This week's pictures from the past
This week's pictures from the past include the Colemere Boat House in Ellesmere, a very old picture of Church Street in Shawbury and an interesting view of Eaton-under-Heywood railway station, near Church Stretton, during its last days.
This picture of Colemere Boat House, perhaps early in the 20th century, was sent in by Mr Meryl Jones, from Ellesmere.
It had been in his mother's house, but no-one ever knew how far it dated back. Over the years the boat house has changed very little in its outside appearance. Inside it had deteriorated badly over the years.
But it was recently given a complete facelift by the Colemere Sailing Club.
School's out - forever! This photo was loaned to us by Evelyn Corfield, of Whittington, but previously of Pontesbury, who tells us: "It was taken just before St George's C of E School, Pontesbury, closed in 1961. The children were all dressed up and BBC TV cameras were there."
She has named those on the picture as - boys sitting on the wall, from left: Terry Hamer, Terry Jones, Gordon Jones, Jimmy Challinor, Ian Kinsey, David Ryder, Malcolm Corfield, Jimmy Cowper, Howard Yates, Peter Booth, Philip Clarke, Michael Pugh, Richard Clarke, George Fareham, Michael Evans, David Middle, Malcolm Pugh, John Sergeant. Jack Moore, headmaster, is standing at the back.
Front row, from left: Jennifer Cowper, Irene Powis, Christine Corfield, Ann Mountford, Sally Ann Richards, Susan Taylor, Janet Carswell, Sandra Braddick, Susan Evans, Anne Moore, Hilary Blundred, Brenda Jones, Gillian Bailey, Loreen Hampson, Carol Andrews, Pat Lowe.
The little girl in the background standing by the car is Christine Fareham.nextpage
Look closely at this photo and you will see that one of these children is marked with the word "Me".
"Me" in this case is Evelyn Corfield, who was then Evelyn Challinor.
She sent in this photo, and says it shows Pontesbury schoolchildren and some older friends.
She named the group as: back, from left, older friends: unknown, Mrs Barnett, Pip Challinor, Mabel Dunn, Charles Neesome, unknown, Donald Heath, Charlie Jones, Mrs Griffiths, Mrs Tarver, Mr Barnett, Mrs Neesome, F. Lakelin, unknown, Mr Lawley (baby is Alan Hayward), Toby Challinor, Mrs Fred Griffiths, Mrs Lawley.
Children, from left: Ken Lewis, Geoffrey James, Leslie Evans, Doreen Powell, unknown, Mary Pugh, Kathleen Bennett, Alan Davies, Annie Carswell, David Jones, Kitty Lakelin, Mary Broughall (holding cake) Alan Humphreys, unknown, Ella Barnett, Evelyn Challinor, Ruth Middle, Marie Jones, Peter Evans, Roy Tipton, Glyn Tomlins, Raymond Price, Leonard Richards, Ern (or Doug) Morgan, unknown, Alfred Elwell, Cyril Jeffs, George Lloyd, Roy Evans, Wilfred Elwell, Rose Hayward.
G. Lewis, Hilda Carswell, Jean Cleaton (with doll), Roland Oliver, Geoffrey Ellis, unknown, Peter Davies, Roger Turner, Mary Evans, and Edith Rogers.
We're going into the heart of the village of Shawbury with this old postcard view. It shows Church Street with, rather naturally, the church at the end of it. On the far left is J Clowes grocery and provision stores.
This is a Wilding's postcard. Wilding's produced many such cards during the Edwardian era and this one would seem to be from about that date - in other words, about 100 years ago.
It was loaned to us by Diana Humphreys of Maesbrook.nextpage
This photo is not very good quality as it is copied direct from the Wellington Journal and Shrewsbury News of May 23, 1931, but is an interesting view of Eaton-under-Heywood railway station, near Church Stretton, during its last days.
The caption reads: "Mrs Annie Bason carrying out her duties as stationmaster, porter and booking clerk at Eaton, on the Craven Arms to Bishop's Castle railway on Monday.
"Mrs Bason has lived next to the railway station waiting-room and has issued all the tickets from her station during the past twenty-five years, during which time she has had no assistance whatever."
The line closed not long after. Does anyone know what became of Mrs Bason?nextpage
Some of you may recall that we used a picture a recently showing staff at RAF High Ercall, which included a senior officer with a dog.
Well, the Shropshire Star has a long reach, and 67-year-old Norman Phillips of Watton, Norfolk, was sent a copy by some friends. And he tells us that officer was his father, the unit commander, Wing Commander (not Group Captain as we said) Norman Phillips DFC OBE.
"His ever-present canine companion was called Cymro, meaning the Welshman," young Norman - his father died in 1990 - tells us. For interest, he e-mailed another picture taken in 1956 at RAF High Ercall, which was used quite regularly by royalty visiting the area.
In this case it was Princess Margaret, who was visiting Wolverhampton as the guest of the Staffordshire Girl Guides.
"Wearing the uniform of Chief Ranger of the British Isles and Commonwealth, the Princess alighted from her plane - No. 1 of the Queen's Flight - to be welcomed by the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, Viscount Bridgeman, the Station Commander, Wing Commander N. Phillips, and Mr Douglas Osmond, Chief Constable of Shropshire," said a contemporary newspaper report.
