Here is the ninth interview in our 'Village People' series.
During the series the intention is to feature local people from a variety of backgrounds and different occupations. If you would like to feature in the 'Village People' series or suggest someone who would make a good candidate then please email me.
Full name: John Wallace
Age: 60
Occupation: Freelance writer (see www.johnwallacecopywriter.com); local history nerd.
Marriage status: Single
Any children: Not that I'm aware of.
Where do you live? Alderley Edge
How long have you lived in the village?
Since 1985, but my father was the local GP from 1945 onwards, so I spent my childhood here - mostly making dens on the Edge and bulking up on sherbert fountains from Seatons' sweetie shop.
Where did you move from and why?
I was home from London for the weekend in January 1985. Driving to Mottram before heading back to the Smoke, the sun was creeping up over the Edge and melting the frost on the fields, and I suddenly realised; I needed to be able to see these kinds of small, exquisite miracles on a daily basis. So by the time I got back to London that evening, I knew I had to leave and move back to Alderley. Which is exactly what I did.
What do you most like about living in Alderley Edge?
The deliciously diverse contrasts it offers. You can experience conker-coloured out-of-towners and five-quid pints of Wife-Beater on the Street of Shame, then walk round the corner to the Union Club on Stevens Street, where the real ale's half the price and twice as good, and everyone there actually lives in the village.
What changes/improvements would you like to see in Alderley Edge?
More things that qualify us as a true village, like independent retailers that sell really useful things like galvanised buckets, string and wet fish; oh, and a village pillory, for the summary punishment of those who think it's perfectly OK to drive the wrong way up our one-way streets.
What have been the biggest changes to Alderley Edge since you have been here?
It's got to be the loss of proper shops. When I was a child, you could get absolutely everything you ever needed without leaving London Road: inner tubes from Mr Brook's bicycle shop, pre-war Trill budgie seed and damp crisps from Willie Mayo's grocery, knicker elastic from Hidderleys haberdashers - plus blackcurrant & liquorice toffees from Seaton's. They pulled your fillings out and turned your tongue black.
What do you miss about the village that has since gone?
Mr Tweet's, the gents' barbers. It was a Saturday morning retreat of pure male testosterone. Old men used to come in for their regular weekend haircuts, and if you could see your way to the barber's chair through the choking fug of Woodbines and Senior Service Untipped, Mr Tweet would trim your hair with a cut-throat razor, singe your split-ends with a lit candle and set your hair in a Cliff Richard quiff with hair-cream that smelled like a chip-shop.
If there is one thing about Alderley Edge you could eliminate what would it be?
Big cars that are lucky enough to have a special dispensation allowing them to park anywhere, any time, no matter how illegal, ill-mannered or inconvenient to anyone else.
Describe Alderley Edge in three words? Constantly reinventing itself.
What is your favourite way to spend a day out and about in Alderley Edge or the surrounding area?
It's got to be a walk on the Edge. No matter how often you go there, there's always a new secret to be discovered; a new path you never noticed before; a new way of getting lost. There's something weird about the geography and orientation of the place that messes with your head and screws up your sense of direction. Actually, rather like the lager they serve on the Street of Shame.
What is the most underrated thing about Alderley Edge?
The fact that, underneath the carapace of machine-washable bling, it's a real village, with good people, friendly neighbours - and a genuine sense of community, if you're prepared to seek it out. Contrary to popular mythology, most Alderley residents do not frequent spray-tan booths or have stick-on nails the size of tyre-irons.
What are the main myths about Alderley Edge?
That we are inveterate champagne-guzzlers. I only use it to top up my car radiator and clean my teeth.
Are you a member of a club or association based in the village?
I'm a member of the Union Club on Stevens Street - which every villager should join in order to support a real village institution. I also help to run Alderley History Group, which rummages around in local history in order to unearth matters of interest. Did you know, for example, that Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, KBE (Prime Minister of Nigeria from 1957-1966) once drove down Ryleys Lane in an open-top car, and people lined the road to wave at him? Not many people know that. But I do, because I was there.
If you didn't live in Alderley Edge where would you want to move to?
Hmmm - I think I might move as far as Mottram, but only if you twisted my arm.
