Opened by John & Terry Waite!
The
all new Bollington Discovery Centre at Clarence Mill was opened
for visitors on Saturday afternoon, 14th May 2005, by our special
guests, cousins John and Terry 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!
John& Terry 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
.
John and Terry 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 Canalside Community Radio 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.
