SOCIETY NEWS

No Friday night meetings are held June - September but COMMA Archiving sessions continue in June July and late September every other Wednesday in the Town Library - next session is 29.9.2010

A new Warden for the Lane End nature reserve, including the Knowle Hill area has been appointed - Mandy Cartwright. Mandy can be contacted via 01352 742115 or via links in the following web site www.newwildlife.org.uk

By kind permission of Mr. John Butler the following link will take you to a short clip of video footage he took in August 2009 when the Castle Firebrick Co. Ltd. steam powered Sentinel Waggon last visited Buckley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fh2OHXL48c

Have your say on the future of Buckley Baths old building - click on the link below.

After the earlier reported road accident on the way back from Onslow Park Rally in late August to Stuart Gray's 'Castle Firebrick Co Ltd' Sentinel S4, the waggon had all the repairs completed in a fast track program in time for it's return to Stuart's home before Christmas. The repairs were carried out in Shropshire by father and son team of John and Neil Boughey from C & G Coachworks and Stuart himself who did a fair amount of running around in the process. Whilst the impact with the third party has only been estimated by the Police at 20mph, this was sufficient to cause significant damage to the off side of the front of the waggon, particularly the chassis and running gear, requiring the whole front end of the waggon to be taken apart to facilitate the repairs, which included removing the boiler for a thorough examination as the main supporting chassis cross member had shown signs of impact damage from the accident and required repair. With the front end completed stripped the repairs were relatively straight forward except for the steering box, where the impact had bent the main steering box weigh shaft, which required a new one to be fabricated. The availability of Sentinel Works drawings from The Sentinel Drivers Club help considerably in determining the exact dimensions and material specifications.

With the waggon completely stripped the opportunity was taken by Stuart to carry out some planned winter improvements, including the fitting of a Sentinel pattern spark arrestor and collector box and the fitting of a second filler on the water tanks to allow for improved dosing of water treatment.

Stuart would like to thank in addition to C & G Coachworks, John and Justin Goold, The Shuttleworth Collection and James Campbell in helping to get this repair completed in a short space of time. See Old Glory Magazine February 2010 for a feature on the repairs.

The initial damage didn't look a lot but everything was twisted and bent and the chassis was broken, a complete strip down was needed

Above, the new steering box weigh shaft shown against the old shaft now bent and twisted, which can be seen from the oil feed hole

FIFTY YEARS ON

From 1933 to 1959, The Buckley Amateur Pantomime Company, with Alderman Dennis Griffiths as writer, director and musical director, performed 27 pantomimes at the Tivoli Theatre, Buckley. These productions earned and richly deserved the accolade of “The Most Famous Amateur Pantomime Company in Great Britain.” In the end, the Tivoli was full for three whole weeks with people arriving in coaches which lined the Buckley main streets and on foot, walking miles through the cold and snow. The Company raised hundreds of pounds for local charities and helped fund the Hawkesbury Community Centre, then at Hawkesbury House.

The Buckley Society has been compiling a digital archive of the town since early 2002 and this exhibition uses material gathered over that time to celebrate the pantomimes that so many still remember with great fondness, either as participants or as audience even after fifty years. There is a “Mystery Corner”, containing photographs of cast members for whom we have no names. Visitors will have the opportunity to see if they recognise anyone and add their contribution to the archive.

The exhibition will be at Buckley Library from 2^nd to 28^th November.

The third edition of the archive will be issued in the Spring of 2010 and will contain about 5,500 images.

Further to the below an enjoyable visit occurred which was supported by many people from the town and surrounding area. The Waggon later visited Flint Mountain a video clip from which is available on u tube - Log on to u tube and enter Bomber 127 into the search box or click on the below link

Sadly the waggon was involved in a road traffic accident en route home from Onslow Park Shrewsbury on Bank Holiday Monday the 31st August. No one was injured but the waggon incurred extensive damage to the front axle, springs and steering. It will have to be stripped down and repaired which could take it off the road for several months. Our sympathy is extended to the Gray family who have put so much effort into bringing the waggon back to the pristine condition it was in.

Saturday the 29th. of August will see the Castle Sentinel Wagon return to Buckley on a flying visit in similar fashion to the visit that took place in 2006. Provisional arrangements are in hand for arrival around 10am. It will park in Precinct Way between the Potters Inn and the Legion on the public car park for an hour and a half. Following a drive around the town the wagon will drive down to Flint Mountain for 12 noon. Chris and Stuart Gray want to meet anyone with memories of the wagon when it was operational or anyone with old photographs.

The Buckley Society are now members of the above organisation for further details visit www.balh.co.uk

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The Society has released a DVD entitled 'Processions from the Past' which is a compilation of old cine and video footage dating from the late 1950's through to 1980. If you, your friends or relatives were involved in Jubilee celebrations during that period you may be captured on film. There are also two clips of the Buckley Carnival processions and a Civic Service. A fascinating collection of short film clips, they capture people, fashions, characters, buildings and vehicles from three decades. See 'Publications' page for details.

Note! The Society are still appealing for any old cine film of the Buckley Railway in operation before its closure in the 1960's or details of anyone who might have such footage please.

The visit on Friday 17th. July 2009 to The Church of St John the Baptist Pentrobin, Penymynydd attracted over fifty attendees who were treated to a most interesting and informative tour of this fascinating Church that was recently featured on the Programme 'Fishlock's Wild Tracks' See website link below to view some of the artwork therein.

The meeting on Friday April the 3rd. saw 95 people attend the talk by Hazel Formby on the Mold to Denbigh Railway Line. This was a record attendance for the Society

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On Thursday the 5th February 2009 ITV Wales transmitted an edition of 'Fishlock's Wild Tracks' which featured the 2008 Buckley Jubilee celebrations and a visit to the town library to film the Buckley Society in an archiving session. Watch out for repeats if you missed it or visit where it can be viewed online - it was transmitted in two halves first Hawarden then Buckley http://www.itvlocal.com/wales/programmes/?player=WAL_Prog_15&void=286440