Neil Collingwood pictured with his new book

Local author Neil Collingwood has completed his latest book “Baddeley Green and Baddeley Edge Then and Now”.

Baddeley Green, in Staffordshire, was part of the rural district of Leek until the mid-1960s before being moved to Stoke-on-Trent, something many residents still regret today, Neil said.

Neil said: “There has never been a book on Baddeley Green before, it follows that hardly any of the photos in the book have been seen so far.

“Because photography does not appear to have been a particularly popular pastime for Baddeley Greeners, many of the photos on loan for the book date from the early 20th century and have been hidden in family collections since they were taken there. over a century ago.

“Even the books that should have covered these areas seem to have ignored them, perhaps because of repeated administration and boundary changes. An example of this is that when the current Greenways Primary Academy, Stockton Brook was built in 1910/11, it was Baddeley Green Public Primary School.

Each page consists of an old photo, often in black and white, coupled with a new color photo of the same scene taken by the author. A wide range of subjects are covered, including carnivals, agriculture, landscapes, street scenes, school photos, chapels and a dramatic road accident of 1818 in which, luckily, no one has. been injured.

Neil said: “I am convinced that there are other old photos of Baddeley Green out there somewhere and that it is important that they be identified and published before they end up in the trash or dumpsters. when their owners die. An example of ‘missing’ photos is one of the Co-op stores on Leek New Road which throughout its history has been a Kawasaki motorcycle dealership and also a used furniture store.

“Between each pair of photos is a short explanatory caption which hopefully contains information previously unknown to local residents. An example of this is that Greenway Hall on Baddeley Edge – not the building still standing today – was once the home of John Bradshaw who played a major role in English history when he signed the death warrant for Charles I, resulting in his beheading in 1649 Bradshaw himself was then hanged, quartered and quartered for this act of regicide despite the fact that he had to be exhumed for his “execution” to be carried out!

Another little-known fact is that the Victoria Inn on Leek New Road, now Sanjeev’s Indian Restaurant and Cooking School, is not the original pub of that name, but the original, opened in 1875, still standing across the road, now occupied by a pet store, is on the corner of Victoria Terrace 1875 and Lockwood Street, formerly Victoria Street.

The book, which costs £ 12.99, is only available direct from the author. Payment is made by bank transfer and copies can be delivered or picked up contactlessly from Neil due to his vulnerability to Covid-19. Neil can be contacted by phone at 01538 386606 or by email at [email protected]