Local History Society talk by Maggie Love on Charles Darwin

Dear Blogger

Message from Margaret L.

Ruyton Local History Society - Talk by Maggie Love on CHARLES DARWIN

Agenda for tomorrow night`sRuyton Parish Council meeting

Dear Blogger

Agenda for the Parish Council Meeting tomorrow night, Tuesday 1st April

Many thanks to the new Parish Clerk

Autumn raspberry plants

Dear Blogger

AUTUMN RASPBERRIES

We are taking out some autumn raspberry plants.

If anyone would like to take pot luck with them, let me know when you want to collect.

Village Home Front - RAF REDNAL

Dear Blogger

The Village Home Front - RAF REDNAL

It seems the war hardly impinged on the people of Ruyton but by 1942 it was very different for Rednal, one of the Eleven Towns near West Felton. 

In 1939 there were around 100 airfields, some just grass runways, in Britain and by 1945 a further 1,000 had been built.  An uncle of mine was told he had a weak heart so they sent him off to mix and lay concrete to build runways.  There were even men who were told they could not join the forces as they were more valuable as a builder.

As the Luftwaffe had no idea where Shropshire was, or even that it was on the way to Merseyside, RAF Rednal was a good place to train young pilots.  When you are 18, 19, 20 years old nothing can possibly happen to you - apparently the lads at Rednal would `play` dog fights with American trainee fighter pilots from RAF Atcham!

There are two stories which are not included in the Village Home Front panels attached.

Roger Hampson of Haughton Farm on the edge of Rednal airfield, was just 3 years old when he wandered out into the farmyard, and his father was on the other side of the yard, when 20 year old Stanley Lister crashed into the barn.  Amazingly, neither Roger or his father were hurt, unlike the young pilot who died at the scene.

Once RAF Rednal was up and running, with accommodation for WAF (Women`s Air Force) girls on site, the railway company made regular stops at Rednal railway station.   One night, a group of   girls who had been `out on the town` returned and had walk across the railway line to get home.   Numbers have been lost in time but there was a group of young women and some lost their lives when hit by an oncoming train.  The accident let to a footbridge being erected at Rednal.

Free Trampoline UPDATE

Dear Blogger

Trampoline update - Sorry, I forgot the pictures and contact details.

Contact Hugo on 07949 153 387

12' Trampoline  Weathered so could do with a bit of TLC but bouncing part is 100% You will need to dismantle it so some basic spanner/tools work which I can help with. I can also help with transportation if local but it dismantles to small parts so probably fine for most cars.  

Trampoline - for free

Dear Blogger

TRAMPOLINE, FREE TO A GOOD HOME

12' Trampoline  Weathered so could do with a bit of TLC but bouncing part is 100% You will need to dismantle it so some basic spanner/tools work which I can help with. I can also help with transportation if local but it dismantles to small parts so probably fine for most cars.  

Prescott road Baschurch closed April 14th to25th

Dear Blogger

This is rather important information for those of us living in Ruyton XI Towns so a good job I spotted it in the Shropshire Star tonight.

Any suggestions on how we get to the doctor`s surgery??

The B5067 Prescott Road, Baschurch will be closed during the day for almost two weeks for resurfacing.

The road is to be resurfaced from Monday April 14th to April 25th. During the work Prescott Road (including the roundabout) Berwick Road and Perryfield Road, will be closed from 9.30am to 4pm each day.

While the road is closed, a signed diversion will be in place, directing road users 19.74 miles via Burlton, Myddle and Albrighton.

Access/egress for properties and businesses within the closure will be maintained when safe to do so.

People are asked not to park on the road during the day while the work is in progress.

ShACC Chat 279 April 2025

Dear Blogger

Please find attached ShACC Chat 179 for April 2025

Also

The route for the Sorn Run to Seasons Cafe on 12th April, if you have not let me know if you are coming, please do ASAP.

The menu for the Drive it Day Run to Fabrizio`s restaurant on 27th April.  Please let me know if you will be coming on the run and your choices for lunch from the menu.

Remember - Sunday May 25th car show at Trefonen Hill Walk

See you at the Malvern Kit Car Show on Saturday 31st May and 1st June 

The Village Home Front - FARMING

Dear Blogger

Apologies for the delay sending this install ment out, I have been putting together the monthly newsletter of the Shropshire Alternative Car Club.

The Village Home Front - FARMING

Back in 2005, Margot and Kate Gittins put together a fantastic display on Food and Farming for the Villagre Home Front exhibition, including baking several dishes from the recipes of the time,.   Potatoes, cabbage and root vegetables seemed to be used in almost everything - because they were home grown and did not risk British sailors being lost when supply ships bringing food supplies from the US and Canada were attacked by enemy U-boats.

Before the war, farming had been through a period of acute depression, due to some extent to refrigeration.  Ships could travel across the world and return with frozen meat and and refrigerated fruit and vegetables, and at a lower price than they could be produced in Britain.  Thousands of acres were left to go wild and farm workers moved to find work in the towns.

Some research has revealed some interesting statistics which would not have been available during the war.

When, in the late 1930s, the government started to prepare for the inevitable war ahead,  it was agricultural scientists, chemists and engineers who were about to change British agriculture out of all recognition.  In came fertilizers pesticides and, where farms were largely still using the power of horses, factories changed to producing tractors and mechanised farm implements.  In 1939 the government paid farmers £2 an acre to plough up pasture and start planting those potatoes, cabbage and root vegetables.  The production of potatoes doubled and wheat increased by 2/3, bread and potatoes being the staple diet - it was estimated that 1/3 of the population fed on cheap white bread, some bacon, margerine and jam, and tea.  The Ministry of Agriculture had the power to take posession of any land which was not being productive and farm workers were a reserved occupation and were forbidden by law to leave their jobs.

In 1939 649,000 horses worked on the land and in 1945 this was reduced to 545,000, but still a very large number.  As the new tractors were being turned out, in 1939 there were 56,000, probably owned by go-ahead farmers and by 1946 there were 203,000, and they were moved around from farm to farm. 

How ironic that the people starting to use these new machines to farm the land, would have been Land Army Girls!

Boys in Zanzibar collecting plastic bottles

Dear Blogger

Apropo of nothing, I thought this was such a lovely picture and story.

ZAVECO is an environmental  charity I support in Zanzibar, aiming to collect, recycle and processing of waste material and very much based on education in schools.

My friend Migoda took this lovely picture of three tired boys resting in the shade after collecting plastic bottles.   For this they earn 300 Tanzanian shillings = £0.08737 per kilo - not a lot of pocket money, but a good job done.

Make your own Chicken Basket at Cliffe Crafts

Dear Blogger

Message from Joanna at Cliffe Crafts

Finalising the preparations for our Easter Fabric Chickens sessions. A novel way to present your Easter eggs. Places still available for both Tuesday 1st April and Sunday 6th April. A minimum donation of £5 will be requested for the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund. Materials cost £4. No experience required. Please email cliffecrafts@gmail.com to confirm your place.

Jo - 07940536047