Dear Blogger
Message from Tru Mills, Ruyton
THE GARDENING LADY offering gardening services in the local area
See attached flyer for details
Tuesday, 14 July 2026
The Letters - a fascinating love story from Oswestry in World War II
Dear Blogger
Mark Hignett, Oswestry Museum curator, gave a talk in The Talbot function room on these fascinating letters.
Radio 4 12th July 2026 - and available for a year to hear again
THE LETTERS
DEAR GILBERT, DEAR GORDON
When museum curator Mark Hignett began buying WWII-era letters online, he believed he was piecing together the life of an ordinary soldier. At first glance, the letters looked like typical correspondence: full of yearning, daily details, and hopes for peace. But what emerged wasn’t just a wartime chronicle - it was a love story.
As he kept on reading, he slowly realised they were letters from one male soldier to another. At a time when homosexuality was criminalised in Britain and gay soldiers risked court martial, Gilbert and Gordon exchanged intimate, heartfelt correspondence, which are read for this programme by Olly Alexander. Their letters spoke of longing, joy, fear, and hope. In one, Gordon writes simply: “There is nothing more that I desire in life but to have you with me constantly.” In another, he reflects on how the world would see them: “The rest of the world have no conception of what our love is – they do not know that it is love.”
It’s a reminder that while the law branded them criminals, they understood their bond as something deeply human, and deeply right. That dream, however, sat alongside deep fear. In one letter, Gordon pleaded with Gilbert to destroy their correspondence: "Please darling, do this for me in deadly seriousness" - terrified of the consequences if their relationship were discovered. And yet, in another, he imagined a world that would understand: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all our letters could be published in a more enlightened time?”
In this episode of Illuminated, curator Mark Hignett and producer Ilona Toller assess the content of the letters, which are read by Olly Alexander.
Monday, 13 July 2026
Films this week at Maona Cinema, Oswestry
Dear Blogger
This email is for members of Ruyton and District Mailing List
2nd message from Holly
FILMS THIS WEEK AT MAONA CINEMA
Wednesday 15th July
My Favourite Cake (12A), 19:30 *OFS Screening
Thursday 16th July
Friday 17th July
Saturday 18th July
Oswestry Film Festival, (12A), 10:00-8pm, Day tickets £25
Sunday 19th July
Kids & Family Films at Maona Cinema this summer
Dear Blogger
Message from Holly at Maona Cinema, Oswestry
KIDS & FAMILY FILMS AT - Maona Cinema-Summer 2026
Covid update April to July 2026
Dear Blogger
Message from David Spicer - see attached details
The material available concerning covid is becoming more difficult to access mostly because the research has reduced and many governments are disinterested. So rather than aim to provide regular updates I will keep an eye on things and only produce an update when I think there is something worth reporting.
Friday, 10 July 2026
The Garden Lady
Dear Blogger
Message from Tru Mills, Brownhill
THE GARDENING LADY - see attached poster for details
Thursday, 9 July 2026
Help eliminate HIMALAYAN BALSAM
Dear Blogger
Message from Alison Lister and the team endeavouring to eliminate the dreaded
HIMALAYAN BALSAM - your property backs onto the River Perry in Ruyton or up to Henged, or you spot this damned invasive plant - Please do your duty and pull it out
The team tackled the area from Platt Bridge along the bank of the Perry on the Queen Elizabeth field.
Further efforts will be made to remove any balsam which remains in the cleared areas but the vast majority of it has now been pulled and cannot therefore re-seed itself.
It would be great if local people could identify the plant and pull up any they see when they are using the field.
There are no known dangers in touching the plant with bare hands as it is in the begonia plant family and pulls from the ground really easily.
Once pulled up (preferably by the roots) it can be left in situ to naturally decompose It must not be removed from where it is growing in order to prevent its spread.
The working parties have endeavoured to pull the balsam and leave it forming a path down to the edge of the water. Hopefully this means those who want to access the water will find that easier.
It rots down and disappears into the ground after a short time but the main objective is to pull it before it seeds. It is an annual plant which if left will return and spread year on year.
Our hope is that pulling the plant over the next few years will largely irradiate it especially once any seed already in the ground has died.
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