President’s Blog: 30th January 2022
Greetings!
We are fortunate to live in the historic, picturesque town of Nantwich, on the River Weaver. It was once a Roman settlement when salt from Nantwich was used by the Romans as a preservative and condiment. The salt was also used in cheese making and the tanning industry and so a town grew up around the dairy industries. A fire in December 1583 destroyed most of the town and Elizabeth I contributed funds to the rebuilding of the town and most of the tudor black and white buildings still stand today.
During the civil war Nantwich was a loyalist town and was besieged by Royalist forces several times. The final battle, The Battle of Nantwich on 26th January 1644, ended the war. Every year, to mark the anniversary, this battle is re-enacted by the Sealed Knot on ‘Holly Holy Day’ and the name is taken from the sprigs of holly that the townsfolk wore in their caps to commemorate the occasion.
Now, why am I telling all this?
Many times, over the years, Nantwich has had to reinvent itself and sometimes rebuild. The fire destroyed most or the town but it rose from the ashes. It did not go unscathed during the Civil War either. A few years ago the battle did not take place because the island in the middle of the river was covered in a very early crop of daffodils and it would have spoiled them! This year, the Battle of Nantwich did not take place due to the covid situation but there was general merriment in the town with pop-up plays by the church and by the pillories with Mummers dancing in the streets.
Over the last two years, times have been tough for everyone and generally things have almost come to a standstill. Now, I think, is the time we need to get going again, to start to put plans into action and to look to the future with enthusiasm – to rebuild our self confidence, to reinvent ourselves and to continue God’s work in the world! During the pandemic, the Executive committee have worked hard to keep things going and have made plans for the future, which you will soon be able to see coming to fruition, but we need your support and for everyone to ‘get going again’!
On Thursday, Michael and I walked into Nantwich along the River Weaver and there, underneath the trees surrounded by rotting apples were snowdrops – a sure sign that although things have not been good, there is hope and things will get better if we work at them and trust in God for the future.
Blessings
Ruth
