Pictures from the past

Many older Ketley folk will remember the railway crossing across the main road. Well, here it is, 40 years ago, disappearing forever.

The original caption to this picture from our files dating from March 1969 read: "Work on removing the old Ketley railway crossing should be finished tomorrow evening.

"From early today, traffic has been diverted away from the crossing through Haybridge and Hadley. Police said the diversion is operating reasonably smoothly. There have been a few minor hold-ups but they have been quickly cleared.

"The diversion adds about a mile to the journey between the Buck's Head, Wellington, and the Seven Stars, Ketley."

It's not uncommon in Pictures From The Past for one old picture to lead to another coming to light, and such has been the case with a photo of the More Arms, Shelve, which we used the other day.

Afterwards Clare Davies e-mailed in to say: "I have a picture of a property which I am told is the More Arms previously and looks identical to it – and has Temperance Hotel written on the wall. Can anyone help as I am told my ancestors used to run it?"

Clare attached a couple of pictures which, from comparison with others, are identifiably the More Arms, but from the fashions date from about the 1920s.

Is there anybody who can identify these people?

Eyes left! A Home Guard parade draws a crowd in Shrewsbury High Street during the war. This photo was loaned by Graham Emberton of Bayston Hill, and features his father, Reg Emberton. Reg is, as you look at the picture, in the right hand file in the block of soldiers, second from the front.

Graham says: "I know the names of two of them at the front. To the right of the man who is saluting, the tall man was, I think, Keith North. Then to the right of him, in front of my father, I think his surname was Ebury. And then, not immediately behind my father but one beyond, I think that was Alan Daborn."

Reg Emberton went on to found Walker Emberton & Co, a household, textiles and soft furnishings store in Princess Street. "He worked at what was Della Porta's, which is now Rackhams, and then set up on his own with another chappie called Walker in 1946," said Graham. The store closed in 2006.

Here's one you can help us with. This is a print in our files, but it has no details on it at all. All we know is that it was in our "Ketley" packet, so presumably was taken in Ketley, and has the stamp of the Wellington Journal and Shrewsbury News on the back, so it must date from before the mid-1960s.

It looks to be a ceremonial opening of some sort. Can you identify the event – or the people?

The Plough Inn on the Wenlock Edge is seen here in a picture from our files which carries the date stamp May 28, 1959, which means of course that it's 50 years old.

Most folk these days will know the pub better as the Wenlock Edge Inn – it changed its name a few years ago.

There is another, different, pub called the Plough a few miles further down the road though.

You are now expecting us to tell you who the lady on the picture is.

We'd like to tell you. But we don't know.