Higher Poynton

Higher Poynton, Macclesfield Canal – Thursday 19 September 2013

Where does time go?  The Open Day went well – no rain and lots of visitors, the evening being spent on a charity auction, quiz and barbeque.  On the Sunday the gazebos were taken down then a bit of a ‘Gardeners’ Question Time’ but on boating.  Monday was spent rearranging where the various boats went with the two shells brought back with ‘Ice Breaker’ in the Yard.  After this I deserted and headed off to the Lake District leaving the staff free to work without interference!

Thursday was a visit to the Westmorland County Show (lots of farm animals, tractors and industrial buildings), the Show was visited by a certain lady who arrived by helicopter in spite of the threat of rain, which held off until closing time.  Friday’s highlight was the Kendal Torchlight Parade – Jules was involved in towing the Kendal Mountain Rescue vehicle round the street with the rest of the team.  I have had the ‘open day bug’ so have been resting rather than long walks in the rain!!

Monday Jules returned me to Poynton where the boat is still in the yard, the Morse control has been moved along with the important switches – the original panel has been fitted just in front leaving storage space underneath.  It has been raining here since the open day so the side painting has not been done – it will have to wait until ‘Starshine’ comes out of the Paint Shed.

I have typed up the historical research that I have been doing (on London Reserve Force Medical Units) so it is ready to go off to be published.  It is not complete but will it ever be?  The changes of unit title and numbers during the twentieth century are really confusing for example:

1908    Part of The London Companies Volunteer Medical Staff Corps formed

1^st London (City of London) Field Ambulance

During the Great War it was in Malta and Salonika with 56 Division then in

1917    it was renamed 30^th Stationary Hospital

1919    this was disbanded along with the rest of the Reserves

1920    it was reformed as 1^st London Division Field Ambulance

1923    it was re-designated 167 (City of London) Field Ambulance

1939    it became 167 (City of London) Field Ambulance

and 200 Field Ambulance (2 London) Division.

1947    it reformed as 167 (City of London) Field Ambulance

1967    it amalgamated with other units to become 217 (Eastern) General Hospital

shortly re-named to 217 (London) General Hospital

1995    it amalgamated with other units to become 256 (London) Field Hospital

shortly re-named to 256 (City of London) Field Hospital

and that is the easy one!!!

There is no complete list to look at – it is down to research in The National Archives (Kew), the Army Museum (Chelsea), The Imperial War Museum (Southwark) the Army Medical Services Museum, The British Library and the Welcome Foundation.  However, it keeps the ‘little grey cells’ working.