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The alternative suggested route for anybody wishing to nip into Audlem, from the Coole lane area, Overwater marina etc. is a round trip of 26 miles via Nantwich. With an expected travel time of 29 mins each way (provided there are no hold ups).
Information Source Google maps. (from Overwater to Audlem)
For those people who need to visit the Doctors or Chemist this is quite a long haul. they will also not be able to patronize the business's such as the post office chippy, cafe's and pubs and general shops. All such Business during the closure going to either Nantwich or Whitchurch.
Not only is this inconvenient, is is both costly in terms of fuel use and the subsequent extra pollution caused by turning a 5.6 mile 12 min trip into a 26 mile 58 min trip.

Just an update from the Royal Mail / Simon Thompson; I received a very quick reply from the office of the CEO, in fact two letters in reply. One saying that they are looking into this and one the day after saying they have looked into the matter and it appears that due to the agreement the Royal Mail has with the Communication Workers Union, all their colleagues in Crewe Delivery Office will be seeing changes in the areas they deliver to. This is to ensure efficient routing and a fair distribution of workload. The agreement with the CWU also means that a preference exercise will be adopted and so because of the marvellous union, it is likely that all postwomen and postmen will be assigned a new delivery round.
I don't think there is a lot more that we can do except keep writing.
The address is:
Chairman and Chief Executive Office
Royal Mail
PO Box 76085
185, Farringdon Road
London
EC1P 1HA

I have an e-mail address too which is nicola.barnham@royalmail.com

Nigel.

Hi Bob,
The Festival of Transport is going ahead on Sunday 25th July.
We (ASET) would welcome any help in the form of volunteers on the day.
Thanks,
Nigel.

Olive is now safe at home!

Hi,
We can hear you shouting Olive and are keeping an eye out for Olive.
Hope you find her.
We are Mount Pleasant.

Could everyone please keep an eye out for a young black cocker spaniel who has gone missing on a walk along Monks Lane. She is called Olive and is very friendly and should respond to her name. She is microchipped. Please call Adele on 07702 800066 or Rachel on 07786 516961, thank you.

Jessie's allegorical story about the ducks , does raise the interesting question of whether ducks can smell. Like all organisms, ducks certainly do give off a chemical smell. The question is whether they have a sense of smell. The consensus of research has said that birds including ducks have a very low sense of smell. They primary use sight and sound. This we witness both in the vast range of bird songs and calls and the extraordinary range of sight of birds of prey. Sound is also important for night birds like owls. The senses primarily provide for four functions: finding food, location, defence and mating. Every type of organism uses some or all of the "senses" for some of these purposes. More recent research has indicated that some birds may use chemical smells for any of the four functions.
When thinking about the sense of smell, some living forms have evolved with a keener sense of smell.
We are familiar with the keen sense of smell of dogs and wild creatures like deer. These have both a range of smell and also a definition of smell due to the number of olfactory receptor nerves they have. Even plants have a capacity to "smell" but using a different kind of receptor system than us humans, but the same medium of chemical stimuli. They do also smell, that is exude a smell, to attract pollinators but also to warn neighbouring plants of predators.
Going back to our birds, there are some types of birds that do use a sense of sense and these include parrots, vultures and some seabirds. Also the nocturnal New Zealand Kiwi uses a sense of smell to sniff out earth-worms at night. More recent research has shown that some species of bird do use the sense of smell for specific purposes. Some birds on migration use smell as a navigational tool. So far there is no evidence that ducks have a significant smelling capacity. So I am afraid the Smellie's family and Greenie would not have significantly noticed Smellie's chemical smell. The story does show however that we as human being tend to think everything revolves around our way of thinking. After all we together with other large mammals are the smelliest creatures on earth whether we like it or not. Incidentally it is nothing to do with being clean. It's why your pet dog can smell you coming from a mile off!
There is still hope for the veracity of the story but it needs someone to do a PH D project on duck smells.

With the cancellation of the historic boats, what is the situation with the FOT? I'm particularly interested as I have family in the north of Scotland who normally come down to help.

For anyone who would like to join us in supporting our Posties and our service, Simon Thompson (CEO Royal Mail) email address: ceo.office@royalmail.com

Dear Phil,
I thought your post deserved at least one reply from an Audlem resident! Great to hear that you enjoyed tour stay here and that you appreciated the village and what it has to offer.
Thank you for posting your kind comments which are appreciated.
Best wishes,
Nigel.

Just to correct Ralph's news piece. I was not a founder member of the Saints ever part of that brilliant team of volunteers.. However, amongst others, I do know that Reuben Palin was.

Could I please remind all members of Audlem Parish the importance of keeping your dogs under control, even if just letting out in the garden late at night. We must remind you that animal worrying is not taken lightly, is a criminal offence and all actions can be taken legally by the farmer to stop any distress to their animals.

Good morning,
Just a short note to reiterate the post made by Adrian a couple of days ago; I too have written to Simon Thompson, CEO of the Royal Mail and my letter is similar to the flavour of the one written by Adrian. The address for Mr. Thompson was easily found and it will be posted this morning. I urge any one else to try to support the Posties that we know and value so much.
If anyone wants the address then please let me know.
Thanks,
Nigel.

Hello!

Last week I had never heard of Audlem. Due to the intricacies of the internet, following various on-line searches for a weekend break, your village entered my conscience.
Being advised of a cottage let, which fitted our criteria we proceeded to book a few days stay at Willow Wood cottage.
The first impression on Friday afternoon, driving through the main street was "wow!"
Admittedly sunshine shows everything at its best, but the Church looked stunning, overseeing all around.
We took a beautiful walk along the canal, everyone we met exchanged a greeting and a smile. Over the weekend we visited the Marina, such a well kept property, the boats are fascinating in their decor and their names also. Sunday dinner on the terrace at the Bridge was a lovely experience too.
The pace of life just seemed a few notches below our norm at home, and as such very beneficial.
A few days this time, but we intend to return in the future to both explore further afield and enjoy that which is close at hand.

Thank you Audlem!

Phil Adkins
Northampton

Although my wife and I are relative "newcomers" to the area, just nine years to date, we were dismayed to learn of the proposed changes to our Posties, both for them as individuals and also for the community.
As soon as we relocated here we recognised and appreciated the obvious community spirit and although changes are ultimately inevitable, changes made for the reasons suggested seem to me to be counterproductive and disruptive.
I have not taken the time to fully study the documents attached to the posting, after a brief perusal of them it would appear that the Royal Mail's decision to apply these changes are for purely cost saving reasons and completely disregard both the Posties and ourselves as customers.
Although I do intend to complete and submit the Royal Mail online Complaint Form, it appears to be designed primarily for claims for loss or damage to posted items. As such, my "complaint" will, more than likely, be just one of thousands of others covering a multitude of types of claims and I therefore have very little confidence that it will ever see the light of day.
However, I have written (emailed) to our MP Edward Timpson to ask for his support and I do hope that many others will do likewise. His address is: edward.timpson.mp@parliament.uk

Following the articles and comments on AOL, I easily found the email address for Simon Thompson, the CEO of Royal Mail using a Google search and have sent the letter below to him today. I wonder whether he will receive any other similar letters from our area?

"12th June 2021

Dear Mr Thompson,

I write to bring to your attention an issue which I understand is about to adversely affect the postal delivery service in my area.

I live in a rural community which has been served for many years by a team of three postal delivery workers. They are affectionately known as our "posties". However, due to a change which is being implemented, their service to our community is about to be brought to an end. I gather that the future allocation of "walks" is to be undertaken based on the individual preferences expressed by the area postal delivery staff in order of seniority.

In effect, it is likely that our three regular posties will not be in a position to have their own preferences – to remain in their present walks – granted. By way of example, one of our regular posties has 19 years' service in our community, but is 84th in the order of preference.

I am raising this with you not because I have any desire or status to interfere with employer-employee relations, but because the idea seems to me to be fundamentally and detrimentally adverse to the service offered by Royal Mail.

As I am sure you are aware, particularly, but not exclusively in rural communities, the postie provides a vital part of the knowledge and support network for the area and its population. Over time, a mental database is built up by these loyal and trusted people of the lives and habits of the villages and people they serve. By virtue of handling the mail, walking up front paths, seeing and speaking to people, the posties have a detailed and intricate picture of the places they serve. They know, for example, who is who, who is related to whom. They recognise which children live where, which cats and dogs live at which houses. If a milk bottle is left on the step unexpectedly, or a gate is open when it is normally shut or a window or door is ajar, it can be a sign that something is wrong.

For some people, the postie may be the only person they regularly see. One of our posties recently told me that an elderly gent once said "You will be the one who finds me when the time comes" – a melancholy thought, of course, but a sure sign that the daily visit of the familiar and trusted postie is in a very real sense, a lifeline for that man. And that is not an isolated example.

These are aspects of the job, outside the contracted work of your employees, nevertheless demonstrate the way in which the long-standing posties are an integral part of the fabric of our lives. Their knowledge cannot simply be "downloaded" to another postie, who expresses a preference for a change of "walk". It takes time to integrate and become familiar with the people and the rhythms and habits of the area. It takes years to build that knowledge and yet, at the tick of a preference, it is to be discarded and lost.

The changes which I understand are about to take place will serve to tear away a trusted, protective and supportive network, replacing it with a bare delivery service. If there must be change, such change could be achieved in a much more gradual and managed manner.

I know from local correspondence that I am not a lone voice. There is a strong body of similar views. I urge you to listen to the voices of those the Royal Mail serves and to intervene to prevent this needless damage to the valued Royal Mail service.

Please allow us to keep our loyal and trusted friends – our Audlem posties, Chris, Ant and Sam.

Yours sincerely,

Adrian Farrow
(address supplied)"

Hi Ann,

We use PCL Policy Expert for home insurance. They were recommended by one of our lovely neighbours and we found them to be very competitive, might be worth a try?

Shona

Hi, can anyone help with recommendations for a plumber and painter & decorator? Many thanks

Have been trying to get someone to work on my garage for years! Wants new door (ideally with wooden frame to fill in large gap, before adding doors), new window, painting and weatherproofing on top. Builders tend to agree and then get lured away as the job is too small. General handymen/women say job is too big. Any recommendations?

As anyone who knows me (especially Dylan) will tell you I can talk for England but whether or not anyone would actually like to hear me do such a thing is another matter. Pre Covid, I did a screen test for something and during it the producer asked me to talk for 10 minutes about something I'm good at. It was one of the rare occasions in my life I was silent for 10 minutes. On the other hand someone once said to me; "If I asked you the time you'd tell me how to build a clock". Just remembered another quote from someone else. "Why use one word when a hundred will do". ;-)

The results of enquiries in Sept 2006 can be read in the news archive (choose month and year from table at bottom of page which appears when you select'news') well done AOL I had forgotten about it.

Gardener wanted ASAP !

MUST be reliable and hard working

£12.50 hr 4-6 hrs a week.

Weeding, hedges and general tidying.

Contact lauren 07889 060 131

There was an article about Leslie Smyth, artist, in AOL 28 September 2006, only the headlines of which are returned by Google search. Someone else had been enquiring about him at that time.

It is time to renew our home insurance and I thought to get another quote for comparison. To my surprise Audlem is apparently outside the area John Lewis covers, at least the CW3 postcode is.
After 35 years living and insuring our home(s) here I am surprised . Was unable to find out if it was all Audlem or Broadways that is the problem.

He was a Lecturer in Economics at Keele University when I joined in 1980. He was also a friend of my Head of Department so we had a few of his artworks dotted around the building. Although we both lived in Audlem I only saw him around in the early 80s and think he must have left Keele and maybe the village around that time.
From memory I would have said he was "middle aged" then so would be very elderly now.
Doing a Google search I found the following link
https://artuk.org/discover/artists/smyth-leslie