Presidential handover 

 

At the meeting of the Rotary Club of Sandbach on 7^th July, Rtn. Keith Merry handed over the presidency of the Club to Rtn. Bob Mynett. 

 

In doing so he commented on the successes of the past twelve months. He said that the club had sustained a full programme of community services activity, fund raising projects and social events. No fewer than 20 different charities had been supported with funds totalling £7,000 and a further £4,000 had been given to international Rotary charities: LifeBox; ShelterBox; Rotary Foundation and the End Polio Now project. 

 

Rtn. Mynett’s first duty was to make the Mayor of Sandbach Mrs. Gillian Merry an honorary Rotarian for the period of her office. It has been a tradition of the Club for a number of years to offer this position to the Chairman of the Town Council. Mrs. Merry said she felt privileged to receive the award and was pleased to be associated with an organisation which had as its motto “Service above Self”. 

 

John Higgins 

(Publicity Officer) 

 

The Rotary Club of Sandbach: 

 

a little bit of history 

       

It is interesting to close one’s eyes at a Wednesday lunchtime meeting – some make a habit of this – and imagine what things would have been like sixty five years ago.

 

 

The club was chartered in December 1945 and the first meeting was held in the Market Tavern. R. Balwin Hovey would have been in charge of the meeting and in front of him would be something we would all recognise: the chairman’s bell. It was only a few months after the end of the war and materials were in short supply. Mr Hovey, founder president of the club and local businessman, had the bell constructed from salvaged pieces of the roof timbers of St Mary’s Church and an ex-wartime ARP bell. (Some years later – 1979 – Baldwin’s son Graham would occupy the President’s chair).

 

 

At his side would be John Bateman, the first Club Secretary, who was keen to see the formal rules observed. Any member missing four consecutive meetings was excluded and anyone not seen to be wearing his Rotary badge was fined 6d.

 

 

Early committee meetings are well documented and show the club providing community support in a very direct way: distributing food parcels; renting refurbished radio sets; supplying white sticks to the blind; organising outings to the seaside for disabled people; etc. We no longer have any members who attended in the 1940’s but Derek Jennings joined in 1956, was President in 1963, and has many tales to tell.

 

 

The club continues to meet on Wednesday lunch time – these days in the Wheatsheaf Hotel: observing many of the original formalities, enjoying warm fellowship and having a comprehensive and active programme of projects, including those which benefit the local community.

 

 

Women were allowed to join Rotary some years ago and we currently have one female member – Rosemary Twidale – who was made President in 2007 and is the first female Secretary of the club this year.

 

 

In 1974 the Club was to create its own daughter club (Alsager) and went on to create a further three: Holmes Chapel (1980), Haslington (2001) and Sandbach Crosses (2003).

 

 

Rotary still thrives in Sandbach, sixty five years after it started.

 

 

If any one wishes to attend our meeting contact the Wheatsheaf Hotel on 01270 762013 before 10am on Wednesday.

 

 

John Higgins (Publicity Officer) 

 

 

Sandbach Market 

 

   

 

In 1579 Queen Elizabeth I granted a Royal Charter to Sir John Radcliffe of Ordsall in Lancashire (who held the manor of Sandbach) for a market to be held in Sandbach. It has continued to be held since that time.

 

The market is held every Thursday on Scotch Common but was originally held on

Market Square. There is also an indoor market, which is open on Thursdays and Saturdays, held in the Town Hall building.

 

The market still attracts many people from Sandbach and surrounding areas of Cheshire and Staffordshire.

  A DVD, "Sandbach: then and now" was published by the Rotary Club of Sandbach in 2009. Featuring over 100 photographs, with commentary, it contrasts similar scenes of the town centre from old and modern times.

It is available, price £8.50, from a number of outlets in Sandbach including Burnells, Welsby Photographics and Sandbach Library. It can be obtained by post by sending a cheque for £10 (payable to Sandbach History Society) to Mrs Eileen Thompson, 10 Offley Avenue, Sandbach, Cheshire, CW11 1AZ.For further information on the DVD please contact Rtn. John Higgins 01270 763037.  

All proceeds from the sale of the DVD will be donated to charities chosen by the Rotary Club.

free hit counters