Edward Hilditch
Talks available
1 Neston Colliery, the history of coal mining in Neston
It includes a tape recording of Cyril Oxton who was a miner at the Colliery
2 A History of Burton
A village which has something from most periods of history
3 A Tour around Victorian Neston
What Neston was like over 150 years ago.
4 Neston during the Second World War
Rationing, Home Guard and German aircraft overhead.
5 The history of Ness Gardens
How the Bulley family set up the gardens.
6 A history of Bees Ltd
A national company which started at Ness gardens.
7 Burton, landed estate, market gardens and garden centres
Why Burton had nurseries and garden centres and how Gordale developed to what it is today.
Talks on specific areas of Neston
These show how different roads in Neston have changed over the years.
Roads you know have buildings which are very interesting.
8 The Centre of Neston with its historic buildings
9 Chester Road, Hinderton Road and Neston’s Railway Stations
10 Centre of Neston along Burton Road to Ness
11 Along Parkgate Road to Parkgate
12 Lees Lane Little Neston, Pubs and farms
13 Leighton Road
Everyday life in Cheshire
14 My grandfather lived in mid Cheshire and kept a diary. He wrote something each day from 1896 until he died in 1963. The following talks contain extracts from the diary and pictures of some of the events mentioned. They give a fascinating account of daily life at the time. He lived in Elworth near Sandbach and worked for Fodens who made trucks. He worked on steam traction engines at first.
A 1890-1914 Early life, school, work and wedding
B 1914-1918 Home front during the First World War
C 1918-1930 Prosperity and recession
D 1930-1935 The effects of the Depression
E 1935-1939 Recovery and tensions before World War two
F 1939-1940 Son in France after Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain
G 1941-1942 Difficult times, defeats and shortages
H 1943-1945 D- day and the end of the war. VE and VJ days
Talks which have a less local content
15 Houses through the ages, a long view
16 The development of roads a long view
17 Castles and Fortifications
Talk on World War One.
18 The battle of Verdun
I lead guided local history walks around Burton, Neston, Little Neston, and the site of the Neston mines.
I am chairman of the Burton and Neston Local History Society.
My phone number is 0151-336-4510. My email address is elhilditch@aol.com . I am able to speak to societies which meet during the afternoon or evening.