7yPip2YssZaqsL0RBffCF7rQouKlqC3WrLu29-PUjPd0Q3JF2xYbaXGKpT6R5aVEhrq-HlWP7s5SMWFa8szENIFw1_SqnjmAyjGy_cJ7foWGQs_0ONAjUvWddVNo7uZww/s1600/STMS20150108H-05_C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUO8ts4b0z7yPip2YssZaqsL0RBffCF7rQouKlqC3WrLu29-PUjPd0Q3JF2xYbaXGKpT6R5aVEhrq-HlWP7s5SMWFa8szENIFw1_SqnjmAyjGy_cJ7foWGQs_0ONAjUvWddVNo7uZww/s1600/STMS20150108H-05_C.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
And we can now add another not quite as famous person, but who did appear in the local news - Sheila Aston of Tunstall Stoke on Trent.<br />
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Nearly 80 years old and shopping in Marks and Spencers, she had taken a break in the Café there. However after going back to her table later she realised that she didn't have her walking stick with her.<br />
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She looked and asked all around for it. It had been pinched!<br />
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This was quite an ordeal for an older person that relies on a walking stick to bear their weight perhaps because of troublesome knees, ankles or feet.<br />
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Not only is such a stick a safety aid, but it can make a person feel safer, in fact in earlier times they could be used as a self-defence item for more vulnerable people.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlW6MflERrm6M-QrUOmPp9EqdPHXAoVLbHECexAsFXxzDGt4JMM0j1A5UOXU4RaDuzVWxZtBg6LcH8VyzpSwHg0llkDy26jPKCZkaB-tvfsb2G0fIJbS6-rgTydsUwhkYEXqomzWQExw/s1600/STMS20150108H-04_C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlW6MflERrm6M-QrUOmPp9EqdPHXAoVLbHECexAsFXxzDGt4JMM0j1A5UOXU4RaDuzVWxZtBg6LcH8VyzpSwHg0llkDy26jPKCZkaB-tvfsb2G0fIJbS6-rgTydsUwhkYEXqomzWQExw/s1600/STMS20150108H-04_C.jpg" width="199" /></a>Also people get quite attached to their walking stick. It becomes worn and grooved to their own hand and could have been a memento from a special trip or tour, or a gift from a loved one. For these reasons they become indispensable for the folk that need them.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
A specialist stick to suit arthritic hands can be difficult to locate but here at Castle Comfort Centre when we heard about Sheila's plight we arranged to give her a new stick, and for free. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Because she relied on it for walking it was a really welcome relief. You can see the joy in her face as she received her new walking aid on the picture here taken at Castle Comfort's Wolstanton store.<br />
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Sheila has sent a thank-you note for our gesture which is much appreciated. See the picture below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jiux6EV-_xuNcnZ6_ndhRPStrOKib1yH8ykuQ19pdBApjhOCbPnnzcdQkEMKl955LZ5P3UY2G-qnA1ov-vnkJZNB-KdAevEjTnkQwCe3bfo7zSzlGkCAhPrVbeQiy9SN2yBUEVu-bg/s1600/photo(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jiux6EV-_xuNcnZ6_ndhRPStrOKib1yH8ykuQ19pdBApjhOCbPnnzcdQkEMKl955LZ5P3UY2G-qnA1ov-vnkJZNB-KdAevEjTnkQwCe3bfo7zSzlGkCAhPrVbeQiy9SN2yBUEVu-bg/s1600/photo(3).JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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We are just up the hill from the new Marks and Spencers on the Wolstanton retail park. If you reach the Adlington Apartments on the left hand side you have gone too far.<br />
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See us on the map below. If using a satnav to find us the best postcode to use is ST5 8BW which will bring you to the free parking on the road alongside the showroom. See you soon.<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="300" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=210314513202687277761.0004d5acf7b38dffd00b4&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=53.031304,-2.217189&spn=0.001936,0.003219&z=17&output=embed" width="300"></iframe><br />
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</small>Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com4Stoke-on-Trent, UK53.002668 -2.179403999999976852.849832 -2.5021274999999767 53.155504 -1.8566804999999769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-71527930349280030452014-10-27T09:33:00.000-07:002016-12-01T06:02:51.306-08:00Newcastle under Lyme Stairlifts Company Get The Cup!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hbZLhoSlQp7gTth-rSg5L8TlZq9WwliMERm2NngQMYuHsJZh-RaD7SFk0eBVpSeVhCnVktEjI0f1FQGVxtZ4l28i7pfyUeoaOZNdGPk63AJ5Fy1dr7yTQtEvgFbkQ7Qb_Yvvo465MA/s1600/newcastlebridgeclubpicture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hbZLhoSlQp7gTth-rSg5L8TlZq9WwliMERm2NngQMYuHsJZh-RaD7SFk0eBVpSeVhCnVktEjI0f1FQGVxtZ4l28i7pfyUeoaOZNdGPk63AJ5Fy1dr7yTQtEvgFbkQ7Qb_Yvvo465MA/s1600/newcastlebridgeclubpicture.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">Castle Comfort Stairlifts MD with Tracey Aherne of the Newcastle Bridge Club, <br />receiving the silver- plated Castle Comfort Trophy. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bridging The Gap</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Our latest local sponsorship award goes to Newcastle Bridge Club</span><br />
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With many members of local Bridge Clubs being customers of ours and reaching the ages when wanting a nice new recliner chair for their golden years is the norm, it made sense that we would like to be involved in the launch of an annual bridge competition at Newcastle Bridge Club. The winning pair will get their names engraved on "The Castle Comfort Cup" and also will win a cash prize, though it's not compulsory to spend it with us on any of our helpful products!<br />
Scroll on down the page for more information all about Bridge as well as the club itself.
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The Newcastle Bridge Club began nearly 65 years ago when a group from Basford Bridge Club set up their own matches in members homes and by hiring local meeting rooms. By the 1970's they were renting a second floor room on the High Street in Newcastle, but their need for ground floor premises of their own was answered in the mid 1990's when the building on King Street became available and after a lot of hard work from volunteers and some considerable loans from members and the bank, they took possession of the premises. The <span class="il">Club</span> was officially opened by the Lady Mayor, Elsie Ashley, on <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2035161724" tabindex="0">Thursday 31st March </span>1994.</div>
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Of course, defining the word bridge goes well beyond the popular game about which we referring to with our sponsorship of Newcastle Bridge Club.
Some years ago it entered the world of mobility products - to be exact stairlifts, when people with perhaps a limited a budget
or simply cost conscious - needed a chairlift to go around a curve at the top of the stairs. A curved stairlift system until recent years ago could have cost between
£4,000 and £7,000 - so certain manufacturers and specialist suppliers created a 'bridge platform' or often referred to as a 'bridging platform'
This ingenious gadget constructed from a strong timber platform and small hydraulic hinges - enabled a straight lift to be fitted (a lot cheaper of course)
and even with the extra £200 or so for the bridging platform - It was considerably less than the cost of a curved installation<br />
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Here it is, demonstrated by a 'supporter' of the Premier League team Stoke City, alias 'The Potters'<br />
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The disadvantage of a bridge platform however, is that apart from the fact it has to be lifted up and down manually by the user, they could fall of it and break their necks.<br />
Hardly a mobility product acquisition linked to longevity!<br />
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Where the angle of the stairs and the width was considerable then the danger pointed out there is considerably less, but nevertheless, the industry has worked hard to avoid using a risky adaptation - and in recent years the cost of a good curved system, whether new or reconditioned has come down, and made them much more affordable.<br />
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Ironically, a stair-lift specialist near Stoke on Trent (whose directors are probably Stoke City fans - but not the one shown above) claim to be partially responsible for the
dramatic reduction in the size of investment needed for less hazardous solutions to mounting a curved stair-well.<br />
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Castle Comfort Stairlifts, based precisely at Cross Heath and Wolstanton in Newcastle under Lyme claim, as agents for all UK manufacturers, to have enabled huge price drops due to the sheer volume of business generated
by them.<br />
<br />
Apart from handling their own direct contracts, the enquiries received are supplied to any one (OR MORE) of several manufacturers to compete for the work.
These days, a price paid for a curved stairlift installation is more likely to be between £2,500 and £4,000 - still not tuppence halfpenny, but around half of what it was a few years ago. Few things we buy in life have followed such a price change pattern.<br />
<br />
In essence, the public who contact Castle Comfort - find that they will probably receive a quotation (or more than one) to consider, that is a lot less than had they responded to a newspaper or a TV ad, thinking that was the only stairlift company to approach.<br />
<br />
So apart from saving money, it is perhaps a better option than a broken neck! Call 01782 611411 or 01782 631111 for a free no obligation quotation for a curved (or straight) stairlift - or <a href="https://plus.google.com/104638648837012851372/about" target="_blank">visit the Stairlift showhouse at Cross Heath for a ride on one!</a><br />
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<b><u>BRIDGE THE GAME</u></b><br />
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Here below written by our esteemed columnist Mr John Pedder MBE we have more about Bridge the well loved game played especially by the most senior members of society.
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<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Every game has a character of its own appropriate to the company it keeps and the place where it is played."
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
David Partlett - Oxford Guide to Card Games</blockquote>
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What do James Bond, Dwight Eisenhower, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Martina Navratilova, Omar Sharif and Snoopy have in common? They all play Bridge. Yes, Snoopy is no stranger to the bridge table, thanks to cartoonist Charles Schulz.<br />
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Bill Gates is a self-confessed bridge addict, attributing his condition to the billionaire investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett. Buffett, a die-hard player, once said "If I'm playing bridge and a naked woman walks by, I don't even see her"<br />
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James Bond, chalked up 7 redoubled in Ian Fleming's novel "Moonraker".
The hand used by Fleming was an historic one. It is known as 'The Duke of Cumberland Hand.'
Duke of Cumberland Hand - A purportedly rigged hand dealt to the son of George III, the King of England, resulting in the loss of a £20,000 wager. The hand was used in the James Bond movie, "Moonraker" against the villain Drax.<br />
While Bond's 8 points don't look too strong, he uses Drax's tendency to clubs to promote his own diamonds resulting in a thundering thirteen tricks. <br />
<br />
<b><u>How old is Bridge? </u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
An early reference to Bridge, using the earlier name of trump or English ruff can be found in a perhaps unlikely place, namely a sermon published in 1529 by Bishop Hugh Latimer . The sermon, entitled "On the Cards" was given on the Sunday before Christmas 1529 in St Edmunds Church, Cambridge.
"And where you are wont to celebrate Christmass in playing at Cards, I intend, by God's Grace, to deal unto you Christ's Cards, wherein you will perceive Christ's Rule. The game that we play shall be called the Triumph, where, if it be well played at he that dealeth shall win, the players shall win and likewise the standers and lookers upon shall do the same. You must mark also that the Triumph must apply to fetch unto him all the other Cards, whatever suit they be of. What requireth Christ of a Christian man? Now turn up your Trump, your Heart, (Heart is the Trump as I said before) and cast your Trump, your heart on this card."<br />
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Bishop Latimer lived in very turbulent and dangerous times, the England of the 16th century. Monarchs and prelates were all powerful and religion was at the heart of much of the power struggle. It is sad to reflect that very little has changed. Today we see that the abuse of religion and ruthless fanaticism remains at the heart of much of the world's troubles. Those who were safe and in favour could very soon see the tide of fortune rapidly change.
On his death, King Henry VIII left three heirs, his son Edward and two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. On the death of Henry, Edward V1 ascended the throne in 1547. He was just nine years old. Henry was a Protestant or, in view of his young age, it may be more likely that his advisors were. During his reign the Latin services were translated into English and a desire to establish a more Bible based faith developed. Hugh Latimer, a Cambridge scholar and Bishop of Worcester, was favoured by Henry but failed to influence the King to allow the Protestant reforms. He had more success under Edward and, with two other men, Nicholas Ridley and Thomas Cranmer, the English reformation painfully took shape.
On the death of Edward V1 at the age of fifteen, his cousin, Lady Jane Gray took his place but only for a mere nine days! Mary ascended the throne in 1553 and Mary was a Roman Catholic. She earned the name "Bloody Mary". Although fewer people were condemned compared with those at the behest of her father, Henry VIII, she had hundreds of people put to death, often by fire, solely because of their religious convictions. Mary had a firm objective and that was to return England to its 'true faith' , to Roman Catholicism under the Pope.
Mary ordered that Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer be arrested. They had refused to recant on their Protestant beliefs and charged with heresy - punishable by death. Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley were burnt at the stake outside Balliol College in Oxford on 16th October 1555. The same fate befell Thomas Cranmer on March 21st 1556. The clerics became known as the Oxford Martyrs. For all of his skills at the card table, Ridley failed to win his final game against a powerful player, Queen Mary 1st.They are commemorated close to the place of the executions by the Martyrs Memorial outside Balliol College, a landmark well known to Chief Inspector Morse!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/loloieg/262930404" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Le Mémorial des Martyrs by loloieg, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Mémorial des Martyrs" height="320" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/84/262930404_c53060236d_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">Martyrs Memorial Oxford (Source: <a href="http://loloieg.free.fr/blog/index.php?pages/Albums-photos" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flickr.com</a>)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Bridge has been played for centuries, albeit under different names - triumph,trump,ruff,whisk swabbers and of course by the 17th century whist.<br />
Whist may have been a reference to the speed at which cards were swept up after a winning trick or perhaps a call for silence during play. It was in 1742 that the first book on the game was published, 'Short Treatise on Whist' by Edward Hoyles. The first game of Duplicate Whist was played in London in 1834.<br />
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<u><b>Cards in Literature </b></u><br />
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Shakespeare uses card games quite frequently in his texts. An interesting reference is taken here from 'Antony and Cleopatra' It is probably a reference to a game called Trump. This was probably the triumfo of the Italians, and the triomphe of the French — being perhaps of equal antiquity in England with primero. At the latter end of the sixteenth century it was very common among the inferior classes. There is, no doubt, a particular allusion to this game in "Antony and Cleopatra" (iv. 14), where Antony says:
"the queen —
Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine;
Which, whilst it was mine, had annex'd unto't
A million more, now lost — she, Eros, has
Pack'd cards with Caesar, and false-play'd my glory
Unto an enemy's triumph."
There is confusion between trump and triumph. The game in question bore a very strong resemblance to our modern whist — the only points of dissimilarity being that more or less than four persons might play at trump; that all the cards were not dealt out; and that the dealer had the privilege of discarding some, and taking others in from the stock. In Eliot's "Fruits for the French," 1593, it is called "a very common ale-house game in England." Players of modern day bridge may not be too pleased by such a description!<br />
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<b><u>Charles Dickens (1812-1870)</u></b>
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Charles Dickens was arguably the first English novelist to write with a social conscience. The gap between rich and poor, the legal system, the exploitation of children and conditions in the workhouse and prostitution all came under his scrutiny. Dickens viewed card games as a symbol of class and social mobility as well as a potential evil.<br />
In Victorian days, cards were associated with gambling and as such were often frowned upon.
'Great Expectations', thought by Dickens to be his finest work, appeared in weekly instalments in the periodical 'All the Year Round' between December 1860 and August 1861.
Young Pip is summoned by Miss Haversham to Satis House and commanded to wait upon her once a week. On first meeting, the mad Miss Haversham, still attired in her now shabby wedding gown,
commands the boy to "Play, play play!"<br />
Pip is overwhelmed but agrees to play cards with the adopted daughter Estella, who remonstrates "Play with this boy! Why, he is a common labouring boy!"
"What do you play, boy?" asked Estella of myself, with the greatest of disdain.
"Nothing but Beggar-my-neighbour, miss."(Beggar-my-neighbour first appears in the Oxford Dictionary in 1734 but may have evolved from an earlier game Knave Out of Doors from as far back at the 16thcentury.)
"Beggar him," said Miss Haversham to Estella. So we sat down to cards.
Estella beats Pip at every game and uses her skill to dominate and belittle him.
As Pip grows up and becomes a gentleman he makes acquaintances in the higher echelons of society. What he had assumed would bring him happiness and fulfilment failed to come up to his expectations. Only when he rejects games playing and other trappings of the gentility does he find contentment.
Pip accepts the values of the Victorian middle classes, loyalty, honesty and hard work which trumped the games of trickery and chance played by other characters in the novel.<br />
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<b><u>Agatha Christie (1890-1936)</u></b><br />
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Even the least amongst lovers of literature will almost certainly have heard of the crime writer Agatha Christie. One of her best known characters, featured in the TV series, is the fictional Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.
Bridge is featured in the 1936 novel 'Cards on The Table.' There are four key players, Superintendent Battle, Colonel Race, Ariadne Oliver and Hercule Poirot.
Whilst not usual police procedure, the Superintendent in charge of a murder investigation, agrees to work with three other 'sleuths', sharing all of the facts equally. "Cards on the table, that's the motto for this business" .
The plot is that all of the potential murders played bridge together at the time of the murder. Poirot 's technique is to study how each of the suspects played bridge; their skill level, risk taking and their killer instinct. By using the way they played he could gain insight into their psychology and thus be led to the killer.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/4028160820" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank" title="Ace of Spades Card Deck Trick Magic Macro 10-19-09 2 by Steven Depolo, on Flickr"><img alt="Bridge the Game" height="334" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2793/4028160820_0292417df2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/4028160820/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Source:Flickr.com-stevendepolo</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><u>Bridge Players</u></b><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
Since the average person's small supply of politeness must last him all his life he cannot afford to waste it on bridge partners. (Alfred Sheinwold)</blockquote>
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Bridge players are found all around the world and from all walks of life. From Monarchs and Presidents, film stars, academics, and politicians, to the ordinary man in the street, bridge has a compelling appeal. Each year teams from both The House of Commons and The House of Lords compete at the bridge table. Bridge is played at local club level and at national and inter-national level where both the determination to win is only matched by the high stakes.<br />
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<b>The Cavendish Invitational</b><br />
One of the largest, if not the largest event, certainly in terms money, is The Cavendish Invitational. The Cavendish Club, whose name is associated with the event was founded in New York back in 1925. Among the members were some of the greatest names in bridge. For whatever reasons, it
moved around from Mayfair House, the Ambassador Hotel to the Ritz Tower Hotel and Carlton House. The club began hosting the Cavendish Invitational Pairs in 1975. The event continued for a number of years but in 1991, financial difficulties and a dwindling membership, forced the New York club to close its doors. However, the event continued in New York until 1997 when a major boost to its future occurred. World Bridge Productions took over the Invitational Pairs tournament and moved to the glitzy environment of Las Vegas. This was not only to raise the profile of the event but also the purse.
More players were needed and WPB introduced another tournament, the Open Pairs. This is an auctioned event and is surrounded by drama and wealth. The day before the event, a black tie cocktail party is held where all the top pairs are acquired by the highest bidders. The pool can be in the region of $1million or more. The pairs purchase a minimum share of 10% in themselves and may go as high as 40% or more if agreed with the winner of the bid. So, what happens to the pool pot? At the end of the tournament, 95% is shared out proportionally.
The rules are that each pair plays three boards against each of the other pairs, with a time limit of twenty five minutes per round with a total of forty five rounds being played to decide the winner. In 2012, the tournament moved location to Monaco.<br />
Monaco 2014 gave some unexpected results as the choices made by the auctions turned out to not always be the correct ones. Number 1 rated Helgemo Helness had to be satisfied with second place in Final B which was won by the Russian pair, Gromov/Dubinin. Last year's winners, Nanev/Gunev, didn't qualify for Final A and only managed to claim eighth place in Final B. The final winners of 2014 Open Pairs, with a commanding superiority were Polish pair Krystof Buras and Gregorz Narkiewicz.<br />
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<b>Buffett Cup</b><br />
Another prestigious bridge tournament is the Buffett Cup, named of course after Warren Buffett (the inspiration behind Bill Gates' addiction to bridge) first staged in 2006. The event is modelled on the Ryder Cup golf competition with teams competing from the USA and Europe. This biennial event is held the week preceding the Ryder Cup.
Teams are selected by invitation and must include at least two female players. The tournament allows for a mixture of teams of four, pairs and individual sessions.
The 2014 Buffett Cup was scheduled to be held in Monaco but in the event it never happened. It was Europe's turn to offer a location and Monaco graciously offered to be the host and provide funding, with the exception of airfare. The problem was that the American Bridge Federation agreed to fund the tickets but then withdrew the offer. It seems that agreement could not be reached when deciding on the US team and months of bitter infighting followed, resulting in cancellation.<br />
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<b>Bridge over troubled water</b><br />
I now return to Agatha Christie's 'Cards on The Table' and the theme of murder. Surely, there is no connection between murder and bridge? Well, in fact there is more than one recorded murder where bridge was a factor.<br />
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"Regardless of what sadistic impulses were may harbour, winning bridge means helping a partner avoid mistakes." (Frank Stewart)<br />
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<u><i>The Bridge Murder Case September 1929</i></u><br />
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What activities should a married couple never undertake together? No doubt there are many. I would certainly list learning to drive and hanging wallpaper! It would seem that playing bridge should be added to the list. It has led to murder - literally.<br />
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It all started as a perfectly normal social occasion between neighbours on the evening of September 29th 1927 in Kansas City. John and Myrtle Bennett were hosts to their friends Charles and Myrna Hofman who lived in the same affluent apartment block. Earlier in the day, the two men had played golf. John Bennett was said to be of a volatile disposition and was prone to slapping his wife when things failed to go his way - not an ideal qualification for bridge partners!
The Hofmans were not skilled players and the Bennetts were soon in a commanding lead.<br />
As the evening progressed the Hofmans managed to catch up and then took the lead. The tables had been turned by the time the fatal hand was played. In the debacle that followed, the cards were scattered and the exact nature of the hand is largely a guess. What was remembered by the survivors was the bidding.<br />
John Bennett opened one spade, Charles Hofman overcalled two diamonds and Myrtle Bennett ended the auction with a jump to game in spades. After Mr Hofman made the opening lead Mrs Bennett spread as dummy a collection of cards Myrna Hofman was later to describe as "a rather good hand".
Myrtle clearly believed the dummy she had laid out added to the values of her husband's first bid and should easily have resulted in game but Mr Bennett managed to fail in his contract by two tricks. It was then discovered that he had opened on less than full values.<br />
It was alleged that after Mr Bennett played the hand to its inevitable less than glorious conclusion, his wife added to the already volatile atmosphere by calling him "a bum bridge player."<br />
What followed is taken from Myra Hofman's testimony. The Hofman's tried to restore calm but could not do so. Bennett slapped his wife several times and said that he was going to spend the night in a hotel and then leave town.<br />
What followed bears an uncanny likeness to the events described in the recent trial of Oscar Pistorius!
John Bennett went to the bedroom and started to pack a suitcase and Myrtle went to her mother's room where she knew there was a loaded gun. Seeing the gun, John Bennett ran into the bathroom and bolted the door. Myrtle fired twice through the locked door. Unlike the Pistorius case, both shots missed.<br />
A frantic John Bennett escaped from the bathroom by another door which led into a hallway, ran through the lounge and made an unsuccessful attempt to open the front door. Myrtle was quickly upon him and fired another two shots, this time with fatal results. Myrtle Bennett was charged with first degree murder.
In the trial that followed Myrtle pleaded not guilty and claimed that she brought the gun to give to her husband as he routinely carried one when going away on business trips. The gun went off by accident as she tripped up in hall. Incredibly the jury chose to ignore the two bullet holes in the bathroom door and the fact that there was no suitcase in the hall. Mrs Bennett was acquitted. (Source:Wikipedia.org)<br />
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So, the Bennett case was a long time ago and surely such a case couldn't happen again. Well, it did as recently as July 2010. The shocking case was reported by 'BBC News Lancashire.'<br />
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<u><i>Bridge player Stephen Green guilty of wife's murder</i></u><br />
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A former world championship bridge player has been jailed for life for murdering his wife in a knife attack.
Stephen Green, 52, stabbed Carole Green, 57, 100 times at their flat in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.
A jury at Preston Crown Court took 75 minutes to convict the former British Aerospace worker after a week-long trial.
The murder followed his constant criticism of her card-playing.
He was ordered to serve a minimum of 23 years after being found guilty of her murder.
The court was told of the couple's stormy relationship, Green's heavy drinking and constant bickering about Mrs Green's playing abilities at Lytham Bridge Club, where they first met.
The court heard testimonies from fellow bridge players who said that Green considered his wife to be a mere "club player" and viciously put her down in front of friends.
It beggars belief that a card game could be taken so seriously as to result in an extraordinary motive for a frenzied attack by a player of world championship status.<br />
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What is the future for Bridge Clubs?
We are living in a high tech world. Every electronic gadget has to be fast, exciting and gratification has to be immediate. Viewers of 'Click' will know that the industry brings out something new to tempt our obsession with all things cyber and virtual with frightening regularity. One can of course play bridge on line but this is another example of people interacting with others, who may or may not be real, in a solitary environment, an introverted world - we are losing the ability to socialise. A part of going to play real bridge with real people in a real place should not be surrendered easily. However, I fear that such activity may be the domain of a dwindling number of predominately older people, unless the image of the game or some of the discipline required to learn it changes somewhat.<br />
Writing in 'The Independent' (Monday October 27th. 2014), Maureen Hiron, The Independent's bridge correspondent, expressed fears for the future of what may be claimed to be the world's most sophisticated and subtle card game. She believes it to be both an image problem and too complicated, especially for younger people.
"The world's most sophisticated and subtle card game has got a serious image problem. While poker conjures up notions of fast cars, loose women and all-nighters in Vegas, bridge is more likely to suggest cucumber sandwiches, blue rinses and afternoon naps.<br />
That's why Ms. Hiron, The Independent's in-house expert, set out to create a faster, funkier version that would bring younger players flocking to the green baize."
I can hear the purists shouting with outrage already!
"Two years ago, Maureen Hiron -The Independent's bridge correspondent - was playing a weeknight club game with her expat friends in Marbella when there was a break in play. Table seven had been asked to speed up a little. The instruction, quite literally, fell on deaf ears. That night, table seven consisted of a 98-year-old golfing Canadian called Sidney Matthews; Edith Gross, 95, a former ballerina who once danced for Adolf Hitler; Lilian Matthews, a Spanish international bridge player, 90; and 90-year-old Lorenzo Runeberg, a Finnish international known as "Ruthless Runie". They had a combined age of 373.<br />
For Hiron, a British international herself, there couldn't have been a clearer example of the way bridge is becoming a dangerously old game. She is not the only one to make this observation. Ever since poker took off in Britain in the last decade, bridge has been fighting an uphill battle. Although, worldwide, 200 million people play bridge, it is an increasingly ageing constituency. And in Britain, despite signs in the Nineties that the game was bursting with life, there are now fewer than 30,000 members of the English Bridge Union, the game's governing body. The average age of EBU members is 55 (for the American Contract Bridge League that figure is over 60).<br />
As a solution towards this she has created a game called Abridged, a simplified version of bridge. It gets rid of bidding, the most complicated part of the game and uses colours, not suits. Face cards have been replaced by the numbers 11,12,13 and 14. Abridged is a huge hit in America. After an initial sell out run, another 50,000 boards are about to hit the shops. Can it be the same here in Britain?<br />
"I can see what is happening in bridge," says Hiron. "Because it's become so complex, because the learning curve has become so huge, people are put off by it. It's only natural. Bridge is a living, breathing game, and it has developed. That's fine for committed players but it means that to learn the game can be eternal for some people. What I have done is to get rid of the complicated part of the game, so people can start playing in twenty minutes. "<br />
Chair of the English Bridge Union Peter Stoken had this to say about it. "There's absolutely no reason why the average age of bridge players should be going up. It's entirely our own fault for not coming to grips earlier with what we should be doing. We've come to realise that bridge needs a change of culture, and what we need to do is to create happy, friendly clubs where you can get a good game. One of the blights of bridge in the past, for instance, has been the bad behaviour of some. God knows, I was guilty of it in my youth. It's usually partners getting at each other, and it's incredibly off-putting."<br />
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Do you play bridge? Did it take you a long time to learn the intricacies of the game? What age did you start learning it? Let us know in the comments, and if you do fancy a few games or want to start learning then call the club on <b>01782 611164</b> to find out more about it.Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com1Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, UK53.013208 -2.227300199999945152.9367835 -2.388661699999945 53.0896325 -2.0659386999999452tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-486485356710074042014-10-02T06:35:00.000-07:002014-10-02T06:37:12.328-07:00Phil The Power Taylor Buys His Mum A Riser Recliner Chair<h2>
Phil's Mum Scores A Bullseye With Her Choice Of New Chair</h2>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mJ1trf8w430?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Keith delivered the chair personally within half an hour and my mum's previous one was taken to a friend's house with no cost. All professional, organised and simply aiming everything just right!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Castle Comfort staff knew Phil supports many local good causes in Stoke on Trent. So on delivery of his mum's riser recliner chair, asked for permission if they could use the photos and short films taken on our blog and website, and in return would make a donation to one of his favourite charities.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Phil was delighted, and mentioned without hesitation 'Donna Louise'
So it's a top score on the day for all... Castle Comfort achieved more business and delighted to have a celebrity of this status in the client list, and Phil Taylor's mum is over the moon.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Not least, Donna Louise, a marvellous institution doing a fantastic job will now have received a cheque for £150. (see pic below)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXONzcQbqDq_CNYv7aw5KSzl7DDuuCx4-JPIQCH_FMFtW4WVBHoV4Ke0rFDybtlEZmP1k2pL98nEw4cEFk7w8OOi92UfnngtqUjMf3yIF5xgQjU75u5i1cRGVDXbc0q-2gS5xsTxSMoQ/s1600/PhilTaylorBuysHisMumANewRiserReclinerChair.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXONzcQbqDq_CNYv7aw5KSzl7DDuuCx4-JPIQCH_FMFtW4WVBHoV4Ke0rFDybtlEZmP1k2pL98nEw4cEFk7w8OOi92UfnngtqUjMf3yIF5xgQjU75u5i1cRGVDXbc0q-2gS5xsTxSMoQ/s1600/PhilTaylorBuysHisMumANewRiserReclinerChair.PNG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXi-hPJ-S4PouOmxRrRRiaVEilWXvx6dGUwtVX4KgDRwnUUyOKROaun5x_rWg2vw_m7k7HCcHunhkloDI1S84ziC8ACwK48FRzi5dgMQEwFDK56f46CpQKl3RdBrQZeU0YP_EffDLFQ/s1600/DonnaLouiseHospiceDonationLetter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXi-hPJ-S4PouOmxRrRRiaVEilWXvx6dGUwtVX4KgDRwnUUyOKROaun5x_rWg2vw_m7k7HCcHunhkloDI1S84ziC8ACwK48FRzi5dgMQEwFDK56f46CpQKl3RdBrQZeU0YP_EffDLFQ/s640/DonnaLouiseHospiceDonationLetter.png" height="320" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Acknowledgement from <a href="http://www.donnalouisetrust.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Donna Louise Children's Hospital Trust</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Phil had said that they had been to a few places looking for chairs and that Castle Comfort had the largest selection. His mum was pleased because she had finally found a chair that was just "so comfortable."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So thanks again Phil for kindly allowing us to use the picture and video and we trust your mum is very happy with her new purchase.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keith, Ann and Dr.Stirling - Castle Comfort Centre</td></tr>
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<br />Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com4Stoke-on-Trent, Stoke-on-Trent, UK53.002668 -2.179403999999976852.849849 -2.5021274999999767 53.155487 -1.8566804999999769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-84164652619493005682014-05-12T07:12:00.002-07:002016-12-01T06:04:26.664-08:00Castle Comfort in Newcastle under Lyme takes on new employee<h1>
Chairs For The Elderly Showroom Takes On New Recruit</h1>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWlTViV0Xm3MXjEmq5Q4VlIAiHdoFMj0oPOlr-G5rxGU7g2DwoRMums5MBK5HFRgy9Mjit2vXzrn234vOUu_eG7r7Vk5eIOB78VV5eDU50wTXwopqI4iukmOuD97ppwhS8Z3gUJrBxw/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWlTViV0Xm3MXjEmq5Q4VlIAiHdoFMj0oPOlr-G5rxGU7g2DwoRMums5MBK5HFRgy9Mjit2vXzrn234vOUu_eG7r7Vk5eIOB78VV5eDU50wTXwopqI4iukmOuD97ppwhS8Z3gUJrBxw/s1600/image.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
Expanding Stoke on Trent business Castle Comfort Centre has just taken on a young lady by the name of Camilla (on the left pictured standing next to Castle Comfort director Ann Bruce.)<br />
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She is the latest applicant to the Castle Comfort Centre branch of the business in Cross Heath, Newcastle under Lyme. The other main branch being Wolstanton where Castle Comfort Centre is located. Also we have another satellite branch at Tunstall Market. It is anticipated she will rotate her shifts round all 3 branches once her training induction period has completed.<br />
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Her duties will include greeting guests at the door and marketing and promotions and she has kindly agreed to work unpaid 24 hours a day, refuses to take a break or have any time off for lunch! She also won't sit down on the job. <i>What??!! Isn't that illegal?</i><br />
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To see an actual video of Camilla in action scroll down the page, click on the white triangle and all will be revealed<b>.....</b><br />
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If you like our fun and friendly approach why not pay us a visit and you can see a nice range of comfortable
chairs while you are here. Many folk have come over the road from HSL
Chairs to do their comparison shopping and we welcome you to park for
free right outside our shop. Our testimonials around the web show what people think of our service, our quality products and our value for money prices. <br />
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While you are here you can also take a
look around our adapted bathroom or ride on the stairlift, which is a
brand new Acorn/Brooks model that we have here for people to try before you buy. Walking Sticks and
Wheeled Walkers are also available to purchase along with
adjustable beds and chairs from top British manufacturers.<br />
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<b>Enjoyed the little clip below? Please pass it on in Social Media.</b><br />
<b>Facebook Shares, Tweets and Pins Appreciated! </b><br />
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The latest update is that Camilla has a boyfriend!<br />
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See the picture below taken with our friendly neighbours, the guys from <a href="http://www.etslighting.co.uk/" target="_blank">ETS</a> - our local electrical and lighting suppliers next door. We know it is hot weather but at least he could have put some trousers on. The honking of horns has been very distracting!<br />
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She is currently advertising comfy chairs at:-<br />
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Castle Comfort Stairlifts Ltd, 135 Liverpool Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 9HD<br />
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Beep your horn when you pass!<br />
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<br />Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com6Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle, Staffordshire ST5 9HD, UK53.0200448 -2.23115630000006653.0188508 -2.2336778000000659 53.0212388 -2.2286348000000662tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-27089798317579571732014-02-13T06:56:00.000-08:002016-12-01T06:05:50.811-08:00Cross Heath - Who is King of the Castle?<b><u>'Who is King of The Castle?' </u></b><br />
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<b>'Local boy opens new chairs outlet in Cross Heath'<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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At the time of writing, a new business venue is about to open. Keith Simpson, founder and Managing Director of the well known 'Castle Comfort Centre' of Wolstanton, is opening a shop in Cross Heath next to what was the joinery business which is mentioned below. Keith is a supplier of mobility and easier living aids such as stairlifts, chairs and beds and adds a Cross Heath furniture store to the Wolstanton and Tunstall branches.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Work in progress on the new Castle Comfort Centre outlet, 135 Liverpool Road, Cross Heath, ST5 9HD</span></div>
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Keith grew up in Cross Heath. His father, Harry, was on the PTA at Hempstalls Junior School and also a town planning officer. The inspiration for Castle Comfort Centre lies with the needs of Keith's mother, Doreen. At that time, it was not easy to acquire the equipment needed. This motivated Keith to set up a business making the acquisition of quality mobility aids at an affordable price and with good after sales service, readily available in the local area. Castle Comfort Centre opened at Bank House in Wolstanton. From that beginning, Castle Comfort Centre is now a national and international company.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Keith has fond memories of his early days in Cross Heath and he is delighted that he is now able to put something back into the locality to the benefit of local people. Castles and Kings go together, and 'Castle' still has its own - Keith "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/stairliftking" target="_blank">the Stairlift King</a>"<span style="font-variant: small-caps;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Here are some photo's of the visit from the Mayor and Terry Conroy who came for a sneak peak before the official opening later this February and for the invited guests an early celebration for both Keith's Birthday and also for Pat's a familiar face at our Tunstall branch and for those that can remember us from Hanley Market.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mayor of Newcastle Eddie Boden with Keith Simpson of Castle Comfort Centre on a new recliner bed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keith and Eddie welcome the invite-only early visitors</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pat - a seasoned traveller receives her 70th birthday gift </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keith receives his birthday gift - Stoke City newspaper stories (he's featured in a few himself!)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Keith looking through the book signed by Terry Conroy</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Terry Conroy trying out one of the recliner beds in the showroom</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Keith, Ann and Terry at the Cross Heath Castle Comfort Centre trying out a chair</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Keith and Cross Heath Councillor John Williams have a riser recliner chair race!</span></div>
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Here is the history of Cross Heath which we have had researched by our roving reporter John Pedder MBE as we have found out some interesting facts out about the area which has been previously covered in the Way We Were supplement of the Sentinel.<br />
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Whenever I am asked where I live, I always say Newcastle, never Stoke-on-Trent. This has often led to confusion. People assume that I mean Newcastle-on-Tyne. Even if 'under-Lyme' is stressed, the confusion can still occur. However, that all important distinction at least does guard against an association with Ant and Dec. There is an upside. The north east is a fascinating and beautiful region of England with its rugged coastline and ancient castles and it is home to some of the most endearing of people.<br />
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Newcastle-under-Lyme is situated north of Stoke-on-Trent and on the doorstep of the Peak District National Park. 'Castle' folk are proud of the 'Loyal and Ancient Borough' and guard their heritage and identity. It has to be said that the Newcastle of today is very different from the town in which I grew up. The old feel of a market town has slowly been lost. The cattle market no longer exists. The cows and sheep have gone and with them the farmers and dealers from the outlying areas who enlivened the town centre and brought in not only a vibrancy, but much needed trade for the local shops and public houses. Whilst there is still a traditional open market, and a farmers market, in common with many towns, the High Street is dying and varied small business outlets have given way to banks, building societies, charity shops and supermarkets.<br />
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Sainsbury's and Morrison's (where <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/" target="_blank">Castle Comfort</a> have their displays and free walking stick repair days) (on the site of the old cattle market in Brooke Lane) now dominate the retail market rather than 'the butcher, the baker and candlestick maker' of bygone days. Other than 'The Bulls Head' in Lad Lane and 'The Boat and Horses', a link to the old canal days, very little of the old Newcastle remains.
But what of the historical Newcastle?
Newcastle has its origin in the ancient manors. Tracing the history of the Manor of Newcastle may well start with the castle itself. This is difficult. Unlike Conway, Nottingham, Caernarvon or other towns where a castle still stands largely intact, there is not much of our castle left to be seen. John Ward, in 'A History of Stoke-on-Trent' (first published 1843 - republished by Webberley Ltd 1984) makes the following observation:
"In treating, therefore, of the ancient history of such townships as are within the Manor of Newcastle, we should have little more to do than write a history of the Manor itself, and the castle which gave it the youthful name it still retains (after every vestige of the structure has been swept away by the destructive hand of age); but this is by no means an easy task, for we are unable to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion as to the precise period when <a href="http://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/leisure_index.asp?id=SXD8E9-A7813439&cat=1553" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the castle</a> was built, or respecting the original formation of the manorial territory.'
In the 11th century, England was invaded. An army of Norman, Breton and French soldiers was led by Duke William 11 of Normandy; later to be known as William the Conqueror. William's claim to the throne was based upon a familial link to the childless Edward the Confessor. Edward had named Harold as his successor but he may well have already named his distant cousin William as well. Not a good situation! For the first eleven years of Edward's reign, the real ruler of England was Godwine, Earl of Wessex. In 1004, Edward had married Godwine's daughter Edith but it was not <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXdyweQT708" target="_blank">a case of happy families</a>. Edward outlawed his father in law and family. Such were the unstable affairs of the day, that with the help of Edward's opponents, Godwine and his sons returned and his lands were restored. On the death of Godwine, in 1053 his son Harold took over the mantle. Edward died on January 4th 1066 and was buried in the abbey he had constructed in Westminster. The invasion which followed, an arrow in Harold's eye and the date 1066 were destined to become the facts known by all school children, even if the rest of history escapes them! Why is all of this relevant to Newcastle-under-Lyme? At the time of the Norman Conquest, large parts of the County of Stafford belonged to the Crown. At the time of Domesday survey, Wolstanton and Penkull were described as 'large manors', certainly much larger than today. Trentham was an adjoining manor. These Crown properties needed to be defended and that meant the building of a new castle. William died just two years after listing of his territorial possessions and it seems unlikely that he was responsible for the castle.
William was followed by his son, Rufus who reigned for thirteen years. Rufus was aware of the necessity to defend the kingdom his father had won. He became known as a great builder of castles.
Rufus was followed in 1100 by Henry 1st and he was to reign for the following thirty-five years. Henry continued the establishment of defensive structures. It likely that the foundation of our castle may be within that period but there is no existing record to that effect. A reference does appear during the reign of King Stephen in a 'treaty of accommodation' between him and Henry Plantagenet, the future King Henry II. This involved castles and lands including the 'new castle' of Staffordshire. It seems that Newcastle, together with Stafford, Tamworth and Tutbury were the total castles maintained in this county.
The new castle was built to defend royal lands and also to protect us from the Welsh! The castle had another facility, a gaol to house those who had transgressed, way before Saturday night's revellers in the modern day Iron Market!
The new castle was not the first defensive site in the Borough. In the 1st century, the Romans established a fort at Chesterton. There was a settlement at Holditch and a villa at Hales.
There is evidence of a Saxon settlement in the Borough from the 6th to the 9th century.
Madeley was granted a royal charter in 975 by King Edgar. Newcastle is not given a mention in the Domesday Book (1086) whereas Bradwell, Wolstanton, Clayton, Knutton, Hill and Chapel Chorlton and Maer do appear in the book. Newcastle was planned and established by King Henry 11 and its Royal Charter was granted in 1173.<br />
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<b><u>Where was the castle and what did it look like?</u></b><br />
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The castle was located in what is now Pool Dam on a site between Lyme Brook and Silverdale Road in Newcastle. Excavations have located remains of the Castle Motte. Remains of the walls have been found alongside St Mary's Primary School on the corner of John O'Gaunt's Road and opposite to a new housing development aptly named Castle Keep Mews. For further fortification, a dam was constructed to divert water from the Lyme Brook to form a pool or moat around the castle; hence the name Pool Dam.<br />
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The pool, complete with fish, is included in the Arms of the Borough.
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The motto is 'Prisca Constantia' meaning 'Ancient and Royal'. The title of the Ancient and Royal Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme is still in use today.
The Manor and castle fell into the custody of the Earl of Chester with whom it remained for quite some time until his death in 1232. Having no children, the custody reverted to the Crown In the early reign of King John 1166-1216 (of Robin Hood fame) the castle was in need of costly maintenance. He was the youngest son of Henry 11 and is buried in Worcester Cathedral.<br />
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A visit by Royalty always inspires interest and often benefits to an area. If you have read my article about Tunstall you may recall the lovely story of Alderman Barber, The Princess Royal and the boiled ham! Over many years, the Potteries and Newcastle have been favoured with visits by the Queen and by Princess Margaret, particularly at Keele University, I remember seeing Princess Margaret opening the New Victoria Theatre in Basford. More recently The Prince of Wales has shown much support for the regeneration of the area.<br />
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In the third year of his reign, King John visited Newcastle to inspect the works carried out on the castle. By King's Writ, forty pounds had been allocated for repair work on the castle. This was not an insignificant amount of money. The King seems to have been doing the rounds as he was in Middlewich the day before.
According to J.Ward's research (1843) the King had instructed the Barons of his Exchequer to allow the Sherriff of Salop to finance the repairs to the King's castles of wood in his bailiwick and also for timber used in fortifying his Newcastle-under-Lyme castle.
The King directed the Sheriff of Staffordshire to take from the neighbouring woods, beyond the limits of his forest, sufficient timber for the repairs which the castle required.
This instruction gives us a strong clue to the fact that the castle was predominantly a wooden structure with just a tower or Keep built of stone. If the entire structure had been built of stone it is likely that a similar warrant for the masonry would have been issued.<br />
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The history of Newcastle and its castle seems to have gone through numerous twists and turns, all of course linked into the complex and often ruthless events in the politics and intrigues of holders of power in England. The King's power was to be challenged by a group of rebellious barons. The battle of Lewes (1264) resulted in the tide turning in the favour of the opposition. The King was taken
prisoner in the hands of his rebel subjects and made by them to surrender his castles and possessions and even his authority. By 1262 and 1263, the castles of Chester, the Peak and yes, Newcastle were in the hands of Prince Edward, the King's eldest son. Edward was fully occupied in skirmishes with Llewellyn, Prince of Wales, and in the pursuit of the rebellious English barons. It was not going to be long before 'Happy Families' changed the pattern of power once again. Young Edward was entrapped by his uncle, one Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. The University of Leicester carries his name today. The King and the Prince were forced to make peace terms with de Monfort and the remaining rebel barons. In 1264, the Prince agreed to surrender his castles and munitions stored in Newcastle. Montfort's ambitions were not to end with a mere three castles! He became a powerful man and raised himself to the position of High Steward of England, vesting himself liberally with the spoils of
his sovereign nephew. Uncle Simon was soon to meet his comeuppance. The end of Simon de Montfort's period of grandeur, as well as the rebel cause, came to an abrupt end at the battle of Evesham (August 4th 1265) in which de Montfort perished. King Edward III resumed his power and possessions was once again 'King of the Castle'. He was to bestow the de Montfort estates on his second son, twenty-one year old Edmund Plantagenet. Edmund was nicknamed Crouchback, (meaning Crossback). He had fought in the eighth crusade and was entitled to wear a cross, stitched into the back of his clothing. As well as the title Earl of Leicester, Edmund was created Earl of Lancaster.<br />
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The Duchy of Lancaster is one of two duchies, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall. The duchy traces its
origins to the rebellion already described.
The Duchy comprises homes, farms, offices and estates. The income from the duchy provides the
money to fund the Queen's official duties and the upkeep of palaces and also provides income for
the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, The Princess Royal and several other members of the Royal family. The money is separate from the £13.3 million paid to the Queen by taxpayers' (one of which she is). The Duchy's property portfolio is now valued at £405 million.
Who was John of Gaunt?
Names bear witness to history. The remains of the Newcastle-under-Lyme Castle can be found on the street of the same name. Close by is 'The Castle' public house, previously called 'The John O' Gaunt'.<br />
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The area and pub close by is called 'Black Friars'. Close to the castle was a Dominican Friary. (Not a reference to the 'Dancing Octopus' chippy located by 'The Castle' pub!) Dominicans wore a black habit, hence the term 'Black Friars'. The house was to fall under King Henry VIII and the Reformation.<br />
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John of Gaunt, ( 1340-1399) or originally Ghent, where he was born, was the third surviving son of Edward III and younger brother of Edward, the Prince of Wales, known as 'the Black Prince'. There was a rumour at the time that his father was actually a Gent butcher, a story which was to always drive him to showing his temper! Being the first Duke of Lancaster his lands brought him great wealth. In fact he was probably one of the wealthiest men ever, being worth the modern equivalent of $110 billion. It is claimed that he was the sixteenth richest man in history. Among his huge 'portfolio' was the castle in Newcastle-under-Lyme.<br />
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In the later history of Newcastle-under-Lyme industry and philanthropy were to feature. As with the John O'Gaunt public house, other hostelries bear the names of local figures, linking the town to some of its past.<br />
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The name Gresley is important in the story of Cross Heath.<br />
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'The Gresley Arms' in Alsagers Bank is a popular venue with magnificent views across the Cheshire Plain. The pub is, I assume, named after Sir Nigel Gresley. We must take care not to confuse him with the railway engineer and designer of the Flying Scotsman of the same name. Sir Thomas Gresley,6th Baronet, after whom the public house may be named, was a land owner, coal mine owner and a canal builder. He lived at Knypersely Hall in Biddulph, Stoke-on-Trent, which he inherited from his mother. He was appointed High Sherriff of Staffordshire in 1759.<br />
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Coal mines and canals are part of the industrial history of Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. Wolstanton Colliery was one of the deepest and most productive. Prior to the nationalisation of the coal industry, mines were in the hands of private ownership. Gresley owned a mine in Apedale. This was to play a major role in the development of Newcastle-under-Lyme and especially to the area of Cross Heath, settled alongside the A34 or Liverpool Road.
Newcastle-under-Lyme used to have a thriving textile industry. Enderley Mills (1881 Enderley Street) in Brampton was opened by one Richard Stanway and specialised in making uniforms, both for civil bodies and of course for the military. The mill has gone and is now a small residential development. Enderley Mills was way ahead of its time in terms of employees facilities, a fact recorded by factory inspectors. It had a surgery, creche, reading room and a savings bank. Close by
was a silk mill. Built in 1825, the mill was sited close to the canal in Brampton Sidings. At a later date, following major structural changes, it became the site for Photopia. In 1797, a cotton mill was built
in Cross Heath by one Richard Thompson. He was a cotton manufacturer from Burton on Trent. In 1790 Thompson bought the site, on the A34, to establish his own business. The site included a house for the owner, apprentices' accommodation and mill workers' cottages. Production ceased in the 1960's. For a short time, part of the building was taken over by Royal Doulton and General Electric and it became known as Swift House. Today the premises is of mixed use, including a car and motorcycle outlet.<br />
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<b><u>The Cross Heath of today
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swift House - the original cotton factory can be seen from this angle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear View of Swift House - one of the old cotton sheds is still visible<br />
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'Coals to Newcastle'<br />
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It is hard to imagine, but Thompson's mill stood on the side of a canal. There is a link here to Sir Nigel Gresley. He needed a means of transporting coal from his Apedale mine to Newcastle. His answer was to build a canal. The Gresley canal received Parliamentary approval 1n 1793. Within a couple of years, the four or so miles of new canal was open and Gresley could move his coal to a wharf in Cross Heath. Gresley was awarded sole rights for 21 years on condition that price of his coal did not exceed 25 pence a ton. During this period (1795) authorisation was given to build another canal, entering Newcastle-under-Lyme from the south, linking the town to the Trent and Mersey in Stoke-on-Trent. In 1798 a third canal was proposed to link the Newcastle Canal to the Gresley. It was to be
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called the Junction Canal. Differences in the terrain of some 60 feet where the canals would meet brought the project to an end as funds would not meet the cost of a proposed railway inclined plane.
The Gresley canal was left in isolation with a small extension of what was to be the Junction Canal. The remains of the wharf are buried beneath the new Newcastle-under-Lyme College.
The Cross Heath of today
History of an area, Interesting as it is, we need to take a look at Cross Heath today. My first problem is where exactly does Cross Heath start and finish? In common with most urban conurbations, one area merges into another. Where does Cross Heath become the town centre, Brampton, Milehouse or Wolstanton or May Bank? One authority is perhaps political maps.<br />
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Cross Heath is an electoral ward within the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, but then these boundaries change. How do you know if you are in Cross Heath, Wolstanton, Porthill, Bradwell or wherever? It seems to be a case of what the locals tell one.
The figures from the 2001 census records Cross Heath as having a population of 6,159. It is an area which one passes through, but few stop to take a closer look. There is the usual mix of architecture found in all towns marking different stages of historical development. Much is attractive from an age of character and some of the latest perhaps more aesthetically questionable.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODKgPWa5GYxgy1IC1wTHpQ10hhkIJL1JBQpAU6jqFWdGtGJDaOFBe0dycbR5mx0M56yWvzitEt5nxdJE0K-UGWoJMgWVQQDM_zIFAu0szUQO4FQvWfJ0oxBZYfYo5Eou13fKhsml62Q/s1600/liverpool+road+cross+heath.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODKgPWa5GYxgy1IC1wTHpQ10hhkIJL1JBQpAU6jqFWdGtGJDaOFBe0dycbR5mx0M56yWvzitEt5nxdJE0K-UGWoJMgWVQQDM_zIFAu0szUQO4FQvWfJ0oxBZYfYo5Eou13fKhsml62Q/s1600/liverpool+road+cross+heath.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">A34 Liverpool Road Cross Heath<br />
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Local pubs are an important part of the social life of any area. Recent years have witnessed the closure of literally hundreds of such places. The trade is at an all time low. There are a number of factors at work. Cost is certainly one. Supermarkets carry a wide range of much cheaper products, a fact which arguably needs to be controlled. Much of the industry is held in the grip of national companies. These are not brewers; they are more interested in real estate. Tenants and managers are tied into them and not allowed to buy from elsewhere at what can be more competitive prices. Rents are high. Many a publican has worked hard to build up trade only to be rewarded by increased rents. Free houses with 'real ales'
and food outlets are more successful.
Cross Heath is no exception. 'The Hanging Gate' (also known as 'The Castle Tavern') stood on Liverpool Road. During the 1880s the pub stood on the opposite side of the road. The new pub was built in the 1930s. 'The Hanging Gate' finally closed in 2007 and stood abandoned until it was demolished in 2009.
The plan was to build 26 flats on the site. Following neighbours' concerns, the plan was blocked in 2008. In 2009, permission was granted for the fast food giant 'KFC' to develop the site and the fast food outlet now stands on the site.
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A34 Newcastle KFC </span></div>
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The view expressed at the time by one local resident is of interest. It is a classic example of wanting something as long as it is not on my doorstep! However, he may have had a point!
"Another pub lost, but what I cannot understand is that the site was earmarked for flats until that was blocked by the neighbours. Letting KFC build a drive through is going to create more nuisance, rubbish, noise, fumes and anti-social behaviour. Anyway, not to worry. I love KFC, and I don't have to live next door to it."
Other pubs in the area have suffered a similar fate. 'The Dimsdale' was demolished and the site now plays host to McDonalds.
Further along the A34, you will find what was another 1930s substantial public house, 'The Milehouse'. The building has survived. At one time a 'Berni Inn' steakhouse it is now 'Buffet Island', a location for excellent Chinese cuisine.<br />
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The community has some interesting, thriving places of worship.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cross Heath Methodist Church </span></div>
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St Michael and All Angels Cross Heath</div>
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As well as churches and pubs, schools are an integral part of any community.
Just around the corner from St. Michael's is Hempstalls Primary School<br />
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Cross Heath has a long and successful connection with the military. During the Second World War, the location was home to Cross Heath's version of 'Dad's Army', the Home Guard. In more recent times, it was a TA Centre and home to 58 Regiment Royal Signals.
Following cuts in the defence budget and the restructuring of the TA, 58 Signals was disbanded in 2010. A campaign was launched to save the centre on Liverpool Road.<br />
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The case was taken up by Paul Farrelly, M.P. for Newcastle -under-Lyme. To quote Mr. Farrelly:
"The former barracks complex is an important part of the culture of the area. Our cadets use the building every week and it is vital that they will be given an assurance that they will have a place to meet locally in the future."
The campaign was a success and today RAF and Army Cadets, together with a Careers Office, use the location.
Paul also applied to English Heritage to designate the complex as a Grade 2 listed building.<br />
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Amongst the things which I discovered is the number and variation of businesses, sometimes in unexpected places. The mills and wharfs of the past may be no longer, but enterprise continues along Liverpool Road.<br />
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Talking of enterprise, whilst walking around the area I even came across a 'Seasonal Cat Burglar'!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieq0sHEGDeGuqfZljlFK1MQekxxPrjob37_h9Jzac6Bv7u9PZfW56rcgXreTjYC9mIsj9RmYjs5fnRJFL_fEaFkv__xFwT2slbQIUVYbc5kmmXaBvngSgxyK975M2VdyVlyuAi9mBs5A/s1600/cross+heath+burglar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieq0sHEGDeGuqfZljlFK1MQekxxPrjob37_h9Jzac6Bv7u9PZfW56rcgXreTjYC9mIsj9RmYjs5fnRJFL_fEaFkv__xFwT2slbQIUVYbc5kmmXaBvngSgxyK975M2VdyVlyuAi9mBs5A/s1600/cross+heath+burglar.png" width="301" /></a><br />
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Next door to the TA Centre, a substantial single storey building has had a number of uses over the years. Many years ago it was a petrol station. Once a mecca for lovers of fast and stylish cars, 'Classy Chassis' operated there. They were followed by similar goodies but with just two wheels! Today it is a furniture shop.
Another well-known business in the same area of Cross Heath was 'Joseph Jones Joinery'. Joseph Jones, after many successful years, retired to the West Country but as I understand it the ownership of the building remains with the Jones family. Here is another example of change as the site is now an Electrical Suppliers.
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The new Castle Comfort shop will be opening soon, so look out for opening offers on clearance chairs to bag yourself a bargain. The number to call is 01782 631111.<br />
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Image Credits:<span style="font-size: x-small;">All Cross Heath Area Photos:John Pedder MBE </span></div>
Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, UK53.013208 -2.227300199999945152.9367835 -2.388661699999945 53.0896325 -2.0659386999999452tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-14995085633875203082014-01-18T02:59:00.000-08:002014-01-20T12:34:50.579-08:00Stoke City Player Gives Recliner Chair To Care Home Resident<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Living Like A King In Comfort!</u></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IS IT KENWYNE JONES?</td></tr>
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Previous Castle Comfort regular Mick Downing of Wolstanton, who started with a free ferrule for his walking stick, is pictured here as the latest beneficiary of the <a href="http://www.castlecomfortstairlifts.co.uk/gooddeedsdone.html" target="_blank">CCC good deed fund</a> which helps local people to live life more comfortably with a donation of a chair, bed or other piece of mobility equipment from the team.<br />
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We had to do a double take when we saw this photo as residential home carer Kandy is a double for Stoke City player <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenwyne_Jones" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kenwyne Jones!</a><br />
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Regular readers will have recognised Mick from the youtube video below which shows him when he received a riser recliner chair that Terry Conroy (ex- Stoke City player and Ireland International) had borrowed from Castle Comfort during his own recuperation from a stroke. Click the grey arrow in the middle to watch it.<br />
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It was very fitting that Terry should have presented the chair after his own recovery, as Mick is a die-hard Stoke City fan having watched them play in their Victoria Ground days as a lad. His new room at <a href="https://plus.google.com/118246658284169194475/about?gl=uk&hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Samuel Hobson House</a> - a care home in Wolstanton, clearly shows his footballing allegiance.<br />
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Over the years he has been an ardent fan of Stoke (and of Castle Comfort Centre!) Micks's friends and family reminded us that his birthday was coming up, and wondered if Terry Conroy could perhaps get a "Potters" football autographed by some of the players at the Brittania Stadium. Terry, after an email from the mobility products firm arrived like a shot at CCC's showroom - not with a ball, but with something even more special. A Gordon Banks's collectible 75th Birthday plate was given as a gift to thank him for his loyalty over the years. The plate was delivered by <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/113242678551740303367/posts" target="_blank">Keith from Castle Comfort</a> on behalf of "TC" who had a mammoth weekend involved with the Stoke/Liverpool game <a href="http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-Referee-admits-conned-Liverpool/story-20439283-detail/story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(a match to go down as an historical classic</a> in footballing history) and is signed by Gordon on the back - wishing Mick all the best. Each limited edition plate was created in Stoke on Trent and shows Gordon Banks in his 1966 World cup winning days celebrating with Bobby Charlton. The plate now takes pride of place in his room, named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Matthews" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stanley Matthews Way</a>, along with his comfy riser recliner.<br />
<br />Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com1Stoke-on-Trent, UK53.002668 -2.179403999999976852.849849 -2.5021274999999767 53.155487 -1.8566804999999769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-91349702715791631762013-11-05T07:17:00.001-08:002016-12-01T06:14:24.322-08:00Stoke on Trent Cartoons and Humour<b><u>Humour - you've got to be joking!</u></b><br />
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"Contrary to my image, I do have a sense of humour" </div>
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Andy Murray</div>
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I would say that about eight out of ten emails I receive are 'jokes', funny and, at times, not so funny. How about you?<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humour" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Humour</a>. This is a word we all know, but what exactly does it mean? The first consideration of any comedian or teller of jokes must be the audience and what is appropriate to them if amusement is to be achieved and offence avoided. I am loathe to put any subject out of bounds to humour.<br />
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However, humour must have parameters. There is no place for hurt or gratuitous offensiveness. It is a matter of regret that some current exponents fail to respect or even be aware of such a concept. The best and acceptable form of censorship ought to be the audience. In the days of the Music Hall, a comic soon knew that they were unacceptable from the reaction of the crowd who were ready to boo them off stage!<br />
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It seems that today's audiences are lacking in any discrimination when the language, gestures and subject matter oversteps the bounds of acceptability. The media, including<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> the BBC</a> and other bodies, rather than curb the content, actually promote it and in the case of the BBC pay for it with public money. They even introduce recorded laughter, abruptly turned on and off by a switch, to give the impression of audience appreciation. This is the tail wagging the dog, telling us that what we hear is funny!<br />
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Historically, in Elizabethan times, the 'humours' referred to the four main fluids in the body - blood, phlegm, yellow bile (choler) and black bile (melancholy). These were thought to determine both physical and mental health.<br />
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'So it is, besieged with sable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black oppressing humour to the most wholesome physic of thy health.'<br />
('Love's Labour's Lost' - William Shakespeare)<br />
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Humour as a noun can be said to be the quality of being amusing, or comic, especially as expressed in literature or speech:<br />
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<ul>
<li>his tales are full of humour</li>
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<li>The ability to express humour or to amuse other people:
they entertained us with their own inimitable brand of humour</li>
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<li>Humour can be a state of mind:
she faced it all with her usual good humour</li>
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<li>As a verb, humour can mean to comply with someone's wishes, even if one does not approve, to prevent trouble or to 'keep them sweet':
just try to humour him, it will be easier for everyone</li>
</ul>
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Rowan Atkinson ( Blackadder and Mr Bean) says that a person or object can become funny in three different ways:
by being in an unusual place
by behaving in an unusual way
by being the wrong size. Here is a clip from Blackadder.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IDQ1ljlnSjU?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>
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A sense of humour is almost impossible to define or evaluate. Just where it originates in our personality is impossible to say. Clearly it is common to most, perhaps all people but not in the same measure. Some people appear to have very little humour and what one person finds very funny can be quite lost on another.
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<i>'When I first met my boss, I thought she had little sense of humour. I was wrong. She has none at all.'</i></div>
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Frank Carson once said that he found most of his material in real life situations. He recalled an occasion when he agreed to visit a home for the elderly in Blackpool. He found himself talking to a lady who looked at him somewhat quizzically.<br />
"Do you not be knowing who I am?" he asked.<br />
The lady answered him.
"I've no idea love but if you ask matron she will be able to tell you."<br />
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You just could not make it up.<br />
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<b><u>Some types or genre of humour </u></b><br />
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<b>Character comedy or Sitcom</b><br />
Sitcom is scripted and is common to many TV comedy programmes. The humour revolves around strong central characters. Some examples of this are 'Dad's Army', 'Porridge, 'Allo Allo', 'Open all Hours', 'Only Fools and Horses', 'Blackadder', 'Yes Minster', 'One Foot in the Grave', 'Last of the Summer Wine', 'Fawlty Towers', 'Rising Damp', 'The Office' and 'Dinner Ladies'.<br />
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<b>Black comedy</b> - (sometimes called a 'Sick Sense of Humour')<br />
This deals with what are potentially disturbing subjects. Many people would question the acceptability of this genre. It is interesting to note that whenever a natural disaster, terrorist atrocity, sexual scandal, or any event occurs which should fill us with shock or horror, within hours the jokes begin to circulate. It is often the case that they can in fact be funny and I think it is our way of diffusing situations, almost a way of dealing with the pain and unacceptability of such events. As is so often the case with humour, where is the line to be drawn between acceptability and the totally inappropriate and who is qualified to draw it?<br />
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<b>Blue Comedy</b><br />
Blue comedy is typically sexual, often expressing sexism, racism and homophobic sentiments.. It also embraces vulgar or profane language. It is, I think, regrettable that many of today's comedians find the use of the F word essential and almost compulsory if an audience is going to find them funny. Amongst others, this blue material is common to Jim Davidson, Chubby Brown and Bernard Manning. I never recall hearing the late Ronnie Barker, Eric Morcambe, Frankie Howerd, or Les Dawson, or Frank Carson,true masters of comedy, use any vulgar expletives.<br />
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<b>Deadpan comedy</b><br />
Whilst not a very common style, so called 'deadpan' is the art of telling a joke or being in a situation without any change of facial expression or expressed emotion. This style is associated with Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Les Dawson and Jimmy Carr.<br />
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<b>Musical comedy</b><br />
The use of music and lyrics, a classic example being the works of Gilbert and Sullivan.<br />
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<b>Slapstick or physical comedy </b><br />
This is an old style, dating back to the days early films and the music hall, but still used today.
Amongst the exponents are Charlie Chaplin, The Three Stooges, Norman Wisdom, Max Wall, Jerry Lewis, Robin Williams, Rowan Atkinson and to a point Michael McIntyre.<br />
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<b>Sketch</b><br />
Sketches are similar to sitcom, but much shorter and often performed live.
In this category we can list Monty Python, French and Saunders and Fry and Laurie.<br />
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<b>Pantomime</b><br />
A traditional mix of humour, music, and slapstick, all focused on a Dame, usually played by a man. A popular choice is the story of 'Cinderella'. Cinders, Buttons and the ugly sisters all feature and characters akin to Paul O'Grady's Lilly Savage enjoy a raucous almost vulgar romp. 'Panto' is traditionally a Christmas show in many towns. In the Potteries, <a href="http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/regent-theatre/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Regent Theatre</a> is packed for the annual show.<br />
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<b>Satire</b><br />
It was the late Sir David Frost who may be said to be the founder of TV satire with 'That was the Week that Was' This was 1962. Deference to the establishment was out and the Beatles were in. Oxbridge had inflicted 'Beyond the Fringe' on the unsuspecting country and 'Private Eye' was set to expose the skeletons in many top cupboards. Published fortnightly the magazine currently has 700,000 readers. Ian Hislop (editor of Private Eye)and Paul Merton continue the satirical look at current affairs in 'Have I Got News for You'. I think satire serves a purpose and can indeed be humorous as a result of the very quick wit of the above gentlemen. On the downside, it can be a tad harsh and unfair when those who cannot answer back are the target of those who earn large amounts of money by passing judgement on others in the name of humour.
Satire is not the prerogative of the 21st century. The first satirical magazine was published in 1841 and carried the name 'Punch'. The cartoon, or humorous illustration about a topical issue, had its origins in 'Punch'. The original cartoon was not the same thing and was a preliminary drawing or sketch used in the preparation of murals or other paintings. 'Punch' was to enjoy great popularity during the 1840s and 1850s. It became a British institution but slowly went into decline in the 1940s. It finally closed in 1992. It was revived in 1996 only to close for good in 2002.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussierupe/4086343017/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Awkward by aussierupe, on Flickr"><img alt="Awkward" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3202/4086343017_97c4c404a3.jpg" height="375" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussierupe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flickr-aussierupe</a></td></tr>
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Humour has both national and international hallmarks. 'There was an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman' has been the formula for introducing a joke for many years. Why, I wonder, does a Welshman never feature? Are the Welsh lacking in a sense of humour? I cannot imagine that is the case. After all, Wales and rugby of course, gave birth to Max Boyce. South Wales has a distinctive brand of humour.<br />
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A funeral cortege was passing close to a golf course. Dai put down his club, took off his cap and paid a respectful silence as the hearse passed by.
"All for good old fashioned respect down by yer, Buttie Boy, but that's a bit over the top isn't?"
"Not really lads, we were married for thirty years!"<br />
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Humour is certainly a part of culture and one nationality may not understand or appreciate that of another.<br />
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"I prefer the finesse of French humour. English humour is more scathing,</div>
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more cruel, as illustrated by Monty Python and Little Britain."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Dame Helen Mirren </div>
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Appreciation of different brands of humour may well be dependent on a blend of a number of factors: gender, age, education, geographical location, culture and intelligence.<br />
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The humour of Stoke-on-Trent, or 'The Potteries' is similar in its spontaneity to the traditionally funny humour of Liverpool. From Ken Dodd and Jimmy Tarbuck to John Bishop, Scouse humour is in a class of its own. Liverpudlians are just naturally funny. Social deprivation and working class
attitudes seems to go hand in hand with humour. Marx said that "religion is the opiate of the working classes" - but humour would be a better choice.<br />
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During the First World War, two soldiers of the North Staffordshire Regiment received their Red Cross parcels and post. A young Tommy, having read his letter, began jumping up and down with excitement with is head above the parapet.<br />
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Sergeant: "What's up with they, get thee head dine! "<br />
Tommy: " Mar lady says I'm goin be a faither!"<br />
Sergeant: "You, a faither? Dunner towk soft wa've bin in this trench over a twelve month!"<br />
Tommy: "So what? There's two years between may and our yuth."<br />
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It is important to be able to laugh at one's self. The best Jewish humour emanates from Jewish comedians. The same is true of Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent. A Liverpudlian friend of mine asked me:<br />
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<i> "How do you know that a Scouser has been in your back yard? The wheelie bin is on bricks."</i></div>
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The current obsession with political correctness must never be allowed to ban genuine humour. I asked my friend if people in Liverpool would find the joke offensive?<br />
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"Of course not. If it is a choice between laughing and crying, then it is better to laugh. Never take yourself too seriously."<br />
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In Victorian times, a new social phenomenon emerged; trips to the seaside. Workers from Stoke-on-Trent and Liverpool flocked to the new resorts such as Blackpool, with its beach, fun fair and of course the famous Tower. The advent of the seaside resorts brought with it a new culture, both saucy and innocent and perhaps worryingly sinister.
The saucy seaside postcard, with an unmistakeable artistic style, brought daring innuendo into the shops.
The good humoured saucy postcard was one thing, but, the Punch and Judy Show, aimed at children, is perhaps more questionable. Punch and Judy was the blueprint for today's soap operas.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevewilde/5847253054/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Punch and Judy by steve.wilde, on Flickr"><img alt="Punch and Judy" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3324/5847253054_92de66d7be.jpg" height="429" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevewilde" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flickr-steve wilde</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show, featuring Mr Punch and his wife Judy. The show is not a modern invention. Punch and Judy has its roots in Italian commedia dell'arte, as early the 16th century. Incidentally, Judy was originally called 'Joan'. Typical of Potteries humour, friends of mine,
well known in Newcastle under Lyme, kept 'The George and Dragon'. Tony is married to Joan, and people would ask if George was in!<br />
<br />
The original Mr Punch was a character called Pulcinella, anglized to Punchinello, hence Punch.
Mr Punch's UK first appearance in England is thought to have been May 9th. 1662. Ironically, that year coincides with Archbishop Cranmer's 'Book of Common Prayer'.<br />
<br />
Known since Victorian times as the "Professor" or "Punchman" a single puppeteer stands in a booth and manipulates the hand puppets, usually, Mr Punch, Judy, a baby, a dog, a policeman and a crocodile. The Professor sometimes had a "Bottler" who would encourage the crowd to put money in a bottle. The audience were encouraged to take part, shouting warnings to the puppets if danger was at hand. This is a similar tradition to Pantomime - "He's behind you" "Oh no he isn't"<br />
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The diarist Samuel Pepys records seeing Punch and Judy in Covent Garden and when the tradition reached America even George Washington bought a ticket! The original booths were dull-makeshift affairs made to be carried around the country. In the 20th century, red and white stripped booths
became iconic in the new seaside resorts.<br />
<br />
Originally, the show was intended for adults. It was often violent and the puppets reflected some dark subjects. In the late Victorian era, the target audience became children. The content was adapted to make it suitable for a younger audience. The character of the devil was removed along
with Punch's mistress -'Pretty Polly'. I wonder how this name became synonymous with a parrot? Perhaps it was the gaudy coloured feathers and a squeaky voice which began with Mr Punch's attraction to his mistress against the plainness of Judy his wife. Perhaps nothing much in society has changed! Mr Punch was always a fearsome character. He wears a brightly coloured jester's motley and sugarloaf hat with a tassel and carries a long stick (a slapstick) which he uses to beat the other characters. He is a hunchback whose long hooked nose almost touches his curved jutting chin. He speaks in a shrill squawking voice which was produced by the use of a device called a swazel held in the Professor's mouth. It is surprising that the character is still thought appropriate for children. He
is a bully, baby basher and wife beater. He delights in gleeful self-satisfaction which gave rise to the expression " as proud as punch".<br />
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Stoke-on-Trent, in common with other areas, has its own dialect and accent.<br />
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"Ar to toke rate" is a guide to speaking Stoke.<br />
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A few examples may be of help here.<br />
afread - afraid <br />
dyead - died <br />
drownded - drowned<br />
aks - ask <br />
dost - do you? <br />
ducker - a flat pebble<br />
all but - nearly <br />
dollop - a lot<br />
dunna - don't<br />
fang - take hold<br />
flummoxed - bothered<br />
funt - found<br />
furk - to look for something<br />
gob - mouth<br />
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It is said that all North Staffordshire and especially Pottery dialect is contained in certain expressions.<br />
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"Dust ere, if thee astna got anythin woth sayin then dustna say anythin at ow,orate?<br />
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"Do you hear? If you haven't anything worth saying don't say anything. Alright?"<br />
<br />
Stoke-on-Trent, or 'The Potteries' comprises six towns. Arnold Bennett got it wrong when he wrote 'Anna of The Five Towns' From north to south they are Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton and Longton. A history of Tunstall <a href="http://blog.castlecomfortcentre.com/2013/09/tunstall-history-and-facts.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">has already featured in another of my articles</a>.<br />
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Potteries dialect and humour is best illustrated by two cartoon characters, 'May un Mar Lady' (Me and the Wife). The cartoon characters were created by Dave Follows and appeared in <a href="http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sentinel newspaper</a>. The series first appeared on July 8th 1986 and soon became a part of Potteries culture. Dave Fellows sadly passed away in October 2003.The simple three window sketches feature a dominant wife and her frustration with her irresponsible and perhaps lazy husband who is impervious to her nagging. In one sketch, the husband cannot get to sleep and 'Mar Lady' tries to find out why:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
"Eets neow good ah conna get ter slayp"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"At thay werritin abite th' rent bayin thray wicks overdue, the final demand fer th' reets un 'ow way're gooin 'ter peey next months car instalment?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
'Nar, ther's a rumour that Th' Potters Arms is gooin ter cleowse dine."</div>
<br />
Perhaps Mr Follows should have supplied subtitles? A animated test from 2008 is featured on Youtube below.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cH7uQ4rkR2w?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Humour can be found in some unlikely topics and objects.. For example, can there be any humour to be found in a stair lift? Surely not. Well, I was wrong. A major supplier of stair lifts, Castle Comfort Centre, whose head office is located in Wolstanton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire certainly think so and in fact have a website dedicated to the topic! (See <a href="http://www.stairliftcartoons.com/">stairlift cartoons site here</a>)
<br />
How about those of you with a feline of senior years? Perhaps treating her to a lift up those stairs?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stairliftcartoons.com/images/cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://stairliftcartoons.com/images/cat.jpg" height="320" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:stairliftcartoons.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Here's some more of the typical <a href="http://www.stairliftcartoons.com/" target="_blank">Stoke humour</a> from www.stairliftcartoons.com<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li>A stair lift for dogs has been designed, it's made by a company in Barking.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Mother to son: "You must get my stair lift serviced, it's driving me up the wall" </li>
</ul>
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<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Wife to husband: "I hope we never get to the age when we need a stair lift."</li>
</ul>
Husband to wife: "So do I, we live in a bungalow."<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Is there a stair lift in the Rover's Return? If there is, Tracey will soon have it across at the second hand shop.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
Joking apart, one couple allegedly installed <a href="http://www.stairliftsdoctor.co.uk/stairlifts-for-dogs/" rel="" target="_blank">a chair lift for their dashshund</a> following spinal surgery. Here's a picture of a visitor to their stairlift showroom and a pet dog getting measured up for a stairlift.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stairliftsdoctor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/stairlifts-for-dogs-300x238.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://stairliftsdoctor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/stairlifts-for-dogs-300x238.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:-<a href="http://www.stairliftsdoctor.co.uk/" target="_blank">Courtesy of stairliftsdoctor.co.uk</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Any consideration of humour, and Stoke-on-Trent humour in particular, could not come to a better conclusion than with a song, written in the early 70s, by Brian Berrington. Brian was a member of the Stoke-on-Trent Folk Club. He worked in the Pottery Industry all of his life, for one period at Grindley's in Tunstall, close to the Town Hall, now the home of <a href="http://www.tunstallmarkettraders.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Tunstall Indoor Market</a>.<br />
<br />
He recalled the time in early 1950s when the firm was making Coronation commemorative mugs.<br />
<br />
A group of management, including Colonel Grindley, were gathered by a kiln, expectantly awaiting the appearance of the first batch of these prestigious items.<br />
<br />
The MD arrived and appearing rather agitated enquired what on earth was going on?<br />
<br />
"We are looking for mugs" he was told by way of explanation.<br />
<br />
A long serving worker, in cloth cap and white smock, turned to another and mumbled,
"And ays funt us!"<br />
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The importance of such local humour does not end with just being funny. It is a valuable social history of the lives of ordinary real people who were the heart of an industrial area, now, sadly, largely gone but the spirit and humour of Potteries folk is still as real as ever.<br />
<br />
Overheard in Tunstall Market, a lady referring to her teenage grandson's girlfiend:<br />
"What's her like?<br />
A right useless article, but then so is he."<br />
<br />
It was this from environment that Brian acquired not only a love of the people of Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and North Staffordshire in general and perhaps more poignantly, a love of their humour. The material is reproduced with the kind permission of Kay, Brian's widow.<br />
<br />
Brian of course sang the song in a Potteries accent, the spelling of which I will attempt with apologies to the purists!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
'Burslem Wakes' </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"There was Willy Clough and Jim McGough and 'Arry Lowndes and may</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Wain thought as us would tak the buz to Blackpool by the sae</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For many a dey way saved us pey and only drank at neet</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Agin the dee waid be awey all on us Blackpool trate.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
From the 4 in Hand you understand wey left one sunny dee</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The lads and may on th' PMT and up the motorway</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Wey brought us fags in paper bags with us snappin safe inside</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And wey thought of the fun as was to come dyne by the rollin' tide. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
At Preston tayn they set us dyne for get us a cuppa tay</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I supped me cup then opened up the cawd oatcake and chaise</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Then off once more to Blackpool shore and the salt smell of the sae</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Went Willy Clough and Jim McGough and 'Arry Lowndes and may.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Wey took an hour went up the Tower for sey the famous view</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Then wey came dyne went inter tyne for get a pint or two</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Or three or four, or maybe more then off way went for say</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
If wayne coud get a bit o' skirt for t'other thray and may. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I lark the wey the skirts todee rise 'igh above the knays </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There's lots of thigh to great the eye and they're designed to plaise </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Withite more words wayne funt fower birds then off ter Squires Gate</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ter get some fun on the coaster run and our luck the Whale of Fate. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We went fer tay at the UCP for cod and chips and paise</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All I could say as I supped may tea was my birds shapely knays</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When Willy Clough said "Add enough" mar mind on 'er were set </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ah said "Oh no I must be slow I anner started yet."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It was gerrin dark so in the park way took 'em for a woke</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The other thray left 'er and may fer sit un 'ave a towk</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
'Er soft red lips were oiled with chips
'Er muttered sweet and low</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"I do love you so come on do before we 'ave to go." </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The hours flew by and with a sigh she murmered 'Theet so strong </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Oh don't yer know I want you so how come you are so long?'</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Then suddenly I pushed her free and stood up with a cuss</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
'Well what's to do? Well thanks to you I've gone and missed the buz.'</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Its a long long woke all in the dark from Blackpool down ter Stoke</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And memories of a pair of knays dunner 'elp yer when your broke</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And passions 'igh beneath the sky just mak yer swear and cuss</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When nearly there if you declare 'Ave bin and missed the buz.'</div>
Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com1Stoke-on-Trent, UK53.002668 -2.179403999999976852.849849 -2.5021274999999767 53.155487 -1.8566804999999769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-11263242893753163292013-09-28T04:01:00.000-07:002016-12-01T06:17:56.005-08:00Tunstall History and Facts<div align="center" class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Tunstall - Stoke-on-Trent</span></u></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Tunstall_tower_square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Tunstall_tower_square.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image Courtesy of <a href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/8183" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.fotodiscs4u.co.uk</a></span></td></tr>
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The City of Stoke on Trent is a linear conurbation of 93 square kilometres (or for the Euro sceptics 36 square miles) Originally, the area comprised six individual towns. From the north these are Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton and Longton. By the early 20th century it had become polycentric, a federation of six towns and numerous small villages. City status was granted in 1925. In spite of the name, The City of Stoke-on-Trent, it was not Stoke but Hanley which was to emerge as the primary commercial City Centre.<br />
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Currently, the highly contentious plan is to move out of the Civic Centre, alongside the King’s Hall and the Minster Church of St Peter’s, in Stoke to a new centre to be built ‘up anley, Duck’.
Stoke on Trent has its own unique accent and dialect which marks out North Staffordshire folk around the world. If you complain about the cold when it is ‘slatting dain’ or raining heavily.
you are said to be ‘nesh’ In actual fact, to ‘go up’ to Hanley is correct as one goes ‘up’ to the primary centre. Regardless of geographical location, one always goes ‘up to London’; certainly never ‘down’ to the Capitol.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Wedgwood.jpg/252px-Wedgwood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Wedgwood.jpg/252px-Wedgwood.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Lionel_Allorge" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikipedia - Lionel Allorge</a></span></td></tr>
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It was the making of fine bone china and the cheaper everyday earthenware which gave rise to the area becoming known as ‘The Potteries’. Names such as Wedgwood, Spode, Minton and Doulton were known worldwide. I well recall an occasion when we had family visitors staying from America how how they expressed incredulity at the sight of our Scottie dog eating her meal from a Wedgwood bowl – perhaps proof that familiarity does indeed breed contempt!<br />
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The local football team, known as ‘The Potters’ was for a time home to many football legends such as Terry Conroy, Gordon Banks and Sir Stanley Matthews and today his statue stands in Hanley as a tribute to that sporting era.<br />
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Alongside the traditional ceramics industry, the area produced coal on a large scale and iron and steel at the Shelton Bar works. The Potteries towns of today have suffered much dereliction and lack of employment. The pottery industry has all but gone. Gone also are the mines, the steelworks and most of the engineering. What was once a proud region, with traditional skills, is now an area desperately in need of regeneration. The heart of the industry has gone, probably for ever, but the spirit of pride and friendliness of Potteries folk remains.<br />
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It has to be said that one blessing of the city, formed out of the six towns, not five as immortalised by Arnold Bennett’s ‘Anna of the Five Towns’ is that it forms a ribbon development along the valley of the River Trent. One is very quickly out of it. North Staffordshire is a very lovely area. Bordering on to the Staffordshire Moorlands, one is soon into Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park. This region is as attractive as anywhere else in Britain.<br />
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Some of the spirit of The Potteries is recorded in literature. Arnold Bennett was born in Hanley in 1867 and died in 1931. His father was a solicitor and his son, having been educated in Newcastle- under-Lyme, read law and became a solicitor’s clerk in London.<br />
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Newcastle is not a part of Stoke-on-Trent and to this day, the folk of ‘Castle’ guard that distinction as a Loyal and Ancient Borough and a part of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Marsh, a lovely open area between May Bank and Wolstanton is still preserved as a local amenity by the Duchy.
Running north to south, the towns are Tunstall, Burslem. Hanley, Stoke, Fenton and Longton. In ‘Anna’, the names are altered to Turnhill, Bursley, Hanbridge, Knype, The Forgotten Town (Fenton) and Longton. Bennett became a prolific writer. On his own admission, his motivation was to maximise his income rather than creative activity.<br />
<br />
‘Am I to sit still and see other fellows pocketing two guineas a piece for stories which I can do better myself? Not me. If anyone imagines my sole aim is art for art’s sake, they are cruelly deceived.’<br />
(Arnold Bennett)<br />
<br />
Bennett presents a bleak image of Tunstall (Turnhill).
“It was the winter of 1835, January. They passed through the marketplace of the town of Turnhill, where they lived. Turnhill lies a couple of miles north of Bursley. On one side the marketplace was barricaded with stacks of coal and the other with loaves of a species of rye and straw bread.
This coal and these loaves were being served out by meticulous and haughty officials, all invisibly braided with red-tape, to a crowd of shivering, moaning and weeping wretches, men women and children – the basis of the population of Turnhill.”<br />
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The population of Tunstall today as they use Tunstall Market, deserve a much more flattering description. The most northerly of the towns has a fascinating history which is well worth investigating.<br />
<br />
<u><b>A brief history of Tunstall</b></u><br />
<br />
The story of Tunstall has its roots in antiquity. There is evidence that as far back as 1280 iron was being produced in the town. Tile and brick making sites possibly date back to the late Middle Ages. The ancient name of ‘Sneyd’ seen in Sneyd Green and a number of well known Sneyd Arms pubs, gives us a link to the Lord of the Manor, one Walter Sneyd Esq. The Sneyd family, dating back to the 13th century, went on to have much influence in this area. A letter from one ‘Harry Delves’ (probably Sir Henry Delves of Doddington) to Richard Sneyd (d.1537) concerns buying land in Keele. In 1542 William Sneyd bought the Keele estate and it was to remain in the family for some four hundred years. The first Keele Hall was built by Ralph Sneyd (son of William) in 1580. Today, other than a quarry and some very old trees nothing remains of his Tudor style creation. During the Civil War, the Sneyds were on the side of the King, which, in what was a strong Parliamentary region, was a dangerous side to follow. Col Sneyd was killed by Parliamentary soldiers. The current Keele Hall was built in mock Jacobean style in 1851. During the second world war, the hall was requisitioned by the army. After the war, the estate was purchased from Ralph Sneyd in 1948 to become the University of North Staffordshire, which became the University of Keele in 1962.<br />
<br />
So much for the Tunstall connection with Keele and the Sneyd family. There is an interesting reference to Tunstall in a journal of 1828 ‘Tunstall is a considerable village within the township of
Wolstanton Court, a liberty in the parish of Wolstanton, four miles from Newcastle, pleasantly situated on an eminence, deriving its name from the Saxon word tun or ton, a town, and stall, an
elevated place, seat or station.<br />
<br />
In this township abounds coal, ironstone, marl and fine channel coal; and the manufactories of earthenware are very extensive here.’<br />
<br />
The ‘eminince’ or ‘elevated place’ refers to the ridge on which the site of Tunstall stands between Fowlea Brook to the west and Scotia Brook to the east.<br />
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<b><u>Pottery Makers</u></b><br />
<br />
In its heyday, Tunstall had nearly one hundred pot banks. Among the more famed were William Adams & Co, R Beswick, Grindley Hotel Ware Ltd., Booths, W H Grindley & Co Ltd., Johnson Brothers Ltd., Alfred Meakin (Tunstall) Ltd., and Enoch Wedgwood & Co Ltd. Just one example of the importance of pottery manufacturing in Tunstall is that in 1977, Alfred Meakin’s alone employed 2000 local people. Up to the late 1990’s most pottery used around the world was made in Stoke-on-Trent. Some 70,000 or so people were employed in the ceramic industry. The drift of pottery manufacturing eastwards resulted is the figure dropping to just 6000. Which son or daughter of the Potteries could have predicted that an iconic brand such as Wedgwood would go into liquidation but it did in 2009. Other closures followed including Royal Doulton. Only twenty years ago there were some three hundred companies making pottery. Today the figure is more like fifteen. The smoke and the bottle ovens, akin to a Lowry landscape, have gone but pride and self-respect have gone also. The once proud and skilled potters have been replaced by I.T. companies, distribution centres and on line gambling. The ‘High Street’ is now the domain of closed shops and boarded up pubs, banks and charity shops, as unemployment and on-line internet shopping have changed our towns, probably for ever.<br />
<br />
It is not all gloom and doom. Tunstall is the location of the highly successful <a href="http://www.churchillchina.com/">‘Churchill China’</a>, based in Malborough Way. The company has its beginnings in 1795, later comprising a number of small family firms. The name ‘Churchill’ was adopted in 1928. Today it is largely owned by the Roper family. My father was a salesman for the family company when it was known as ‘James Broadhurst’s’ based in Fenton.(Sorry Arnold Bennett but yes, Fenton does exist). Churchill China is based on family values and is a leading innovator of ‘green technology’ in the industry. 90% of Churchill’s products are made in the UK.<br />
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<b><u>Tunstall’s architecture</u></b><br />
<br />
The Town is really one urban street, along which are some impressive architectural structures, with the exceptions of the iconic bottle ovens, of which, sadly, there are no remaining examples. Tunstall has some interesting historical places of worship. Stoke-on-Trent has a strong Methodist tradition. John Wesley the father of Methodism, famously preached at Mow Cop which could claim to be the origin of the Wesleyian Methodist Church. There were no churches in Mow Cop and Wesley preached in the open. Wesley, an Anglican, formed the Methodist Church as he felt that the established church had lost empathy with ordinary working people. After his death in 1791, as is often the case, infighting and reform were to follow. The Methodists were ‘staying in their churches’ and some felt that Wesley’s way had been lost. A reformed body was to be established, Primitive Methodism. The ‘Prims’ as they became known locally were formed by Hugh Bourne (1772-1852) and William Clowes (1780-1851). The first Primitive Methodist Chapel was built by Hugh Bourne in Tunstall in 1811. Bourne was nothing if not prudent. He designed his chapel in the form of a row of houses. It had no dividing walls and only one entrance. In the event of the failure of the new movement, all would not be lost and the chapel could be converted into dwellings and sold off! Bourne need not have worried as the new brand of Methodism became very popular with the Potteries working classes. The small chapel could not accommodate growing congregations and it was rebuilt on a larger scale, opening ion 1860 as the great ‘cathedral’ of Primitive Methodism – Jubilee Chapel, Tunstall.<br />
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<b><u>The Roman Catholic Church</u></b><br />
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The Church of The Sacred Heart is also is a well known landmark in Tunstall. The Church, with its copper domes, dominates the landscape, especially from High Lane.
The church, sited on Queen’s Avenue, is really a testimony to one legendary man, Father P.J.Ryan.
He it was who had the vision to give Tunstall Catholics the finest church in the area. He commissioned an architect, J.S. Brocklesby, with a demanding brief and that was to design the biggest, most imposing and most beautiful church in the area. Fr Ryan dragged Brocklesby all over Europe looking for inspiration. I suspect that he never intended to give the architect free reign and Brocklesby finally gave up on the task. Undaunted Fr Ryan decided to go it alone, and, with the help of unpaid, almost pressed labour, the church was completed and opened in 1930. Such was the compelling character of this ‘turbulent priest’ that it is said that his funeral procession was some five miles long and brought the Potteries to a standstill. In a largely Protestant area, with the sometimes suspicious fears of Catholicism, this speaks volumes about the man.<br />
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The Anglican building, Christ Church Tunstall, by Francis Bedford, with extensions by A.R.Wood is by comparison an unimposing edifice built in the 1832 under the patronage of Ralph Sneyd Esq. at a cost of £400 for the site alone.The growing population during the 19th century, required the need for a Church in Tunstall. Church of England worshippers had to travel in all weathers and on poor roads to the mother church, St Margaret’s Wolstanton. In 1738 Tunstall had a population of a mere 200. By 1838 this figure had risen to a staggering 6,608 living in some 1,400 houses. An Act was passed for the building of churches in ‘highly populated areas’ and in 1829 the people of Tunstall filed an application. Christ Church was built at a cost of £3,146. Of this figure £1000 was raised by local people and the Church Commissioners paid the rest. Such were these the days of faith that it was thought necessary to build a church which would accommodate 1000 people!<br />
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The current Town Hall is the second to stand in the town. The original was demolished in 1892 and the new hall was completed in 1885. The building was designed by A R Wood, a local architect, who died at his home in Wolstanton in 1922. (He designed a number of buildings in the area, including St. Andrew’s, Porthill.) The Neo Renaissance style is ashlar faced with terracotta balustrading and frieze. Over the central bay Wood placed an inscription - PEACE, HAPPINESS,TRUTH,JUSTICE ADMDCCCLXXXV.
It is sad to see how local planners allowed shop fronts to occupy the façade. The hall is home to the <a href="http://www.tunstallmarkettraders.co.uk/castlecomfortcentre.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tunstall indoor market - the newest outpost of the Castle Comfort Centre</a>.<br />
<br />
Tower Square and Clock Tower
Tower Square, across the road from the Town Hall, is a pleasing central point in Tunstall with its shops and imposing clock tower. The tower built in a yellowish brick, was erected in 1893. The tower is a memorial to an influential family, the Smith Childs.
Admiral Smith Child RN had a distinguished naval career. He served in the Seven Years War, the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars. His has a direct link to Tunstall in that he founded a pottery factory there in 1793 and took an interest in the town’s affairs. He died in 1813 and is buried at St. Margaret’s Church Wolstanton. He outlived his son by two years, and as a result, he left his estate to his grandson who became Sir Smith Child, Bart. Smith Child was born in Tunstall. Sir Smith Child and his wife Sarah who lived in Fulford, married in January 1835. The family lived in Stallington Hall. In addition to business interests, Smith Child was a politician and between 1851 and 1859 was MP for North Staffordshire. The Child’s were local philanthropists and gave financial support to the area. As well as his local church in Fulford and Fulford School, Smith Child was a supporter of the North Staffs Infirmary Building Fund. Smith and Sarah are buried at St. Nicholas Church, Fulford.
Their grandson moved to London to take up a post working for the King. The family philanthropic spirit had been passed down and the family were much missed by the local poor to whom they had generously given help in the form of coal, soup, flannel and blankets.<br />
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<b>Some famous Tunstall
Folk<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b>Clarice Cliff Potter<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b>Susie Cooper Potter<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b>Alan Lake Married
to Diana Dors<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b>Hugh Dancy Actor
–‘Black Hawk Down’<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Neil Morrissey Actor – ‘Men
Behaving Badly’<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b>Anthea Turner TV presenter –
Blue Peter<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b>Nick Hancock TV –
Chairman ‘They Think its All Over’<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b>Legendary Lonni Rockstar - candidate for Monster Raving Loony Party<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<b>Robbie Williams Mega Pop Star –
some songs refer to Stoke-on-Trent</b><br />
<br />
<br />
Historical facts are both fascinating and important when looking at any area. There is no shortage of the availability of such information. What is more poignant is to talk to people who actually experienced first hand the life of a village or town.<br />
<br />
(The writer is indebted to Mr David J McFarlane who agreed to share his memories of growing up in Tunstall.)<br />
<div>
<br />
Mr David McFarlane was born in 1933 and grew up in Tunstall. I am pleased to pass on some of his personal recollections.<br />
“I loved growing up in Tunstall. It was a vibrant, colourful place and the people were a friendly mix of equally colourful characters; a cross section of all of the social classes. For many, life was not easy, but there was a pride and sense of community in Tunstall. I lived in the town centre, finally on a corner plot opposite to the Catholic Church and opposite the park which was, and still is a lovely amenity for local folk. I spent many happy hours playing there. There was really no fear for children’s safety in those days.<br />
<br />
My family were Methodists and in those days, people tended to treat Catholics with a degree of suspicion. The Sacred Heart Church was the inspiration of one Father Ryan. He served all of the people, regardless of their faith, and was a highly respected character in Tunstall.<br />
<br />
Unemployment was a problem then, not just a modern day issue. In those days it was common to see a group of men outside the Town Hall looking for work and hoping that a pot bank or the railway boss would hire them, albeit just for a casual day or two. Such as things were, there were always the unsuccessful who would be left to share their disappointment and hope for a miracle. This was a Godsend (perhaps literally) for Fr. Ryan who coerced them to follow him and provide ‘volunteer’ labour on the church building site. It did not provide a pay-packet but perhaps it was ‘good for the soul’!<br />
<br />
I remember seeing the large number of people who came out of the church every Sunday after the Latin mass; a crowd which greatly outnumbered those I saw at our Methodist chapel anyway, and more akin to a football match!<br />
<br />
The size of the congregation was a cause for amazement for one bystander who said to my father,
“How do they get so many when the service is in Latin? There’s only one man understands a word of it and he’s Mason, the chemist!”<br />
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I can’t remember the date, but it was in 1951 that Tunstall centre and the surrounding area came to a standstill. Buses, vans and cars were going nowhere, it was gridlock. The cause was the funeral cortège for Fr. Ryan. Such was his popularity.<br />
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The new Town Hall, facing the Market Square, was a lovely building then and was a proud edifice, the back being attached to a popular covered market, opened in 1885, but it fell into disrepair as Stoke and Hanley became the centre of administration. After some restoration work, the market has reopened and it is now a very lively trading post and meeting place.<br />
<br />
At the top of the Market Square stands the clock tower, built in 1893. It was always useful to glance across at the clock as people went about their business in the town. In its heyday, the square was a colourful lively place being the terminus for some ten or twelve privately bus companies, all with their own distinctive liveries and privately owned. I always loved trains and buses and to visit the square was a bus-spotters paradise. I can still remember the colours of each company.<br />
<br />
PMT Red with a cream stripe<br />
BROWNS Fawn and white – At the end of the war, they added a red white and blue
Stripe to celebrate victory<br />
ROWBOTHAMS Blue cream and red<br />
WELLS Apple green with a grey stripe<br />
RELIANCE Light green and cream stripe<br />
TILSTONES White with marone stripes<br />
ABC MOTORS Maroon with red stripes<br />
STANIERS Red with maroon stripe<br />
<br />
A PMT stopped by the park to unload black-faced men – no pit head baths in those days!<br />
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Tunstall station was on the railway loop line which went all round the Potteries. Cobridge tunnel was very low, and some engines had to stop and remove a high funnel before going through, similar to the working narrow boats on low bridges on the Trent and Mersey canal. The railways carried goods as well as people. A familiar noise and sight was that of large wooden barrels, full of straw packed pots from the Adams’ factory being rolled by hand to the station along Furlong Road and Station Road, later to be renamed The Boulevard.<br />
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I remember going down to the bottom of Tunstall Park to where the ‘mineral line’ ran to and from Chatterley Whitfield colliery. I think this was called Sytch Sidings. I had my own Thomas the Tank Engine’ The line had its own fleet of little tank engines and like the buses, I recall not only their colours but also their names.<br />
‘Edward V11’, ‘Minnie’ , ‘Katty’, ‘Rodger’ and the posh sounding ‘Earl of Granville’.<br />
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The Fire Station was a strange building. It was located on the High Street but you could easily miss it. It had a single shop front style entrance which was just wide enough to take a fire engine with just a few inches to spare! Very odd really.<br />
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Thinking back to Tower or Market Square, the following shops were there in the early 1940’s.
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<br />
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<b><i>Left side<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
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<i>BOOTS CHEMIST with a
library on the 1<sup>st</sup> floor<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>HAMPSON’S RADIO &
ELECTRICAL (no TV then)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>GREENHALLS DRY
CLEANERS<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<i>HOME & COLONIAL
GROCERS (with saw dust on the floor!)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<i>HINCHCO CHEMISTS (Mr
Hincho sported a waxed moustache and wore winged collars)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<i>MELIA’S GROCERS<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<i>MIDDLEBROOKES
HABADASHERY (My mother was a Milliner and bought fabrics there)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b><i>Right side<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<i>WINE SHOP<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<i>WRIGHT’S PIE SHOP<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>BOURNES CYCLE SHOP <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<i>CO-OP EMPORIUM<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<i>SNEYD ARMS </i><br />
<br />
Around the corner from the Town Hall was a public library in what was the Victoria Institute and Public Swimming Baths, built in 1889. In 1901 a local ironmonger, W M Durose, made a wrought iron sign which hung on the side of the building. He also made the gates to Tunstall Park, a masterpiece of his skills, which still survive today. The baker was in fact Mr Baker! These were the days of post war rationing and things were short. People used to take their meagre ingredients to him and he would do the baking for them. I think they met at the Church Hall in Stanley Street.<br />
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Amongst the ‘characters’ I remember, and about whom my father would often speak, was "Alderman George Herbert Barber.”<br />
George Barber didn’t have an auspicious start in life. He was born in 1860 and died in 1946. When he was about seven, his mother passed away. His father was evidently an ill man and unable to look after him. The young lad was placed in Chell Workhouse. Deprived of a formal education, George taught himself what we used to call the 3Rs. Another example of his character was that he taught himself to play the accordion. He would go around the Tunstall pubs entertaining the customers. In his autobiography “From Workhouse to Lord Mayor” he tells how he became a farm labourer and finally a miner. He was drawn to Methodism and developed a social conscience, perhaps based on the experience of his childhood. He assisted miner’s families during the strikes in the last two decades of the 19th century. He relates witnessing women begging for food to feed the family while husbands drank in the pubs. Drunkenness was rife and he refers to what he called ‘the ally of poverty’ in Tunstall in those days. These experiences led him to join the Temperance Movement. He had a fascination with film and photography. An example of an early use of ‘media’ is when he would give lectures on the perils of drink, all illustrated by slides in a ‘Magic Lantern’ show!<br />
<br />
You know, I remember him as a Sunday School teacher. He used to tell us about the Holy Land and show slides of the places in the Bible. It was a fascinating novelty to us – no TV or tablets then of course. He somehow managed to feature in many of them, saying things like “This is where Jesus was born and that’s me on the left!<br />
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His interest and ingenuity lead to him opening the first ‘picture house’ (cinema) in Tunstall in 1909 – ‘Barber’s Picture Palace’. He must have had a good business sense and within just ten years he owned a chain of cinemas throughout the Potteries and some in Buckinghamshire.<br />
<br />
He was elected as a Labour Councillor and became the first Labour Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent in 1929. Amongst his philanthropic projects were the North Staffs Royal Infirmary and The Haywood Hospital.
“He certainly was a character. I can tell two stories which my father used to tell about Alderman Barber. I don’t know how true they are as they have been passed down the generations, but they are a wonderful insight of the man. One concerns ‘Barbers Palace’ and the old silent film shows accompanied by a pianist. Some of the early cinemas were referred to as ‘The Bug Hut’. The story goes that before the evening showing began, he would interrupt the pianist and take to the stage to address the audience."<br />
<br />
“If any of yer have got fleas yer must ave brought in with yer.”<br />
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The best of all came from his period as Lord Mayor. It was 1930 and the City had a visit from the Princess Royal, Mary, the daughter of King George V. At the reception, probably in the King’s Hall, as first citizen he was seated next to Princess Mary. Evidently, she discretely cut off some fat from the meat, boiled ham perhaps? Perhaps rooted in his experience of poverty, the Mayor was shocked at such waste. George Barber was a man of the people and doubtless had little understanding of Royal etiquette.<br />
<br />
“Thay mustna leave good food lark that arinde thays parts your ‘ighness” and proceeded to take it from her plate and ate it, with his fingers." I like to think that he called her ‘Duck’!<br />
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<b><u>New Tunstall</u></b><br />
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With the development of Asda, Next, Argos and Boots the gateway road into Tunstall has changed as it is now dominated by a futuristic sculpture that marks further development on the Eastern side of Tunstall <a href="http://www.dransfield.co.uk/property.php?id=74">by Dransfield Properties</a>.<br />
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The shard sculpture, made by Robert Erskine, represents a fingerprint that was found on a shard of Roman pottery, discovered when excavating the Wedgwood factory premises. Highlighting the link between past and future as the ceramics industry has been here throughout time.<br />
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Here's a video of him discussing it.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JbFAR37cs-k#t=2m05s" width="420"></iframe>
Shortly to be installed on the outskirts of Tunstall is a new sculpture called Golden created by international acclaimed artist Wolfgang Buttress, which will take the place of the Bottle Kiln pyramid, which is to be re-sited at the entrance to the new JCB Tunstall distribution building, <a href="http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/JCB-goes-green-taking-Blue-Planet/story-19511697-detail/story.html#axzz2gBKBSKxQ">Blue Planet</a> site off Sir Reginald Mitchell Way</div>
If there is something else important to you about Tunstall let us know in the comments and we will add it in.Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent ST6, UK53.058659 -2.208822999999938527.5366245 -43.517416999999938 78.5806935 39.099771000000061tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-84601193003663022182013-09-23T03:35:00.000-07:002013-09-23T03:35:49.893-07:00Traudi Plesch OBE <h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>In Memory of Traudi Plesch OBE 1922 – 2013</b></span></h2>
<u>A guest post by John A Pedder MBE</u><br />
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“Whatever is done for love always occurs beyond good and evil” </div>
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(Friedrich Nietzsche)</div>
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Traudi Plesch passed away on August 10th 2013 at the age of 91. Her husband Peter passed away just a short time before her on March the 5th of the same year. They were both remarkable and North Staffordshire will be the poorer for their passing.<br />
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As the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche put it, anything done in love, supersedes evil. Both Traudi and Peter came from a background of evil but proved that from evil, good can triumph. Peter was born in Germany and Traudi in Austria. Peter was one of the last surviving members of the European Diaspora of intellectuals forced to escape Nazism in the 1930s and 1940s. In the 1930s the family fled to England.<br />
<br />
Peter went to Harrow School and Cambridge and then in 1951, he was appointed to the University of North Staffordshire, now Keele University, as one of the first non-professorial staff, teaching physical chemistry. His death marks the end of an era at Keele as he was the last surviving member of staff from the 1950s.
Peter Plesch was hugely enthusiastic, not only about science and chemistry but about life. His enthusiasm was infectious. He was aware of his own good fortune when his family escaped the fate of so many of their compatriots and this had shaped his attitude and generosity of spirit.<br />
In his words<br />
<br />
“I live my life to the full for all those whose lives were taken. My duty to them forbids anything less.”<br />
<br />
This dedication and enthusiasm was also to be seen in the life of his second wife Traudi. She had fled her native Austria to escape the Nazi domination and ensuing holocaust. Living with Peter in the Westlands, she too was to put her stamp on this area. Her love of life and of the people of Newcastle and North Staffordshire manifested itself in prolific fund raising for her many chosen good causes. She was the inspiration that resulted in the raising of huge sums of money. These included £300,000 towards the building of the Douglas Macmillan Hospice in Blurton and another £660,000 to establish a day centre to mark the Hospice’s Silver Jubilee year. She was to go on to lead the £750,000 appeal to build the Child Development Centre at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire. In 2000 Traudi was awarded the OBE in recognition of her charity work in North Staffordshire.<br />
<br />
Some words from Karen McKenzie, Hospice Director of Income Generation<br />
<br />
“We are indebted to this amazing lady for her significant help over many years. Traudi was a huge personality and a fabulous ambassador for us.”<br />
<br />
Her relatives have set up a justgiving page to raise funds in her memory, towards international cancer research. The link is here <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/remember/80744/Traudi-Plesch%20OBE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.justgiving.com/remember/Traudi-PleschOBE</a><br />
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<br />
Founder of the Castle Comfort Mobility Products Group, Keith Simpson
wishes to thank John Pedder MBE for this accurate and fitting tribute to Mr
& Mrs Plesch.<br /><br />Keith states' "Peter and Traudi as our clients for many years, became friends.<br />
<br />Their
needs in later years for our services, whether a rubber stopper for a
walking stick or a specialised stairlift system, were fulfilled by our
staff who were privileged to ensure their exacting standards were met.<br /><br />A particular feature with the Plesches was that our efforts would
always be acknowledged, and indeed very quickly by telephone and in
writing. If ever they felt a tiny improvement, over any aspect of our
products and services - could be made... . it would be politely
suggested, and for this we were grateful.<br /><br />It has been a
pleasure to be
of assistance over many years .. and as with any of our clients, their
passing away brings great sadness .. but always fond memories."<br /><br />Keith SimpsonAppel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, UK53.013208 -2.227300199999945152.9367835 -2.388661699999945 53.0896325 -2.0659386999999452tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-28195363502916067992013-09-06T07:27:00.000-07:002013-09-06T07:27:24.046-07:00Adlington Retirement Apartments Wolstanton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h1>
Adlington Retirement Apartments Wolstanton</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYE2Dtid06seHV5bGWn13QzbPeYs8dWzN-L8jSKdMWPnjW9sagHj6HMvYFms0HDuMc4f-klETKcluCyfMisSWP7mXSAKKkOCNg79pei2krBAvo-PMJ90PVU9mT1E-QPO78Z8vMuk2SgA/s1600/adlingtoninwolstantonpic4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYE2Dtid06seHV5bGWn13QzbPeYs8dWzN-L8jSKdMWPnjW9sagHj6HMvYFms0HDuMc4f-klETKcluCyfMisSWP7mXSAKKkOCNg79pei2krBAvo-PMJ90PVU9mT1E-QPO78Z8vMuk2SgA/s320/adlingtoninwolstantonpic4.PNG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting to build Adlington Retirement Village, Wolstanton</td></tr>
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We are very excited to see the progress in the village of the Adlington retirement complex. Built on the site of the former garage in Wolstanton High Street the Adlington Apartments are a welcome addition to the area and having all the local businesses so close by will be very handy for all the new residents.<br />
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The facilities of an Adlington development are superb as they offer 1, 2 and 3 bedroom
apartments and a number of activity rooms, lounges, a restaurant and a guest suite with en-suite facilities for visiting family.<br />
<br />
Naturally as <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/" target="_blank">the areas best mobility products and independent living supplier</a>
we are well placed to offer high quality space saving riser recliner
chairs and electric adjustable beds as well as the everyday assistance
from helpful items like grabbers, perching stools or walking sticks, which are all designed to be useful for the over 55's who might need
them living at Adlington in Wolstanton.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNsDm3V3jDSUXk7EgNaS7Zj2YvjOglCSDt08KOVGSiw2VCIjoveXu5MlmmMrVaiKa2TV_J628yPcPjqFG1pQgQRt_NS2MyyLW5l2ddc3DDxzZLNIZdu4HEextBx9t8HBgDrEFI9zv4w/s1600/adlingtoninwolstantonpic3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNsDm3V3jDSUXk7EgNaS7Zj2YvjOglCSDt08KOVGSiw2VCIjoveXu5MlmmMrVaiKa2TV_J628yPcPjqFG1pQgQRt_NS2MyyLW5l2ddc3DDxzZLNIZdu4HEextBx9t8HBgDrEFI9zv4w/s320/adlingtoninwolstantonpic3.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adlington Retirement Village, Wolstanton</td></tr>
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They even offer an internal mobility scooter parking suite with electrical charge points. Don't worry if you haven't got a scooter yet, as we can arrange to pick you up and demonstrate one for you here at the showroom or get you set up with any extra equipment you might need in your new home.<br />
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The development itself will also offer 24-hour on site care, if required, and
will be provided by Methodist Homes Association staff, one of the
premier organisations in the field.<br />
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The Adlington apartment complexes, of which there are already 2 built in the UK (Rhos on Sea and Stockport) have proved very popular with buyers and we foresee that the quality building, in-house facilities and convenient location for visiting local shops and the health centre, all adds up to a great place to spend your golden years.<br />
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Once the ribbon is cut on the building we anticipate helping many of the new residents make their new apartments comfortable and homely and introducing them to our renowned high quality customer service.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>If you have read down this far you can <u><span style="color: red;">get £50 cashback* on your choice of a brand new riser recliner chair</span></u> from the showroom, by quoting the "Adlington Castle Comfort Blog."</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Smiley.svg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Adlington Apartments Wolstanton" border="0" height="30" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Smiley.svg" title="" width="30" /></a></div>
<b>See you soon.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmdU2iSZkhEMqXshbM6MizAYpGYo4V4i2GKvvlvZYVQUIMrPA7ISmBpRo5Rdyqtpl13QXrnmCr2HwqgAZ7pp5JwVVp93AddNTZHQ-FP7q3SIW8fl7v4oLj2SKh8AdSw-GtBqKuCG0zA/s1600/ccctriosturdysecuredownload.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmdU2iSZkhEMqXshbM6MizAYpGYo4V4i2GKvvlvZYVQUIMrPA7ISmBpRo5Rdyqtpl13QXrnmCr2HwqgAZ7pp5JwVVp93AddNTZHQ-FP7q3SIW8fl7v4oLj2SKh8AdSw-GtBqKuCG0zA/s320/ccctriosturdysecuredownload.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr.Stirling, Ann and Keith from Castle Comfort Centre, Wolstanton</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">*(One cashback offer per each brand new chair you order)</span></b></span>Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com4Wolstanton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5, UK53.029996999999987 -2.216099999999983127.507962499999987 -43.524693999999982 78.552031499999984 39.092494000000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-82156566019256852722013-08-20T02:18:00.000-07:002016-12-01T08:13:58.040-08:00Electric Beds Stoke on Trent<h2>
<u>THE HISTORY OF BEDS</u> </h2>
<div>
<u>INCLUDING INFORMATION ON ELECTRIC BEDS</u></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
“To sleep perchance to dream” (Hamlet) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZzecUrdabrLqP2lWiSNYqkaMockEvYEwDjY_3qPe_6fqdi7VdQraITylWKLZ8W6Wvqo8am9ZQot376kIGagZq0hIQwuIjhTu2RmW6Zzf10PHv_M_EFh3rm-U2OiLHp9IdufvEoxFmA/s1600/2%25276+adjustable+bed+base.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZzecUrdabrLqP2lWiSNYqkaMockEvYEwDjY_3qPe_6fqdi7VdQraITylWKLZ8W6Wvqo8am9ZQot376kIGagZq0hIQwuIjhTu2RmW6Zzf10PHv_M_EFh3rm-U2OiLHp9IdufvEoxFmA/s1600/2%25276+adjustable+bed+base.PNG" /></a>To sleep well is very important to good health and peace of mind.
One’s bed is not only a place of rest and sleep. It is a sanctuary, almost akin to the womb, where one somehow feels safe and sheltered from the busy world with all of its unwelcome intrusions. It is the only place where one is truly one’s self. A comfortable bed is the most valuable of all our worldly possession. To sleep rough on the streets or to be a soldier in a wet dug-out or ‘fox hole’ in some foreign field has to be a version of hell.
The building of a nest or bed is not the prerogative of Homo Sapiens. Most living creatures need to build a place of safety and refuge in which to regenerate and survive.
“The sparrow has found her an house, and the swallow where she may lay her young.” (Psalm 84)
Primates build nests. Orang-utans build new nests every day, high in trees, where they are safe from predators. The nest is usually built between ten and twenty metres off the forest floor. Having selected horizontal branches, they gather sticks and leaves for the construction. The more supple branches are bent inwards and woven together to form a “mattress”. Leafy branches are used to line the structure and sometimes a roof of branches covers the finished nest; the smaller softer leaf branches formed into a pillow. And so, the orang-utan is ready for bed; safe, warm, dry and free of Council Tax!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robandstephanielevy/2214231848/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Orangutan Nest by robstephaustralia, on Flickr"><img alt="Orangutan Nest" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2024/2214231848_ea83bdcf02.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robandstephanielevy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">flickr</a></td></tr>
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When it comes to building skills to create a bed, I have to admit that the ginger colouring of the orang-utan is all that my cat Freddie has in common with them. He uses a convenient ready-made place at the foot of my bed! Orang-utans are to be found in far away Borneo. When looking for a bed in Stoke on Trent, Freddie just makes do with what is readily available!<br />
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The history of beds is a fascinating social story. Beds not only reflect design and construction. They have been items linked to wealth, power and social custom.
We always look at the Romans period as both an era of power and empire and also of ingenuity and technology. The Romans built cities, roads, palaces, baths and even central heating systems. For the rich Roman, a spectacular bed, covered with exotic textiles was a status symbol.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25875946@N08/5688604980/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Roman Bed by monarchseals, on Flickr"><img alt="Roman Bed" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5185/5688604980_c7539dfd0f.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25875946@N08/5688604980" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">flickr</a></td></tr>
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Viking beds did not have purpose made mattresses. Animal skins were used to make sacks. These would be stuffed with dry leaves, straw and even pea-pods. The result could not have been very comfortable! The Viking and Saxon words for bed and mattress give us a clear clue to the structure.<br />
“Baence” (bench) and “streou” (straw). Interestingly, “crib” and “cot” originates from the same source and referred to more permanent sleeping platforms.<br />
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Viking bed frame<br />
It is interesting to note that the wooden bed frame features the familiar Viking dragon shape more associated with Viking boat design.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kboscho/7688882614/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Viking Museum, Sandnessjoen by K-BoScho, on Flickr"><img alt="Viking Museum, Sandnessjoen" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8154/7688882614_4d788aa870.jpg" height="186" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kboscho" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">flickr</a></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hilofoz/8043029418/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Tudor bed by hilofoz, on Flickr"><img alt="Tudor bed" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/8043029418_26c098942e.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hilofoz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">flickr</a></td></tr>
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By the medieval period, grand beds were once again the prerogative of the rich and powerful. These were elaborate constructions with feather mattresses, canopies and side curtains. I suppose that the curtains afforded privacy but also I imagine a shield from draughts which no doubt were part of living in castles or grand houses of the day.King Henry V111’s building works at Hampton Court works included a spacious bedchamber to house his own bed. In view of Henry’s corpulent build and the demands of the need for an heir with his famous ill-fated wives, it had to be quite a structure! During Tudor times beds became more common possessions for many people. Most were quite simple and others elaborate “four-posters” with fine drapes. In William Shakespeare’s will, he left his “second-best” bed and its furniture to his wife, Anne Hathaway. Tudor beds required regular attention to keep the stretched cords holding the mattress taut. These were tightened by a special lever called a “twitch”.<br />
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<u>Tudor Bedroom </u><br />
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The next major change in bed style and construction came about with the Victorians. Bed frames were made from metal which for the wealthier meant brass. The bed would be polished as part of the duties or those below stairs. After 1820, comfort was improved with a new innovation; mattresses with coiled springs.
And so what of today? I suspect that in TV advertising, beds appear as often as any other product and more frequently than many. We see apparently never ending ‘sales ads’ featuring a range of couples leaping onto a mattress, strangely usually lacking sheets or duvets! <a href="http://www.sleepcouncil.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sleep is of course a vital part of our natural cycles.</a> A lack of sleep reduces efficiency and results at best in a grumpy attitude and, at worst, to accidents. Motorway electronic signs spell out the warning – “Tiredness kills. Take a break.” No doubt we have all experienced times when for whatever reason we seem to have been awake all night. There are few worse experiences than lying there as the mind churns over with total mixed up nonsense. Sleeping problems can be experienced by those suffering illness, disability or simply the onset of ageing. It is during the night hat people feel at their lowest. Getting in and out of bed or finding the right sleeping position without those infuriating pillows sliding back can become difficult.
There is an answer. Technology has afforded relief in the form of the adjustable bed. At the push of a button, the head section and other areas of the bed can be adjusted to suit the user’s needs, be it reading a book or sleeping elevated to assist breathing problems. Double beds are available for couples where the two halves of the bed can be adjusted individually.
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/84407132@N06/7727813974/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Adjustable Beds by restmatters, on Flickr"><img alt="Adjustable Beds" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7727813974_58f1f764aa.jpg" height="190" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/84407132@N06/7727813974" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">flickr</a></td></tr>
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<u>
Just what are the benefits of an adjustable electric bed?</u><br />
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There is little doubt that people with back or breathing problems need to be careful about the type of bed and mattress they sleep on. The disadvantage of a fixed bed, being a flat sleeping surface, is that they lack the ability to distribute pressure over the entire surface and tension of muscles and joints in often increased. There is also the possibility of putting strain on the heart and poor circulation. <a href="http://blog.castlecomfortcentre.com/2013/03/adjustable-beds-stoke-on-trent.html" target="_blank">An adjustable bed may help</a>. For some people sleeping surface, adjustable bed that is on an incline of say 30 to 45 degrees, may be more comfortable as the upper part of the body is higher than the lower part, similar to sitting in a chair. Some support under the knees may take away stress on the lower back. There is no one single bed type that suits everyone and it is important that a potential buyer tries out a bed before making a decision.<br />
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Conditions that may be helped by electrical adjustable beds:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Lower back, neck and shoulder pain. </li>
<li>Acid reflux </li>
<li>Arthritis</li>
<li>Asthma </li>
<li>COPD</li>
<li>Swollen legs or feet</li>
<li>Some heart conditions.</li>
</ul>
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<u>How do electric adjustable beds work?</u><br />
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Watch this video to find out and <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/contact.php" target="_blank">come to Stoke on Trent</a> to see one in our showroom at ST5 0HE.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="169" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5606fQbftnA?rel=0" width="300"></iframe><br />
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So from orang-utans to sparrows and cats to Kings, we have devised ways to rest our weary heads. From bags of leaves to memory foam, from stately curtained four posters to electronic adjustable beds, our search for rest and relaxation is a daily requirement. Visit our Stoke on Trent electric bed showroom to find yours.<br />
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<br />Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com1Stoke-on-Trent, UK53.002668 -2.179403999999976852.849849 -2.5021274999999767 53.155487 -1.8566804999999769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-2371126614053058082013-07-18T14:30:00.000-07:002016-12-01T08:17:15.876-08:00Heat Wave 2013 - UK Elderly At Risk<h2>
<b>Heat waves – dangers to elderly and infirm people</b></h2>
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<b><u>Health Warning Issued 18/07/13</u></b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/buckygail/6000116321/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="ha ha heatwave by 1SarahSmith, on Flickr"><img alt="ha ha heatwave" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6127/6000116321_f9038288d2_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/buckygail/6000116321/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flickr-SarahSmith</a></td></tr>
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The heat wave warning has been raised to "level three" by<a href="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/heat-health/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> the Met Office</a> for south-west England and the West Midlands.
The move brings those regions in line with the South East and London, where level three warnings remain in place.
The warning alerts healthcare services to help those in high-risk groups such as the elderly and young children.
Wednesday was the hottest day of the year, with 32.2C recorded at Hampton Water Works in south-west London.
(Source:<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news">www.bbc.co.uk/news</a>)<br />
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<u><b>Why is a heat wave a problem?</b></u><br />
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The main risks posed by a heat wave are:
dehydration (not having enough water)
overheating, which can make symptoms worse for people who already have problems with their heart or breathing
heat exhaustion
heatstroke.<br />
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<h4>
<u>Who is most at risk?</u></h4>
A heat wave can affect anyone, but the most vulnerable people in extreme heat are:
older people, especially those over 75
babies and young children
people with a serious chronic condition, especially heart or breathing problems
people with mobility problems, for example people with Parkinson’s disease or who have had a stroke
people with serious mental health problems
people on certain medications, including those that affect sweating and temperature control, people who misuse alcohol or drugs, people who are physically active, for example labourers or those doing sports.<br />
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<h4>
<u>Advice for a heatwave</u></h4>
<ul>
<li>Shut windows and pull down the shades when it is hotter outside.</li>
<li> If it’s safe, open them for ventilation when it is cooler.</li>
<li> Avoid the heat: stay out of the sun and don’t go out between 11am and 3pm (the hottest part of the day) if you’re vulnerable to the effects of heat.
(Source: <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/">www.nhs.uk</a>)</li>
</ul>
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Many people, especially the elderly, experience mobility problems. We tend to concentrate on physical issues such as difficulty in walking or bathing. There are of course some excellent mobility aids to help people, not only to find basic tasks easier, but, very importantly, to retain independence. One person, having previously been confined to the ground floor but had invested in a stair lift, made the poignant comment “I have got the other half of my house back.”
<a href="http://www.stairliftsdoctor.co.uk/" target="_blank">If mobility is difficult</a> because of breathing problems, a heat wave can result in serious complications.<br />
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Heat can be a problem for people with COPD. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is not a disease in itself but the name given to conditions where you find it difficult to breathe in and out due to long term damage to your lungs. It includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema but not chronic asthma.
In normal lungs, the network of tubes or ‘airways’ that transport air deep into your lungs, become gradually smaller, ending in tiny air sacs. When air reaches the air sacs, oxygen passes into your blood. At the same time, unwanted carbon dioxide transfers into your blood and is expelled when you breathe out. If your airways are damaged, it is harder for air to flow in and out of your lungs and so difficult for you to get enough oxygen.
Damage occurs in response to harmful substances and usually starts with inflammation. If the inflammation lasts for a while, permanent changes start to take place. The walls of the airways become thickened, the airways are narrower and so breathing becomes more of an effort.
In chronic bronchitis, inflammation results in overproduction of mucus in the airways and formation of phlegm that blocks your airways and makes you cough.
Many people with COPD have chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In emphysema, the damage also affects the air sacs. They lose their elasticity, which makes it difficult to keep the airways open and for air to get in and out of your lungs. With fewer air sacs working properly, the transfer of oxygen into your blood and removal of carbon dioxide is restricted. Therefore you breathe harder in an attempt to get enough oxygen. If you can’t get enough oxygen, you will feel tired and less able to carry out everyday activities.
(Source:<a href="http://www.ageuk.org.uk/">www.AgeUK.org.uk</a>)<br />
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Your Pets need help too!
Pets, especially dogs and cats, are at risk as well as human beings. We have all gone to our car to discover that it has become a sweltering oven. It is impossible to get in and even the steering wheel is too hot to touch.
Dogs and cats should never be left in a hot, un-ventilated car. If leaving them is unavoidable, park in the shade and leave the windows down enough to let in fresh air and supply a bowl of fresh water. Do not leave them for a long period. Just a few minutes can be enough to cause heat exhaustion and even death. Incredibly, even the professionals, who ought to know better, can get it badly wrong.
A police dog handler who left two dogs to die in the back of his car during a heat wave was spared a custodial sentence yesterday.
A judge told Ian Craven, 50, that the mental anguish he suffered and loss of his career was in itself ‘quite a punishment’.
He was banned from keeping dogs for just three years after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to the animals.
One animal welfare charity said a jail sentence would have been appropriate.
The officer sparked a national outcry in June after Chay, a four-year-old Malinois, and six-month-old Alsatian puppy Tilly died from heatstroke.
They were left in the back of his scorching vehicle for more than four hours at the force’s dog training centre in Keston, Kent, while he went to a meeting in Stratford, East London.
Source: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2048380/Sergeant-Ian-Craven-left-police-dogs-die-hot-car-spared-jail.html#ixzz2ZPegUQse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.dailymail.co.uk</a><br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Hot Weather For The UK</u></h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66012345@N00/964251167/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Forest Fires in Greece by Lotus R, on Flickr"><img alt="Forest Fires in Greece" src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1439/964251167_9d43aa675f.jpg" height="334" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/66012345@N00/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flickr-LotusR</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It is hard not to wonder at the vagaries of the British climate. We Brits would be lost for something to talk about if our weather was stable and reliable. The weather is a greater talking point than football! The threat of climate change may well be a topic open to academic and political debate, but the weather, the result of climate, is changing for sure. We no longer seem to have clearly defined seasons and the planet is witnessing extremes; floods, gales, temperatures, and snowfall are all being seen on a scale unknown in recent climatic history. What determines our weather? There are of course many factors but one is our island position. We are surrounded by water meaning that the sea, at the mercy of the prevailing winds and the sun’s temperature, is a big player in the game. The most regular winds come from the west and they have travelled over vast areas of ocean, collecting water, which, driven by the land to higher altitudes drops on us as rain. Air pressure and a complexity of ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ and ‘fronts’ are a part of our daily weather maps and satellite pictures. Then there are the other two culprits who are usually apportioned blame – the Jet Steam (air) and the Gulf Steam (water). We are prone to criticism of the met office, saying things like ‘they never get it right’. But you know, most of the time they do. Weather forecasting is a very difficult science, especially for areas where conditions can change very rapidly. We all remember the Bar-B-Q summers that never arrived. This year it has – bringing the longest heat wave in years. Hot sunny weather is not totally good news. High temperatures and dry conditions, together with a deadly blend of vandals or simply careless people, can result in disastrous fires destroying large areas of forest or grasslands, putting animals and people in danger and destroying property.<br />
<br />
High temperatures, reaching the top 20’s and even 30’s, produces a significant health risk to vulnerable people, namely the very young, the elderly and those suffering breathing and mobility issues. We all love to have some summer, but we must be aware of the potential dangers. Remember that pets can suffer too! Our problem in this country is that we do not have the hot weather often enough to acclimatise. If you are particularly vulnerable, take steps to prepare and help yourself. It could be a long hot summer. Where possible, use a stair lift and perhaps a wheelchair, avoid steep slopes and stairs, keep out of the direct sun and always drink plenty of water. The video below from ‘Down Under’ gives you some very useful tips.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="169" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eUAxb8C212Y?rel=0" width="300"></iframe>
<br />
Be sure that you enjoy the great summer weather but stay comfortable and, above all, safe. Follow the NHS guide which lays out sound advice for all - but especially for those at high risk through age, illness or lack of mobility.Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com3Stoke-on-Trent, UK53.002668 -2.179403999999976852.849849 -2.5021274999999767 53.155487 -1.8566804999999769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-44697046741737627552013-06-28T04:06:00.000-07:002016-12-01T08:20:03.213-08:00Stroke Recovery in Stoke on Trent<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8114472123208499579" name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Hope for Stroke Patients in Stoke on Trent<o:p></o:p></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8114472123208499579" name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“When you have a stroke, you must talk slowly to be understood and I
have discovered that when I talk slowly, people listen. They think I’m going to
say something important.” - Kirk Douglas<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">Source: <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-life/9515653/Kirk-Douglas-My-Sparticus-broke-all-the-rules.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daily Telegraph.co.uk</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /></div>
<br /><br />Just the very mention of the word stroke strikes fear into the minds of most people. It conjures up images of disability, or losing the ability to speak and, in severe cases, even to death. One stroke survivor told me that after suffering a stroke his life quality had changed so dramatically that he sometimes became so depressed and frustrated that he had moments when he regretted having survived. But there is hope, and there is help available too.<br /><br /><div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8114472123208499579" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8114472123208499579" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Harry
(not his real name) was the last person one would have thought was a high risk
candidate. He has never smoked or drank, carried no extra weight and has
enjoyed a stress free life. He is in his seventies and his wife in her mid
eighties. One morning, without any warning, he slumped over the breakfast
table. Until the stroke he had enjoyed good health. Harry is a musician. He had
been an accomplished organist and choirmaster, teaching the organ and playing
in his local parish church. His enthusiasm lead to the installation of a small
pipe organ in his house. It is fair to say that music was his life. The stroke
has left him incapable of using his left arm and leg. He will never play again.
He now depends almost totally on his wife which adds to his frustration. He is
now dependent on mobility aids. There is much help available. <a href="http://www.stairliftsdoctor.co.uk/locations/stairlifts-stoke-on-trent/" target="_blank">If stairs are a problem then a stair lift is the answer</a>, used in conjunction with other aids
such as a wheelchair, <a href="http://blog.castlecomfortcentre.com/2013/02/walking-sticks-stoke-newcastle-stone.html" target="_blank">walking sticks and frames</a> and a bath lift, together with regular
physiotherapy.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Harry
and his wife have now had the stress of moving home to Stoke-on-Trent to
receive excellent care based at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire
where people suffering Stroke are more likely to survive than anywhere else in
the country and also to be near to family as extra support.</div>
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 12.5pt;"><u><br /></u></b>
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 12.5pt;"><u>Our Stroke service in Stoke on Trent</u></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 12.5pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt;">A stroke occurs when the blood supply is cut
off to the brain. Blood carries essential nutrients and oxygen to the brain,
and without a blood supply, brain cells can be damaged or destroyed, and are
not be able to do their job. Strokes occur in different parts of the brain, and
can result in damage to your body, dependent on which part of the brain has
been affected. For example, if the part of the brain which controls how limbs
move is damaged, the ability to move can be damaged or even lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> Source: University Hospital of North
Staffordshire NHS Trust http://www.uhns.nhs.uk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt;">When a person shows symptoms of having a stroke,
speed is essential and ringing 999 should never be delayed. Much is being done
on TV and in the media to alert the public to F.A.S.T.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt;"><b><i><u>Just how common are strokes?</u></i></b></span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b><span style="color: #244061; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> Males Females Total<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b><span style="color: #244061; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">UK 19,287 30,079 49,366<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b><span style="color: #244061; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">England 15,824 24,743 40,567<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b><span style="color: #244061; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">N. Ireland 489 750 1,239<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #244061; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Scotland 1,889 2,875 4,764<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #244061; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Wales 1,085 1,711 2,796<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 9pt;">(<a href="http://www.stroke.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Source: Stroke Association 2010</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
It is interesting to note that women
appear to be at greater risk of stroke than men.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<b><i><u>How can I reduce my risk of having a stroke?</u><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Most medical information suggests that the risk of having a stroke can
be reduced by five actions:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3642/3636248547_a61da0538a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Blood pressure 57-365
(Year 3)" border="0" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3642/3636248547_a61da0538a.jpg" height="320" style="background-color: transparent;" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/funfilledgeorgie/3636248547/%22" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flickr-GeorgieR</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Stopping Smoking<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Cutting down
on how much alcohol you drink<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Eating a
healthy diet - cut down on salt and fatty foods<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Taking regular exercise<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Having regular blood pressure checks<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 382.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><u>Are there signs of
hope for stoke patients?</u></b> <o:p></o:p><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 382.75pt; text-align: justify;">
According to the BBC News website, one current
experimental procedure involves injecting stem cells into the damaged area of
the brain. Science correspondent Pallab Ghosh reports that a UK company is
applying for permission to transplant stem cells made from human foetal tissue
into the brains of stroke patients. ReNeuron, based in Guildford, has told the
BBC that they have what they are calling ‘convincing evidence’ that damaged
brain cells, as a result of a stroke, could potentially be regenerated.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 382.75pt; text-align: justify;">
Professor Keith Muir of Glasgow University has expressed
“surprise” at the moderate improvements in the five patients trialled. However,
he stresses that it is too soon to tell if the progress can be attributed to
the procedure. The results will be presented at the European Stroke Conference
in London.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 382.75pt; text-align: justify;">
One patient, 80 year old Frank Marsh, has reported
encouraging changes in his condition. The normal period during which some
improvement may naturally occur following a stroke is twelve months. Frank had
his stroke five years ago. His wife said that he had reached a plateau and
progress had stopped. Following the treatment he has gained some hand movement
and can now dress himself, tie his shoe laces and hold on to things. To regain
such simple actions, which the rest of us take for granted, must bring huge hope
to the stroke victim.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 382.75pt; text-align: justify;">
Like my friend Harry, Frank is a musician and
shares the frustration of no longer being able to play. In Frank’s words <i>“I’d like to get back to my piano and walk a
bit steadier and further.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 382.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Source:
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.co.uk/news/health-22646103" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BBC News</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i><u>What are stem cells?</u><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Stem cells are the body’s raw materials from
which all other cells, having a specialised function, develop. If we think of
the cell stems as the ‘parent’ then as the cells divide ‘daughter’ cells are
produced. These either become new stem cells (self-renewal) or become
specialised cells (differentiation) with a specific function such as blood
cells, brain cells, heart muscle or bone. Cells can be genetically manipulated
to regenerate or repair diseased or damaged tissues.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u>Who may benefit from stem cell therapy?</u><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
In the broad term, we all do because certain stem cells can be used to
test the safety and effectiveness of new drugs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
More specifically, benefits may be seen in patients suffering spinal
cord injuries, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, heart
disease, burns, cancer and stroke.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
Amongst the latest reported research, involving injecting stem cells
into the area of damaged brain of stroke survivors is not without controversy.
Scientific research involving both human and animal research and resources is
always subject to ethical questioning. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
The stark fact is that stroke survivors are currently not going to make
a full recovery but who knows what future treatment may achieve. It is more a
case of learning to adapt to the situation, aided by some excellent support from the heath experts, suppliers of mobility
aids and, very importantly, self help and dedicated carers. It is worth
repeating that physical symptoms are not the only obstacle to</div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
be overcome. Understandably, patients experience levels of depression
and frustration, sometimes taking this out on those who are caring for them,
ironically often those to whom they are the closest such as their partner or
children. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b><i><u>What help is out there for carers?</u><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
As well as the GP and Occupational Therapists, informed information is
available from organisations whose knowledge is based on first-hand experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <i> </i></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>‘One in ten people in the UK
is a carer.</i><i>Being a carer can be a kind,
admirable </i><i>and selfless act. At times
though, it can </i><i>be challenging and carers have
told us </i><i>that they sometimes feel
overwhelmed,</i><i>exhausted and isolated. </i><i>Stroke is a sudden and serious
condition </i><i>and can come as a shock.
Suddenly seeing a </i><i>loved one unwell can be very
upsetting. You </i><i>might not understand what has
happened or </i><i>may find it difficult to know
how to support </i><i>them. It is natural to feel
overwhelmed, but </i><i>as you come to terms with what
has </i><i>happened, you might want to
know how you </i><i>can help.’</i><br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://www.stroke.org.uk/factsheet/stroke-carers-guide"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.stroke.org.uk/factsheet/stroke-carers-guide</span></a>.</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<b><u>Stroke exercises and treatment</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Moving around safely is taken for granted,
unless you suffer a stroke. Some survivors experience paralysis of an arm
and/or leg, and balance issues add to the difficulties. Some 40% of survivors
suffer serious falls within a year of suffering their stroke. Weakness in a
muscle or group of muscles results from the inability of brain signals to get
through and of course lack of movement results in the muscles becoming weaker.
Exercise and movement is essential and a regular programme of exercises set out
by an expert physiotherapist is very important. Many of these exercises can be
done whilst sitting or lying down. Swimming can be excellent, but of course
always under correct supervision. Walking, bending and stretching are all
beneficial. Experts warn against fatigue and all exercise regimes should be
tailored to the individuals needs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Treatment is a combination of therapy and
medicines. In addition to the motion exercises, splinting or casting can be
used to give support or to straighten a foot twisted by muscle weakness. The
release of chemicals which cause muscle contraction can be inhibited by the use
of botulinum toxin.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Source:
<a href="http://www.stroke.org.uk/">http://www.stroke.org.uk</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<b><u>Stroke and Kinetics</u></b><br />
<br />
<div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
One other area of interesting therapy is
that of kinetics. The ability to use kinetics or 3D pictures of movement, may
hold a link to a new procedure to assist with the rehabilitation of stroke
survivors by gait analysis, the study of how people walk. The leading research
is taking place at Missouri University. It is claimed that cameras installed in
people’s homes to collect data and analyse their movement may be able to act as
an early warning system to health issues including falling and mobility
impairment, providing advanced movement analysis for physiotherapy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333;">Meanwhile,
at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, UK, Kinect games are being used to
help rehabilitate stroke patients. Titles such as<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Kinectimals</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Kinect
Bowling</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>help redevelop
coordination following a trauma. Doctors say that the ability to focus on
natural movements and activities is vastly beneficial over the traditional
physiotherapy where patients would be stretched and pulled to rebuild sensation
and muscle strength.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt;">Source: </span><span style="background: white; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/20/264841/kinect-medical-use-mobility-rehab">http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/20/264841/kinect-medical-use-mobility-rehab</a></span><span style="background: white; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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There are also mobility exercises for rehabilitation and stroke recovery based around neurophysiotherapy. An enterprisinig firm in New Zealand has combined clinical therapeutics developed at Otago in New Zealand ,which is a worldwide centre of excellence in falls rehabilitation, with a computer to help rehabilitate upper body function after a stroke.</div>
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Here's a video of it in action.</div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8114472123208499579" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="background: white; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">In
conclusion, suffering a stroke is a cruel and debilitating trauma but there is
a great deal of help available and the future holds some exciting possibilities
to give hope to all, both survivors and carers. If you would like to visit your local <a href="http://castlecomfortcentre.com/products.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stoke mobility aids showroom</a> we can show you some of the products that other stroke survivors have found useful, indeed necessary in their new phase of life.</span><br />
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Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com0Stoke-on-Trent, UK53.002668 -2.179403999999976852.849849 -2.5021274999999767 53.155487 -1.8566804999999769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-69876537541486908272013-03-09T06:13:00.000-08:002016-12-01T08:21:35.923-08:00Adjustable Beds Stoke on Trent<h1>
Adjustable Beds in Stoke on Trent</h1>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">"</span>G</span>oodnight, perchance to sleep<span style="font-size: large;">"</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image:<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/5307141278/%22%20title=%22Interested%20and%20bored%20by%20quinn.anya,%20on%20Flickr%22%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5087/5307141278_ac64a317d9_n.jpg%22%20width=%22320%22%20height=%22213%22%20alt=%22Interested%20and%20bored%22%3E%3C/a%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flickr-quinnanya</a></td></tr>
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Whatever our age or mobility a good night’s sleep, perhaps in a comfortable adjustable bed is very important. <b><span style="color: red;">Call us on 611411 today</span></b> to find your new bed or to arrange a visit to our showroom.<br />
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Research suggests that most of us need between seven and nine hours sleep a night, with only one in fifty needing less than six hours. If we don’t get enough good quality sleep it can affect our health and wellbeing, as well as our concentration and mood.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">How do we achieve a good night’s sleep</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and what are the key ways to ensure we do?</span><br />
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Healthy lifestyles, a regular bedtime routine i.e. going to bed at roughly the same time every night and of course a comfortable bed feature at the top of the Sleep Council’s list.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Are you sleeping comfortably?</span><br />
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Adjustable beds are one way of making sure you get the best possible comfort in bed. If you already own a reclining chair you’ll know what we mean.<br />
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A motorised adjustable bed allows you to put the bed in the most comfortable position for you. So inclining the upper body to a comfortable sitting position, whilst raising the knees so that you don’t slip down the bed, means that you can watch the television or read with ease. It’s even a good position for breakfast in bed!<br />
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Perhaps even more importantly, slightly tilting both the top and bottom of the bed can put your spine in its correct position and aid a comfortable night’s sleep. This is good for all of us, but particularly important for people <b>suffering from a bad back?</b><br />
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The beauty of modern adjustable beds is that you can operate the motor using a hand-held control without getting out of bed!<br />
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Easier to get in and out of bed<br />
An adjustable bed is suitable for everyone, but even more so for those of you who find getting in and out of bed difficult. Certainly being aided into the sitting position is enough for some conditions where the core muscles aren’t strong enough for you to lift yourself.<br />
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<u>A physiotherapist may advise on additional help</u>, especially if you have difficulty sliding across the bed from sitting to lying down or lifting your legs onto the bed. A pole or grab rail next to the bed can often be all the assistance you need to make sliding across easier.<br />
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Sometimes it is actually standing up from the bed that is difficult, so beds where the height can be adjusted are often all the help you need.<br />
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All of these things help to keep you independent no matter what your condition or age.<br />
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<b><u>Types of electric bed</u></b><br />
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You can get beds that just raise the top of the mattress or ones that have two or three adjustable points. Once upon a time it was only hospital beds that were adjustable but over the last thirty years or so, they have become more popular and more available for the domestic market. Most modern adjustable beds have slatted bed bases which of course aid the movement of an adjustable bed.<br />
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<u><b>The Sherborne Dorchester Adjustable Bed - See it in Stoke on Trent.</b></u><br />
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This is a great modern adjustable bed that not only resembles a good quality regular bed and one you’d be proud to have in your bedroom, but it also has up-to-the-minute technology and is particularly strong. In fact it can be used by people who weigh up to 25 stone.<br />
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This bed is suitable for those who just want a good night’s sleep or for those who have mobility issues. After all we spend at least a third of our time in bed, so we need to be as comfortable as possible.<br />
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The Sherborne has a newly developed action with a very worthwhile 5 Year Guarantee for all its adjustable functions, its frame and of course its electrical parts. That means the guarantee covers the bed and the adjustable frame, the electric motor, transformer and control box, as well as the handsets. All other electrical parts of the bed are also covered in the 5 Year Guarantee.<br />
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With the added comfort of a top layer memory foam mattress supported by a thicker layer of reflex foam, the bed is not only ultra comfortable but designed to work with the adjustable frame. The memory foam has the added bonus of relieving pressure, which is particularly good for those with limited mobility in bed.<br />
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The addition of a Cool-Max cover for the mattress helps to resolve any over-heating problems that may occur whilst you sleep. The availability of the Supreme Mattress, which has a slightly softer top than the standard one, also helps to control the temperature. Of course if you prefer, you can also take a medium or firm mattress.<br />
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This British made bed is aesthetically pleasing and would make a great addition to any home without looking out of place alongside your other furnishings. The beds have a fully upholstered drawer for storage in the bed base too.<br />
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The double beds are similar to two single beds joined together allowing one side to be adjustable. However we bet your partner will want to experience the comfort and movement of the adjustable bed too.<br />
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The Sherborne’s dual controls allow the top and bottom of the bed to move independently of one another. They can be adjusted separately using the sleek backlit hand control unit, which also has memory functions built-in as standard.<br />
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If you’re looking for a top quality bed to do the job, the Sherborne is your strongest and most reliable option. It is also sent by Express Delivery so that once you’ve decided this is the bed you want; you won’t have to wait too long for a comfortable night’s sleep. Also available in Acapulco Grey or Acapulco Brown, why not <a href="http://www.castlecomfortcentre.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">visit our Stoke on Trent bed showroom</a> to see one of these fabulous Adjustable Beds in Acapulco Fawn .<br />
<br />Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com5Stoke-on-Trent, UK53.002668 -2.179403999999976852.849832 -2.5021274999999767 53.155504 -1.8566804999999769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114472123208499579.post-67425586352288086852013-02-16T06:48:00.000-08:002013-03-29T01:27:22.557-07:00Walking Sticks Stoke on Trent, Newcastle under Lyme, Stone & Stafford <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/castlecomfortcentre/8488794541/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto;" title="Castle photos Feb1 by CastleComfortCentre, on Flickr"><img alt="Castle photos Feb1" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8488794541_8f8708b31a_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright:<a href="http://castlecomfortcentre.com/walking-sticks/walking-sticks.html" target="_blank">CastleComfortWalkingSticks</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Walking Sticks Stoke on Trent & Newcastle under Lyme</span></h2>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">and all of Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire & Shropshire</span><br />
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<b>The famous - CASTLE FOLDING ADJUSTABLE WALKING STICK is always available at ...</b><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>A special offer price</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b> of JUST<em> £10</em></b></span><br />
<b style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i> </i>Call us to reserve yours today.</b><br />
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WALKING STICKS .. Castle Comfort of Newcastle under Lyme in Staffordshire became kind of 'famous' for the supply of walking canes when they opened their stall in a Stoke on Trent market stall. A decade ago, quite a stir was caused when visitors to Hanley, Stoke on Trent indoor market found themselves having their 'ferrules' changed on their walking canes - FREE OF CHARGE. The ferrule is the metal or rubber stopper on the end and folks came from miles around to see if it was true.</div>
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It started, not as a gimmick as such, but the firm who obtained the ferrules from manufacturers for around 50p each - found it time consuming and uneconomical to account for and charge 75p-£1 and write out a receipt for each one. So they gave them away. Soon it was realised that peoples appreciation of getting something for nothing (and an item that can be difficult to find) resulted in one of Castle Comfort's best ever marketing policies. The local community got to know and love this local company that was clearly not out to make every penny it could - and naturally when time came to invest in a chair, bed or a stair lift - then CCC's Wolstanton showroom became the place to visit.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/castlecomfortcentre/8488796127/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Castle photos Feb1 by CastleComfortCentre, on Flickr"><img alt="Castle photos Feb1" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8383/8488796127_d37bbc4373_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source:<a href="http://blog.castlecomfortcentre.com/2013/02/walking-sticks-stoke-on-trent-stockist.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Walking Sticks Stoke on Trent</a></td></tr>
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To this day - a posse of Castle Comfort team members make regular visits to lots of care homes, residential complexes and a 'coffee morning ferrule change.' They can be found at place such as Bradeley Village, Lisbon Place in The Westlands, Newcastle under Lyme, Gordon Court, Newhouse Court, Mill Rise, Amberly House, Lea Court, Berry Hill, Garners Garden Centre and many more. You no doubt will have seen us when out shopping at your local Morrison's and Sainsbury's stores (the latter especially on Red Nose Day).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/castlecomfortcentre/8488795081/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Walking Sticks in Stoke on Trent from CastleComfortCentre, on Flickr"><img alt="Castle Comfort Walking Sticks" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8091/8488795081_74c4a1620e_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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If a similar product (and of a similar quality) is found elsewhere it will probably be around the £15 mark - thought it has been spotted retailing at up to £30 and even some suppliers may charge carriage. Also, if people cannot get to the showroom and live within a fifteen mile radius, it will be delivered FREE OF CHARGE. Naturally if ever the ferrule needs changing- that will be free.</div>
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Details -</div>
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A height adjustable CASTLE WALKING STICK folds when not in use for compact storage or transportation. Available in SMALL or STANDARD. One or the other will be fine for a very tiny dot of a person - up to an Olympic pole jumper. Simply try them out at the Newcastle under Lyme showroom or in the comfort of your own home when the Castle team member arrives, of course, by appointment.</div>
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They are made from strong powder-coated steel, have an arthritic friendly shaped handle and have non-marking slip resistant rubber ferrules (tips.)</div>
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SO, NOW YOU KNOW WHO TO CONTACT WHEN YOU WANT A WALKING STICK - AND REMEMBER IF YOU ARE HUNTING AROUND FOR A LOVED ONE - THEN THERE IS NO FINER PRESENT - (AND IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE FOR A BIRTHDAY, ANNIVERSARY OR CHRISTMAS)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">CONTACT CASTLE COMFORT ON 01782 611411</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">OR VIA <a href="http://castlecomfortcentre.com/contact.php" target="_blank">THEIR LINK HERE.</a></span></div>
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NOW - WALKING STICK AND CANE <a href="http://walkingstickforum.com/" target="_blank">ENTHUSIASTS</a> - AND WE KNOW THERE ARE MILLIONS OF YOU OUT THERE, READ ON... AND ENJOY ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING ACCOUNTS EVERY WRITTEN ON THE SUBJECT OF WHAT MAYBE MAN'S (OR WOMAN'S) BEST FRIEND... EVEN MORE SO THAN THE DOG ................</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">If you thought that a walking
stick was just a walking stick, plain and simple, you would be wrong. The
humble walking stick, giving walking support to the aged and infirm, is
anything but. Walking sticks have been seen as a fashion accessory by some and
even a real, trusted friend by others with which to share life; akin to walking
the dog!</span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;">Walking sticks are also becoming an acceptable self-defence tool for ladies.
But if you ever bash a would be mugger over the head don´t tell the
police you carry it for that purpose. Just invent ´´a little arthritis
in the knee´´ - and wink at the copper. He´ll tick the right boxes.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“When you have no companion, look to your walking stick.”</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 9pt;">(Albanian Proverb)</span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The best, the most
exquisite automobile is a walking stick and one of the finest things in life is
going for a walk with it.”</i></div>
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(<span style="font-size: 9pt;">Robert Coates Holliday)</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Speak softly and carry a large stick; you will go far.”</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 9pt;">(Theodore Roosevelt)</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Edward VII (1841-1910)
was the son of Queen Victoria. He served as heir apparent and held the title
Prince of Wales. It is not hard to draw at least some comparisons between
Edward and Charles, Prince of Wales. Both princes had mothers as reining
monarchs endowed with longevity. Elizabeth 11 became Queen on the death of her
father, King George V1, in February 1952. She was only 25 years old. The
coronation was held in June 1953. Her remarkable 60 years on the throne, her Diamond
Jubilee, was one of the triumphs of 2012. Elizabeth 11 is the second longest
reigning monarch. Victoria was Queen from June 1837 to January 1901, a total of
63 years.</span></span></div>
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To be Heir Apparent, or monarch
in waiting, must be one of the most unenviable of roles. When most people are
looking forward to retirement, Charles, and Edward before him, cannot take on the
role which destiny has assigned them until their latter years, and then not
until the death of the parent!</div>
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Queen Victoria had a passion for
all things Scottish and this was epitomised by her choice of interior design at
Balmoral Castle. This is of course where the Royal Family spends their summer
holidays. The pursuit of all things Scottish is still a feature of senior
Royals and highland dress, with a stout walking stick, is a part of the holiday
at Balmoral Castle. Prince William apparently preferred jeans!</div>
</div>
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<div align="center" class="NoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/EdwardVII_at_Balmoral.jpg/582px-EdwardVII_at_Balmoral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/EdwardVII_at_Balmoral.jpg/582px-EdwardVII_at_Balmoral.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source:Wikipedia Public Domain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 9pt;">Edward VII at Balmoral. Note
the Scottish attire. The photograph is thought to have been taken by his wife,
Alexandra.</span><br />
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Look at the pictures of the two Heirs Apparent. What do you see
in common? The answer is a walking stick, a stylish accessory for the gentry of
the day.
Edward VII (Albert Edward) was
born on 9<sup>th</sup> November 1841. He was King on the United Kingdom and all
of the British Dominions. He was also Emperor of India from January 22 1901. Edward
is thought to have been a champion of human equality and at times derisory of
the Government. He undertook a tour of India which lasted an incredible eight
months. It was noted that he treated all people equally, with no exclusions on
the ground of race, colour or religion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In an outspoken and unpopular attack of the treatment of Indians by the
British officials he wrote <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Because a man
has a black face and a different religion from our own, there is no reason that
he should be treated as a</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">brute</i>.”
At the end of the successful tour, the title ‘Empress of India’ was bestowed on
Victoria by the British Parliament, thus creating Edward as the future Emperor
when he ascended the throne.</div>
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His family route was the House of
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and he was the first British monarch from that dynasty.
The name, with its Germanic associations, was changed by his son, George V, to
the House of Windsor and the name remains in the present day monarchy. During
the long reign of his mother, Queen Victoria, he was largely excluded from
affairs of State and became the personification of the fashionable playboy with
a taste for the high life; fine wines, food and of course mistresses. Victoria
spoke harshly of him <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I never can, or
shall, look at him without a</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shudder</i>.”He
was nothing like her beloved Albert whom she worshipped all her life.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8114472123208499579" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8114472123208499579" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" unselectable="on"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" unselectable="on"></a>Edward was no ‘dedicated follower of fashion’; rather he
established the fashion for the gentry. He it was who made the wearing of
tweed, Norfolk jackets and Homburg hats the fashion in men’s wear Outdoors, he
was always accompanied by a walking stick, some styles for town and others for the
country. </div>
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Edward was responsible for some traditions which still are
followed today. These include the wearing of a black tie with dinner jackets
and leaving the bottom button of a waistcoat unfastened. I think that this was
born more from girth than fashion! Walking sticks too became the fashion and
there are some fine examples spanning the centuries. </div>
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I include at this point an aspect of country life of which I have a loathing. Shooting living creatures in the
guise of a ‘sport’, together with fox hunting with dogs. This walking stick
shows the head of a Retriever returning the quarry. The fox hunting ban in
Britain is still in force and will, I hope, remain so. I am visited by urban
foxes every night which solve my food recycling! In common with the majority of
the aristocracy and a rural way of life style of the less ‘well bred’, Edward
had a passion for hunting. The rooms of Balmoral, with tartan drapes and
carpets, adorned with stags heads, bare macabre testimony to the cruelty of a
particular form of ‘Scottish’ tradition, so passionately embraced by Victoria.
It is a regrettable anomaly that some senior Royals of today, Patrons of Wild
Life Conservation, continue to hunt.
<br />
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</div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8114472123208499579" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8114472123208499579" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" unselectable="on"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" unselectable="on"></a>Edward did not restrict his guns to Balmoral. His passion
led to a bizarre ‘naughtiness’ when resident at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
It seems that he had the clocks altered to run an hour fast to create more time
for the morning shoots. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Sandringham
Time’, only ceased in 1936 on the express orders of Edward VIII.</div>
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People who shoot game birds need a stable platform from
which to fire, hence the design of another type of walking stick, the aptly
named shooting stick. The handle opens out into a two part canvas or leather
seat, mounted on a single leg with a ground spike. The user perches on the seat
and supports their body with their legs for greater stability. </div>
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Pheasant shooting sticks and walking sticks
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Collectors of antiques do include walking sticks. Many are
exquisite pieces and demand very high prices. One such walking stick, dating
from 1780, is a fine example. The stick itself is built from Bark Malacca with a highly decorative handle
in fine German Meissen pottery. Malacca, referred to by makers as the “King of
Canes”, is a species of rattan palm, found along the coast of Sumatra. It is an
ideal medium for walking sticks; light weight but very strong. This opulent
stick is valued at a staggering £9000. The Malacca is of course a factor, but far
more so the fine Meissen.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vasenka/6687996447/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Malacca Walking Stick by Vasenka, on Flickr"><img alt="Malacca Walking Stick" height="285" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6687996447_183aaa0493.jpg" width="373" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vasenka/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flickr</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Meissen began production of fine porcelain in Dresden. (Germany, not Stoke-on-Trent).
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The ware can be authenticated by the crossed swords back
stamp, patented in 1720. </div>
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Alongside‘Meissen’, the name ‘Wedgwood’ is world famous. Josiah Wedgwood was born in 1768
in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. In childhood, Wedgwood contracted smallpox which
left him with a severely weakened knee. It was this weakness, rendering him
unable to use the pedal on a potter’s wheel, which caused him to change
direction towards design. He revolutionised the firing process with the
invention of the pyrometer, to give accurate temperature readings in the kilns,
for which he was recognised by the Royal Society. Being a son of
Newcastle-under-Lyme, adjacent to Stoke-on-Trent, I thought that I had a
reasonable knowledge of Josiah Wedgwood’s life. However, as in the adage,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">’one is never too old to learn!</i>’ I did
not know that in 1768 his knee problem resulted in the amputation of his right
leg. Wedgwood was a perfectionist. It is recorded that he would tour the
Etruria factory, closely inspecting the ware for the slightest imperfection. If
the quality was not to his standard, he would raise his walking stick and smash
the pot in pieces whilst shouting loudly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“This
will not do for Josiah Wedgwood.”</i>
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Modern day walking sticks may lack a little in elegance but
they are a functional aid to mobility. Many are available in a telescopic
design, and some effort is made to make them decorative for ladies! In common
with their Malacca ancestors, the walking sticks are light weight and yet give
strong support for those who need assistance when walking. The added advantage
is that they can be collapsed and stowed in a shopping bag.</div>
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Walking sticks feature in Folklore and Fantasy. Fairies and
‘little people’ are more the stuff of Ireland, but one old tale comes from
Wales.</div>
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A farmer from Cwmllan was tending his sheep in the hills. He heard a
cry for help. Only people cried and he could not remember seeing people on the
remote hill. He discovered a young girl. She had fallen and was trapped on a
ledge above a rocky cliff. With no thought for his own safety, the famer climbed
down and rescued her. A little old man appeared from nowhere, saying that the
girl was his daughter, and thanked the farmer profusely for saving her life.
The old man rewarded the farmer by insisting that he accepted his most valued
possession, his walking stick. Within a moment, both the old man and the girl
were gone from sight. It was as if they had never been.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">From that day on, the farmer’s life changed and he became rich. His
sheep always gave birth to two ewes. No accidents or diseases struck his flock.
Sheep stealers were thwarted. Birds of prey never took a lamb. In the worst of
winter, sheep buried in snow drifts always survived. In due season, his flock
produced the finest wool. It seemed that the old man’s walking stick had
brought good fortune indeed.</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One night, having brought the sheep off the hill, the famer walked to a
nearby village to a cock fight. He set off for home very late. A dreadful storm
blew up with high winds and rain in sheets. He had to cross a swollen stream,
using the stick to find a safe footing. Somehow the walking stick slipped from
his hand and was washed away by the torrent. Exhausted, the farmer finally
reached his cottage.</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The next morning the storm had abated and the farmer set out to assess
any damage and to look for his stick. Nearly all of his sheep had gone, washed
away with the stick by the power of the torrent.</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The farmer was ruined. His wealth had gone, as it came, with a walking
stick.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">(Adapted
from ‘Welsh Fairy Book’ (1907) W. Jenkyn Thomas)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fantasy
is perfectly adapted to the cinema. Looking at the momentous success of the
‘Harry Potter’ films who could question that?</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Britannic Bold"; font-size: 14pt;">‘Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory’</span></b></div>
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The original film, ‘Willy
Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’, was made in 1971 with Gene Wilder in the star
role as Willy Wonka, It was based on the book of the same title, written in
1964, by one of the greatest of children’s fantasy writers, Roald Dahl. It was
not a success. A second adaptation, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ was
begun in 1991 and first screened in 2005. Willy Wonka played by Johnny Deep. A
young boy, Charlie Buckett, wins every child’s dream, a tour of a candy
factory. It turns out to be the most wonderful candy factory of all, run by the
wildly eccentric Willy Wonka. The sugar corridors are not as sweet as they
seem. The story unfolds with fantastical plots and intrigues but Willy and
Charlie triumph. The whole design is a colourful extravaganza with every
imaginable candy colour and shapes made in incredible ‘Heath Robinson’ machinery.</div>
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The musical (chocoholic) fans amongst us will not be
surprised to know that a new stage </div>
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version of the story will be premiered at the Theatre Royal,
Drury Lane, in May 2013. The show is directed by Academy Award winner Sam
Mendes. Music is by Marc Shaiman with choreography by Peter Darling, who
choreographed the poignant film ‘Billy Elliot’.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katerha/5232604028/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Candycane.by katerha, on Flickr"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5123/5232604028_1ab1647bba.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katerha/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">flickr</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It seems then that the story of
walking sticks is far from being a boring mundane topic. However, as with
sweets, I like to save my favourite ‘til last. It is Willy Wonka who created
perhaps the most irresistible walking stick of all; a candy stick filled to the
handle with confectionary goodies!</div>
Appel Idohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08305890416312101965noreply@blogger.com7Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, UK53.013208 -2.227300199999945152.9367835 -2.388661699999945 53.0896325 -2.0659386999999452