• Row of young mature Leylandii - Request to reduce by approximately 1/3 to form a more maintainable hedgerow. 2x Sycamore - Request to prune back by 1m on low frontside of crown only to keep birds from messing on parked cars.

  Watling Court Hadrian Way Cuddington Northwich CW8 2JT

  Ref. No: 26/01349/TPO | Received: Mon 04 May 2026 | Validated: Mon 04 May 2026 | Status: Approved

• First floor side extension, single storey side and rear extensions.

  5 Moorlands Avenue Cuddington Northwich CW8 2LU

  Ref. No: 26/01227/FUL | Received: Tue 21 Apr 2026 | Validated: Thu 07 May 2026 | Status: Approved

• Single storey front extension and 2 No. single storey side extensions

  5 The Coppice Cuddington Northwich CW8 2XF

  Ref. No: 26/01411/FUL | Received: Mon 11 May 2026 | Validated: Mon 11 May 2026 | Status: Approved

• Single storey rear extension

  558 Chester Road Cuddington Northwich CW8 2DP

  Ref. No: 26/01384/FUL | Received: Thu 07 May 2026 | Validated: Thu 07 May 2026 | Status: Approved

• Single storey front porch extension, replacement surface to existing drive, together with widening to form additional parking space.

  511 Chester Road Cuddington Northwich CW8 2DR

  Ref. No: 26/01333/FUL | Received: Fri 01 May 2026 | Validated: Tue 12 May 2026 | Status: Approved

• Single storey side extension

  23 Threeways Cuddington Northwich CW8 2XJ

  Ref. No: 26/01484/FUL | Received: Fri 15 May 2026 | Validated: Fri 15 May 2026 | Status: Approved

• 2x Silver Birch (37 and 38) - Crown reduction 30% due to excessive shading 

  33 Hadrian Way Cuddington Northwich CW8 2JR

  Ref. No: 26/01562/TPO | Received: Thu 21 May 2026 | Validated: Thu 21 May 2026 | Status: Approved

• Installation of telecommuncation pole/s Ref: SDL_V27038

  Grass Verge Outside Delamere Manor Cottage CW8 2TE, Grass Verge Outside Delamere Manor Stables Cuddington Lane CW8 2TE

  Ref. No: 26/01644/DSM | Received: Mon 18 May 2026 | Validated: Mon 18 May 2026 | Status: Decided

• Installation of telecommunication pole/s Ref SDL_V27026

  Grass Verge Opp Bryn Bank House Smithy Lane Gorstage Northwich CW8 2SL

  Ref. No: 26/01647/DSM | Received: Mon 18 May 2026 | Validated: Mon 18 May 2026 | Status: Decided

• Installation of telecommunication pole/s Ref: SDL_V27026

  On Grass Verge From Outside Gorstage Bank Weaverham Road CW8 2SQ

  Ref. No: 26/01648/DSM | Received: Mon 18 May 2026 | Validated: Mon 18 May 2026 | Status: Decided

• Single storey rear extension 

  3 Moss Lane Cuddington Northwich CW8 2QF

  Ref. No: 26/01593/HHE | Received: Mon 25 May 2026 | Validated: Mon 25 May 2026 | Status: Prior Approval not required

The spring sunshine awakened a lovely display of spring flowers around the village this year. Did you know that a team of 23 volunteers, guided by Mary Cowen, make sure that the village’s 16 planters are full of bright and beautiful flowering plants all year round? The group have also been planting cheerful daffodils in the grass beneath road signs and snowdrops and English bluebells in shaded, grassy areas to provide nectar for the pollinators that begin to emerge in the springtime.

It’s not only cheerful spring bulbs that have been planted. Colourful displays of nectar-rich wild flowers have been planted outside Sandiway Library, on Norley Road near the bowling green and on Cartledge Close. If you would like to become part of the village planter team you can contact Mary at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Wild flowers, including English bluebells have also been planted on the holly bank along the western boundary of the church grounds by the Church Family Wildlife Gardening Group. The group has also made a pollinator zone in the church garden, full of plants that provide nectar for flying insects and have planted wild flowers in the ‘No Mow zone’ at the back of the church to encourage pollinating insects to visit throughout the summer. If you would like to join this group, contact Bev at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Sandiway and Cuddington Wildlife Gardening group has also been planting wild flowers and native tree species around the village, as well as carrying out butterfly surveys at the sand quarry and are working to clear some of the non-native species that have invaded the woodland on Cartledge Moss. Contact Nicki on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like to find out more about this group.

As we enjoy the lovely displays of colourful flowers that have been created around the village, the flying insects that visit them are enjoying a rich feast of nectar. The planted areas are also helping to produce wildlife corridors for these insects and other wildlife species, where they can move around the village and its surroundings to find mates, food and shelter. Now that’s blooming marvelous!

The 2026 Citizenship awards will be presented at the village gala to someone who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the Cuddington & Sandiway community in some way.  If you know someone you think would be a worthy recipient of this 'Citizen of the Year' award for 2026, please nominate them.

This could be either a Junior for the under 18 award (PRESS HERE for the form) or an adult for the Senior award (PRESS HERE for the form).

Once completed, please deliver the form to the library in a sealed envelope, or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., by Saturday May 23rd.

The two old, photographic postcards below show Empire Day at St John the Evangelist’s, Sandiway, in the early 1900s.  The top image depicts the Cheshire Police lined up outside the church, and the one below, the assembled throng watching the raising of the flag, the main event of the day.

Each Empire Day, millions from across the length and breadth of the British Empire would salute the Union Flag and sing patriotic songs.  They would hear inspirational speeches and listen to tales of daring, including those of such heroes as Clive of India, Wolfe of Québec, and ‘Chinese Gordon’ of Khartoum.  But the real highlight of the day for the children was being let off school early to take part in the thousands of marches, maypole dances, concerts and parties that celebrated the event.

It was not until Queen Victoria died, on 22 January 1901, that Empire Day was first celebrated.  This took place on 24 May 1902, the Queen’s birthday.  Although not officially recognised as an annual event until 1916, many schools were celebrating it before then.

At the close of the service, a procession was formed to a platform erected on the side of the tower, where Mrs Kate Burder, of Sandiway Lodge, raised the flag; the choir, conducted by Harry Orme, choirmaster and organist at St John’s for 60 years, sang the hymn, O God, our Help in Ages Past, followed by the National Anthem.

Thanks go to Jill King for permission to post.

Footnote: Empire Day was a celebration of the British Empire held annually on May 24, the birthday of Queen Victoria, from 1902 until 1958.  The holiday was first celebrated in Canada in 1899 before spreading to Britain, Australia, and other parts of the empire, with official recognition as an annual event in the UK occurring in 1916.  Celebrations involved school children receiving half-holidays to learn about the empire, raising the Union Jack, singing patriotic songs like "Rule Britannia" and "God Save the Queen," and participating in parades where boys often wore military uniforms.  By the 1950s, as the British Empire declined and colonies gained independence, interest in the event waned.
In 1958, Empire Day was rebranded as Commonwealth Day, which is still celebrated today on the second Monday of March across more than 50 countries to honor the partnership and shared history of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Held: 17 April, Church Hall, Sandiway

A well attended village meeting was held, chaired by Cllr Gillian Edwards, to update residents on two major planning applications affecting the area and to explain the planning process and next steps.

Planning Process Overview

Cllr Edwards explained that she had formally 'called in' the planning application, meaning it will be determined by the Planning Committee, made up of cross-party elected members, rather than by officers under delegated powers.  Local councillors, parish council representatives, and residents will all have the opportunity to speak at committee.

Gillian highlighted that committee members receive detailed officer reports and that decisions usually follow officer recommendations.  For this reason, it is critical that concerns are clearly communicated to the lead planning officer to influence those recommendations where possible.

Local Plan and Housing Targets

The meeting included an update on the Local Plan review, noting that government-set housing targets have increased significantly (to around 1,928 homes per year in Cheshire West).  Consultation responses from residents are currently being reviewed, with outcomes expected in the Summer, followed by further consultation through to 2027.  Areas identified as potential development zones (“blobs”) are more likely to be supported by officers if applications fall within them.

Planning Policy Constraints

Gillian referred to a recent planning decision in Moulton to illustrate how the new “tilted balance” policy is now in effect due to under delivery of housing.  Under this system, applications are difficult to refuse unless clear harm can be demonstrated – particularly relating to heritage, ecology, biodiversity, safety, or highways impacts.

Review of the Applications

Residents were informed that there are over 1,500 documents associated with the current applications on the council portal.  The steering group, including the A556 Action Group, was commended for the substantial work undertaken to review and summarise these materials.

Updates were also given on specific assets, including Sandiway Lodge and the Victorian walled gardens, noting that while Sandiway Lodge is valued locally, it is not formally protected, and conservation officers have so far assessed the impact on the gardens as neutral.

Next Steps and Community Involvement

Although the public consultation deadline for one application (25/02017/FUL) had passed, it has now been extended to 6 May, and the Chief Planning Officer has agreed to accept a final submission from the group (or indeed other local residents) highlighting key planning concerns that may affect the application under the tilted balance test.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to regular open meetings for the wider village, ensuring ongoing updates as the planning process progresses.

Press on the Poster below to learn more...

Join the Dream Big Art Club at Sandiway Library?

Want to get creative and make new friends?  Come along to the Dream Big Art Club at Sandiway Library.  It is for young people aged 11 to 16, and it takes place from 3.45pm to 4.45pm on the following Mondays in April, May, June & July:

• 20 April, 27 April
• 11 May, 18 May
• 1 June, 15 June, 29 June, and
• 13 July 2026.

It’s free of charge to join the club, and there are free refreshments available.
To book your place, please call the library on 01606-271767 or book via this link: Dream Big Art Club

Mind and Motion

Tuesdays, 4pm to 5pm at Sandiway Library
Enjoy this friendly chair-based exercise session, followed by free refreshments and a chat. The first Tuesday of each month involves fun, social games to exercise your brain.
Places are limited. Call 01606 271767 or visit us at Mere Lane, CW8 2NS for more info.

Free family fun at Sandiway Library

Looking for family-friendly activities over the school holidays?  Join us for these free drop-in activities.  You can also enjoy free books, colouring, refreshments and Wi-Fi every day as a member.

·         Saturday 4 April: Construction Club 10am-12pm; Craft 11am-12pm

·         Tuesday 7 April: Rhyme Time & Stay-and-play 10.30-11.30am

·         Thursday 9 April Craft 2.30-3.30pm

·         Friday 10 April: Puzzles and games all day; Baby Bounce 10.30-11am

·         Saturday 11 April: Construction club 10am-12pm

·         Monday 13 April: Craft 11am-12pm

·         Tuesday 14 April: Rhyme Time & Stay-and-play 10.30-11.30am

·         Thursday 16 April: Craft 2.30-3.30pm

·         Friday 17 April: Puzzles and games all day; Baby Bounce 10.30-11am

·         Saturday 18 April: Construction club 10am-12pm

Join Cantonese story time at Sandiway Library

Sandiway Library is hosting Cantonese storytelling sessions for children and their families. Stories will be in Cantonese and everyone is welcome. There will also be themed crafts after the stories.
The sessions take place from 11am – 12.15pm once a month.  The next session is on Saturday 25 April 2026.  It is free-of-charge, and there is no need to book in advance, just come along on the day.

For more details on any of these activities, please call 01606 271767, email sandiway.library@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk or visit us at Sandiway Library, Mere Lane, CW8 2NS

Our local Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team covers the Weaver and Cuddington Community Area which also includes Acton Bridge and Weaverham as well as Sandiway, Cuddington & Delamere Park.  Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Simon Donnelly and Constable Will Seabuhr are working in our Community Area.  PRESS HERE to see an overview of this Community Area on the Cheshire Constabulary website.

So, Simon Donnelly is our new PCSO for the Weaver and Cuddington area, whilst still covering Hartford & Greenbank.  He believes that communication is key to a happy community whether that’s over the telephone, social media or emails.  Please feel free to have your say and email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you feel there is something which you feel he needs to address.

Simon and/or Will will be holding further PCSO 'surgeries' each month - dates as follows:

SANDIWAY LIBRARY, Mere Lane, Cuddington, Northwich, CW8 2NS

• Tuesday 14 April 2026 6-7pm

***

THE LIGHTHOUSE, ST MARY’S CHURCH HALL, CHURCH LANE, WEAVERHAM CW83NJ

• Thursday 23 April 2026 4-5pm

Our local Police encourage you to register any concern(s) on the following link: www.cheshire.police.uk/residentsvoicenorthwich.

For general police enquiries, please visit www.cheshire.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us/

To report a crime please ring 101 or in case of an emergency ring 999.

For daily updates regarding whats going on in our ward please follow your local community policing on Facebook/Twitter
    Northwich Police Facebook
    @weaverCudPol - Twitter

PRESS HERE for the new timetable which came into effect in December.

Our line is not affected by big outages over Easter and the following is just the usual 6-weekly replacement buses for the last two trains of the day (the 2210 from Piccadilly is no longer affected).

Monday 6 to Thursday 9 April:
The 2253 Chester to Manchester (normally due Cuddington 2315) will be a bus calling at Cuddington at 2342.
The 2313 from Manchester (normally due Cuddington 0020) will be a bus Calling at Cuddington at 0108.

Music Train

The Music Train to Plumley (Golden Pheasant) is back on the Mid Cheshire Line on Thursday 23rd April
PRESS HERE to learn more.

Strikes:
Northern Rail can keep you updated with any news of potential future strikes, if announced - press on www.northernrailway.co.uk/travel/strikes for the latest information.

Always check before you travel, alterations can happen at short notice: www.northernrailway.co.uk, or 0800 200 6060.

A new Bike Repair Station has been installed outside the Village Hall on Norley Road - a timely reminder that the annual Cheshire Cat Cycle event will be using the Village Hall and car park as a rest halt and feeding station on Sunday 29 March this week.  (Please remember that the Car Park will be closed all day on Sunday)

The Blue Cap, the Chef & Brewer pub, is open again following a six-figure investment.  Originally dating back to 1716, the historic pub on Chester Road has undergone a top-to-bottom renovation and is officially welcoming customers back through its doors from Friday, 20 March to experience the pub’s improved look and feel.

The works have carefully preserved the Blue Cap’s unique character, ensuring customers enjoy a traditional pub experience alongside plenty of modern-day comforts. The Blue Cap’s interior has received significant investment with vibrant décor, comfortable furniture and new flooring introduced throughout the venue to elevate guest experiences and provide a warm and welcoming environment for friends, families and their furry friends. The pub’s private function rooms have also been refurbished, offering smart bookable areas for groups to celebrate their special occasions in style.

Outside, the Blue Cap’s exterior has been spruced up to enhance the pub’s kerbside appeal, while the garden has been improved with upgraded outdoor furniture, expanded seating and new fencing and lighting to create the perfect space for loved ones to come together and enjoy an alfresco meal or drink throughout the year.

PRESS HERE for the full Press Release from Chef & Brewer.

There are currently 12 planters around the village and a group of volunteers (23 members today) have been made responsible for the upkeep of these planters by the Parish Council.

Individuals or small groups maintain each planter with a small budget, per planter, provided from Parish Council funds.

If you are interested in helping this group, please contact the coordinator Mary Cowan on 07583-126727.

Please note that the Percussion recital on Monday 6 April has been postponed until later in the Summer.

"Your Bus" is the new name for a borough wide ‘Dial a Ride’ minibus service starting on 1 April 2026 operated by Changing Lives Together (CLT). The new service will replace the current Dial a Ride services.

The community minibus service is available to residents who are over 80, or are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (mobility component) or the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Attendance Allowance or have a health reason why they cannot access public transport. The service is also available for residents where there is no public transport provision in their area.

PRESS HERE to learn more from the Council.

From 1 April 2026, people living with a terminal illness in Cheshire West and Chester will no longer have to pay council tax after the Council agreed to introduce a local exemption to help ease financial pressures for residents and their families.

The move supports the Marie Curie ‘Dying in Poverty’ campaign, which calls for councils across England to provide additional financial support for people approaching the end of life.

The exemption will be delivered through the Council’s Council Tax Discretionary Discounts Policy, meaning a household can receive a council tax exemption for up to 12 months where someone living there has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and issued with an SR1 form confirming they have less than 12 months to live.  The exemption will begin when the SR1 form is provided to the Council and will continue for two months after the date of death.

PRESS HERE to view the full update from the Council.

As you may know, the Village Youth Club at the Playing Fields on Norley Road opens its door every week from 7.00pm to 9.00pm for anyone between the ages of 11 and 17.  It has been getting more and more popular and now regularly over 50 young people are attending each week.

More volunteers are really needed to help organise activities and so if you have an hour to spare on Friday evenings please call Steve Chivers on 07775-733333.

The Youth Club now have a weekly award which is given out to the best young person, or volunteer, of the evening in memory of Keith Simpson who was the first safeguarding officer at the club and helped Steve restart the Youth Club.  The news of the Youth Club is obviously spreading as our local MP, Aphra Brandreth, visited earlier this month and presented the weekly award.  The visit was certainly well received by all those present.

Footnote: The Youth Club will be closed on Good Friday (3rd April) and open again the following week.

John Douglas - Part 2

Following on from last month’s John Douglas Part 1 - so much family grief was bound to have an impact on our architect.  It appears that his answer was to throw himself into his career.  An obituary in the Chester Chronicle stated, “John Douglas lived heart and soul in his profession”.

However, his sister Elizabeth, provided him with five nieces and according to one of them, in the 1980s, although his work was all consuming Douglas always made time for children.  His buildings often bear this out.  Their fairy tale turrets, twisty barley sugar chimneys, terracotta features and patterned brickwork are appealing to youngsters.  Similarly in St John’s interior: the many angels, the portable lectern with its exquisitely carved nativity scene; the pulpit with Jesus holding a lamb; the baptistry with its Della Robbia Plaque depicting Jesus welcoming children; the sanctuary with the newly uncovered sea shell marble tiles and even a little dog in the porch window - so much to delight a child.

John Douglas’ love of children and gentle nature were indicated at the laying of St John’s foundation stone by the Earl of Mansfield in 1902.  John Douglas expressed the hope that the religious communities who had already built two places of worship in Sandiway would not feel his new church in any way prejudicial to their interests.  He hoped the Bishop would grant them the right to bury their dead in the new churchyard he planned (it never came to fruition).  Nothing grieved him more, he went on, than religious dissention.  The Earl stressed Douglas’ kindness which he said would be long remembered particularly by the children who would speak of it when they were adults.  Below is both a short and a longer walk around the village which takes in the twelve houses John Douglas is responsible for in the vicinity.

Thanks go to Jill King for contribution & permission to post and to Mike Flory for the Trail Map

Just before Christmas, both Redrow and Barratt/David Jones Homes submitted revisions to their applications to build on fields next to the A556.  The Residents’ Action Group achieved a small extension to the very short objection deadlines, plus an assurance that previously submitted objections would remain valid.  These planning applications are still being opposed by residents, the Parish Council and Councillor Gillian Edwards, and have NOT been approved!

The main revisions were:

25/02017/FUL (field opposite Blue Cap) -

• Site entrance moved from opposite the Blue Cap to the corner adjacent to Pool Lane with a 3-arm junction and Keep Clear markings for Blue Cap and Pool Lane
• Inclusion of allotments on the Cockpit Lane side
• Change from 112 to 115 dwellings with fewer 1 & 2-bed dwellings and more 3-bed
• Moving the play space next to Pool Lane
• More prominent houses in visible places including a ‘statement’ affordable housing block near the corner of Cockpit Lane and Chester Road
• Payment into a central healthcare fund of £175k to acknowledge Public Health’s assessment that there is “under provision for the village currently and that no more residents can be absorbed into local GP services”.
  
  

25/02111/FUL (fields either side of Dalefords Lane) -

• Change to proposed house types
• Inclusion of allotments on the Cockpit Lane side of the field between Dalefords Lane & Cockpit Lane
• Unsupported promises that wildlife, the Petty Pool Site of Special Scientific Interest and TPO trees would not be affected and there will eventually be a biodiversity net gain.  Natural England have expressed concerns
• Payment into a central healthcare fund of £180k to acknowledge Public Health’s assessment that there is “under provision for the village currently and that no more residents can be absorbed into local GP services”.
  
  

Full details, including objections, can be found by pressing on the Planning References above.

We continue to oppose these applications due to poor location, local road safety, protection of agricultural land and biodiversity for future generations, additional strain on local resources and the protection of the CWAC Local Plan and the Sandiway & Cuddington Neighbourhood Plan.

Get involved in the residents’ group by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

2026 Gala Day will be held on Saturday 6 June

Should you wish to advertise in the Gala Day program (which is delivered to all the households in the Parish):

If you’re interested in volunteering any Friday at the Ark, please come along on Friday 27th February, 10-11:30, to find out what’s involved.  Coffee & cake will obviously be served!

Wishing all our customers and volunteers a very peaceful season and please come back to us when we reopen at 8:45am on March 6th.

You will find that your Garden Waste (Green Bin) - if you have one - collections have now been completed for 2025.  They will restart after 9 March should you choose to pay the extra Council Tax for their collection.  PRESS HERE for the council's latest news on garden waste collection.

"Garden waste collection is an opt-in chargeable service costing £55 per bin per calendar year (an increase of £2.50 on last year) regardless of when you subscribe during the year.  This charge is not included or added to your council tax bill.  Residents have a choice to use the service or make alternative arrangements such as composting at home or taking their waste to the nearest recycling centre.

If you are in receipt of full council tax reduction at the point of applying for your annual permit, you are entitled to a £10 reduction on the cost of one garden waste bin permit.

The service will provide fortnightly collections over 40 weeks of the year.  Garden waste bins will not be emptied without a valid subscription and displayed permit.  Collections in 2026 will take place between Monday 9 March 2026 and Friday 11 December 2026."

"We are a small band comprising keyboard, ukuleles and vocalist, playing mainly 1950’s/60’s70’s music.  We meet weekly (Fridays 4 – 6pm) at Cuddington Village Hall for social and practice purposes and also enjoy performing at local care homes and other venues.  (We did 19 gigs last year and keep getting asked back – so we must be doing something right).  Unfortunately our bass guitarist had to leave the band at the year end due to illness in the family and we are therefore looking for a replacement.

If you would like to discuss joining us or require any further information, please call 07880-710752.  Thank you."

John Douglas - Part 1

There is just one Blue Plaque in Sandiway and Cuddington and it is attached to the gatepost at the entrance to Park Cottage, now 'Littlefold' near the Round Tower.  It was the birthplace and childhood home of John Douglas, an eminent Victorian architect.  Douglas drew up the plans and oversaw the building or restoration of over 500 churches and other buildings.  His most famous is the Eastgate Clock in Chester but it was St John’s on which he lavished more attention and money than any other; for Sandiway was the village of his birth and his affection for the place resulted in a “John Douglas masterpiece”.

Douglas was born at Park Cottage, Sandiway, on 11 April 1830 and baptised on 16 May 1830 at St Mary's Church, Weaverham.  He went to Crosbie House Academy, an all-boys boarding school in the centre of Frodsham with 50 pupils ranging from 7 to 15.  After his education he was articled to the Lancaster architect EG Paley.  He quickly rose to be Paley’s chief assistant, a sure sign he was a talented young man as the Paley firm was highly prestigious.

John Douglas was the second of four children, and the only son, of John and Mary Douglas.  Douglas Sr was a builder and joiner and at the time of the 1851 census was employing 48 men.  It is likely that he passed on his skills to his son particularly as his building yard and workshop were attached to the family home.  However, John Douglas’ young life was dogged by sadness.  His sister Mary (b 1832) lived for less than two years and Emma (b 1834) died at 14.  His older sister, Elizabeth, was born in 1827.  She wed Richard Beckett from Hartford who was the contractor John Douglas used for the building of St John’s.

John Douglas’ own marriage took an even unhappier path.  At 29 he married Elizabeth Edmunds, a farmer’s daughter, from Bangor Is-coed.  She worked on Eastgate Street, Chester, as an assistant milliner.  In the 1850s Douglas had set up his own practice and home in the city at 6 Abbey Square.  Their five children were all born here: John Percy (1862) who died at 12; Colin Edmunds (1864); Mary Elizabeth (1866) who died of scarlet fever at two; Sholto Theodore (1867) and Jerome (1869) who lived only three days.  During this period Douglas also lost his older sister, Elizabeth, at 34 and his parents.  His son, Sholto, was an alcoholic so he pinned his hopes on Colin who trained as an architect but he died of consumption at 23.  The Douglas family moved to Great Broughton in the mid-1870s but his wife died of laryngitis only two years later.  John Douglas breathed his last at Walmoor Hill, Chester, on the morning of 23 May 1911 aged 81.  He was interred in Overleigh Old Cemetery, Chester where he rests with his wife and children.

Thanks go to Jill King for contribution & permission to post.

Join the Dream Big Art Club at Sandiway Library?

Want to get creative and make new friends?  Come along to the Dream Big Art Club at Sandiway Library.  It is for young people aged 11 to 16, and it takes place from 3.45pm to 4.45pm on the following Mondays in 2026:

• 9 and 23 February, and
• 9 and 23 March 2026.
  
  

It’s free of charge to join the club, and there are free refreshments available.
To book your place, please call the library on 01606-271767 or book via this link: Dream Big Art Club

New in 2026:

Mind and Motion

Tuesdays, 4pm to 5pm at Sandiway Library
Enjoy this friendly chair-based exercise session, followed by free refreshments and a chat. The first Tuesday of each month involves fun, social games to exercise your brain.
Places are limited. Call 01606 271767 or visit us at Mere Lane, CW8 2NS for more info.

Our local policing team covers the Weaver and Cuddington Community Area which also includes Acton Bridge and Weaverham as well as Sandiway and Cuddington.  Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Michelle Gillett and Constable Daniel Grimshaw are dedicated to this Community Area.  PRESS HERE to see an overview of this Community Area on the Cheshire Constabulary website.

So, Michelle Gillett is our PCSO for the Weaver and Cuddington area.  She believes that communication is key to a happy community whether that’s over the telephone, social media or emails.  Once a week she will send a report of her community engagement which has enabled her to reach out to many elderly/vulnerable persons that don’t access social media - these are displayed on this website under 'Police Matters' on the Home page.  Please feel free to have your say and call her (by phone, 07812 781 911, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you feel there is something which you feel she needs to address.

Michelle will be holding further PCSO 'surgeries' this month - dates as follows:

CUDDINGTON & SANDIWAY VILLAGE HALL, 93 NORLEY ROAD, CUDDINGTON  CW82LA

• Sun 15 February | 16:00–17:00 hours

• Tue 24 February | 13:00–14:00 hours

***

THE LIGHTHOUSE, ST MARY’S CHURCH HALL, CHURCH LANE, WEAVERHAM CW83NJ

• Thu 5 February | 13:00–14:00 hours

• Thu 19 February | 16:00–17:00 hours

Michelle encourages you to register your concern(s) on the following link: www.cheshire.police.uk/residentsvoicenorthwich.

For general police enquiries, please visit www.cheshire.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us/

To report a crime please ring 101 or in case of an emergency ring 999.

For daily updates regarding whats going on in our ward please follow your local community policing on Facebook/Twitter
    Northwich Police Facebook
    @weaverCudPol - Twitter

All welcome to email or ring me - my contact details below:

PCSO Michelle Gillett 20488
Weaver and Cuddington
07812 781 911

Cheshire Constabulary | Northwich Police Station | Chester Way | Northwich | CW9 5EP

Phone: 101 | Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Visit www.cheshire.police.uk | Follow @cheshirepolice on Twitter | Like Cheshire Police on Facebook

PRESS HERE for the new timetable which came into effect in December.

There will be major disruption during half term as no trains will be running between Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly.  On Monday to Saturday 14 to 21 February, rail tickets to stations beyond Altrincham will be valid on buses and trams in Manchester.

The result for Cuddington station is as follows:

Saturdays 14 and 21 February:
Reduced service: 2-hourly Chester - Altrincham only:
Cuddington departures to Chester: 08:16, 10:16, 12:16, 14:16, 16:16, 18:16, 20:17, 22:17, 00:26
                                To Altrincham: 0618, 0818, 1027, 1227, 1418, 1628, 1828, 2028, 2228.

Sundays 15 and 22 February:
Replacement buses from outside Norley Road shops:
To Chester: 1105 and 2-hourly until 2305
To Manchester: 0840 and 2-hourly until 2040.

Monday 16 to Friday 20 February:
Reduced service. 2-hourly Chester - Altrincham only, with extras morning and late afternoon:
To Chester at 0816. 0916, 1016, 1216, 1416, 1616, 1816, 1916, 2017, 2217, 0020
To Altrincham at 0618, 0653 (continues to Stockport), 0737, 0818, 1017, 1218, 1418, 1618, 1718, 1818, 2018, 2218.

Monday 23 to Thursday 26 February (mainly back to normal):
The 2253 Chester to Manchester (normally due Cuddington 2315) will be a bus calling at Cuddington at 2342. The 2313 from Manchester (normally due Cuddington 0020) will be a bus calling at Cuddington at 0108.

Strikes:
Northern Rail can keep you updated with any news of potential future strikes, if announced - press on www.northernrailway.co.uk/travel/strikes for the latest information.

Always check before you travel, alterations can happen at short notice: www.northernrailway.co.uk, or 0800 200 6060.

QC Auctions is delighted to announce it’s official opening in January 2026, based in the building previously occupied by "Pau Run and Ride".

The plan is to including fortnightly auctions, giving buyers and collectors regular opportunities to discover unique pieces:

• Viewing: Tuesday, 12pm – 6pm
• Auction: Wednesday, starting at 10am until finish
  
  

In addition, every third month they will hold a special Fine Art Auction, featuring selected works for collectors and art enthusiasts.

Please check their webpage regularly for further details and auction updates.