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Starlight Sisters!

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

Two sisters will be back for the Starlight Walk next month to once again honour the memory of their parents.

Elaine Alston and Christine Mothershaw did not know what to expect at last year’s event, organised by East Cheshire Hospice.

Sisters Elaine Alston (left) and Christine Mothershaw with Hospice mascot Sunny the Dog.

But it was so enjoyable they are looking forward to joining scores of other walkers at Capesthorne Hall on Thursday, May 15.

Their brother Paul Moss is hoping to join them this time.

Their father David John Moss spent three weeks at the Hospice in 2023, while their mother Marina passed away in 2017.

The family are Macclesfield born and bred.

Elaine and Christine said: “We saw the best of human nature at the Starlight Walk. It was a moving occasion and we realised we weren’t alone.

Sisters Elaine Alston (left) and Christine Mothershaw at the Starlight Walk.

“We witnessed friends and families supporting each other and took away feel-good memories.

“We felt we were helping the Hospice and giving back the support they’d given us, especially at our most vulnerable time.

“We’ll always continue to support the excellent service of the Hospice in any way we can.”

The walk, sponsored by Adamley Textiles, starts at 7 pm. The 2.5k course winds through beautiful grounds with stops for reflection.

Elaine said: “We went round four times, though you can choose how far you walk.

“On the third lap, we found a spot by the lake and placed a candle each for mum and dad. We were shining a light for them in their memory and it was a special moment.”

The siblings, all retired, were able to spend quality time with their parents.

Elaine was a midwife, and both Christine and Paul worked in a bank. Latterly, Christine was a ward clerk at the Spire Regency Hospital.

Elaine said: “Having worked in the NHS, I felt the Hospice really did give individual quality care and you want more people to have this same opportunity if needed.

“Dad had a short illness. We were eternally grateful to the Hospice, including afterwards. At the walk they looked after us, making us feel special and a valued family.

“Every time we see Hospice staff they talk about dad. I’m amazed they can remember he liked Macclesfield Town and his other great passion was crown green bowling at West Park.

“It makes you think that if they’re doing that for us, they’re doing it for everyone else as well.” * To register visit www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/starlight-walk-2025

Share memories of someone special at Starlight Walk

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

Share memories of someone special at an enchanting woodland retreat at next month’s Starlight Walk at Capesthorne Hall.

The illuminated wooden hideaway offers a place of quiet reflection for walkers at the East Cheshire Hospice event on Thursday, May 15.

The hut along the route will be a sanctuary for walkers wishing to pause to remember loved ones.

Fundraiser Amy Williams (left) and chaplain Marion Tugwood at last year’s Starlight Walk.

The flagship fundraising walk starts at 7 pm, one hour after gates open, and is again sponsored by Adamley Textiles.

Entries are coming in fast. The walk starts with live entertainment and refreshment stalls and is followed by a 2.5k walk looping around the hall.

Hospice Family and Friends Fundraiser Amy Williams said: “The Starlight Walk is a wonderful evening and a poignant occasion for many remembering loved ones.

“A special area of quiet reflection will be signposted on the route. Walkers can write down precious memories about their loved ones to be hung up and Hospice chaplain Marion Tugwood will be there.

“Walkers also receive a note on seeded paper provided by Andrew Smith Funeral Services to be taken home for planting.”

Admission to the walk – £22.50 for adults and £17.50 for under 16s – only covers event costs so walkers are asked to raise sponsorship of at least £50 or donate of that amount.

Well-behaved dogs are welcome and there are no fireworks. The walk is not accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs. * To register visit www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/starlight-walk-2025.

Starlight Walk is back for 2025

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

The Starlight Walk at Capesthorne Hall will take place on Thursday, May 15, which is later than usual this year.

The East Cheshire Hospice spring walk is one of the Hospice’s flagship events, attracting hundreds each year.

Venue availability is behind the change, though organisers are hoping the later date will also improve the chances of better weather.

Ready to start the 2024 Starlight Walk.

An ‘early bird’ entry fee of £20 for adults and £15 for under 16s is available until March 15 before the price changes to £22.50 and £17.50.

Walkers will stroll through beautiful woodland on a 2.5k route, with the option to complete multiple laps if desired.

For many it is an emotional journey, giving them a chance to remember lost loved ones.

The walk has lighting, lanterns, fire pits, points of reflection and other features.

Walkers enjoying the fun at last year’s Starlight Walk.

Community and Events Fundraiser Claire Gorton said: “As the entrance fee only covers the cost of the event, we ask everyone to try to raise sponsorship of at least £50.

“Every penny raised makes a huge difference helping us to continue to provide care in the local community.

“Alternatively, if walkers would rather not raise sponsorship, they’re able to add an extra donation of £50 when booking a place.”

Gates open at 6 pm with the walk from 7 pm. There will be live entertainment with food and drink stalls.

Well-behaved dogs are welcome and there are no fireworks. The walk is not accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs.

* To register visit www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/starlight-walk-2025.

Get into the Christmas spirit at a Light Up A Life service

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

Remember someone special and get into the Christmas spirit at a Light Up A Life service on Sunday, December 8, starting at 4 pm.

The 40-minute service is organised by East Cheshire Hospice which has teamed up with Macclesfield Town Council for the first time for the event.

There is no need to have any Hospice link to attend and tickets are not required.

The venue is the United Reformed Church, Macclesfield.

Last year’s Light Up A Life service.

Afterwards guests can browse stalls selling festive items and handmade goods while enjoying a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine.

The Hospice choir Claritas will be performing at the service which is conducted by Hospice Chaplain Marion Tugwood.

The service will not be streamed live but will be available on the Hospice website a few days later.

Amy Williams, the Hospice’s Family and Friends Fundraising Co-ordinator said: “We’re delighted to link up with Macclesfield Town Council for this family occasion.

“Children are welcome to join the service and there’ll be special safety candles for them to personalise.”

The service will be accompanied by a signer.

Marion said: “The service of remembrance is a beautiful way to come together at Christmas to remember those no longer with us.

Hospice Chaplain Marion Tugwood.

“I’ve been at the Hospice for two years and my very first duty when I arrived was to lead the Light Up a Life service.

“I love my job and it’s a privilege to sit with people during difficult times and to be there for them.”

Noddy Holder papier mache model at Art Fair

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

A papier mache model of music legend Noddy Holder was a smash hit at Art Fair Cheshire.

It sold within minutes for £208, even before the one-time Slade front man had chance to admire the clever artwork created by Patty Callaghan.

The talented artist is more than happy to make another copy of Cum On Feel The Noize, named after the glam rock group’s No 1 record in 1976.

Noddy Holder with his papier mache model. Picture courtesy of Suzan Holder via Instagram.

Proceeds will be donated to East Cheshire Hospice where Noddy and wife Suzan have become patrons.

Patty said: “I’d be delighted to make another version, especially for such a good cause.

“I’m thrilled that Noddy and Suzan liked it so much and I grew up listening to Slade.

“My brother Chris was always keen to get home on Christmas Day to watch Top of the Pops and Slade were always on.

The sculpture of Noddy Holder. Picture courtesy of Paul Quirk.

“Chris sadly died, so it felt quite poignant to make it and I always think of him and feel nostalgic when I hear Noddy singing Merry Xmas Everybody for the first time each year.

“I use magazines for the colour layer. Noddy’s shirt came from a Christmas edition of the Radio Times and, if you look carefully, you can spot the word ‘Christmas’ which seemed fitting.

“Making the guitar on that small scale was fiddly. Luckily, my husband Paul has a similar guitar, so I studied that as finding photographs which show the strings and other detail isn’t easy.

“I’m not sure whether the next mini Noddy will be raffled or auctioned, but it’s a great fundraising idea.”

A spotlight on Clive and Janice Byrne

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

When artist Clive Byrne has paintings exhibited at Art Fair Cheshire no-one will be prouder than his wife Janice.

The East Cheshire Hospice volunteer wears many different hats to support the Hospice, close to her heart.

Janice will again be helping behind the scenes at the event at Macclesfield Town Hall from Thursday, September 26 until Thursday, October 3.

Janice and Clive Byrne with his art work.

She uploaded images and biographies of exhibiting artists to the website, one of them about Clive who turned his love of art into a career after he was made redundant as a welder.

Clive gained a Fine Art degree and used his artistic skills to help teach youngsters with special needs for 20 years.

The couple are committee members at East Cheshire Sub-Aqua Club which will again loan tables and chairs for the pop-up café.

Artwork created by youngsters using the Hospice’s childhood bereavement service will have a dedicated space at the exhibition, staged every two years in aid of the charity.

Janice helps with admin at the bereavement unit, though her involvement with the charity goes far beyond there.

She is also a befriender to patients and drives visitors to the Sunflower Living Well Centre to and from their homes.

Janice also knits teddies and hearts for families attending the inpatient unit and uses fabric from swatches to make handbags sold at the Treacle Market.

All proceeds go to the Hospice for whom she trekked to Camino de Santiago and Iceland. In 12 months she will hike through the Swiss and French Alps, admitting she is ‘not a natural walker.’

Such dedication runs in the family. Mum Lorna Searls, who died last year aged 79, was a volunteer in the charity’s lottery department.

Youngest sister Angela Black (48) died at the Hospice nine years ago. Ever since Janice and older sister Katrina have been busy helping however they can.

Janice said: “Clive is a first-time exhibitor at this Art Fair and is excited and nervous about having his work displayed. I usually end up volunteering doing something and last time registered the artists.

“The Art Fair is brilliant. It’s for a wonderful cause and admission is free.”

The event is run by volunteers and is sponsored by AstraZeneca.

It features original art and sculptures, paintings, prints, jewellery, photography, glassware, ceramics, millinery and willow weaving.

The event opens from 10.30 am until 4 pm each day. For more details visit www.theartfair.org.uk

Step back into your childhood with Papier Mache Patty

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

Step back into your childhood with Papier Mache Patty at Art Fair Cheshire.

Artist Patty Callaghan will be explaining how to make papier mache models at Macclesfield Town Hall on Sunday, September 29, at 2 pm.

Her 45-minute talk is one of many attractions at Art Fair Cheshire which is sponsored by AstraZeneca and is in aid of East Cheshire Hospice.

Patty Callaghan with her models.

The event (Thur Sept 26-Thur Oct 3) showcases work from more than 50 artists who donate a percentage of proceeds to the Hospice. Admission is free.

Patty, from Macclesfield, has been an Art Fair regular since it expanded to include a craft gallery.

She said: “I’m taking along my models, some partly finished, and others completed, to talk through processes, materials and answer questions.

“My bread-and-butter work is running art classes and workshops, but I also spend a lot of time making papier mache models.

“I like reusing stuff due to be thrown out. The models are made of newspaper and I use magazine pages to find the right colours.

“I often do commissions. It might be a family pet, recreated in papier mache as a special gift for that person who is hard to buy for.

“Most figures are made as commissions, usually portraits to mark a special anniversary or birthday. I had one request for a narrow boat as an anniversary present.

“When people come to my workshop, they always say it’s a nice and relaxed thing to do and  like being a child again, messing about with glue and paper.”

Patty runs regular workshops and there will be an opportunity at the talk to sign up for her next session.

She said: “I make my own glue. You don’t want to dip your hands in glue when you don’t know what’s in it.

“I use flour and water and add vinegar and sugar to act as a preservative. It’s then cooked to make it really sticky and it works well.

“Using household ingredients is eco-friendly. It’s quite niche and there aren’t many artists making things out of paper mache. It’s also cheap, accessible and great fun.”

* Visit www.pattycallaghan.com to find out more.

Art Fair Cheshire, run by volunteers, features original art and sculptures, paintings, prints, jewellery, photography, glassware, ceramics, millinery and willow weaving.

The event opens from 10.30 am until 4 pm each day. For more details visit www.theartfair.org.uk

Peter Davis’s Art Fair talk

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

The mobile phone and its presence in everyday life is depicted in a series of contemporary paintings by prize winning Cheshire artist Peter Davis.

A fascinating theme which features in his 45-minute talk entitled ‘Painting the Zeitgeist’ at Art Fair Cheshire 2024 on Sunday, September 29, from 11.30 am.

The exhibition, sponsored by AstraZeneca, is at Macclesfield Town Hall (Sept 26 to Oct 3) and in aid of East Cheshire Hospice. Admission is free.

Artist Peter Davis who is giving a talk at Art Fair Cheshire 2024. 

Peter said: “I like capturing the world and the era we live in. I’m fascinated by the urban environment and inner cities and how quickly they’re changing.

“My overriding obsession is people and their relationship with technology. I remember life before people had black rectangles in their hand. They might have gone on a train and read an actual book made of paper, looked out of the window or walked down the street and didn’t just look down at their phone.

“If you took a snapshot of people walking down the main street in Macclesfield, 90 per cent will be on their mobile.”

A sample of Peter Davis’ award-winning work.

Peter’s talk will highlight parallels with American painter Edward Hopper. Peter said: “He painted in the 1920s and I’m painting in the 2020s. I’m interested in how he documented life, particularly in New York, and what we can learn from that.”

A member of the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts, Peter currently has a portrait of a young woman exhibited in a prestigious award at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Visit www.theartfair.org.uk.

The countdown is under way to Art Fair Cheshir

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

The countdown is under way to Art Fair Cheshire which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

The biennial event in aid of East Cheshire Hospice runs from Thursday Sept 26 until Thursday Oct 3 at Macclesfield Town Hall.

The exhibition, sponsored by AstraZeneca, will showcase work from more than 50 artists who donate a percentage of sales to the Hospice.

Art Fair Cheshire is looking for volunteers to help run the exhibition which has raised around £450,000 for the Hospice.

They will continue the good work started by grandmother Anna Rains who had the idea for an art exhibition.

Volunteer Anna Rains who helped inspire Art Fair Cheshire.

Back in 1998, she chaired a fundraising appeal to mark the Hospice’s 10th anniversary.

The dedication of Anna and her fellow pioneers provided the financial help to build the Sunflower Centre which remains an important hub for patient care.

Indeed, it was fitting that Anna and her original fundraisers attended the reopening of the refurbished centre a few weeks ago.

Their vision and drive provided the inspiration for the initial project with the art exhibition a key fundraiser.

This year’s displays will be organised in-house by the Hospice after previous co-chairs Georgie Johnson and Steven Dalton stepped aside after running the last two exhibitions on a voluntary basis.

Hospice Community and Events Fundraiser Claire Gorton said: “Georgie and Steven did a wonderful job with the support of volunteers and we’re so grateful to them all.

Macclesfield artist Francesca de Campora with her work at Art Fair Cheshire.

“Art Fair Cheshire has established a superb reputation and our aim is to build on that success. We want to organise a unique event which showcases art and celebrates community and giving.

“We want to further strengthen its links to the Hospice and what is happening here, including involving our Memory Tree unveiled last year.

“In addition to a fantastic exhibition, we’ll have a pop up café, artist tours and talks. Artists of all ages will hopefully take part, including school and college students.

Visitors enjoy works of art at the last exhibition in 2022.

”The Assembly Gallery will feature original art and sculptures, while the Capesthorne Gallery will exhibit jewellery, photography, glassware, ceramics, millinery, willow weaving as well as paintings and prints.

“We want it to be accessible and will need plenty of volunteers to get involved with the many different aspects of such a large project.”

The event is open from 10.30 am until 4 pm each day. For more details and to find out how to exhibit or volunteer visit www.theartfair.org.uk

A special story from Starlight Walk

Posted on by Becky Sidwell

Little Ruby Leah was back for her second Starlight Walk at the tender age of three.

Her first visit a year ago came just weeks after her dad Leon died of pancreatic cancer, aged 53.

Mum Georgia has raised almost £10,000 for various charities since losing her husband in March 2023.

Her parents Lynne and Brian, along with other friends and relatives, were there to support her at the event.

Georgia, from Macclesfield, said: “Last year walkers were surprised we took part so soon after Leon died, but I quickly went into fundraising mode and wanted to make a difference.

Ruby and Georgia Leah.

“I wanted to say thank you and make sure others get the same care and treatment as we did and especially my husband who spent three weeks at the Hospice.”

Leon was a drayman at Wincle Brewery and colleagues joined Georgia for a Snowdon climb, one of her many fundraising challenges.

Georgia said: “I did a sky dive and have had cake sales, coffee mornings and all sorts of things.

“Ruby saw the poster for the Starlight Walk and said she wanted to do it again to raise some money for the nurses. It’s a special evening. It’s beautiful and we’re lighting a candle for daddy.”

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