Budding Alan Titchmarshs and Charlie Dimmocks are being encouraged to show off their gardening skills by entering Newcastle in Bloom competitions.
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is running a range of floral contests as part of the borough’s annual Britain in Bloom campaign.
Green-fingered residents, businesses, schools and community groups can compete in a number of categories including residential gardens, hanging baskets, allotments, community projects and licensed premises.
The deadline for entries is Friday, 24 June and judging will take place at the end of June or early July.
Cllr. James Bannister, Cabinet member for culture and active communities, said: “Our competitions showcase the wealth of horticultural talent we are lucky to have in the local area.
“Participants help to make the borough flourish during the summer and play a major part in Britain in Bloom, especially this year as we are competing for regional and national honours.”
Winners will receive gold, silver gilt, silver, bronze and highly commended awards and vouchers.
Last year’s winners were: residential gardens – Terry and Fiona Ferguson from Wolstanton; hanging baskets – Dennis Bloor from Harriseahead; allotments – Tim and Jeanette Pattison from Silverdale; community projects – St. Thomas’ Primary School in Kidsgrove; licensed premises – The Wheatsheaf, Onneley.
The main programme will take place from Saturday 2 June to Tuesday 5 June with activities marking the Jubilee taking place throughout the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth. Further details of these events and of other national and regional Diamond Jubilee events will be announced in due course.
The Directgov Diamond Jubilee page, launched today, will be kept up to date with information for the public running up to next year’s celebrations.
Opened by the Prince of Wales on June 14th, 1924, the Staffordshire Orthopaedic Hospital at Biddulph Grange faced antagonism from the North Staffordshire Cripples Aid Society. Unable to gain public support for its fundraising activities, the hospital run out of money and closed early in 1925. Lancashire County Council bought the hospital for £10,000 and converted it into a long stay orthopaedic hospital for handicapped children.
The north west’s leading orthopaedic surgeon, Harry Platt, became the senior consultant. Miss. M. Rochelle, a nurse from Rochdale, was appointed matron and the first patients arrived in February, 1928. Officially opened by Alderman Wade Deacon, the Chairman of Lancashire County Council, on July 5th, 1928, the hospital had its own school. There was accommodation for 87 patients. Some had been born physically handicapped or were suffering from tuberculosis. Others had been disabled by rickets or paralysed by poliomyelitis.
Harry was a visiting lecturer at Manchester University’s medical school. He encouraged post graduates who wanted to become orthopaedic surgeons to gain practical experience at Biddulph Grange where they were employed as junior housemen for six months. Student nurses were trained at the hospital. Their training lasted three years and they worked long hours for low pay. A first year student’s annual salary was £33-18-00d (£33.90p). Second year students received £38-18-00d (£38.90p) and third year earned £43-18-00 (£43.90p). Students on the day shift worked a fifty six and a half hour week while those on nights worked seventy six hours. The students had very little free time. They lived on the premises. Miss. Rochelle vetted their boyfriends and they had to attend lectures three evenings a week.
Between 1937 and 1939 the hospital was enlarged. Three new wards, an operating theatre, an X-ray department and a gymnasium were constructed. When the Second World War began on September 3rd, 1939, the government believed the Germans would launch massive air attacks on major towns and cities. Military experts predicted widespread devastation and a large number of casualties. Emergency hospitals were established throughout the country and wards at Biddulph Grange were set aside for air raid victims. Osmond Clarke, the hospital’s other consultant surgeon, left to join the Royal Air Force and Mr. Korvin, the senior resident medical officer, was given responsibility for his patients.
Although both Liverpool and Manchester were heavily bombed, the emergency wards were not needed. They remained empty until the allies invaded France on D-Day, June 6th,1944. More than 175,000 allied troops stormed the Normandy beaches. Less than 2,500 were killed but over 10,000 casualties were shipped back to Britain. The first wounded soldiers arrived at Biddulph Grange two days later. Luckily they had only minor injuries. The British 2nd Army met fierce resistance as it advance on Caen. Despite air support, there were heavy casualties and seriously wounded officers who needed major surgery and long term care were brought to Biddulph Grange.
The hospital’s operating theatres were in constant use. Still in the Royal Air Force, Osmond Clarke gave up his leave to perform operations which relieved the pressure on Harry and Mr. Korvin. Nurses were sent from the Royal Free Hospital in London to help look after the patients. All the officers praised the hospital and Miss Rochelle was awarded the M.B.E.
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