Nostalgia Letter:

MADAM, – I was most interested in the letter and photos sent in by Eric Fernyhough regarding The Hawthorns in Trent Vale (All Our Yesterdays, January 9).

My great-grandparents lived there with their seven children. From research into my family tree, their house was called Hawthorn Cottage, but on a photo I have it's called The Hawthorns.

Pictured from left are Annie Beatrice Farrington, William Martyn Grose, Alice, who became Mrs Powell, Frederick Grose, Thomas Alexander Grose, Edith, who became Mrs Tomlinson, Annie Maria Grose, William Marshall Grose; and Hazel's grandmother, Constance Deborah, who became Mrs WH Walmsley.
Eric Fernyhough's pictures of snow scenes in Trent Vale.

I've enclosed a photo of the family (my grandmother is on the far right).

The family name was Grose. The firm which brought the china clay up from Cornwall (where my great-grandfather was born) to supply the various pottery firms was called Grose and Stocker.

The photo shows: Alice, who became Mrs Powell; Edith, who became Mrs Tomlinson; Beatrice, who became Mrs Farrington; William Martyn Grose; Frederick Grose; Thomas Alexander Grose; Annie Maria Grose; William Marshall Grose; and my grandmother, Constance Deborah, who became Mrs WH Walmsley.

If any reader knows anything about the Grose family or the Stocker family I'd be pleased to hear from them.I believe the Stocker family has many members who may still live in the Newcastle area. A Mr Alexander Dingle Stocker lived and died at The Hollies, in Newcastle. I have an aerial photo of The Hawthorns, but would be pleased if anyone has a photo of the house itself. A Dr Abcarius lived there before it was demolished in about 1927 and the houses in Mr Fernyhough's photo were built in its place. I can be contacted on my mobile, 07768 212210.

HAZEL CARSTENSEN

Stapeley, Nantwich