OT many communities can claim to have had the shape of their village changed over recent years but this is just what has happened to Barnton, near Northwich. The old village grew up beside not only the Trent and Mersey Canal but the River Weaver as well. That was towards the end of the 19th century. And it was a busy place with many shops. Today the amenities of the village including schools, library, village hall, medical centres and some of the shops have sort of moved half a mile 'up the hill' for the convenience of residents. This, plus a council estate built in 1950 has totally changed the shape of the village.
Nevertheless, Barnton is very much a thriving community and residents do not have far to go to shop or enjoy themselves.
One of the busiest places around is the new Barnton Memorial Hall which was opened in 2005. Councillor John Turnbull says the original primary school was built in 1895 thanks to the generosity of the famous chemist and industrialist Sir John Brunner. He then set up a trust that gave his school to the village for use as a school or a village hall. 'The school went in 1959,' says John, 'and a new school was built then closed six years ago. In 2003 I finished work and became involved with the local parish council. They wanted me to look at the local village hall. It was a 110-year-old building and eventually it was agreed to sell the school and build a new village hall on land owned by the parish council. All this has moved the centre and the activities of the village to an area half a mile away from where it was before and it is proving to be a very popular venue.
We have all sorts of things there from various classes to children's parties. One of the best attended is for juggling! Then there is baby yoga, making greetings cards, martial arts, Irish dance, machine knitting and even sign language.' Fiona Sayle is chairman of the village hall and the trustees who run it.
One shop that has remained in its original position in the village for 113 years is the butcher's run by Edwin Hormbrey. 'This has been a family business since 1894,' says Edwin. 'My great grandfather George Edwin Hormbrey, who came from Herefordshire, commissioned a builder and he paid this builder a rent for business premises and accommodation. Cutting up was done in the cellar and slaughtering at the back.' Edwin has been in the shop for 25 years. 'Things have changed a lot in butchering. We don't buy whole carcases any more. We just buy the best bits. It's what people want. We make our own sausages and burgers and do our own cooked meats.'
Barnton Pharmacy has been combined with the Post Office for the past nine years but there has been a pharmacy in the village for many years. Glynis Turnbull has been there for 12 years. She is the senior technician and can turn her hand to anything in the shop from prescriptions to serving on the counter. 'My husband John comes from Barnton and is a parish, town and Vale Royal borough councillor,' she says. 'We sell all the usual medical goods as well as gifts, make-up, cards, stationery, a veterinary range and some homeopathic merchandise. We also have some enhanced services such as smoking cessation and offer health promotion. We also have a consultation room where people can discuss minor ailments.' New owners Alastair and Julie Carmichael took over the shop earlier this year. Both are pharmacists and work there. Griffiths's house in Barnton. It's the colourful display of hanging baskets and bedding plants that catches people's eyes. 'I was born and bred in Barnton,' says Margaret, 'and I've lived in this house for 24 years. 'My husband Alan and son Matthew are both keen gardeners and we've been doing this sort of thing for quite a while. Sometimes we buy plants but this year we started everything off from seed.' There are dozens of busy lizzies, petunias, begonias and asters. 'It takes us two full days to do the borders and a couple of window boxes. Then we do all the hanging baskets ourselves. We get a lot of pleasure out of it and the villagers like it too.'
As the only newsagents who deliver in and around Barnton, Dave and Jane Booth find they are very busy. We've lived in the village for 18 years,' says Jane, 'but bought the shop over seven years ago. We had often thought about working for ourselves and we eventually took the plunge and sold our house to buy this shop. It is a very good shop and we have lovely customers.' Apart from selling the usual sweets, stationery, magazines and papers they have also become an off-licence. They employ 14 paper boys to cover the rounds.
Max Keelty has lived in the village all his life. He is now chairman and overseas mission director of Christian Community Ministries and runs two charity shops which he sees as a community service. 'We started taking relief aid into Eastern Europe in 1992,' says Max. 'That's why one of our shops sells nothing but furniture. Some people are very generous. We have a children's home in Romania which we built and now run and we are doing similar work in Thailand.'
Mark Patton has been manager at The Beech Tree pub for over two years. Deputy manager Simon Wilson says they not only offer two main courses for the price of one but customers can also watch football and other sports on the big screen. The pub has a football team as well as pool and darts for men and women. They also have a bowling green which has been used for county matches in the past.
They do a lot of charity work for St Luke's Hospice and smokers are already getting used to the idea of a pint and a cigarette in a little hut specially built for them in the garden.