World War 1 Commemoration.

Wars come; wars go. Peace comes but temporarily. The casualties remain in name alone but the memory of them fade with the passage of time.

St John the Evangelist Church is the custodian of the World War One Memorial and the St Barnabas “Organ” Roll of honour, naming those of the parish who gave their lives for King and country during the “Great War”, that war to “end all wars”. As custodians we have a great responsibility to ensure that our future generations do not forget the ultimate sacrifice by those who perished. From all walks of life, the single, the married the youth and indeed many under age, the not so young; all rallied to the call of the nation in troubled times.Sacrifice has no favourites, and many were taken from us during these times; fathers, sons, uncles, nephews, cousins, grandchildren…. no families were untouched by the ravages of war.

In 2018, we commemorated the end of World War 1 with a display depicting those who lost their lives in the many and varied areas of operation, where our servicemen were posted. Soldiers, airmen and sailors of both the Royal Navy and the Merchant Marine are depicted.

We now have a monthly display in our church commemorating those who died during that particular month. You are very welcome to visit us and share in our remembrance. If you are unable to make one of our services, please contact either of the churchwardens to arrange an alternative time. Any information that you may have on any of the servicemen on our memorials would be appreciated, to build up our knowledge of that person, as well as contributing to our overview of the Trent Vale and wider community over the war years.

Grateful thanks are extended to Steve Stutcinskas and members of the North Staffs Family History Group and Stoke-on-Trent City Archives for all the time and effort spent in ensuring the success of our WW1 Commemoration.

Remembrance Day 08 November 2020

Remembrance Day 2020 was celebrated under difficult circumstances dictated by the current Covid-19 lockdown regulations. Although churches were permitted to remain open for private prayer, no services were permitted.

The importance of Remembrance Day to the nation is overwhelming and it was felt that the Fallen should be remembered, despite the circumstances.

A symbolic display was created and church-goers were able to view an on-screen presentation which included videos of the 2014 Tower of London ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ Poppy display filling the moat; Middleport Potteries 2018 ‘Poppies: Weeping Window’ display; poems by noted World War I poets and quotes by World War II Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.

The Last Post was accompanied by the laying of a wreath on the altar by Harold Gregory. During the two-minute silence, the video of the St John’s World War I and World War II Roll of Honour was displayed on-screen.

CHURCH and COMMUNITY – The DIX Family

Lt. G S Dix was one of the early casualties of the Great War and died of his wounds on 06 May 1915 and was buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery Nord, north-west of Armentières in France. He is commemorated with a plaque erected by the family on the North wall in Saint John the Evangelist Church in Trent Vale in his honour.

The Dix family had a long connection with Stoke-on-Trent. Lt. Dix’s father, Harry Stuart Dix (1861 – 1918) of Trent Vale House on the Newcastle Road, was a longstanding member of the congregation of St. John’s.

Harry was born in Shelton and around 1851 to 1854, his father Alexander Mills Dix purchased the Shelton Brewery on Broad Street / Sun Street in Shelton. On his father’s death, Harry and his 2 brothers took over the family business and developed it into one of the most up-to-date and largest breweries in North Staffordshire.  

In 1900, the Dix’s occupied Shelton Hall (built 1782) in Cemetery Road, Shelton which was later demolished in 1959. Harry was very active in the community as a member of the Stoke Philharmonic Society, elected to the Hanley Council in 1857, elected Chairman of the general committee of the Hanley Red Cross and was a Freemason.

Shelton Hall from Cliffe Vale: Potteries Museum and Art Gallery

Harry and family moved to Trent Vale House sometime between the 1911 census and 1915, as reflected on the electoral register, but the exact date is unknown. Parts of Trentham Estate were put up for auction sale on Tuesday 14th October 1919, Trent Vale House included. The property was substantial as is described on the Sentinel sale advertisement of 23 June 1939. Trent Vale House was demolished in the 1950’s or 1960’s and the site lies on the A34 opposite the Michelin Training and Information Centre, between Summerfield Road and Greenwood Avenue and includes all properties in Stonewood Close.

We are endeavouring to bring to light the various members of past congregations as we build up a picture of life in the community leading up to and after the Great War.

Any knowledge you may have regarding the late Harry Stuart Dix or other family members would be very much appreciated.

Should you be able to offer any information on the Dix family, please contact Richard on 075 0298 1171.

Thomas Shenton 1852 - 1918

Thomas Shenton, a resident of Oakhill, was a longstanding member of the congregation of St. John the Evangelist in Trent Vale.

We are endeavouring to bring to light the various members of past congregations as we build up a picture of life in the community leading up to and after the Great War.

Any knowledge you may have regarding the late Thomas Shenton or other family members would be very much appreciated.

The last known local relative, grandson Reginald Victor Shenton, lived in Neville Street, Oakhill until his passing in 1969.

Should you be able to offer any information on the family, please contact Richard on 0750 298 1171.

Waterways Chaplaincy

The Potteries and the canals go hand in hand. Canals and other waterways provided the network to carry raw material to the various potteries and finished products to market. Canal use diminished with the advent of rail transport which was faster and cheaper and many canals fell into disuse, became derelict and in some cases filled in.

With society changing, attitudes towards canals evolved and soon ‘new’ uses were found. Leisure activities grew and a new ‘community’ living onboard canal boats developed. As with all communities, challenges arose and this is where the Waterways Chaplaincy come in. 

The goal of the Waterways Chaplaincy is to provide companionship and a listening ear to all those who use the waterways; be they boaters, anglers, walkers, cyclists - anyone who needs a friendly face in this unique ‘community’, in good times and bad.

The canals had a Christian presence probably up until 1964, apart from individual Christians of course. But in 2009, the Waterways Chaplaincy started to take shape during a pilot scheme by the Salvation Army in response to a report on poverty in the UK, finding there was particular poverty with the communities around the canals.  Now, in 2020, the Chaplaincy works in conjunction with Workplace Matters and the Church Army alongside other interested bodies. There are approximately 100 Chaplains serving the canal and river network. But with 2,000 miles of waterways, more are needed.

“Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

A boater’s tale……

‘Life was great on the boat. We were out of the rat race. Then my husband lost his job just before winter set in. We also had a new born child and problems with our heating. We were too far from Citizen’s Advice and had no money to pay for transport or fuel to heat the boat. We felt lost and alone, and our problems were compounding. We needed help. We were so grateful for the day the Waterways Chaplain popped a card under our door. The Chaplain assisted with our immediate problems and stayed in touch with us until we were back on our feet.’

You don’t have to own a boat to be a Waterways Chaplain or be ordained; just be willing to be Jesus’ hands and feet to your neighbours along the canals. If you are interested in learning more about the Waterways Chaplaincy or volunteering, please contact Babs on www.waterwayschaplaincy.org.uk/contact-us/