askandrewspecial

AN ASK ANDREW SPECIAL FEATURE

Digitised lantern slides put group in picture
WHEN historian Andrew Lamberton isn't answering questions form "A Dabber's Nantwich" website, and others who turn to him for assistance, he has other pastimes to keep him busy. For one he is Group Leader and Vice-Chairman of Willaston and District History Group. The group, which is popular with history fans in the village and other villages in the area, "now has a terrific set of photographs of Willaston School", said a delighted Andrew. Explaining the photographic windfall, Andrew says: "Around 200 lantern slides from the school were deposited at Harris Manchester College, Oxford (Unitarian), in the 1970s. "These have now been digitised and have been made available to the History		Group. They contain some real gems. For instance, we think there are two of Shavington Zoo which was the precursor to Chester Zoo." Willaston School has undergone a few name changes over the years and was at one time the Regent Theological College. It is now the Olive Grove Conference Centre. The theological college itself moved to new premises in West Malvern. Standing between Crewe Road and London Road, Regents Park is home to Nantwich Elim Church. It is also home to a number of Nantwich businesses and organisations. Other Willaston School pictures \| Willaston and District History Group Harris Manchester College, Oxford See more slides on www.facebook.com/HarrisManchesterCollegeLibrary
This picture was taken in 1904 at what was then Willaston School. Andrew says: "We have the names of everyone on it."

		Above: time for study in the library at the school Left: working in the school allotments
Andrew says: "This is a nice picture of an early coach. It says 'Carimore' and 'Moore’s Garage, Nantwich,' on the side and I think Carimore is a play on the surname Moore. Mr Moore had a garage in London Road in the early 1930s." This picture shows boarding pupils of Willaston school about to get on the coach for a journey. They are pictured outside the London Road entrance to the school.

Slides appeared as illustrations in a new book featuring school

THE slides of the school provide the illustrations for a book by Willaston History Group, called "Willaston School, Nantwich" (price £11.95).

The launch, at Nantwich Book Shop, was followed by an Open Day at Nantwich Elim

Church and the Olive Grove Conference Centre in London Road, Nantwich. The event was opened by the then Crewe and Nantwich MP, Edward Timpson.

The Chairman of the history group, Andrew

Lamberton, said: "While this is very much a Nantwich subject, the school still falls within the Willaston and District History Group’s jurisdiction as it was in Nantwich-Willaston. The boundary only changed in 1936."

First World War book | Willaston and District History Group