Stoke Manager - Arthur Shallcross
Permission for the next series of the Stoke Managers caches has been kindly provided by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. Each cache will continue the Stoke Mangers theme, while also letting you know about one of the inhabitants that may live in these woods. The trust is a great organization that does lots of great work up and down the county, all carried out by funding from the public. If you wish to put something back into the local environment, click on the following link and make a small donation. http://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/donate
MAKE SURE YOU SIGN THE LOG TO GET A SMILEY. NO SIGNY, NO SMILEY
Barn Owl (Tyto Alba)
The Barn Owl is simply one of the most beautiful birds found in the UK. Its soft white feather and its heart shaped face make it one of the most popular birds of prey when anyone is asked about their favorite birds. Due to a variety of different reasons the barn owl is rare now within the UK, with numbers falling to between 4-6000 pairs in the wild. The main reason for this decline is the loss of the Barn Owls hunting grounds and nesting sites. I was lucky enough to see a Barn Owl in these woods once and it reiterates the great work that the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust do. Barn owls hunt mainly by sound rather than by sight. With is acute hearing the Barl Owls can detect even the slightest of movements, it is said that the Barn Owl can actually hear a mouse’s heart beat in a 30ft square room. The ears are actually located inside the facial disc on the owl next to its eyes, acting as a funnel, collecting and filtering sound, allowing the owl to detect the movement of the prey with complete accuracy. Its diet of small rodents and its nesting site (apart from barns obviously) of hollowed out trees, make these woods a perfect habitat for the Barn Owls.
Please post in your log if you see one of these animals during your caching adventure.
Arthur Shallcross
Feb 1919 – March 1923
G161 W59 D23 L69
Originally from Leek, Shallcross was previously a football league referee in 1895. He was appointed manager in February 1919, in the first season back in the league since 1908. A mid table finish in his first season was finished by near relegation the following season 1920-21 after the sale of Charlie Parker to Sunderland. Bringing in a player who went on to be a stoke Legend, in Bob McGrory, led to a change in fortune when Stoke finished 2nd in the 1921-22 season. Along with the goals from the Broad brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, things were looking good at Stoke once again. Optimism was short lived when stoke started to struggle in the 1922-23 season. With relegation looming Shallcross was sacked in March 1923.