Cheadle Turns Out for Spitfire Triumph
- Jun 18
- 6 min read
On Saturday, the 6th of June, local people and visitors came together on Cheadle High Street for an event to mark the anniversary of the Spitfire's maiden flight and the anniversary of D-Day.
A main feature was the replica Spitfire sited on the Market Square. The Spitfire didn’t come alone but with many people dressed in the style of the era, stalls and activities, and micro-events in shops and other spaces. The Cheadle Discovery Group, event organizers, worked alongside many other partners to bring about a fantastic historical event even though the day was troubled with rain at the start. This didn't prevent volunteers from carrying out their set roles and the large crowd from rewarding their efforts.
We caught up with a few visitors and organisers to find out more about the day.
Proclamation
The day started with a town proclamation.
"Oyez, Oyez, Oyez! Good people of Cheadle, pray attend and listen well. Today our town gathers to mark the 90th Anniversary of the mighty Spitfire’s maiden flight; and the Anniversary of D Day — a day of victory, remembrance, and gratitude.
Gratitude especially to the Cheadle District who sacrificially raised enough to sponsor their own Spitfire plane, designed by a local engineer Reginald Mitchell, and called “Hope of Cheadle.”
On this solemn yet joyful day, we honour the brave men and women who gave their time, their strength, and their very lives for the war effort, that we might live in freedom.
So, come one and all, and do not miss the celebrations. A mighty Spitfire is here, and stalls of every kind will fill the streets with cheer and community spirit.
Raise your voices, raise your hearts, and join us in remembrance and celebration. God save the King, and God bless Cheadle!"
Interview with Discovery Group Organiser Mike Plant
We caught up with Mike, who told our reporter about the event.
Lori: I should imagine you're a little stressed now that the weather's cleared up?
Mike: Yes, I can relax a bit now. At 8 o'clock this morning, it was a little bit more tense.
Lori: So how's it going?
Mike: It's going extremely well. Turnout's really brilliant. Everyone's had nice things to say. All my guests are hanging around and enjoying the activities. The great nephew of Reginald Mitchell is around, and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire is around.
Lori: Is your outfit the Home Guard?
Mike: Yeah, but it's probably not historically accurate.
Lori: Mike, would you like to tell us what the highlights are and what's happening today?
Mike: Well, clearly the Spitfire is the centerpiece of the event, but we have tried to put on as much traditional entertainment as possible. So we've got Punch and Judy shows, Uttoxeter Morris Dancers are here. We've got traditional sweets. We've got a food van, which is serving off-the-ration foodstuff, such as spam and corned beef, because they weren't rationed in the same way.
Lori: I saw the ration books in the library.
Mike: Yes, we've got the ration books trail going on at the same time as well. So there's plenty going on, and there's knitted crafts along the entire high street put together by our partners Creative Cheadle.
Lori: Brilliant. Thank you.
Creative Cheadle
Many of the decorations for the day were lovingly made by Creative Cheadle with over 50 knitted characters displayed in stores around the town, featuring everything from the land girls to the war office.
It was a wonderful way to showcase our history, which was difficult and challenging for many at that time, into something beautiful and meaningful.
Organiser Dee Beardmore of Redezine had also transformed the Tudor House Building into the Tudor Nook, creating a chilled, friendly atmosphere for those seeking a little retreat and an alcoholic drink.
Cheadle Allotment Society
Cheadle Allotment Society brought along a great selection of plants to enable people to grow their own food in the same style as people would have done during the war.
The Willys Jeeps
Parked on the High Street were three Willys Jeeps. We spoke with Simon Henson, who told us a little about them.
These vehicles are known as Willys Jeeps. The one at the front of the image above was built by Ford and is known as a Ford GPW General Purpose Willys. This particular one was built in 1945, quite a youngster compared to the other two, which are a few years older. It was left over in France, where it was rebuilt. It's got French glass in the windows and Hotchkiss parts. Hotchkiss made parts for Jeeps under license to Willys, and in the end, they made new vehicles too, slightly different but looking the same. They built another 56,000, and these were used up until the 1960s.
This Jeep is 81 years old. It's been back to France a few times, and it's been on the beach at Arromanches-les-Bains in Normandy, which was the site of "Mulberry B," a massive, prefabricated artificial harbor that enabled the Allies to supply their advancing troops.
The vehicles are all privately owned and belong to the Military Vehicle Trust - the biggest military vehicle club in the world. They meet every month in Longton for a motor clinic, pooling knowledge to get parts. They do events together, and a few weeks ago they were at Foxfield Railway and attend that event every May where the Spitfire also usually attends.
The success of the jeep inspired both an entire category of recreational 4WDs and SUVs, making "four-wheel drive" a household term, and numerous incarnations of military light utility vehicles. In 2010, the American Enterprise Institute called the jeep "one of the most influential designs in automotive history."
The Model Makers
An all-age model-making group has been meeting at the library, fueled by a mutual interest in World War II and making model aircraft, especially from an engineering aspect. They were exhibiting on the day, and James, one of the young people involved, told us that they know each aircraft by name, by shape, what armament they have, all the different markings, and each model is very detailed as a result of their knowledge and skills. The pilots and the authentic markings have been created, and they've even completed the underside, which isn't seen.
The Shops
As always, Cheadle Shops came out in force, joining in the airman or rationing trail, with one hosting a coloring display and themed windows in abundance.
The Kingsley Holt Centre
The Kingsley Holt Centre is a great supporter of Cheadle Events and brought along a delicious range of cakes to raise funds for the Kingsley Holt Centre, which is run by the community. The centre hosts events such as Call-in Thursdays, Churnet Valley Voices, Chair Exercises, Baby & Toddler, Crafts, Workshops & more.
Cheadle Lions
A human slot machine was a fun addition to the festivities, organized by Cheadle Lions members and friends who created a novel and yet authentic way to raise funds for the work they do in the area.
I asked Lion Keith, "How does it work?" "Somebody gives you the money, then they pull the tickling stick, which is a feather duster. They pull that down, and as they pull that down, the human slots come down too and then roll up. Each human slot selects an item from their box, and then the player wins a prize. They win sweets or a model airplane."
The Trails: From Ration Books to Airmen
Youngsters had two trails around the town; one visiting seven shops which used to be food outlets with a ration book, a living demonstration of how rationing affected local people, organized with Cheadle Library. The other was the cute knitted airmen caught up in the shop signs as they were making their descent.
There was also a display of drawings of Spitfires by Bishop Rawle Primary School.
The Traditional Rides
The event oozed authenticity, and we were delighted to see two traditional fairground rides for children to enjoy. One was a hanging chair ride, which was powered by a strong chap turning a wheel, and the other was a set of swing boats powered by the user themselves.
A Happy Couple and a Unique Wedding Picture
From Discovery Group Trustee Ivan Wozniak
Ivan said "I'm delighted that people have supported the event and it's been a huge success. Seeing the Spitfire first hand has been brilliant, people have had the opportunity to go and view the cockpit as well. Lots of families have been along to enjoy the Spitfire and all the other entertainment. So its been a fantastic day and one thats all about the community engaging in their heritage in a fun and entertaining way. I sincerely thank the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their support of this amazing WW2 project."
Cheadle Turns Out for Spitfire Triumph - created 8th June 2026
