The all new Bollington Discovery Centre at
Clarence Mill was opened for visitors on Saturday afternoon, 14th May
2005, by our special guests, cousins Terry and John Waite.
A crowd of more than 200 guests stood in wonderful warm
spring sunshine and heard an introduction from Civic Society Chairman,
Tim Boddington, followed by very amusing but thoughtful speeches from
John and Terry. Terry then invited the youngest member of the audience
to join him in cutting the ribbon. This turned out to be young Sam
Hibbert who was most surprised to find himself the focus of so much
attention. Nevertheless he was impeccably behaved as he assisted Terry
and John in the cutting of the ribbon and declaring the Discovery Centre
open!
Terry & John arrived at Clarence Mill in style, driven
by Bob Vass in his immaculate 1930 Rolls Royce. Waiting for them was a
Guard of Honour provided by the Bollington Sea Cadets from Training
Ship Ardent at Adelphi Wharf. During the afternoon other cadets
demonstrated their canoeing skills in the canal in front of the mill.
Once the ribbon had been cut the invited guests were shown
around the Discovery Centre before going to the old Toads restaurant at
the end of the yard to enjoy a cup of tea and see further displays
provided by the Civic Society
and the Macclesfield
Canal Society
.
Terry and John spent the afternoon talking to guests who
included 85 year old Joyce Colley, nee Jackson, who was a friend of
Terry's mother and had pushed him around Bollington in his pram all
those years ago!
Later Terry went to see the house in Coronation Buildings
where his father, a local policeman, had lodged before his marriage, and
then to the house in Wellington Road where he was born. Occupied today
by Mathew and Carolyn Scott-Patrick, this was a particular thrill for
Terry, it being the first time he had seen the house of his birth since
his family left Bollington when he was an infant.
Meanwhile John paid a visit to our very own Canalside Community
Radio and was interviewed on the spot!
Terry also paid a visit to CCR on Sunday morning to be
interviewed by Nick Wright before going to St. Oswald's Church at
Bollington Cross for morning service where he read one of the lessons.
This was also a special experience for Terry as he had been baptised at
St. Oswald's back in 1939.
