This week's pictures from the past

We carried a picture of a Horsehay bowling team the other day, which prompted Clive Walford, of Tiddington, Stratford on Avon, to loan us this photo.

It is, he tells us, "Moreton Coppice Football Club, Wrekin Minor League, Div 2. Cup Winners, 1944-45" and he has given the team lineup: "Back row, left to right: Wallington, Rhodes, Roberts, Walford, Price, Smith. Front row, left to right: Davies, Lowe, L. Davies, Dorricott, Woolley."

Mr Walford, who left the area many years ago, does not say whether he or a relative is the Walford on the back row. "I played football at Wellington Town and captained the county amateur team for many years," he added.

Thanks to Dianne Starling for emailing us this photo showing a Shropshire junior county netball team from yesteryear.

She tells us: "I came across this old photo in my loft the other day and thought it may be of interest as we were all local girls. I am Dianne Hanson, as I was then, on the right of the picture and as far as I can remember from the left they are Kath, Sue, Zena, Jo, Ann, Aideen and me.

"This was taken during an inter-county tournament and although it is undated, is probably 1966 or 1967.

"I think the photo was taken at Harlescott Girls' School where they had quite a few outdoor netball courts. As for the surnames, from left it's Kathy Jones or Rowlands, don't know Sue's, Zena Payne, Jo (don't know) Ann Stevens, Aideen (don't know), and me, Dianne Hanson, as was. All the ones I remember came from Shrewsbury and all the ones I don't came from Wellington area."

Cast your eyes to the right of this picture of Rhydycroesau Church, near Oswestry, and you'll see that one of the graves has three wreaths on it. It is significant because it is mentioned in this postcard, which was franked in Rhydycroesau on July 18, 1921, and posted to "Miss Jones, Court House, Llansantffraid."

The message, signed simply "M", mentions "My hus's grave is on the right with three wreaths."

The writer "M", then was the widow of the person whose grave is under the wreaths. Is the grave still there? Can anybody tell us who she was?

This postcard was loaned to us by Mrs Doris Pickstock, of Oswestry.

Remembrance Day has been and gone, but the remembering continues, particularly for the bereaved, such as Ev Corfield of Whittington, who loaned us this poignant photo. Taken in June 1944, it shows the crew of a Lancaster bomber, ­ one of whom was her brother, George Challinor, of Pontesbury.

"My brother died on Remembrance Sunday, so long ago, and yet always near and dear," she says.

From left are: Johnny Jones, wireless operator; Bill Taylor, rear gunner; Jim McGinn, flight engineer; Steve Butler, bomb aimer; Phil 'Yogi' Simpson, navigator; George Challinor, mid upper gunner; and Alan Falconer, pilot.

"They crashed a mile from their airfield at Kirmington, Lincolnshire, coming back from a raid over Bochum in Germany. George was the only one of the crew who lost his life. It was Remembrance Sunday, 1944. He was 22 years old.

"They bought him home and he is buried in Pontesbury cemetery, just a few fields away from his beloved Pontesford Hill."

Too early to carry a snow picture? We'll have you know that last year we had snow as early as October.

This photo was used in the Shrewsbury Chronicle of Friday, January 25, 1963.

The caption explained: "Cups of tea to keep out the cold are given to these young volunteers from Shrewsbury School by thankful old age pensioners of Draper's Almshouses, St Mary's Street. A housemaster at the school, Mr Michael Hart, asked Mr T.R. Blythe, hon secretary of Salop Old People's Welfare Committee, if any old folk had asked for help in clearing snow from their homes.

"Soon afterwards three groups of five volunteers from the school, eager to show their thoughtfulness for the aged, were at work in various parts of the town.

"Mr Hart, supervising the group at Draper's Almshouses, said the boys had given up their free periods and games lessons to help the old people."

Fiddler's Elbow, at Blackhill, Clun, is seen here in a postcard franked in May 1937, although the view itself may be from rather earlier.

"This area was where the local farm wives and children picked whinberries in season to sell in order to aid family finances", Mrs Jan Cockerill, of Wellington, who loaned us this postcard, tells us.

"It was written by Jane Pugh, nee Morris, who still owned Pen-y-wern Farm, Clun, asking her daughter Violet to bring 1lb butter up from Sheinwood Manor Farm, Sheinton (their other farm) to Clun," she said.

It was addressed to Miss Violet Pugh, Shinewood (an alternative spelling for Sheinwood?) Manor, Harley, Much Wenlock.

Jane Pugh was Mrs Cockerill¹s grandmother.

This photo loaned by Mr Raymond Evans of Pontesbury shows his late father, Mr Jack Evans, on the weighbridge at the Squilver quarry near Bishop's Castle, and is thought to date from the early 1930s. Jack Evans is standing on the right ­ the person behind the lorry is unidentified.

"He started his haulage business at Pontesford, Pontesbury, and in 1933 he moved to the heart of Pontesbury into the Old Rectory. The weighbridge shown in the photo still stands today," said Mr Evans.