Place name:
Uttoxeter, Staffordshire
Folio:
246v Great Domesday Book
Domesday place name:
Wotocheshede
People mentioned:
Aelfgeat; Aki; Almaer; Alweard; Alwine; Arnketil; Burgesses of Tamworth; Dunning; Earl Aelfgar; Gruffydd; Iwar; Ketil; King William as landholder; Oda; Rafwin; Swein; Thorbiorn; Uhtraed; Wudia; Wulfgeat; Wulfheah; Wulfhere; Wulfmaer; Wulfric; Ylving
Date
1086
Here is what the entry says in English
Wotoschede
The King holds Uttoxeter. Earl Aelfgar held it. There is half a hide. There is land for 10 Ploughs. In demesne are 2 ploughs with 1 slave; and 24 villans and eleven bordars with 11 ploughs. There are 16 acres of meadow and woodland 2 leagues long and as many broad. TRE it was worth £6 now £7.
TRE tempora regis Eduardis In the time of King Edward the Confessor
Hide was 120 acres, although this could vary, and sometimes was around 240 acres. Domesday hide values were not real measurements of land, but figures on which tax (geld) was based (used in English areas, equivalent to a carucate).
Plough caruca, carruca
In Domesday the word implies a plough team with its eight oxen and the plough itself. The measure of a carucate was originally the amount of land which such a team could plough in one day.
Slave: A man or woman who owed personal service to another, and who was un-free, and unable to move home or work or change allegiance, to buy or to sell, without permission.
TRE tempora regis Eduardis In the time of King Edward the Confessor; by implication,
DOM= assessment
In essence, there were two Domesday surveys: the first raised a royal Geld to pay for war with the Danes; and the second dealt with matters of land tenure arising from the first and the billeting of so many troops on English land.
Algar (Lady Godiva’s Son!) died seven years before the conquest, though he is mentioned as the land belonging to him. Even though it had passed onto his sons Edwin earl of Mercia. Edwin took up arms against William on behalf of his oppressed countrymen. Thuis was obviously still freash when it came to writing up the book that his name was struck from the book despite being the most important landowner in country. This is because his son and his sons Edwin and Morcar, (Earls of Mercia and Northumberland), ..took up arms on behalf of their enslaved countrymen in the year 1071, and Edwin being betrayed into the hands of the Normans, met an untimely fate; when his estates were, of course confiscated and most of those in Staffordshire remained in the King's hands at the Domesday survey.
The devastating vengeance which William inflicted on the English revolters, may probably account for the immense tract of waste lands in Staffordshire,
William was a Bastard in every sense!
Demesne – private land of the manor
League 3 miles
Friday, August 04, 2006
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Date set for Town Ward Election
If the election is contested, a poll will take place on THURSDAY, 31 AUGUST 2006 -
We will probably not get cards again - For recent elections ESBC have not sent voting cards to households - this is possibly a contributing factor for the appalling turn out in local elections along woth all the other myriad factors which turn the franchised off politics. A card acts as a flyer and aide memoire and is sorely missed.
We will probably not get cards again - For recent elections ESBC have not sent voting cards to households - this is possibly a contributing factor for the appalling turn out in local elections along woth all the other myriad factors which turn the franchised off politics. A card acts as a flyer and aide memoire and is sorely missed.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Archaeology Society and Wood Farm
CROXDEN Abbey has long been a very visible sign that Uttoxeter is rich in history.
And with the abbey so close to Wood Farm, it is no surprise that Cistercian artefacts have been found on its land, including a little bell, which could have come from a monk’s robe, horse’s bridle or a falconer.
These items, along with a second century Roman coin, signify that the site has been occupied for 2,000 years.
But finding flints, stone pounders, arrow heads, neolithic pottery, mace heads, axes, burial mounds and stone structures is evidence that the Uttoxeter area has history going back even further — by thousands and thousands of years.
Nick Brandrick has lived at the 224-acre dairy farm since 1964.
He has 30 acres of woodland and one of the more ancient wooded areas houses some unusual animals.
As Nick, 49, shakes some food pellets, the trees start rustling and the sense of history that pervades the farm is heightened by the sight of a small herd of wild boar, which comes snuffling out the wood.
It is partly because of the boar that Nick first found an interest in investigating the history of his land.
While building the boar pen, he and his son found a spear point — identified as coming from a fishing spear because of its serrated edges.
"That was the first real clue that anything had happened here," says Nick.
Those first finds in the 1990s spurred the farmer on to learn about archaeology from books and carry out his own investigations.
Sadly the wild boar, the dairy cows and even Nick himself have accidentally destroyed some of the evidence over the years, but much still remains.
"I started doing a few experimental digs over the years, but a lot of my finds have come with help from other people.
"I find things by going into the structures and digging on those structures."
Some of the eeriest places on Nick’s farms are the wooded hollows which become bogs in winter, but dry out in summer.
These creepy bogs are dotted with cairns — piles of stones which are thought to mark bog burials.
One expert from Derby University said he thought there was evidence of Bronze Age burial mounds in the wooded areas.
However, any trace of human remains would unfortunately be long gone.
"A dog bone would disappear in two months in this ground, because of the acidity," says Nick.
More baffling is the stone alignments which can be seen when the bogs are dry. Lines of sandstones have been placed across the bog like the spokes of a wheel.
Scattered here and there, Nick has found a good deal of quartz too which has been "napped", where part of the stone is struck off, making a sharp edge to use as a tool.
Other small pieces of quartz have signs of being used as a "pot boiler" — where the stone has been placed in a fire and then dropped into water to heat the liquid.
Curiously, not all of the stones Nick has been examining are local. Small white pebbles have been found purposefully placed at the end of stone lines, or in between larger stones, and are thought to come from places like the Chilterns or East Anglia.
A long grassy mound crosses one of the fields on Wood Farm. Bits of stone can be seen here and there and at first Nick thought it was a stone wall which had collapsed, but careful examination has since revealed that stones had been carefully placed at intervals and not in one long continuous line.
Following the stones leads you to what Nick calls the "Altar" and another big mound, where many of the artefacts have been found on digs, which reveal the careful layers of the structure and its elements of human construction.
Dotted here and there around the farm you can also see stones which bear signs of having been used to sharpen flints and make arrowheads.
The flints have been officially dated as neolithic by the county, but so far experts refuse to accept that the artefacts were found on digs focusing on the farm’s curious stone structures.
One expert from Hanley has even dated one of Nick’s flints at 40,000 BC to 60,000 BC.
However, he is still sceptical that it is quite so ancient, believing it more likely to be between seven to 10 thousand BC.
Most of his finds and the stone structures are believed to be neolithic, which dates them from 2,000 BC to 8,000 BC.
However, some may be even older, with markings on them hinting at the mesolithic age, which is from 8,000 BC up to 20,000 BC.
Stonehenge is probably one of the most well-known structures built by neolithic man and historians believe neolithic people had a huge sense of awe for nature and the changing seasons, which is reflected in structures such as stone circles.
Up at Greatgate there is evidence of this too. Just off Nick’s land there is rock face, which from the side looks like the profile of a person.
With permission from his neighbour, Nick explored the area and found intriguing bowl shapes cut into the rock at the very base of the cliff, with markings in the rock face just above the bowls.
The escarpment faces sunset and Nick believe the "cups" had a ritualistic purpose.
Just looking at the barrows and strange stone alignments conjures up images of prehistoric men and women carrying out rituals and burials.
It is obvious that Nick has a love for his land and a boundless enthusiasm in finding out about its history.
And he’s not the only one.
Members of Uttoxeter Archaeology Society are just as excited about the mysterious stone features to be found at the farm.
The society is hoping to start excavating some of the sites when the frosts have ebbed away and the more clement weather arrives in March.
Dave Parkes, a member of the society, says: "Part of it is making sure it’s recorded for future generations, but it’s also about encouraging other archaeologists to get on the land to investigate more about these kinds of finds.
"There are not many people in the UK who are experts in this area because it’s so hard to quantify and assess the finds."
Dave’s interest and amateur specialism in neolithic archaeology stems from his degree in ancient history.
He says: "It’s an incredible place. It’s got a real magic about it.
"It’s on a hill looking out over the valley and it just makes you think, what were they doing and why were they there? It’s like trying to piece together a jigsaw.
"It creates scenarios in your mind, to think about what these people were doing. Were they wearing furs or were they naked or painted?
"It needs more study, more approaches and opinions from other archaeologists and more debate about what it could be."
Nick’s artefacts and more information about his farm is currently on display at Uttoxeter Heritage Centre, as part of the centre’s new exhibitions of local collectors and their collections.
And with the abbey so close to Wood Farm, it is no surprise that Cistercian artefacts have been found on its land, including a little bell, which could have come from a monk’s robe, horse’s bridle or a falconer.
These items, along with a second century Roman coin, signify that the site has been occupied for 2,000 years.
But finding flints, stone pounders, arrow heads, neolithic pottery, mace heads, axes, burial mounds and stone structures is evidence that the Uttoxeter area has history going back even further — by thousands and thousands of years.
Nick Brandrick has lived at the 224-acre dairy farm since 1964.
He has 30 acres of woodland and one of the more ancient wooded areas houses some unusual animals.
As Nick, 49, shakes some food pellets, the trees start rustling and the sense of history that pervades the farm is heightened by the sight of a small herd of wild boar, which comes snuffling out the wood.
It is partly because of the boar that Nick first found an interest in investigating the history of his land.
While building the boar pen, he and his son found a spear point — identified as coming from a fishing spear because of its serrated edges.
"That was the first real clue that anything had happened here," says Nick.
Those first finds in the 1990s spurred the farmer on to learn about archaeology from books and carry out his own investigations.
Sadly the wild boar, the dairy cows and even Nick himself have accidentally destroyed some of the evidence over the years, but much still remains.
"I started doing a few experimental digs over the years, but a lot of my finds have come with help from other people.
"I find things by going into the structures and digging on those structures."
Some of the eeriest places on Nick’s farms are the wooded hollows which become bogs in winter, but dry out in summer.
These creepy bogs are dotted with cairns — piles of stones which are thought to mark bog burials.
One expert from Derby University said he thought there was evidence of Bronze Age burial mounds in the wooded areas.
However, any trace of human remains would unfortunately be long gone.
"A dog bone would disappear in two months in this ground, because of the acidity," says Nick.
More baffling is the stone alignments which can be seen when the bogs are dry. Lines of sandstones have been placed across the bog like the spokes of a wheel.
Scattered here and there, Nick has found a good deal of quartz too which has been "napped", where part of the stone is struck off, making a sharp edge to use as a tool.
Other small pieces of quartz have signs of being used as a "pot boiler" — where the stone has been placed in a fire and then dropped into water to heat the liquid.
Curiously, not all of the stones Nick has been examining are local. Small white pebbles have been found purposefully placed at the end of stone lines, or in between larger stones, and are thought to come from places like the Chilterns or East Anglia.
A long grassy mound crosses one of the fields on Wood Farm. Bits of stone can be seen here and there and at first Nick thought it was a stone wall which had collapsed, but careful examination has since revealed that stones had been carefully placed at intervals and not in one long continuous line.
Following the stones leads you to what Nick calls the "Altar" and another big mound, where many of the artefacts have been found on digs, which reveal the careful layers of the structure and its elements of human construction.
Dotted here and there around the farm you can also see stones which bear signs of having been used to sharpen flints and make arrowheads.
The flints have been officially dated as neolithic by the county, but so far experts refuse to accept that the artefacts were found on digs focusing on the farm’s curious stone structures.
One expert from Hanley has even dated one of Nick’s flints at 40,000 BC to 60,000 BC.
However, he is still sceptical that it is quite so ancient, believing it more likely to be between seven to 10 thousand BC.
Most of his finds and the stone structures are believed to be neolithic, which dates them from 2,000 BC to 8,000 BC.
However, some may be even older, with markings on them hinting at the mesolithic age, which is from 8,000 BC up to 20,000 BC.
Stonehenge is probably one of the most well-known structures built by neolithic man and historians believe neolithic people had a huge sense of awe for nature and the changing seasons, which is reflected in structures such as stone circles.
Up at Greatgate there is evidence of this too. Just off Nick’s land there is rock face, which from the side looks like the profile of a person.
With permission from his neighbour, Nick explored the area and found intriguing bowl shapes cut into the rock at the very base of the cliff, with markings in the rock face just above the bowls.
The escarpment faces sunset and Nick believe the "cups" had a ritualistic purpose.
Just looking at the barrows and strange stone alignments conjures up images of prehistoric men and women carrying out rituals and burials.
It is obvious that Nick has a love for his land and a boundless enthusiasm in finding out about its history.
And he’s not the only one.
Members of Uttoxeter Archaeology Society are just as excited about the mysterious stone features to be found at the farm.
The society is hoping to start excavating some of the sites when the frosts have ebbed away and the more clement weather arrives in March.
Dave Parkes, a member of the society, says: "Part of it is making sure it’s recorded for future generations, but it’s also about encouraging other archaeologists to get on the land to investigate more about these kinds of finds.
"There are not many people in the UK who are experts in this area because it’s so hard to quantify and assess the finds."
Dave’s interest and amateur specialism in neolithic archaeology stems from his degree in ancient history.
He says: "It’s an incredible place. It’s got a real magic about it.
"It’s on a hill looking out over the valley and it just makes you think, what were they doing and why were they there? It’s like trying to piece together a jigsaw.
"It creates scenarios in your mind, to think about what these people were doing. Were they wearing furs or were they naked or painted?
"It needs more study, more approaches and opinions from other archaeologists and more debate about what it could be."
Nick’s artefacts and more information about his farm is currently on display at Uttoxeter Heritage Centre, as part of the centre’s new exhibitions of local collectors and their collections.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Gambling with Our Future
More from the Advertiser
UTTOXETER needs to hold out for the best deal possible for the Cattle Market site, says the town's Mayor Malcolm Barrett.
However, Uttoxeter’s Labour MP Janet Dean and East Staffordshire Borough Council Labour group leader Julian Mott have slammed the delay, claiming it is a waste of tax payers’ money.
The decision by the borough council to pull out of the deal with developers Taylor Woodrow has sparked strong reactions from Independent Councillor Barrett, who had not officially been told of the set-back until The Advertiser informed him yesterday.
He praised the borough council for refusing to be 'bullied' by Taylor Woodrow, and said all parties now need to work together to find the best solution for Uttoxeter.
He said: "I am aware of a press release from ESBC which basically implies that during the past few months Taylor Woodrow has been trying to move the goal posts.
"Based on this, I can only agree with Councillor Fox’s statement that we should not be bullied into accepting a scheme which was not agreed, especially if this is to the detriment of Uttoxeter.
"I would say that the most important thing that we must do now is to keep up momentum in respect of the regeneration of the old cattle market site.
"We must all work together for the future of our town."
Mrs Dean told The Advertiser: "I said that this was a gamble when the council first announced the purchase of the Cattle Market, and the question now is that is this gamble going to cost the tax payers of East Staffordshire?
"While it is right that the local authority should not bow to pressure from Taylor Woodrow, I am surprised that it should have reached this stage without a legal agreement.
"Also, if the council was aware that the development would not go ahead this week, I am surprised that it did not try to agree the continuation of the Cattle Market."
She said that she hoped the borough council would now ensure that the public’s concerns over parking in the town were addressed in future plans.
Mr Mott said: "Many times we have been assured that the purchase of Uttoxeter Cattle Market would have 'zero impact' on the council tax payers, and were promised several times by Councillor Fox that work would begin on November 1.
"Now the deal has fallen through, the council is already paying interest on the cost of purchase.
"The fact that this deal has fallen through gives the council the opportunity to reconsider its position on lack of affordable housing and the loss of car parking, and come up with plans that meet the aspirations of local people."
UTTOXETER needs to hold out for the best deal possible for the Cattle Market site, says the town's Mayor Malcolm Barrett.
However, Uttoxeter’s Labour MP Janet Dean and East Staffordshire Borough Council Labour group leader Julian Mott have slammed the delay, claiming it is a waste of tax payers’ money.
The decision by the borough council to pull out of the deal with developers Taylor Woodrow has sparked strong reactions from Independent Councillor Barrett, who had not officially been told of the set-back until The Advertiser informed him yesterday.
He praised the borough council for refusing to be 'bullied' by Taylor Woodrow, and said all parties now need to work together to find the best solution for Uttoxeter.
He said: "I am aware of a press release from ESBC which basically implies that during the past few months Taylor Woodrow has been trying to move the goal posts.
"Based on this, I can only agree with Councillor Fox’s statement that we should not be bullied into accepting a scheme which was not agreed, especially if this is to the detriment of Uttoxeter.
"I would say that the most important thing that we must do now is to keep up momentum in respect of the regeneration of the old cattle market site.
"We must all work together for the future of our town."
Mrs Dean told The Advertiser: "I said that this was a gamble when the council first announced the purchase of the Cattle Market, and the question now is that is this gamble going to cost the tax payers of East Staffordshire?
"While it is right that the local authority should not bow to pressure from Taylor Woodrow, I am surprised that it should have reached this stage without a legal agreement.
"Also, if the council was aware that the development would not go ahead this week, I am surprised that it did not try to agree the continuation of the Cattle Market."
She said that she hoped the borough council would now ensure that the public’s concerns over parking in the town were addressed in future plans.
Mr Mott said: "Many times we have been assured that the purchase of Uttoxeter Cattle Market would have 'zero impact' on the council tax payers, and were promised several times by Councillor Fox that work would begin on November 1.
"Now the deal has fallen through, the council is already paying interest on the cost of purchase.
"The fact that this deal has fallen through gives the council the opportunity to reconsider its position on lack of affordable housing and the loss of car parking, and come up with plans that meet the aspirations of local people."
Taylor Woodrun
Housebuilder Taylor Woodrow is the subject of rumors of a takeover from rival Persimmon.
Perhaps Taylor Woodrow were trying to make money while they could by pushing a desperate council further and further down the road to selling off Uttoxeter as a bargain basement housing estate.
Profit at Taylor Woodrow falls 18% in six months to June
Housebuilder feels effects of the tougher housing market
Perhaps Taylor Woodrow were trying to make money while they could by pushing a desperate council further and further down the road to selling off Uttoxeter as a bargain basement housing estate.
Profit at Taylor Woodrow falls 18% in six months to June
Housebuilder feels effects of the tougher housing market
Greed of Developers 'surprises' council
From the Uttoxeter Advertiser today
THE redevelopment of Uttoxeter cattle market has been put on hold after council bosses pulled out of a deal with developers at the last minute.
Days before bulldozers were due to move in to begin demolishing the site, East Staffordshire Borough Council has halted the deal over a row with developers Taylor Woodrow.
The move came after the firm changed its original proposals saying it wanted to halve the number of retail units and replace them with more housing
However, the council has pushed ahead with its purchase of the Carter Street site from Bagshaws and says if things cannot be resolved with Taylor Woodrow it will look for another developer.
The redevelopment of this site in the heart of Uttoxeter could now be delayed by as much as six months.
The council said today it was unhappy with the developer for delaying the signing of the legal agreement and making frequent attempts to change the terms on which the company had been selected last year.
The developer refused to guarantee the build quality and finish of the development, despite the council dropping the price of the site by £1million to ensure a high quality.
The last straw was when the company told the council last week it would only sign if the price tag of the site was slashed further.
Councillor Alex Fox, leader of the borough council, said: "The last few months have demonstrated that Taylor Woodrow is not willing to honour the promises made when the company was selected last year.
"We have been very patient with the company but I have decided that enough is enough.
"Even within the last week, Taylor Woodrow again tried to change the terms and we have come to the point where we are not prepared to compromise any further.
"We want Uttoxeter to be right. If it takes another three to six months then so be it. Last time round there were five developers who showed an interest in the site.
"It is actually a much more attractive site than when we signed this deal in that we now have planning permission and own all of it.
"The designs drawn up by Taylor Woodrow originally were excellent but we have been taken down a track where they won’t guarantee these designs at the finish.
“We have got to stand our ground on these things because this is a big project.
“We are not going to just roll over on this multi-million pound deal and be taken to the cleaners.
“My gut feeling is that they will come back to us and if it sticks to the agreement we will be happy to proceed, if it doesn’t we will be happy to look elsewhere.”
The decision to halt the deal received unaminous cross-party support at a cabinet meeting of the council last Friday.
The council has also brought in professional advisors to prepare a report outlining the current options for site.
The report will go before the cabinet at the end of the month when a decision will be taken on whether to stay with Taylor Woodrow or find a new buyer.
East Staffordshire Borough Council’s new chief executive Marie Ainsworth, who had only been in her post for nine hours when the decision was publicly announced, said: “The advice we have had is that there is likely to be significant interest in the scheme.”
She said that although planning permission has been granted for the site, if a new developer was appointed it would be most likely that variations to the scheme would mean new permission would need to be sought.
Councillor Fox added that “every cloud has a silver lining” and that this gave the council an opportunity to review the plans for the site.
He said: “This gives us another opportunity to look at the retail for the site and the type of retail coming in, to review the designs again and see if 12 months on they are exactly what we finally want.”
Taylor Woodrow’s director of strategic development, Jamie Gibbins, said: “Taylor Woodrow remains committed to delivering a high quality mixed-use development on the cattle market site.
“We are still in negotiation and while discussions continue with all interested parties, from prospective retailers to the council, we are not in a position to comment any further.”
THE redevelopment of Uttoxeter cattle market has been put on hold after council bosses pulled out of a deal with developers at the last minute.
Days before bulldozers were due to move in to begin demolishing the site, East Staffordshire Borough Council has halted the deal over a row with developers Taylor Woodrow.
The move came after the firm changed its original proposals saying it wanted to halve the number of retail units and replace them with more housing
However, the council has pushed ahead with its purchase of the Carter Street site from Bagshaws and says if things cannot be resolved with Taylor Woodrow it will look for another developer.
The redevelopment of this site in the heart of Uttoxeter could now be delayed by as much as six months.
The council said today it was unhappy with the developer for delaying the signing of the legal agreement and making frequent attempts to change the terms on which the company had been selected last year.
The developer refused to guarantee the build quality and finish of the development, despite the council dropping the price of the site by £1million to ensure a high quality.
The last straw was when the company told the council last week it would only sign if the price tag of the site was slashed further.
Councillor Alex Fox, leader of the borough council, said: "The last few months have demonstrated that Taylor Woodrow is not willing to honour the promises made when the company was selected last year.
"We have been very patient with the company but I have decided that enough is enough.
"Even within the last week, Taylor Woodrow again tried to change the terms and we have come to the point where we are not prepared to compromise any further.
"We want Uttoxeter to be right. If it takes another three to six months then so be it. Last time round there were five developers who showed an interest in the site.
"It is actually a much more attractive site than when we signed this deal in that we now have planning permission and own all of it.
"The designs drawn up by Taylor Woodrow originally were excellent but we have been taken down a track where they won’t guarantee these designs at the finish.
“We have got to stand our ground on these things because this is a big project.
“We are not going to just roll over on this multi-million pound deal and be taken to the cleaners.
“My gut feeling is that they will come back to us and if it sticks to the agreement we will be happy to proceed, if it doesn’t we will be happy to look elsewhere.”
The decision to halt the deal received unaminous cross-party support at a cabinet meeting of the council last Friday.
The council has also brought in professional advisors to prepare a report outlining the current options for site.
The report will go before the cabinet at the end of the month when a decision will be taken on whether to stay with Taylor Woodrow or find a new buyer.
East Staffordshire Borough Council’s new chief executive Marie Ainsworth, who had only been in her post for nine hours when the decision was publicly announced, said: “The advice we have had is that there is likely to be significant interest in the scheme.”
She said that although planning permission has been granted for the site, if a new developer was appointed it would be most likely that variations to the scheme would mean new permission would need to be sought.
Councillor Fox added that “every cloud has a silver lining” and that this gave the council an opportunity to review the plans for the site.
He said: “This gives us another opportunity to look at the retail for the site and the type of retail coming in, to review the designs again and see if 12 months on they are exactly what we finally want.”
Taylor Woodrow’s director of strategic development, Jamie Gibbins, said: “Taylor Woodrow remains committed to delivering a high quality mixed-use development on the cattle market site.
“We are still in negotiation and while discussions continue with all interested parties, from prospective retailers to the council, we are not in a position to comment any further.”
Council fail to deliver again - carpetbaggers flee
From the Sentinel Today
MAJOR BLOW FOR PLANS TO REGENERATE TOWN CENTRE
GRAHAM TONG12:00 - 02 November 2005
Multi-million pound plans to transform Uttoxeter town centre have suffered a setback after talks between proposed developers and council officials broke down. Developer Taylor Woodrow told bosses at East Staffordshire Borough Council it was cutting its offer to buy the cattle market site in the town centre by a 'significant amount' before an agreement was due to be signed.Councillors have now decided unanimously to reject the offer.Taylor Woodrow was chosen a year ago to develop the site to form the main part of a 10-year masterplan for Uttoxeter. This included building 180 houses, a retail development, offices and improvements to town centre parking.A borough council statement says Taylor Woodrow has since delayed signing a contract to confirm the deal and has made 'frequent attempts to change the terms on which the company had been selected'.Talks will be opened with other developers if the firm does not increase its latest offer.Council leader Alex Fox insisted the authority was protecting the town's future interests by rejecting the offer.He said: "Taylor Woodrow was chosen 12 months ago because the designs were the best for Uttoxeter. They captured the ambience of the market town. They put a good mix together. We believed that would take the town forward for the next 100 years. They were supposed to sign a contract in March this year. As time has gone by we've been frustrated - they've always found another reason to delay putting a signature on that contract."First they came to us and said the amount they were paying was fine, but they wanted to spread it over two years."We gave ground on that on the basis that we wanted to make progress. Now we are faced with a problem where Taylor Woodrow want to reduce the price they were paying for the market site."We've told Taylor Woodrow we are not prepared to knock anything off the price. Taylor Woodrow may well want to review its position and talk to us again, which we would be happy to do."Mr Fox added that Taylor Woodrow's plan to halve the number of retail outlets initially proposed in order to develop more housing had also been rejected, and that the firm was no longer guaranteeing the scheme's quality.Councillor Julian Mott, leader of the opposition, said: "The Labour group representatives agreed that these would not represent the best solution for Uttoxeter and we support the council's decision."Taylor Woodrow's director of strategic development, Jamie Gibbins said: "We are still in negotiation and while discussions continue with all interested parties we are not in a position to comment any further."
MAJOR BLOW FOR PLANS TO REGENERATE TOWN CENTRE
GRAHAM TONG12:00 - 02 November 2005
Multi-million pound plans to transform Uttoxeter town centre have suffered a setback after talks between proposed developers and council officials broke down. Developer Taylor Woodrow told bosses at East Staffordshire Borough Council it was cutting its offer to buy the cattle market site in the town centre by a 'significant amount' before an agreement was due to be signed.Councillors have now decided unanimously to reject the offer.Taylor Woodrow was chosen a year ago to develop the site to form the main part of a 10-year masterplan for Uttoxeter. This included building 180 houses, a retail development, offices and improvements to town centre parking.A borough council statement says Taylor Woodrow has since delayed signing a contract to confirm the deal and has made 'frequent attempts to change the terms on which the company had been selected'.Talks will be opened with other developers if the firm does not increase its latest offer.Council leader Alex Fox insisted the authority was protecting the town's future interests by rejecting the offer.He said: "Taylor Woodrow was chosen 12 months ago because the designs were the best for Uttoxeter. They captured the ambience of the market town. They put a good mix together. We believed that would take the town forward for the next 100 years. They were supposed to sign a contract in March this year. As time has gone by we've been frustrated - they've always found another reason to delay putting a signature on that contract."First they came to us and said the amount they were paying was fine, but they wanted to spread it over two years."We gave ground on that on the basis that we wanted to make progress. Now we are faced with a problem where Taylor Woodrow want to reduce the price they were paying for the market site."We've told Taylor Woodrow we are not prepared to knock anything off the price. Taylor Woodrow may well want to review its position and talk to us again, which we would be happy to do."Mr Fox added that Taylor Woodrow's plan to halve the number of retail outlets initially proposed in order to develop more housing had also been rejected, and that the firm was no longer guaranteeing the scheme's quality.Councillor Julian Mott, leader of the opposition, said: "The Labour group representatives agreed that these would not represent the best solution for Uttoxeter and we support the council's decision."Taylor Woodrow's director of strategic development, Jamie Gibbins said: "We are still in negotiation and while discussions continue with all interested parties we are not in a position to comment any further."
Friday, September 16, 2005
Civic Society on the small screen....
Civic Society Secretary David Denny appeared last night on the Heart of the Country on ITV. The town was featured in a mystery Midlands town montage with David revealing the idenity at the end. Some excellence shots and locations of our beautiful town were included and providentially some from the soon to be closed Cattle Market.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Uttoxeter by any other name
Uttoxeter as it is now known, has had many different names and many different spellings. The List below is mostly based on phonetic spellings of the vernacular pronunciation. Below is the usual list although there are references to Uttoxeter as Hycestri, which could hint at a Roman origin.....
There are probably more but there are 76 versions below
Hottocsathere (1322)
Hottokesacre (Ed I)
Hutockshather (1208)
Huttokeshagh (1242)
Huttokkeshatre (H V)
Otoksather (H V)
Ottockeshat (Ed I)
Ottockeshater (Ed I)
Ottokeshathere (Ed I)
Ottokeshther (Ed I)
Ottokhathere (Ed I)
Utcester (Jas I)
Utcetor (Eliz)
Utcetter (Jas I)
Utcytor (Eliz)
Uthoxhaure (1212)
Utokeshather (1316-40)
Utoxator (Jas I)
Utoxeter (Jas I)
Utoxetur (E I & 1583)
Utoxitur (1640)
Uttaksather (H VI)
Uttaxather (1540)
Uttaxatour (H VII)
Uttaxceter (Ed)
Uttaxotor (H VII)
Uttcetour (1535)
Uttcettour (1544)
Uttcetur (1533)
Uttekasthre (Ed I)
Uttockeshather (1288)
Uttokesaker (Ed I)
Uttokesh (1360)
Uttokeshader (1199)
Uttokeshadere (E III)
Uttokeshal (1225)
Uttokeshale (1275)
Uttokeshather (E I & R II)
Uttokeshatre (R II)
Uttokhather (H VI)
Uttokhather (H VI)
Uttokishidere (1174)
Uttoksader (H V)
Uttoksater (H V)
Uttoksathe (H V)
Uttoksather (H V)
Uttoksatre (H VI)
Uttokshater (H V, 1366)
Uttoxater (H V)
Uttoxater (Jas I)
Uttoxather (Ed III)
Uttoxator (Eliz, 1551)
Uttoxatour (Eliz)
Uttoxatre (1349)
Uttoxatur (H VIII)
Uttoxature (Eliz)
Uttoxceter (Jas I)
Uttoxcetur (H VIII, 1553)
Uttoxeshather (1327)
Uttoxeter (1614)
Uttoxetor (Ed I)
Uttoxhader (H V)
Uttoxhater (R II)
Uttoxhatha (1327)
Uttoxhather (1331)
Uttoxhathour (H VIII)
Uttoxhathre (R II)
Uttoxhatre (Ed III, R III, H IV)
Uttoxhattour (H V)
Uttoxiter (1640)
Uttuckeshall (Ed I)
Uxcetur (H VIII)
Wettokesaker (1288)
Wittokeshather (1243)
Wotochesede (Domesday 1086)
Wytokeshather (Ed I)
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Uttoxeter Advertiser report on campaign to save The Weaver Lodge
Uttoxeter Civic Society has appealed against East Staffordshire Borough Council’s decision to grant planning permission for The Weaver Lodge public house to be knocked down and replaced by 15 houses and nine apartments.
Millwood’s development in Windsor Road looks like likely to see this former home of the Bamfords demolished, despite the Union Pub Company still listing it for tenancy on their web site.
"The Weaver Lodge comprises a large lounge with car park. Private accommodation, flat above the licensed premises consisting of 3 bedrooms. Guide Rent £25,000, Stock & Glassware
£2,000"
Be quick!
Millwood’s development in Windsor Road looks like likely to see this former home of the Bamfords demolished, despite the Union Pub Company still listing it for tenancy on their web site.
"The Weaver Lodge comprises a large lounge with car park. Private accommodation, flat above the licensed premises consisting of 3 bedrooms. Guide Rent £25,000, Stock & Glassware
£2,000"
Be quick!
Monday, June 06, 2005
Banality has taken root in clone town Britain
Britain's town centres are rapidly becoming indistinguishable, losing all sense of local identity as they are taken over by global and national chain stores, economists warned today.
A report from the New Economics Foundation estimated how far the nation's high streets had been taken over by a phenomenon it called "clone town Britain". New Economics Foundation
"Banality has taken root like a relative from abroad invited to stay because their foreignness seemed interesting, before realising they were tiresome and refused to leave." Said a report in the Guardian today.
Both Stafford and Burton appeared in the top ten of clone towns-what hope then for Uttoxeter?
Uttoxeter is of course a bedroom town and unlikely to attract any retail anyway as its purpose will become a dormitory for the wage slaves of surrounding urban connurbations.
personally I like the way Louisville in the USA is fighting back against cloning with its "Keep Louisville Weird" campaign.
A report from the New Economics Foundation estimated how far the nation's high streets had been taken over by a phenomenon it called "clone town Britain". New Economics Foundation
"Banality has taken root like a relative from abroad invited to stay because their foreignness seemed interesting, before realising they were tiresome and refused to leave." Said a report in the Guardian today.
Both Stafford and Burton appeared in the top ten of clone towns-what hope then for Uttoxeter?
Uttoxeter is of course a bedroom town and unlikely to attract any retail anyway as its purpose will become a dormitory for the wage slaves of surrounding urban connurbations.
personally I like the way Louisville in the USA is fighting back against cloning with its "Keep Louisville Weird" campaign.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
JCB gets approval despite protests
JCB have had planning approved from ESBC to build a new factory at Beamhurst. The Environment Agency and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England have recommended that the application is turned down because of its impact on the environment, traffic, pollution, wildlife and landscape which is prone to flooding. There were 14 letters of objection in all.
The application is contrary to the Local Plan and will still have to be referred to the Secretary of State for final approval.
Anthony Bamford donated £1 Million to the Tory party over the last year. ESBC is Tory controlled.
The application is contrary to the Local Plan and will still have to be referred to the Secretary of State for final approval.
Anthony Bamford donated £1 Million to the Tory party over the last year. ESBC is Tory controlled.
Monday, May 23, 2005
Another One Bites the Dust
Another Uttoxeter pub recently ceased trading and will never operate as a pub again. The ancient coaching inn the Wellington, a listed building, is rumored to have been sold to a well known local developer. The terms of the sale originally contained covenants to ensure the pub was never licesned again as a public house. The sale also included an option to purchase around half an acre of land in addition to the car park which creates a very useful housing estate space for even more profitable town houses - the current development trend int he town. The only glitch is that the entrance fromt he higt street is very restricting for large vehicles - but developers have ways of getting around such obstacles! Adjoining the Wellington arch is another listed building for sale.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Housing Estate in Town Centre
The Town Centre plans involve cramming 86 houses into every hectare of land. That's a space of 100 meters by 100 meters. The whole development is 2 hectares, there will be very little room for any 'town redevelopment' or public space for the good citizens of Uttoxeter, or indeed anything which could attract the tourism and leisure industry market to the town.
The paltry allocation for retail (about half the size of a supermarket) was always a concern, but now Alex Fox ESBC leader has said that any empty retail will become even more housing. Have they considered Japanese Capsule Hotels?
It's clear that the only way ESBC can claw back the £3.5 million they spent is by using every scrap of the space for housing, allowing carpetbaggers to make their millions and leaving Uttoxeter with a town within a town.
Taylor Woodrow's CEO was once Chief Exec of Bass in Burton, he's a non exec Director of Imperial Tobacco too, I expect that the contacts he made in Burton were useful in securing the deal to get the contract for Uttoxeter. But we won't know because we don't know how Taylor Woodrow were selected in the first place.
Email your objections to : planning.control@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk
Or post them to:Mr A Wood, Head of Development Services, Midland Grain Warehouse, Derby St,Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire DE14 2JJ.
Let our Town Councillors know at
Town Hall, High Street, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, ST14 7HN, phone: 01889 564085
Once it's gone it's gone for good.
The paltry allocation for retail (about half the size of a supermarket) was always a concern, but now Alex Fox ESBC leader has said that any empty retail will become even more housing. Have they considered Japanese Capsule Hotels?
It's clear that the only way ESBC can claw back the £3.5 million they spent is by using every scrap of the space for housing, allowing carpetbaggers to make their millions and leaving Uttoxeter with a town within a town.
Taylor Woodrow's CEO was once Chief Exec of Bass in Burton, he's a non exec Director of Imperial Tobacco too, I expect that the contacts he made in Burton were useful in securing the deal to get the contract for Uttoxeter. But we won't know because we don't know how Taylor Woodrow were selected in the first place.
Email your objections to : planning.control@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk
Or post them to:Mr A Wood, Head of Development Services, Midland Grain Warehouse, Derby St,Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire DE14 2JJ.
Let our Town Councillors know at
Town Hall, High Street, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, ST14 7HN, phone: 01889 564085
Once it's gone it's gone for good.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Back blogging -after long break
Back on line after a long break- sorry. This blog will now regularly update on the travails of the town and news, gossip and rumour which isn't fit to print.
DJP
DJP
Lidl -The Whitewash
Lidl have decided to paint the exterior of their store on Town Meadows Way - white. The manager only became aware when the painters turned up and began to cover the building in white paint. Is this a livery change or a new canvas for graffiti artists to practice their art?
Does it contravene planning regulations?
The building was an ugly incongruous brick shed beforehand, it is now an ugly highly visible incongruous brick shed in a conservation area.
Lidl have been known to take very strange decisions in the past, last year, the chain demanded that women workers in its Czech Republic and Polish stores wear special headbands during their monthly periods. It said the move was to identify women who could take additional toilet breaks! The policy was abandoned after critical media coverage worldwide, perhaps we can then get them to do something about the white house too or get punters to don white headbands on entering the shop?
Does it contravene planning regulations?
The building was an ugly incongruous brick shed beforehand, it is now an ugly highly visible incongruous brick shed in a conservation area.
Lidl have been known to take very strange decisions in the past, last year, the chain demanded that women workers in its Czech Republic and Polish stores wear special headbands during their monthly periods. It said the move was to identify women who could take additional toilet breaks! The policy was abandoned after critical media coverage worldwide, perhaps we can then get them to do something about the white house too or get punters to don white headbands on entering the shop?
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
New Theory on Fauld Explosion -was it a V2?
A new theory about the biggest explosion on the UK mainland-
4,000 tonnes of high explosive bombs and ammunition went up that day, creating a 100ft-deep crater which still remains. It is a poignant memorial to the 70 who died.
An official inquiry blamed one of the victims, an airman, who tried to chip away at a bomb with a brass chisel, causing a spark and an explosion.
But Alec Savidge, whose father survived the blast, has a new theory about what caused it.He says it was not an accident, but was caused by a German V2 rocket. Suzanne Harrop tells his story. ON the morning of November 27, 1944, electrician Tom Savidge was walking back to the offices at RAF Fauld when he heard an enormous blast and saw smoke billowing above the trees.The 66-year-old headed straight for an air raid shelter. There he heard a second bang.Some 4,000 tonnes of bombs and ammunitions had just exploded. An investigation into the incident concluded that an airman had tried to chip at a bomb with a brass chisel. This caused the spark which set off the explosion.But in the 60 years since many have refused to accept the official line. Instead they have suggested that the incident was the result of sabotage, lax security or inexperienced employees.Now Tom Savidge's son, who was 19 years old at the time, has put forward a new theory. He believes the two bangs heard by his father and many other witnesses hold the key.Alec Savidge had been serving in London at the time, when German V1 rockets were attacking the capital. He had moved back to serve in Nottinghamshire before the V2 attacks started. But he had friends there who experienced the horrors and recounted them to him.It was these tales that led Mr Savidge to believe that the ammunitions store explosion had been caused by a German V2 warhead. This would explain the two bangs, he says.He is convinced that the first was caused when the V2 hit the ground, and the second when the ammo exploded.It has taken him two-and-a-half years to find evidence to back up his theory."I think the RAF knew right from the start that it was caused by a German V2 rocket, but it was covered up because the RAF did not want to create a panic by revealing the Germans could accurately pinpoint military targets in Britain."I believe it was a very very carefully arranged operation by the Germans", Mr Savidge said.The spectacular theory is based on a photograph contained in the Official Findings of the December 1944 Court of Inquiry into the explosion. The findings had been kept under wraps until 1974, when the official secrets' 30-year rule expired.Mr Savidge, who is originally from Shobnall but now lives in Wodonga, Victoria, Australia, obtained copies of the documents two-and-a-half years ago. He has studied them since. The photograph is captioned "fragment of thick-case bomb" and the RAF says it is the remainder of an exploded bomb from the ammunitions store.But Mr Savidge is convinced this is a fragment of the V2's tail section, after comparing the photograph with V2 dimensions.But his dramatic theory does not stop there. He also believes the V2 was filled with an uranium warhead that did not explode. He says instead it went into meltdown causing an extreme heat that led to the devastating explosion. In short it was a Nazi attempt to create an atomic explosion."It is historically documented that Goering asked scientists how much explosive would be needed to set an atomic bomb off", the 79-year-old said."They said it would take thousands of tonnes of explosives, which could be why they wanted to target Fauld. The Germans hoped the explosion of all the bombs at Fauld would set off the atomic bomb."What I do think happened is that the V2 was filled with a uranium warhead that did not explode. Instead it went into meltdown releasing heat which in turn caused the bombs in Fauld to explode. This is very difficult to prove." But there is evidence to back up the sensational theory, according to Mr Savidge.The 1944 Court of Inquiry into the explosion heard of a terrific heat coming from the crater, which Mr Savidge believes was caused by the meltdown of the nuclear warhead.Claims have been made that radioactivity was found around the crater from John Bowley, an Anslow man who is also now living in Australia."In around 1949 or 1950 he bought what he thought was a metal detector which he attached to his tractor to find any unexploded bombs in the farmland soil he was ploughing", Mr Savidge said."As he went near the crater the metal detector was making so much noise that he thought it was faulty so he shut it off and put it away in his shed."A few days later a police officer went around and confiscated the metal detector, which turned out to be a Geiger counter." But could the V2 rocket be sophisticated enough to accurately pinpoint RAF Fauld and could it travel that far? The V2 rockets detonated over London were fired from Holland and Mr Savidge thinks the V2 rocket was fired off the coast near Skegness.He believes the accuracy of the bomb was due to a homing device smuggled in by a German parachutist.He said: "Weeks before the explosion a young schoolboy took a shortcut across the fields near Fauld and he saw a parachutist in a German uniform."He told his school friends and they told the teachers who told the police, but the police did not believe him."Was this German parachutist carrying a homing device which would have directed the V2 to Fauld?" Mr Savidge has contacted Burton and Uttoxeter MP Janet Dean about his theory, who wrote to Ivor Caplin MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans.He also contacted the deputy head of the RAF's Air History Branch, Group Captain Steve Lloyd who disputes the theory. He says the metal skin of the "fragment thick-case bomb" is too thick to be a German V2 and Fauld was beyond the V2's range at the time and could not have pinpointed Fauld with such accuracy.Mrs Dean said: "Ivor Caplin's reply to me basically maintains the findings of the official inquiry." Mr Savidge said: "They have tried to disprove my theory, but I believe that I am right and they are just continuing the cover-up."Sixty years later the Ministry of Defence still denies the fact a V2 rocket could have caused the Fauld explosion, even though confronted with photographic evidence from their own files." So Mr Savidge's theory just adds to the speculation and mystery.Joyce's 15-year-old brother was never foundThe people who experienced the Fauld explosion, or lost relatives in it, will remember that fateful day for the rest of their lives.Ken McLeod, who lives in Burton, was working in a large cavern, known as the old alabaster mine, at RAF Fauld, on the day and was aged just 21.He remembers that everything went pitch-black and the air was full of dust and grit. Luckily, he escaped with only a few grazes.He said: "I was very, very lucky. It'll be something I'll always remember for as long as I live." His wife, Joyce, who he met after the explosion, will also remember the day. She lost her brother, Lewis Frow (15), in the disaster.Mrs McLeod, who was 17 at the time, said: "I was working in a factory in Burton and it shook. We thought we were being bombed. It wasn't until later that we discovered it was the ammunition dump."My brother worked there. I went home and my mother said I should go to the dump and fetch Lewis."When I got to the main gate you could not see the devastation there because it looked normal."I spoke to a Ministry of Defence policeman, who said the dump had gone up but Lewis was OK and he would be home at the usual time."But he never came home. We waited for news, and it came three days later in a telegram which said he was missing and presumed dead."His body was never found." Explosion anniversary marked with memorial serviceThe 60th anniversary of the Fauld explosion will be marked today with a service at the gigantic crater.The service is held each year and is organised by Hanbury Parish Council in memory of the 70 people who lost their lives. They included workmen, members of the local community, RAF personnel and Italian prisoners-of-war.
4,000 tonnes of high explosive bombs and ammunition went up that day, creating a 100ft-deep crater which still remains. It is a poignant memorial to the 70 who died.
An official inquiry blamed one of the victims, an airman, who tried to chip away at a bomb with a brass chisel, causing a spark and an explosion.
But Alec Savidge, whose father survived the blast, has a new theory about what caused it.He says it was not an accident, but was caused by a German V2 rocket. Suzanne Harrop tells his story. ON the morning of November 27, 1944, electrician Tom Savidge was walking back to the offices at RAF Fauld when he heard an enormous blast and saw smoke billowing above the trees.The 66-year-old headed straight for an air raid shelter. There he heard a second bang.Some 4,000 tonnes of bombs and ammunitions had just exploded. An investigation into the incident concluded that an airman had tried to chip at a bomb with a brass chisel. This caused the spark which set off the explosion.But in the 60 years since many have refused to accept the official line. Instead they have suggested that the incident was the result of sabotage, lax security or inexperienced employees.Now Tom Savidge's son, who was 19 years old at the time, has put forward a new theory. He believes the two bangs heard by his father and many other witnesses hold the key.Alec Savidge had been serving in London at the time, when German V1 rockets were attacking the capital. He had moved back to serve in Nottinghamshire before the V2 attacks started. But he had friends there who experienced the horrors and recounted them to him.It was these tales that led Mr Savidge to believe that the ammunitions store explosion had been caused by a German V2 warhead. This would explain the two bangs, he says.He is convinced that the first was caused when the V2 hit the ground, and the second when the ammo exploded.It has taken him two-and-a-half years to find evidence to back up his theory."I think the RAF knew right from the start that it was caused by a German V2 rocket, but it was covered up because the RAF did not want to create a panic by revealing the Germans could accurately pinpoint military targets in Britain."I believe it was a very very carefully arranged operation by the Germans", Mr Savidge said.The spectacular theory is based on a photograph contained in the Official Findings of the December 1944 Court of Inquiry into the explosion. The findings had been kept under wraps until 1974, when the official secrets' 30-year rule expired.Mr Savidge, who is originally from Shobnall but now lives in Wodonga, Victoria, Australia, obtained copies of the documents two-and-a-half years ago. He has studied them since. The photograph is captioned "fragment of thick-case bomb" and the RAF says it is the remainder of an exploded bomb from the ammunitions store.But Mr Savidge is convinced this is a fragment of the V2's tail section, after comparing the photograph with V2 dimensions.But his dramatic theory does not stop there. He also believes the V2 was filled with an uranium warhead that did not explode. He says instead it went into meltdown causing an extreme heat that led to the devastating explosion. In short it was a Nazi attempt to create an atomic explosion."It is historically documented that Goering asked scientists how much explosive would be needed to set an atomic bomb off", the 79-year-old said."They said it would take thousands of tonnes of explosives, which could be why they wanted to target Fauld. The Germans hoped the explosion of all the bombs at Fauld would set off the atomic bomb."What I do think happened is that the V2 was filled with a uranium warhead that did not explode. Instead it went into meltdown releasing heat which in turn caused the bombs in Fauld to explode. This is very difficult to prove." But there is evidence to back up the sensational theory, according to Mr Savidge.The 1944 Court of Inquiry into the explosion heard of a terrific heat coming from the crater, which Mr Savidge believes was caused by the meltdown of the nuclear warhead.Claims have been made that radioactivity was found around the crater from John Bowley, an Anslow man who is also now living in Australia."In around 1949 or 1950 he bought what he thought was a metal detector which he attached to his tractor to find any unexploded bombs in the farmland soil he was ploughing", Mr Savidge said."As he went near the crater the metal detector was making so much noise that he thought it was faulty so he shut it off and put it away in his shed."A few days later a police officer went around and confiscated the metal detector, which turned out to be a Geiger counter." But could the V2 rocket be sophisticated enough to accurately pinpoint RAF Fauld and could it travel that far? The V2 rockets detonated over London were fired from Holland and Mr Savidge thinks the V2 rocket was fired off the coast near Skegness.He believes the accuracy of the bomb was due to a homing device smuggled in by a German parachutist.He said: "Weeks before the explosion a young schoolboy took a shortcut across the fields near Fauld and he saw a parachutist in a German uniform."He told his school friends and they told the teachers who told the police, but the police did not believe him."Was this German parachutist carrying a homing device which would have directed the V2 to Fauld?" Mr Savidge has contacted Burton and Uttoxeter MP Janet Dean about his theory, who wrote to Ivor Caplin MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans.He also contacted the deputy head of the RAF's Air History Branch, Group Captain Steve Lloyd who disputes the theory. He says the metal skin of the "fragment thick-case bomb" is too thick to be a German V2 and Fauld was beyond the V2's range at the time and could not have pinpointed Fauld with such accuracy.Mrs Dean said: "Ivor Caplin's reply to me basically maintains the findings of the official inquiry." Mr Savidge said: "They have tried to disprove my theory, but I believe that I am right and they are just continuing the cover-up."Sixty years later the Ministry of Defence still denies the fact a V2 rocket could have caused the Fauld explosion, even though confronted with photographic evidence from their own files." So Mr Savidge's theory just adds to the speculation and mystery.Joyce's 15-year-old brother was never foundThe people who experienced the Fauld explosion, or lost relatives in it, will remember that fateful day for the rest of their lives.Ken McLeod, who lives in Burton, was working in a large cavern, known as the old alabaster mine, at RAF Fauld, on the day and was aged just 21.He remembers that everything went pitch-black and the air was full of dust and grit. Luckily, he escaped with only a few grazes.He said: "I was very, very lucky. It'll be something I'll always remember for as long as I live." His wife, Joyce, who he met after the explosion, will also remember the day. She lost her brother, Lewis Frow (15), in the disaster.Mrs McLeod, who was 17 at the time, said: "I was working in a factory in Burton and it shook. We thought we were being bombed. It wasn't until later that we discovered it was the ammunition dump."My brother worked there. I went home and my mother said I should go to the dump and fetch Lewis."When I got to the main gate you could not see the devastation there because it looked normal."I spoke to a Ministry of Defence policeman, who said the dump had gone up but Lewis was OK and he would be home at the usual time."But he never came home. We waited for news, and it came three days later in a telegram which said he was missing and presumed dead."His body was never found." Explosion anniversary marked with memorial serviceThe 60th anniversary of the Fauld explosion will be marked today with a service at the gigantic crater.The service is held each year and is organised by Hanbury Parish Council in memory of the 70 people who lost their lives. They included workmen, members of the local community, RAF personnel and Italian prisoners-of-war.
Friday, October 29, 2004
Taylor Woodrow has been chosen as preferred partner to regenerate Uttoxeter town centre. Selected by East Staffordshire Borough Council in partnership with Uttoxeter Plus and Staffordshire County Council, Taylor Woodrow is working with architects Brownhill Hayward Brown on the redevelopment of 4ha on two town centre sites. Details of the scheme will be shaped by public consultation but it could comprise civic and health facilities, up to 180 homes and 2,322m2 of shops.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
