Fed up with the state of Knutsford Moor, the teachers, barristers and farm workers had turned out to do the job themselves on a Saturday in November 1959.

Leading the dozen men from the Knutsford Society was teacher Bruce Grant.

The clean-up was the first step in the society's eight-point plan to 'beautify the Moor'.

After the land had been cleared of weeds and undergrowth, new flowering trees and shrubs were planted.

A group of schoolchildren, some as young as five, joined in the clean-up as did Ukrainian Jaroslaw Hlynskyi.

The oldest helper was 72-year-old Dick Edwards who was still hard at work when it was 'clocking-off' time.

Sir Richard Miller was the only casualty of the day.

He needed two stitches in his thumb after slipping while sharpening a scythe.

But that did not stop him returning to work after a spot of medical treatment.

At midday the men's work was done for the day and they headed off for a well-earned pint which had been kindly paid for by an anonymous well-wisher.