Jeremy Nichols came to tell us about the Nantwich and Market Drayton Railway. This railway was opened in 1863 and provided part of the link between Crewe and the Midlands for the GWR. Although passenger traffic was modest, the line was an important freight route. However as part of the Beeching rationalisation plan, the line closed to passenger traffic in 1963 (just 100 years of service) and to freight traffic in 1967.
Jeremy grew up in Nantwich within sight of this railway, and he retrieved many old documents from the derelict Audlem station before it was demolished. He used many of these documents, eg receipts for goods carried, to show how the railway was managed and, intriguingly, how the railway changed the rural life in South Cheshire. Jeremy also showed us photographs both from the railway's heyday and from the final years before closure. The talk brought back memories for many members, who wherever they were at the time, had been brought with steam travel.
Sunday 25 February 2018
History through Metal Detecting 25th January
Martin Tobbit, who is a
member of the Crewe and Nantwich Metal Detecting Society, gave a very personal talk on metal detecting. He explained how he became fascinated with how metal detecting can be used to discover the past. Briefly introducing his modern detection equipment, he told us how he has been searching the local fields, and what he had unearthed. Perhaps the most memorable part of Martin's talk, was when he passed around some of his finds. It's not every evening that you handle a neolithic arrow head and a Roman coin.
Christmas Social 21st December
The run up to Christmas is always a busy time so we had decided not to invite a speaker. Instead we had an enjoyable 'homespun' meeting when members brought along and described a few historic personal items. It's amazing what people have tucked away at home. The evening finished with mince pies, stollen, and a topical quiz.
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