Lostock Gralam aircraft crash site

This must have caused a bit of excitement in the village its a Junkers 88 bomber shot down by the New Zealand air force at 23.45 hours 5th of May 1941. The site I think is behind the train station the valley in the background is wade brook. I do know that the German bombers would follow the  river Trent and branch off along the Trent and Mersey canal on their way to Liverpool.

Lostock crossroads Black Greyhound

This is looking towards Northwich on the right the Slow and Easy and behind the Black Grey Hound, you can see both pub signs. The Black Grey Hound was pulled down and rebuilt at Wincham before the first world war. On the left is Smallwood creameries just sticking out is the post office todays chippy.
Far left the double fronted shop it was pulled down in the earlier 60's then it was Eric Longworth hair dressing shop I had my first haircut the first week he opened sept 1950.

Looks like I have the pubs the wrong way round it is the Black Greyhound first and the Slow and Easy on the same side as it is today. On the post card that this pic came from the Black Greyhound sign is not clear but the Slow and Easy sign does show what I thought was a greyhound it is more than likely a horse.

Davey Crocket and his braves

Some of Lostock's best pictured here from left to right Davey Crocket John Allen,  just having a good look Mrs Allen talking to her daughter in law Johns mother 20 Townshend road, then a stern look from Alan Bramhall. just peeping through Stephen Pugh, then Bob Hayward, the lad with the specs in the back ground I cannot remember his name but he had a face you always wanted to punch his name is Michael Twiss , next the miserable looking beggar I am struggling a bit the old memory is not to good when you are an oldtool could be Brian Goulding then just at the back Franky Cook. John Allen's grandparents ran the post office today's chippy his grandfather was the local carpenter undertaker. The year 1957.

If you want a quality pic give me your email address.

Cranage Mill Lostock Gralam

This is a lousy pic but it is the only one I have come across I have taken it from Lenna Bickerton's  book memories of a Cheshire childhood. Cranage Mill or locals called it Heskies mill, William Hesketh was a prominent local business man he owned most of the land in the village his grandson Alfred Hesketh Bateman use to run about the village in a large pre war car. The mill was also a home Leonard Hesketh was living there with his family 1911 census, Leonard is a cousin of William. All that is left today is the bridge the brook water is classed as (a-one) boiler feed water the river dane and weaver as they approach Northwich they take on salt from natural springs rending them useless as boiler feed water. Brunner Mond needed the brook water they went to the trouble of supplying the mill with steam and engine to grind the corn. There has been a mill and lower down the brook Witton mill since medieval times. In the 1970's you could drive car down to the site and park on a tile floor which must have been part of the old mill. In my younger days 1968 I worked in the lime plant Lostock Works, the foreman rigger  was a gentleman and scholar
 called Alf Moores now when it came to a sense of humour Alf was in the the front of the queue when the good Lord  dished them out. He was born in the mill now if Alf was alive today he would about 97-98 years of age.
William Dodson Hesketh and Leonard Hesketh both had sons called William they were killed in action in the first world war. Leonards son he was a waggon maker went on to become a sapper in the Royal Engineers he lies in Feuchy cemetery France at the end of the war his mother was living in Middlewhich road and the house was called Feuchy. William Dodson Hesketh his was working as a clerk in a corn mill he went on to become a 2nd Lieutenant in the Cheshire regiment he lies along with 4600 comrades in Bailleunal British cemetery his mother committed suicide in a canal in France now to get from Lostock to France in the 1920's would have taken some doing.

Wincham Hall about 1900 originally a tudor building, home of the Townshends Edward who also called himself captain was there in the 1881 census. The Townshends were successful salt mine owners at least three mines were named after them. The hall was   also home to Henry Neumann the salt proprietor Neumanns flash is named after him.
It was a girls school before the war, during the war American troops were stationed there. In the 1950's the phoenix youth club a highly successful club  operated in part of the property a modern addition which is on the far left of todays hall I can remember peering through the window sometime in the early 1960's the floor was littered with trophy's the hall had changed hands and the youth club had gone. I think the chimney is all that is left of the old building.

 

 

 

This bottom picture is dated 1935, look at the well worn path on to the brook.

 

 

 

Plumly works

Girls day out Plumly works the gable end in the back ground is the end house in Ascol drive. The Ammonia Soda company was taken over by Brunner Mond around 1914, forced out of business in reality and soda ash production ceased this picture 1914-18 the plant was making explosives. It would have been a bumpy ride look at the solid wheels on the bus and hope for good weather.

Holford mill wheel

Close up shot of the mill wheel showing a composite wheel cast iron inner and outer rims.