Upper Hulme

Though it's only a small hamlet of half a dozen houses, Upperhulme, which sits at the gateway to The Roaches, was once the commercial centre of Tittesworth.

In the days of the horse and cart, farmers would visit Upperhulme's mill to buy feed for their animals and call in at the nearby smithy to have their horses shod while wives stocked up on their groceries at the local shop. All those facilities have long gone yet, thanks to the former dye works factory which is enjoying a rebirth as industrial units, Upperhulme is still a place of commerce.

The old dye works, set up in 1869 by William Tatton, made a major contribution to Leek's economy as a silk town. It employed many local people up until the 20th century and now, with the silk industry lost to foreign competition; the engineering works of Roaches International is managing to hold on to some of its business following the textile trade abroad Based in the old dye works premises and employing a staff of 20, directors Richard Golonko and David Morris head the UK leading manufacturer of laboratory and sample dyeing equipment as well as quality control testing machines.

Thanks to agents abroad, trade show exhibitions, overseas visits and their website www.roaches.co.uk, Roaches International is enjoying a steady demand for its textile machines used both for dyeing and finishing and testing fabrics for colour fastness, shrinkage and creasing. Machines designed at Upperhulme are regularly exported to the textile factories of China, India and Turkey and Roaches International has diversified and is using its expertise to provide machinery for the pharmaceutical and food industries as well.

Companies such as Dairy Crest and Kerrygold are lucky to have a rapid response team on hand to design and build custom-made machines for the cheese factories of Hartington and Leek while dairy equipment is also manufactured at the Upperhulme base. In fact, director Richard Golonko reckons work is easier to find these days than the right employees: "We do have quite a problem recruiting people with the right fabrication skills. People don't seem to be coming into engineering as so many school leavers are being pushed towards university."

But the old dye house is also home to another engineering works, Hillcrest Engineering Instrumentation (HEI) and the two are such good neighbours, they are happy to find that, what one lacks in expertise or equipment, the other can generally provide. Surprisingly in such a land-locked location, HEI specialises in manufacturing equipment for the marine industry. Headed by Peter Rose who grew up making things and, at 73, shows no inclination to stop doing what he enjoys, HEI has been providing wiring and temperature measuring equipment for sea faring vessels for the past quarter of a century.

A family-run business, the firm employs a staff of eight including Peter's son, Paul, as production director and his wife, June, as company secretary. Peter bought part of the old dye works factory in 1986 and expanded his business into cable braiding using old machines adapted from the silk mills. Both cables and temperature and pressure instruments are used in diesel engines which power vessels from Navy frigates and fast ferries to bulk carriers and tugs all over the world.

HEI has built up an impressive list of blue chip clients including Rolls Royce, Perkins and Vickers. The company not only offers a highly specialised, bespoke service but prides itself on quality products delivered on time, whether it's a one-off or an order for thousands of cornponents.

The two engineering works put Upperhulme on the map in the moder world. But the real charm of the place lies in the fact that t has changed so little through the centuries. And, at aged 60, Melvin Goldstraw is proud to be the custodian of one of Upperhulme's oldest houses: Grade I listed Brook Cottage which dates back to 1768 sits right at the heart of the hamlet and has been in his family for over 200 years.

Melvin was born in the cottage which he eventually inherited from his mother, Lyla, and he now shares it with his partner, Rita, who takes a pride in her floral displays which are much photographed by tourists driving or walking through Upperhulme en route to The Roaches.

Having spent all his life in Upperhulme, Melvin has many fond memories of his childhood and shares a real sense of community with his neighbours: "Both Brian Ball and John Rider who live next door are like me and grew up here. We went to Ramshaw school together and, after losing their parents, they've come back so we go back a long way"

Up until last year when it closed Melvin was employed as the accommodation manager at the nearby Blackshaw Moor army camp. Redundancy left him no longer working fill-time but it's his part-time job as local DJ Mad Melvin' that has made him a household name in the Staffordshire Moorlands. After 35 years spinning records he's now catering for his second generation of brides and grooms at local wedding receptions and, wherever he goes, he's recognised as 'Mad Melvin'.

"I've always loved music and collected records and, when I started out as a DJ in 1971 it was at Blackshaw Moor's Three Horseshoes, one of the first discos in the area. The owner had been over to Portugal and seen that the discotheque was the thing of the future so opened one at the pub. At first he hired a professional DJ from Manchester who would come on the bus, carrying his case of records with him, each Friday night and travel back again on Sunday following two weekend disco nights.

"I used to help him out while he had a break and, eventually, he got the sack and I was taken on. I learned the tricks of the trade from a DJ called Barmy Barry in Stoke and, when I first started my business, I needed a catchy name so called myself Mad Melvin. My mother went mad and fried to get me to change it to Midnight Blue but Mad Melvin stuck and that's what I'm known as still," he explained.

In his early days Melvin worked with a local band known as The Hi Lites and his work took him all over Staffordshire and beyond. He met many stars of the entertainment scene including Tommy Cooper and Kenny Ball and he's witnessed many a party disaster, from punch-ups at weddings to sudden deaths at golden wedding celebrations. But he still loves his music and after earning a reputation for filling the dance floor wherever he goes, Melvin is still out every Saturday night providing the music for local functions and celebrations.

A member of the parish council, he's even turned his talent to raising money for Upper Hulme's only street lamp. The council had failed to attract any grant funding to light up the lane leading through the old dye works and so Melvin, and his fellow councillor, Harold Shufflebotham, decided to raise the cash themselves through a local dance.

Such is the sense of community in Upperhulme, they sold the tickets with ease but, before the event could take place, Harold passed away. His memory lives on though through the street lamp which was christened 'Harold's Lamp' and still bears a plaque with his name on it.

Sifting in the shadow of the Roaches, Upperhulme has always attracted a great many climbers. And the area boasts the best located climbing hut in the universe - according to the British Mountainecring Council - in the form of Rock Hall, a grade II listed building which is literally a part of the local landscape as it is built into the rocks.

Built in 1862 as a gamekeeper's cottage for the Roaches part of the Swythamley Estate, the unique home was put up for sale in the l970s when the last of the Brocklehurst family line died out. The cottage made many local headlines after it was bought by the local character Doug Moller and his late wife, Annie, at auction.

Their intention was to escape from the noise of modem life and live a quiet life close to nature. Little had they realised that they had world class climbing routes right outside their front door and the area attracted hordes of keen climbers every weekend throughout the year.

The pair lived a primitive existence without any mains water or electricity supply until finally, in the early 90s, the Peak Park bought the freehold of Rock Hall and re-housed Doug and Annie in a rented property in nearby Quarnford. Now, after more than £100,000 worth of improvements, Rock Hall is enjoying a new lease of life as a climbing hut known as the Don Whillans Memorial hut.

Don, who died in 1985 was a much-loved personality among climbers and it was his widow, Audrey, who performed the hut's official opening in 1993. Donations in his memory along with a £25,000 grant from the Sports Council and support from the Rural Development Commission made the project possible. Installing electricity was a huge job as no overhead wires were allowed and the tab had to be buried under the rocky landscape.

Now climbers can hire the facilities at a cost of £125 for two nights for up to 12 people. They have the luxury of hot running w a kitchen built into a cave, and two dormitory style bedrooms upstairs accessed by a spiral staircase. British Mountaineering Council member Dave Bishop chairs the hut committee and looks after the property on a volunteer basis.

He said; "It's a great place for fun and adventure and a really unique location. I had my own 60th birthday party up here and we enoyed a barbecue and a barrel of real ale from Leek. My wife, Linda loves it and, every December she brings a party of her friends up here for an annual clean up. They call themselves The Scrubbers.

"But the overwhelming use is for climbers. In fact you have to be a member of the BMC to use the facilities but anyone can join us - you only have to be a keen climber or walker."

In recent years the hut was used as a film location for an episode of TV's Dalziel and Pascoe and, on June 19 next year, local folk have a unique opportunity to view the facilities for themselves when the hut throws open its door to visitors.

When it came to killing out the hut with furniture, the BMC didn't have to look far. For just up the road furniture maker Phillip Ball has been producing made to measure kitchens and furnishings in oak and old pine for the past 17 years. He was able to provide the climbing hut with custom built seating and a table for the sitting mom and is about to start work on a new table for the hut's kitchen.

Phillip and his wife, Diane, who trade as Alpine Antiques, built up their business through visiting shows and antiques fairs up and down the country. Phillip reckons he probably provided an item of furniture for almost every home in the hamlet over recent years. And he's glad to be able to work from home in such a shinning setting.

When his day's work is done, he makes an arresting sight as he takes a walk through the heather moors accompanied by his terrier, Patch, and twelve week old barn owl, Majik. "I've always loved birds and the countryside and we adopted Majik from our friend, Penny Ward, in Waterhouses who bred her in captivity. She often sits in the conservatory at home where we are fascinated to be able to watch her behaviour She attracts attention whenever we go out walking," Phillip explained.

Near neighbours of the Ball family, Lesley and David Roberts, also run their own business from home, at Upperhulme's Field House. Their search for a quiet country retreat led then, to move from Macclesfield to the Moorlands and they now run MagiKats, a teaching programme aimed at boosting youngsters' core skills in maths.

David explained: "With schools now teaching the National Curriculum we are finding more and more children in class are getting left behind in their lessons. Only about a third of the class will do really well, a third will be OK and the rest will fail completely.

"Our programme is delivered through local workshops, including one at St Luke's Church in Leek after school each Wednesday, which children from 4 to 16 can attend to boost their core skills. Once they can add up, take away and divide and they have learned to spell properly they fare much better in their exams at GCSE level.

"We are finding more and more parents are prepared to invest in their child's education as they are so worried about their failure to progress at school and they realise how important maths and English are if they want to get on in life."

The stunning local landscape attracts many visitors to Upperhulme all year round. And Linda Bathes, who set up her own garden centre: The Potting Shed, in the village's former dye works six years ago, has expanded her business to include a busy tearoom catering for the many tourists attracted to the area.

Linda explained: "I've always loved gardening and, with my three children grown up, I needed something to do. I soon found that people who were coming to visit the garden centre expected to find refreshments as well as plants so we opened the tearoom offering everything from breakfasts, teas and snacks to dinners and takeaways for the nearby engineering works?'

The tearoom has proved a big hit and Linda's daughter, Nicola, has joined her in the business along with employees Michelle Sidebottom and Linda Clowes. Already the team are gearing up for the busy festive season for which they are offering Christmas dinners for parties of up to 33 throughout November and December.

Local produce is used wherever possible and Linda has provided an outlet for local honey produced by her neighbour, Janet Andrews. And, while lunches are provided throughout the week at The Potting Shed, the local pub, Ye Olde Rock, does a brisk business in evening meals. Dating back to the 17th century, the pub was once known as The New Inn but the grade II listed building changed its name in the 50s. Mine hosts Hilary and John Burrows, who originate from Manchester, provide a full menu on weekday evenings as well as lunches on Saturday and Sunday.

A former accountant, John, took over the licence 21 years ago. FT explained: "We decided to go into business for ourselves and we spent a whole year looking for a suitable pub. As soon as we set our eyes on this place, we fell in love with it and we have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of running it. It was a bit of gamble entering the licensed trade hut I'm happy to say it's a gamble which paid off."

This article first appeared in Local Life magazine, October 2006. Copyright: Tudored Ltd., 4 Russell Street, Leek, ST13 5JF, Tel. 01538 399155 email: editorial@tudored.co.uk website: www.tudored.co.uk.