This is a digest of the Norton in Hales village school diary which starts on September 1, 1939 and runs to April 1943. Many of the entries are quite mundane and it would have been rather boring to reproduce it all. Events caused by the war and points to illustrate how life has changed since those days have been included. Thanks go to Edward Gill for providing the source document. 1939 Evacuees. 55 evacuated children from Shakespeare Street municipal infant school in Manchest

A poem was recently discovered in the village that was written by Rev HM Townsend. Here are some words from Edward Gill describing his memories of him in the form of a correspondence with Ron Lucas, along with images of the poem. "I remember the Rev.Townsend well, in fact I have a photo of him with his dog; I shall look it out and send it to you. Rev.Townsend came to Norton in Hales for a few weeks rest from the bombing and shelling of Ramsgate in 1940 and our Rector, Rev

About three years ago I put together a small book entitled ‘Portrait of A Village’ based on the Norton in Hales Women’s Institute Scrapbook. As I went through the Scrapbook I was surprised at how many times the name of Mary Keay was mentioned in connection with a multiplicity of village activities.. Mary was herself an institution associated with village undertakings as diverse as rebuilding the Village Hall and member of the village cricket team. I was sure she would live to

#history #manorfarm

Submitted by Mrs Pat Rutter is a record of farms around Norton and of those who lived in Norton in 1949. Farms around Norton in Hales #history #farms

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The following links are recordings from various people relating to the history of the village. Mrs Bourne at 103 Years of age - A recording made by Edward Gill in 1984, when he took Mrs Bourne out in his car from Market Drayton to visit Betton and Norton in Hales. This has been compiled from a cassette recording. Mrs Bourne at 102 Years of age - A recording made by Edward Gill in 1983 whilst taking Mrs Bourne round the parish of Norton in Hales. BBC Local Radio Recording - Ab

The late Bill Taverner kindly provided a number of historical photos. #history

This interesting schedule is for a Horticultural Show put on by Norton in Hales WI at Brand Hall in 1925 and proves that Norton had a branch of the Women’s Institute only 10 years after the movement was first founded. The schedule was a single sheet of paper, printed on both sides and folded in three. Schedule facing sheet. The actual schedule. Entry form. List of special prizes. Rules. The prizes seem quite generous at a time when agricultural wages were only about 35s (

A historical photograph that appeared in The Shropshire Star #history