Unsung Audlem heroes

Two stories this week on Audlem Online have inspired an Audlem Parish Councillor to suggest a story about unsung village heroes. He had in mind Geoff and Olive Stretch and Christine and Rodney Cottrell.

The Public Hall has been transformed in the last few years. While it is run by a very hardworking committee, it is Geoff and Olive who have put in endless time improving the Hall, running it on a daily basis, overseeing building work and clearing and cleaning up after events. The Hall, which has seen very extensive physical improvements including new windows, toilets, curtains and now 200 comfortable chairs, is now a credit to the community but this wouldn't have been possible without Geoff and Olive's dedication.

It's a similar tale at the Scout & Guide Hall where a massive fund-raising effort has enabled the first major restoration work to proceed since the Hall's construction in the 1840s. Rodney and Christine, again assisted by many volunteers, are now ensuring the extensive work is carried out to plan, programme and budget. So far, the work has been cracking on at an amazing pace with new windows, floor and suspended ceiling and much more underway. Indeed Christine has been spotted outside clearing vegetation, rubble and rubbish on several occasions.

Not only that, Christine has been talking to the BBC and helping to co-ordinate the Look North West team's visit to Audlem next Wednesday, 23rd August. The village will then be featured between 6.00 and 7.00pm as part of a series the news programme is running about the outlying parts of the North West, Audlem being the most southerly Parish in the whole region. Whether or not village heroes like the Stretch's and Cottrell's are featured is, of course, down to the BBC – but they certainly deserve it.

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.