Stone Life June July 2014 | Page 5

EDITOR’S LETTER Get your teeth into June and July’s jam packed feast of festivals Deborah Boden Contents Editor [email protected] Sophie Cotton & Tracey Wardle Design & Production Jane Walters Advertising Manager [email protected] Tom Brian Advertising Sales [email protected] Times, Echo & Life Publications 18 Tape Street, Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 1BD Tel: 01538 752214 www.timesechoandlife.co.uk [email protected] 15,200 copies of every issue delivered to households and businesses in Eccleshall, Stone, Trentham and the surrounding areas Front cover photo courtesy of Robert Cartwright. Tel. 01785 254283. www.ccstafford.co.uk ow time flies when you’re having fun! I know its a total cliche but I genuinely can not believe where this year has gone, to already find ourselves half way through the year in June is complete madness. The fun however has only just truly started with a jam packed summer feast of festivals, shows, exhibitions, carnivals, competitions and events to offer something for all tastes, no matter how discerning. Eccleshall, Stone and Stafford all host their own summer festivals with programmes of events as long as your arm to get involved in and enjoy. We take a look at the crop of national talent ‘rapidly’ being produced by Stafford and Stone Canoe Club. Read about how the hard work and determination of several members has seen them paddle their way to representing Team GB in their chosen sport - a spectacular achievement indeed for our local canoeists. Meanwhile Eccleshall Community First Responders are gearing up to have ‘a ball’ in July with tickets now on sale for their big summer fundraiser, the Grand Summer Ball set to be held at Baden Hall on Friday 18th July, see page 16 for further details on that. We also caught up with a couple of young local entrepreneurs who on their journey of pursuing their own dreams of setting up their own businesses have also been putting others before themselves and using their professions to help raise vital funds for some very worthy causes. Some really heartwarming and inspirational stories for you to enjoy in this edition of Stone and Eccleshall Life - it is after all what we are about. Best wishes and happy reading. H Deborah x June/July 2014 5