Along County Lines

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I checked my options for the day in Stratford. The Number 1 option on a well known travel website came up as Cannock Chase .... close, but not exactly Stafford. The Number 2 option was Shugborough. I can't disagree that it is impressive .... indeed my blog bears testament. However again, not exactly Stafford. The theme continues with Number 3 option of Boscobel House. We are clutching at straws here. The bolthole of the future CharIes II in the English Civil War isn't even in Staffordshire, let alone Stafford. The refuge of royalty after the Battle of Worcester is actually in Shropshire. The destination was non-negotiable regardless. We were heading to Stafford. The longest away trip of the season for the Marske United Canine Crew is Stafford Rangers. 181 miles one way. The Northern Premier League and the Football Association work in mysterious ways in the lower reaches of the footballing pyramid.

After a brief reconnaissance of tye area around the football ground, it was off to the Number 7 option on the aforementioned travel website - Stafford Castle. Vera was indeed of a good wander, after patiently sitting in the car for the journey. It was inconveniently situated on the far side of town. A poor signal of the sat nav added to the inconvenience of the location. The road network seemed to have been reconfigured to accommodate a new supermarket and a new development of flats and houses. The latter were handy for the Railway Station and easy commuting to other parts of the West Midlands, although the reality post COVID is that many don't get further than the spare bedroom most days of the week. We crossed the railway line as a West Coast express sped beneath. The number of days of industrial action in recent weeks has probably turned such a sighting into a rare event. The majority of historic ruins in the UK are under the custody of such as English Heritage or similar organisation. Stafford Castle surprisingly is an exception to the rule and is looked after by the local County Council. A free car park - donations welcome - awaits, along with a Visitor Centre and toilets. A good number of parking spaces were occupied on a dreary, chilly Saturday morning, so I suspect demand exceeded supply on a sunny, summer afternoon. A fair percentage of those around were doing nothing than taking the dog for a walk. The Castle sits atop of the high ground, through the wooded area on the lower slopes. Vera discovered the latter were full of her specialist subject - squirrels. She was less sure what to make of large, wooden sculptures of the same name just beyond the car park. They were huge and didn't run.

Stafford Castle has been in situ since Saxon times, occupying the high ground with visibility for miles in all directions. The Castle played a part in the Civil War, being originally held by the Royalist side even after the town had surrendered. The Parliamentarians undeterred by the initial set backs brought up the heavy cannons to persuade the occupants their prospects lay elsewhere. Once taken, the Castle was essentially demolished and it's days a military strong point were over. Today, the position is a landmark on the M6 motorway as the traffic streams past in abundance.

We headed into town and parked up by the gaol. I guess that there are not many prisons so close to a town centre as this anymore. Stafford Gaol has been in existence since 1793 and today is officially a Category C facility. In 1916, it was classified as a bit more up the security chain - sufficiently so, that it was here that some of those captured in the 1916 Easter Uprisings in Ireland were brought. It was a short walk into the town centre. The County town of Staffordshire seemed devoid of life for a Saturday lunchtime. The "To Let" signs were the most prominent feature. A lot of the shops appeared to have departed elsewhere or were in the process of doing so. I pressed on down Gaolgate Street regardless. I had a couple of "to do" sights on my list. The Shire Hall was a couple of hundred metres further on. King James I apparently remarked on his visit in the early 1600s that the Shire Hall and other buildings were so impressive, he described Stafford as "Little London". To be fair, the Shire Hall and Market Square still had a certain presence to them. Alas the scene was somewhat ruined by the construction works ongoing in front of the Hall. I wandered behind the Hall, where the old County Council buildings occupied the narrow streets. A passer by remarked on the how he found the confetti on the pavement outside the Register Office unsightly. Strange, how some folk focus on the trivial.

I retraced my steps looking for the Ancient High House. The timber framed building is the largest timber framed townhouse left in England. It dates from Elizabethan times and is as impressive as anything seen elsewhere in the country. Charles I stayed here for 3 days at the start of the English Civil War. The central section now houses a free Museum, which was fitting. I am not sure that the same could be said about the use of the rest of the ground floor as a Savers and a mobile phone shop. The Ancient High House strikes you as the oldest building in town, but in fa t that accolade belongs to the small church opposite. St Chad's dates from the 12th century. In size of church terms, it is miniscule besides St Mary's - the more imposing structure sits on the green directly behind the High House. I wandered across to the Law Courts and Almshouses on Church Lane. This section of town reminds you of something like a "Little York" nore than a "Little London", but soon gives way to the hustle and bustle of modern again. The old Post Office looked impressive, as did the Picture House. A beautiful old cinema, which functioned between 1914 and 1995, has found a new use as a Wetherspoon's pub. I poked my nose inside for a look around. Packed was not the word on a Saturday lunchtime, so a success all round. I have to say Spoons never fail on their restorations of old, disused buildings - this one has to rank in their top 10.

It was time for some football. There was a time when football was a working class game. People worked half a day in the factory on Saturday morning and wandered off through the terraced streets to the ground. Far too often now, the old grounds have been sold off for a supermarket site and your fix is an out of town, soulless shell. A soulless shell beyond walking range and not on a bus route to boot. Not so in Stafford. The Stafford Rangers experience is still old school. The route from the town centre weaves through the red brick terraces towards a real gem. Marston Road has been the home of Stafford Rangers since 1896. The entrance is fairly unassuming - a club office to the right and a Social Club greet you from the car park. A clue to better times can be seen in separate turnstiles on the left of the Social Club for the visiting supporters. The days of the old Football Conference are a now but a memory and back in the Northern Premier League, the need for supporter segregation occasions will be few and far between. The distance involved saw a very lightweight following from the North East. Vera helped make up the numbers. I paid my £12 entry, which is top dollar at this level. I had been highly delighted to find that I actually qualified as a concession at my last away game at Farsley Celtic, but the cut was only made at 65 in deepest Staffordshire. They even ask you to push the boat out even further by wanting an additional £2 to sit in their Main Stand. A very nice stand mind, populated by blue plastic seats retrieved from the Leicester City and with a good elevated view of play. The terraced area to my right evoked memories of yesteryear - The Shed End. The football itself was nothing to write home about. Stafford had lost a number of games on the bounce. Marske showed none of the shoots of recovery that had surfaced at Ashton in midweek. Whether it is a recent development or whether a tribute to the success Mr Pulis had up the road in Stoke, Stafford were playing the long ball game. They were also rather handy on the long throw tactic. "Rory Delap" of Stafford was taking every opportunity to launch the ball into the box and it was probably fair to say, the Huddersfield Town youth keeper on loan at Marske didn't deal with the threat. If he was partially at fault on the first goal after failing to cut out a cross, the second was a complete clanger. A long throw was flapped direct into the net. Game over. 2-0. Marske had a consolation prize. Stafford Rangers confirmed that the Marske coach was the first of the season to successfully reverse off the road into the designated parking space in one manoeuvre! Alas, such accolades don't save you from relegation.

Appendix 1

Pitching In Northern Premier League

Stafford Ranger FC 2 Marske United FC 0

Venue: Marston Road Stadium, Astonfields Road, Stafford. Staffordshire. ST16 3UF

Date: Saturday 28 January 2023 @ 1500 Hours

Attendance: 647

Scorers: 1-0 Baxter 30 Mins (Stafford), 2-0 Roxburgh OG 82 Mins (Stafford)

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Comments

[Rainyb]

Movie theater??

[Rainyb]

" a house built originally by a charitable person or organization for poor people to live in."

[Rainyb]

Thanks for sharing!