Information & photos courtesy of Crich Tramway Museum.

60 years ago, on the morning of the 13th of August 1961, the inhabitants of Berlin awoke to find that two thirds of their city had been isolated from the rest by the tearing up of roads, blocking of railway lines and the erection of barbed wire fencing along the 97-mile border the western sector shared with the German Democratic Republic and the 27 miles that divided West and East Berlin. Within 4 days the barbed wire would be replaced by a concrete wall. 

Initially the inhabitants on each side of the Wall were unable to visit or even telephone each other. From the mid 1960’s West Berliners were allowed to visit their relatives in the East at Christmas. In 1971, following negotiations by the four occupying powers the restrictions were relaxed. 
Even then those in the East could only cross to the West for work, important family events and if they were pensioners or deemed no further use to the State. In the first two cases the existence of relatives in the East provided insurance that travellers to the West would return.

It is believed that in the 28 years of the era of the Wall about 5,000 people managed to escape to West Berlin, although at least 140 people died in the attempt. The restrictions on East Berliners travelling to the West were revoked on the 9th of November 1989 and reunification of Germany followed the following year. To those who visited Berlin in the 28 years of the Wall it was an interesting city to say the least.

 

A meeting of Fritchley & District OAP has been arranged for Tuesday August 10th @ 1.45pm in Congregational Hall Fritchley to discuss our arrangements for the coming months

Refreshments will be served and new members welcome.

Contact Janet if you would like more information or to join as a new member janetswindell@yahoo.com

We had a fantastic turn out last week at the Crich Youth Club - Have your say event. 

Thanks to everyone who came along and those who helped out. 

Have Fun and Get Creative!

A series of art workshops to celebrate Cliff Quarry, Crich.

The Tramway Village is opening its doors free of charge in June and July to all Crich residents. Proof of address will be needed on entry.

There will be a series of workshops during the weekends in June and July for anyone who wishes to create a piece of art work or learn new art techniques. The theme is capturing the character and beauty of Cliff Quarry and the Tramway environment.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

All workshops will take place in a quiet grassy area above the Bandstand opposite the quarry face.

Click here for details of the workshops 

Art Share Crich, formed in 2020 to encourage everyday creativity for people who live and work in the Crich Area has been encouraging people to turn their hand to writing this spring.

Following on from the huge success of the Autumn Community Art Sharing, held at The Glebe Centre in Crich last October, the group have created the Rhymes and Lines project to give people an outlet for writing about subjects that matter the them and in turn, sharing these with the local community.

Clare Limb from Art Share Crich has been collating the poems throughout the Spring says ‘it has been truly inspiring to read all the poems and stories sent to me from a wide range of contributors from the Crich Area. These include children from Crich Junior School and members and volunteers from the Crich Luncheon Club, who have had inspirational poetry readings online from Martyn Offord as well as reading their own poems to each other’.

Submissions include a poem about a pig that flies, an introduction to a gothic story and a poem about the effects of coronavirus on the community.

The sharing will take place between 14  -  16 May In the windows of The Old Black Swan pub on Bowns Hill, Crich.

Art Share Crich would like to express their thanks to everyone who has supported the project in the Crich Area, and a special thank you which goes to Rachel and Steve Palin from The Old Black Swan, who kindly agreed to host the sharing prior to the pub opening on 20th May.