By Nick Colley from Northwich and District Heritage Society

These two photographs were taken at the Lostock Gralam crossroads - the first one, taken in the early 1900s, is looking towards Northwich, and the second one, taken a little later, probably just after The First World War, is looking away from Northwich.

The first photograph shows the original Black Greyhound on the right with the original Slow and Easy Hotel on the other side of Hall Lane.

Opposite, on the corner of Station Road, is a general store, and tucked back on the left you can just make out the Post Office.

The camera has caught the attention of the locals, who have all stopped to be in on the photograph.

The second photograph shows the Black Greyhound from the other direction.

Again an audience has gathered to be in the photograph including the local police sergeant with his bike, a handful of soldiers and a well-dressed chap in a straw boater and bow tie.

In the 1850s the Slow and Easy Hotel was run by Richard Hill who was also a farmer as well as running the pub. He lived here with his wife Martha and their five children.

At this time the Black Greyhound was run by James Crowder, who was also a farmer, but by 1861 Richard Hill had moved across the road and had now taken over running the Black Greyhound and John Oakes had moved into the Slow and Easy to run it with his wife Esther and their grown-up children Joseph and Sarah.

In the first photograph of the Black Greyhound Hotel the landlady's name can be seen on the sign as Sarah Ann Buckley.

The pub was originally run by her husband John Buckley, and they were there at the time of the 1891 census.

However by 1901 Sarah had been widowed and was running the pub on her own with the assistance of her barmaid Sarah Jackson. She was still there at the time of the 1911 census.

In 1891 the landlord of the Slow and Easy was James Baxter, who lived there with his wife Margaret and children; by 1901 James had died and Margaret had taken over the licence, assisted by their son James.

The Black Greyhound was eventually demolished around 1930 and the location is now used as for the sale of used cars. The replacement Black Greyhound was built in Wincham around 1930.

The Slow and Easy seen in the photographs was also demolished around the same time, but its replacement was built on the same site, just set further back from the road, where it still stands today.