This week's pictures from the past

Heave! Paralympic hero Ricky Balshaw is the toast of Shropshire after winning a silver medal in the Beijing games, but this photo captures a key part of his childhood story, when he was the subject of a major fundraising campaign to send him to the world-famous Peto Institute in Hungary for treatment for cerebral palsy.

In an event organised by workmates of Ricky's dad Mick Balshaw at Link 51 in Telford, a Mini was pushed to the top of The Wrekin in just 41 minutes, back in September 1989.

Steve Fox, of Willey, who still works at Link 51, loaned us this picture and said the Mini had come from a local scrapyard. He confesses: "A lot of people have tried unsuccessfully since to beat our record and I can now disclose the reason - we took the engine out of our Mini."

The previous picture showed a sponsored Mini push to the top of The Wrekin, which in September 1989 raised cash to send Telford's Ricky Balshaw to the world famous Peto Institute in Hungary.

Little could they have known that the little child they were helping back then would grow to become a silver medal hero of the 2008 Paralympics.

And here is the team that did it. They are workers and friends from Link 51 on Halesfield, where Ricky's dad Mick worked. Steve Fox, who loaned us this photo, said: "I was very proud to see him win the silver."

Steve thinks the Mini was eventually raffled off.

These members of Leighton Angling Society in 1957 were taking part in the Shropshire Federation team championships at Bridgnorth, involving teams of 12 from clubs.

This picture was loaned by Dennis Machin, of Dawley, who at the time lived at Victoria Road, Madeley. He is back row, standing fourth from left. He thinks Leighton were second in the championships that year.

He names them as back, from left: Harry Turner, George Steed, George Reesby, Dennis Machin, Harry Higginson, Billy Cotterell, Dave Hill, George Stokes, Bert Price.

Front row: Dave Barber, Eric Addison, Billy Norrey, Tommy Reynolds, Sid Wilkinson.nextpage

There is a special story behind this picture, as it shows Perry's cycle shop in Wellington, which is celebrating its centenary.

Bill Perry, on the right, was about 19 when it was taken, which would make it about 1927. The other gentleman is unidentified and the family would like to find out who he is.

Over 50 relations of the Perry family gathered in celebration a few days ago.

Dorothy Vickers, the youngest daughter of the late Bill Perry, still lives at the Old Bike Shop in Park Street, with husband Ross.

She says her grandfather Samuel Perry started the shop there around 1908 when her father Bill was born. It was a large family of 14 children.

The shop was at Park Street until 1994 when it moved to Tan Bank.

This month Dorothy's relations came from all over the world, including America, Germany, and Holland, and met at the Whitehouse Hotel in Wellington for a lunch to celebrate the 100 years of Bill's birth and 100 years of the Perrys living in the same house at Park Street.nextpage

Can you identify these welly wangers? These are the Dun Cow Dodgers, of Wellington, runners-up in a welly wanging competition at Wem sports and social ground during the Queen's silver jubilee in 1977.

We only have incomplete names at best for these welly wangers.

They are, back row, from left, "John", (landlord of the Dun Cow, Wellington); Gordon Downing, of Prince Street, Madeley; Harry Downing; "Tommo"; unknown. Front, from left, landlord's son; Alan Downing; unknown.

We shall play a simple game with this photo of a class of children at Ford School in about 1930. Can you spot the identical twins?The villager who loaned us this photo does not want to be named, but identifies those on the photo as, back row, from left: Gertrude Ellson, headmaster Mr Hordley King, Ethel Howell (now Mrs Challoner), next believed to be Irene Kent, Louise Morris, Eileen Williams, Elsie Bennett (light top and badge), Evelyn Glover (light top), Dorothy Robbins, Lily Roberts, Olive Evans, and Betty Roberts. Second row down, starting with the girl with arms folded: Eva Cakebread, unknown, Nora Robbins (with white collar), Muriel Jacks, unknown (face partly hidden), Molly Nicholls, and Nellie Howell.

Seated row of boys, from left: thought to be Leslie Williams, thought to be Bob Jones, Wallace Cakebread, Jim Lloyd, Alfred Llewellyn, and two unknowns.

Front row with crossed legs: Andrew Price, believed to be Jack Price, believed to be Peter Jacks, Fred Stephens, Percy Thompson, Charlie Jackson, and Ted Price.