by Joyce Salkeld
I left my beloved Welsh Mountains and came to live in Sale with my in-laws on Manor Avenue in 1965. I had to leave the little cottage that I loved, which was in the middle of a field, (the address was ‘Rose Cottage’, The Woods). The first three and half years of our married life were spent in the cottage and our two sons were born there. I just loved the rural setting, in spite of having no electricity at first and having to carry drinking water from the nearest farm. Moving to Sale was such a change and I just couldn’t get used to living so near to other people and having houses all around me, and not a hill in sight. I missed my large family and the farm life back home so much. Eventually All Saints Primary School opened and our two boys attended the school. Every Sunday I started taking the boys to morning Mass at All Saints Church even though not being being a Catholic at this time. I had promised to bring the children up as Catholics when I married in then Catholic Church in Oswestry. After about 12 years I decided to become a Catholic. Fr McCurrie gave me instruction, but soon after both Fr McCurrie and Fr Cahill moved on to new parishes and Fr Farrell became our new Parish Priest. At this time I still hadn’t made many friends but Fr Farrell persuaded me to join the Summer Fayre Committee followed by the Ladies Society. Needless to say that I’ve been involved with them ever since. Fr Farrell introduced me to Olga Moorhouse and asked us both to run the Piety Shop – that was 28 years ago – and I’m still doing it. Olga and I were great friends until she sadly passed away on my birthday in 2012. Joining the parish SVP Conference brought me into contact with even more of our parishioners, many of whom became and still are very good friends. These are the people who have given me a great deal of love and support over the years, particularly when my husband passed away in 2009. Now each year I go on holiday with friends from the church and have had marvelous times together. I now thank God for how my life has changed, and how becoming a Catholic, being involved in the parish, has Joyce was recently nominated for the Sale Rotary Club Tom Morris Award, for helping in the community. She was presented with a certificate of thanks by Harvey Kesler, President of Sale Rotary Club, at a special Rotary Club lunch for all the winners in December. On behalf of the Parish, Well Done Joyce.
given my life direction and tremendous feeling of belonging.Editor’s Footnote
