Weather
July 1995
The Vicar – the Reverend F Williams – is having work done to the roof of the vicarage which must have been found to be leaking after the recent storms. He also has sand bags placed across the footpath in front of the property in an attempt to stop foul-water running into his garage.
The drain cover in the church drive has been taken off and rods inserted to try to clear a blockage there
Peddlers well, in Chamberlains Lane has been struck by lightning, causing damage to the chimney brickwork on the outside of the house and stripping the wallpaper from the inside. Also, in Chamberlains Lane, Neville and windy Ridge have had to replace their telephones because the lightning damaged the existing ones.

Buildings
A house, now demolished, once stood just within the field through which now runs the footpath from Lloyd House to Penn Common. This house – which is shown on a map of 1847 – was built on land formerly owned by the Shaw-Hellier family (of Wode House). It was the home of a gamekeeper for the estate in about the year 1940. He and his wife and their two children moved soon after this date to one of the cottages on Wodehouse Lane.
His job as gamekeeper was probably taken by Mr Fred Walker, who lived in the first of a row of cottages at the top of Chamberlains Lane.
After the war, in 1947, the house was occupied ny Mrs Miriam Butler who married a sailor. Before her marriage she lodged at 66 Sedgley Road, next to Lloyd Rogerts Building.

Church
20 July 1995
Today the vicar began to distribute his Raffle Tickets, with the first prize of a motor car. It is hoped that the venture will raise enough money to enable the proposed extension to the church to become reality. Not sure enough will be raised myself.

Foxes
29 July 1995
Many foxes have been seen in the area. Mainly in Braden Road, Vicarage Road; Penn Road, and Chamberlains Lane. Of course, these sightings might be of the same animal.
04 August 1995
The fox which may be seen in Braden Road has a distinctively marked back. it is unusually black. This fox is the one seen in Vicarage Road. It must live in the grounds of Penn Hall from where it is in easy reach of all areas previously mentioned. You can see its tracks where it has passed through hedges.
20 August 1995
The foxes can now be seen at almost any time of day lying in the summer sunshine in the field below Penn Hall.
The Administration Building in the cemetery is protected with infrared detectors which, when they “see” movement, will turn on flood lights. During the very early hours of the morning these lights will switch on. as the area is secure from humans, it must be concluded it is the wanderings of the foxes of badgers
22 August
Six foxes were sitting together in the field below Penn Hall. The owner of the field has small children who leave the toys they have been playing with outside overnight. from time to time the toys go missing but may be found again in the field close to where the foxes like to sit. One day she spotted a fox running from the garden with a “squeaky toy” in its mouth. The owner said that he seemed to like the noise it made.

Wild Flowers
23 August 1995
There used to be (in the ‘50s) large quantities of Birds’ Trefoil which everyone called Eggs and Bacon on account of its similarity in colour to the breakfast. There do not seem to be many now. In the fields on the east side of Chamberlains Lane where it grew in abundance some thirty years ago it has all but disappeared. I think this is because the land is not farmed as it was then. It is now mainly grassing for horses and is eaten along with everything else.

01 September
In the picnic area at Baggerridge Country Park, where the grass is kept short, the plant thrives. Also, at the first house at the top of Penn Common where the owner of the property has taken it upon himself to cut the common grass (no doubt with the intention of one day including it in his own garden), Trefoil can be found.

Ordnance Survey map Reference:
Vicarage SO 8946 9525
St Bart's Church SO 8950 9530
Peddlers Well SO 8926 9520
Neville SO 8925 9516
Windy Ridge SO 8925 9516
Penn Hall SO 8911 9540
Baggeridge Country park SO 8950 9300