Guestbook

From: Jan Wright (Tue 16th Apr 2013 at 18:46)

Hi all

Was just catching up to see what you have all been up to since I was Village Agent in your lovely village. So pleased to see you are all active and continuing with activities. Do you still have your monthly village hall market? Happy days and have a wonderful summer. Jan Wright

From: Nathalie (Fri 18th Mar 2011 at 21:06)

Hello Oultonites!
I too am on the trail of my ancestors, in this case the Goodwins. The ones I seek are Thomas snr, who manufactured china up until he went backrupt in 1865. I believe his factory was in Longton. His son Thomas was the bookkeeper for whatever endeavour the family took up post the factory' failing. He died in 1874. I wonder if the Goodwin's who ran the mill are somehow related. According to the 1911 census my great grandmother Ellen Goodwin said she was born in Oulton. I need to sort out if it was actually Longton. She has been difficult to locate thus far! So if any Goodwin descendants are still around, I would be very grateful if they could help shed some light on my Ellen's mysterious past.
I love your village, it's very much like the most beautiful villages of Québec here at home in Canada.

Best Wishes from the colonies!
Nathalie Connor

From: john egerton (Sun 7th Nov 2010 at 14:09)

hello oulton villagers,

i am researching my family history in oulton and was wondering if anyone knows of a locale named 'LONGHILL FARM'.i have a reference to it from the mid 1700's but can't seem to find if it still is in existence.

thank you for any knowledge about longhill you can share.

john egerton,
canada.

From: Peter Brassington (Thu 23rd Sep 2010 at 09:59)

Hi Andy, I was in Oulton last month and while there visited St Johns church...then I remembered the name of the young man in photo two of the cricket club pictures....it is Nigel Sigley with his right arm around my father and his left arm resting on Paddy Morely.
Rgds

From: Daphne Davidson (Tue 25th May 2010 at 18:07)

Hello everyone,
I lived in Oulton village, from 1953-1972.
I as very interested in the comment from Peter Brassington to your website. I was in the same class at Oulton Primary School, and in those days Mr Warren was the Headmaster. Many happy memories, now in my 59th year. My name was then Webb, and I lived in Church Lane with my mother and my two aunts.
Would be nice to hear from anyone of that era.
Regards,
Daphne Davidson.
Aberdeen
Scotland.

From: Anonymous (Tue 2nd Mar 2010 at 17:53)

Dear My fellow villager,

I have lived in Oulton for many years now. Often I visit Oulton park, and have noticed that there are no longer three horses. I shall address them as Horse 1, Horse 2 and Horse 3 for the time being. I realised that before Christmas, Horse 2 had been removed from the premises! Only to find that he/she had been returned yesturday (Monday the 1st). It also came to my attention that Horse 3 had been exchanged in the place of Horse 2. This displeases me. Could anybody inform me of the location of this horse that has been taken from his companions. Thanks lol! :)

From: AgeConcerned (Thu 7th Jan 2010 at 23:39)

Like many others I was shocked to learn that the Age Concern shop in Stone High Street is run by the South Staffordshire branch of the organisation, and that no funds raised by this shop goes to the local Stone branch. I wonder how many people who regularly donate goods and money to the shop realise that the local Age Concern (in the council office) recieves no funds from the sale of goods from this shop to help with their support of local elderly people and is reliant solely on grants and their own fund-raising efforts.

From: John Tozer (Mon 14th Dec 2009 at 14:06)

Dear fellow villagers,

I recently failed on ebay to buy a postcard of the Petrifactions- people who have been here a mere decade as my wife and I have are always avid for the history of this lovely area- and had looked forwards to sharing it on this website which shows a number of historic and contemporary images.

Folks who have lived here for a long time are probably our best source of information.I am lucky enough to live next to Mr Ron Glover who I am glad to say is back with us recovering after an arduous operation.Ron is a veritable treasure trove of stories of the life and people of this area and is blessed with an amazing memory.

A source that is well worth looking at as most of you will already know - but in case you don't - is to be accessed on the computer at Staffordshire Past Track. Just look up Oulton, Kibblestone, the petrifactions, Common Plot,Outlanes,Oulton Mills etc and delights await.I notice that Mrs Bell kindly donated a number of most interesting pictures to Past Track.

My hope is that we do send or lend such images to either Past Track or the Village website so preserving them for the future and sharing the pleasure we take in our village.

Meanwhile, have any of you any memories of the Oulton horticultural society? There were mighty gardeners in those days!

Best wishes,
John Tozer

From: john egerton (Sat 5th Dec 2009 at 15:35)

hello,congratulations on a very nice community website.my family has lived in and around oulton for over two centuries.

i was wondering if anyone knows of the origin of the name OULTON?

is it possibly connected with OULTON CHESHIRE?

john egerton,canada

From: Andy Burdon (Mon 21st Sep 2009 at 09:19)

Thanks Lol, for your comments and support for the Oulton Community Group. We will continue to support initiatives for the village and are grateful for any help we can get from residents or visitors alike. I like your idea for the old telephone box as a venue for communicating notices and events etc. The OCG has been discussing having a village notice board and the telephone box might make an ideal site. I will bring it up at the next meeting, unless you attend yourself. I will remind you nearer the time. The BKV Committee is considering entering the competition next year, but as everyone has constraints on their time they need extra help and ideas. If you or anyone else can help it will be most appreciated.

Best regards
Andy

From: Lol Barnes (Wed 16th Sep 2009 at 16:07)

Re Oldoultonian's comments:

I have lived in the village for 16 years. I have made friendly relationships with various people in the village over that time and have found all residents I have met to be friendly and welcoming. When my daughter lived with me she seemed top know everyone in the village, but the necessity for me to work means I soend much of my time outside the village. However, I have experienced the goodness of people in this village on several occasions - particularly when I first arrived and had a partner with a somewhat 'chequered' history. I made people aware of this, but no-one felt it was necessary to ostracise us. Indeed friends made then are still friends now. Another time I was hospitalised following a hysterectomy and a person from one of the Christian groups mentioned by oldoultonian came to visit and also left food offerings, which was extremely kind and gratefully received. So much for them 'not lifting a finger to help even one of their own'. In general I find that people treat you the way you treat them. If you are friendly and generous and kind etc you will find most people being exactly the same back. If you're a cantankerous miserable old so and so you'll find people tend to avoid you - so because YOU are unfriendly people will be unfriendly to you. I think the people behinds Oulton's entry to the BKV competition deserve all the applause possible for motivating so many people to help, in whatever way. (I loved the kid's notices). I only wish that demands of a job and care for an elderly relative didn't leave me short of the time I need to make my garden an asset to the village. (any offers of help VERY gratefully received). Let's hope next year's entry to the BKV comp will see an improvement in Oulton's award. Best of luck to the OGC for future initiatives

From: Peter Brassington (Sun 6th Sep 2009 at 00:59)

Hi Andy
Yes I now live in Austalia and have done since 1968, but have made almost annual visits back to the UK for our children to visit their grandparents in Tittensor and my parents who moved to Stone in approx 1956-57. I will have a look for the photo, scan it and send it to you. It was of a meeting held in the Wheatsheaf in the very early 1950s.

Regards

Peter

From: andy burdon (Sun 6th Sep 2009 at 00:48)

Hi Peter

Thank you fot visiting the Oulton Village Wesite and you comments. Do I deduce from your email address that you are now resident in Australia? I hope that the website keeps you in touch with Oulton. If you have a copy of the photo would it be possible to scan it and email it to me. I am sure that there are current members of Oulton Cricket Club who would be pleased to see it.
Thank you again for getting in touch.

From: peter brassington (Sun 6th Sep 2009 at 00:42)

Hi, you have my name and I lived in the village from approx. 1952-1957 at 2,St Johns Avenue, went to Oulton C of E Primary School and my father was a founder member of Oulton Cricket Club. I think I may have a photo of the foundation meeting.

Peter Brassington

From: NewOultonian (Wed 19th Aug 2009 at 23:03)

In reply to OldOutonians posting.
Oultons entry for the Best Kept Village Competition was in the new category for "villages that had not entered before or for at least ten years". There was no category solely for community spirit, although this was, along with many other criteria taken into consideration by the judges, but not judged as a separate item. I am sorry to hear that OldOultonian feels that to win this category would have been an injustice because it reduces all the efforts put in by members of the committee and residents to help improve the environment of the village, despite his/her assertions to the contrary. The fact that the village was highly commended is a great acheivment for a first time entry.
We all know that society in general has become more unsociable mainly due to an overactive press and media which has a commercial interest in "awfulising" many aspects of life. OldOultonian's experiences of the village may reflect this aspect of modern life but to single out Oulton is unfair.
As a newcomer to the village I feel there is a tremendous community spirit in the village. People do say hello in the street and all our immediate neighbours do speak to each other whether over the garden fence or when going about their day to day business. I wonder if OldOultonian attends any of the many activities that go on in the village hall, from indoor bowls to salsa dance. Is s/he a member of any of the local groups such as Good Companions or WI. Does s/he attend the regular Oulton Community Group Meetings. Has s/he been to any of the entertainments organised by the Village Hall committee. Did s/he help with or attend the very successful Village Fete. Finally did s/he help with litter picks in the village or the planting of primroses and daffodils around the village hall (which will pay dividends in Spring next year and for many years to come) or any other activities organised by the BKV Committee. Has s/he made any other contributions to the Oulton website, apart from this negative one.
To be part of a community individuals have to invest in it. The rewards can be manifold.

From: OldOultonian (Wed 19th Aug 2009 at 07:49)

Now that the BKV 2009 results have been announced I give my thoughts on the topic.
When I first read that Oulton was entering the Best Kept Village competition in the new category of Community Spirit I burst out laughing.
There is more community spirit in the local graveyard.
I considered writing this in June but I thought that it would be unfair on those few individuals who do make an effort.
If this was 30 years ago Oulton would have won easily.
However as the original residents have moved on (one way or another) and new people have arrived neighbourliness and consideration seems to be rapidly disappearing.
Those few people that do talk to each other often comment how their neighbours don’t talk to them, ignore them over the fence or when passing in the street.
One new resident has virtually barricaded themselves in with a high gate and keypad.
The local ramblers group will not allow any new members unless you are of the ‘right social standing’.
One bunch of christians turns out in their finery on Sunday but would not lift a finger to help anyone in distress not even one of their own.
Another bunch of christians evicted a long term resident (despite being promised she could stay) so that the house could be sold to a local ‘worthy’.
On coach trips and village hall events more than 75% of the people are from outside Oulton.
I applaud the efforts of those who do try to encourage social get togethers but I think winning would have been an injustice.

OldOultonian

From: andy burdon (Thu 30th Jul 2009 at 10:14)

Hi Aaron
Thanks for your input. The Interpub cricket match is now listed on the news page of the website and in whats on. I think everyone who knows or knows of Barbara will agree with you. I dont know for sure but Old Road is the ancient byway to Leek and beyond which joined the now A520 near the Knenhall turnoff, so the road you are refering to might be the cutting through the Moddershall Valley, past all the Mills, southwards into Stone.
Maybe someone out there could enlighten us.

From: Aaron Parke (Tue 28th Jul 2009 at 01:26)

Hi there, good chat in The Brush earlier.
I don\'t know whether you know already but there are a few things missing from the site... Firstly there is Barbara Palmer, a legend and community stalwart, she is possibly the most visible resident. There\'s Ron, lives on Vanity Lane and built the houses that stand now.

An item for the diary... Brushmakers Arms versus The Wheatsheaf cricket match on 30th August at Oulton Cricket Club (good post match entertainment last year). The prize \'Bat\' resides at the Wheatsheaf following last years match (the first match for many years and a proper outing).

There\'s something about one of the local roads too, could be old road or kibblestone road but one of them was cut through by Mr Wedgwood as an easy route for transporting bone to the canal I believe.

Anyway, hope to see you on the 30th,
Aaron

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