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READER MESSAGES EARLY MARCH 1999

Aidan The book idea sounds grand. I certainly would buy one.

Thank you for all your hard work that you do. Its truly appreciated

Regards Pamela Asher

Thanks very much for your support. I'm in discussions at the moment about the book, which I hope very much will appear soon. Thanks for your appreciation.If anyone else would be interested in buying the Eyewitness in Manchester "book of the website", please contact.

From: CE1124@aol.com
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 09:25:36 EST
Subject: Map

Yes, I'd like to see a map which includes Adlington & Chorley. I have relatives living there and we recently visited them. We stayed in Adlington, visited Chorley, Appley Bridge and several other small towns. We also toured the Lake District, went to Carlisle and on to Scotland. It was a wonderful trip!

Cheryl Emery

Thanks - unfortunately it's not easy for me to provide this, as maps are a specialist area, and there are many copyright restrictions. Online maps are OK, but I still prefer the printed variety - you can spread it out on the floor and it's got much more detail than an on-screen map. I'm especially keen on Ordnance Survey maps. If you'd like to know where you can order one, please get back to me. Here's another of my pics from outside Manchester - in fact, it was taken in one of the places you visited. Can you guess where it is?

From: Sonia Morris soniamorris@start.com.au
Date: Mon, 08 Mar 1999 10:15:28 "GMT"

Dear Aidan,

Whenever I visit your site I have a lump in my throat and a longing for "my" Manchester, 32 years after being here in good old Oz.!!

I'd love to see some pictures,or story on Hightown/Cheetham hill, my old stamping ground. I lived in Larch St and Beech St, now of course sadly gone, leaving me with only my memories, which no-one can demolish!

I'd love to hear from anyone who also hails from those parts.

Cheers from Moorabbin Melbourne.

Yes, the longer you're away, the more vivid the memories - that was my experience in the Middle East, and I was only away for five years! Very sorry, I haven't got a photo... yet. Hope to take more soon in that area. Please be patient!This is the closest I can manage at the moment, Crumpsall Library. To find people from your home area, contact "In Touch" linked from the Manchester Online front page.

From: "Sandra Martin" sjmartin@zip.com.au
To: aidan@anamaria.u-net.com
Subject: book and unrelated stuff.
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 19:56:28 -1200

I wonder if you have any 'photo's of Ardwick and around? While I am here (and totaly unrelated) do you have any info on Style homes? I have been told that it was an orphanage is it still? Was it always? I believe it is in Cheshire next to Styal prison, is this correct? Thanks sjam8@hotmail.com Sandra Martin Sydney Aus.

I'm sorry, I don't know anything about Style homes. Maybe someone out there can help. Thanks for your message. I don't have many of Ardwick yet, though it's an area that interests me a lot. Here's Ellen Wikinson High School, on Hyde Road

To: "Aidan O'Rourke" aidan@anamaria.u-net.com
Subject: Kroll Associates
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 21:51:28 -0500

Aidan, I checked out the above site referenced in this weeks newsletter and could not locate an article on Manchester, however, there was one on Columbia......I don't believe Manchester comes anywhere close............or I hope not!!!! Maybe Kroll would like to comment on Detroit, Chicago, LA, Miami etc. etc. Get in the wrong part of town and you will be in for trouble.......Manchester is no different than any major city......know where and when you can go!!

The new format is great....just when we thought it couldn't get any better!!!

Rich Cook

Thanks, and sorry for not getting back to you earlier. Sometimes you wonder just who's working for these organisations. If you've never visited a place, it's easy to build a false picture of it. I hope that through my news updates and photos, I try and maintain a reasonably true-to-life picture of Manchester. Thanks for your comments!

Aidan,

I must say what a joy to discover your pictures and scribblings on Manchester Online. As a Mancunian stuck in Washington DC USA, I have to tell you what a great day it was when I stumbled upon your site. Your pictures bring back countless memories for me. I grew up in Failsworth, was a racing cyclist and consequently, through thousands of training miles, was immersed in the character and architecture of our area. I wonder if people there appreciate what they have. Such a rich, abundance of style and personality in those old, Victorian buildings. Even the canals and mills have a fascination for me. I've seen nothing to compare with it anywhere.

You have one picture (right) on line of two huge, imposing mills dominating a foreground of subordinate houses. I used to live in one of those houses and look out at those mills everyday; they're a part of me. I understand the owners want to pull one of them down! Can you believe they would do that?

Have you ever thought of catching the number 82 to Saddleworth and capturing a little of that for us? You seem to have missed that area. I think you should meet my father. He is a local artist and character and shares a passion for the area with me, and I suspect, you. I have been compiling a collection of his work online at http://www.Geocities.com/Eureka/Promenade/5632/Dad/pictures So far I have about 75 on there. Some of them were done from the exact same spot as some of your pictures were taken. If you get chance, check them out and, even better, let me know what you think. Failing that, Just keep pumping out more photos and reports.

Cheers mate,

Paul

I'll certainly keep taking photos and doing reports - It's fun. After five years abroad, I certainly appreciate what we have here, though I'm not sure that everybody else does. Pictures of Saddleworth coming very soon. See an example of one of Paul's father's pictures on the Recommended page

Dear Aidan:

I just cannot thank you enough. I found the picture of the site of former Sharston St, I often tried to locate where abouts it would be, with not much luck. Thank you so much.

I have been browsing through all your other recent pictures (although not done yet) You have captured everything with such a presence. From buses, trains, buildings. "mills," etc. To be honest Aiden, I hope you have "10" books published I can't think of anyone more deserving with such a talent to capture so many of my memories of Manchester.

I always said that Manchester was in my soul, now it's in picture form. You said that you did not get much response from the picture of Oldham district viewed from St Leonard's church, Middleton. I think it's great, I was in Oldham last July so it has special meaning to me.

Well, Aidan your pictures have made me very happy. I'm sure that we will be buying your book by years end. You have my vote.

All the best Barbara Cunningham

Thanks for your wonderful message!

Here's Barbara's old photo again, with my photo of the location of Sharston Street in 1999. If you have an interesting old family photo, please contact!

Is it possible to show street maps of more specific areas than what you have done so far? From what I have heard the centre of Stretford has changed dramatically in 30 years.

An aerial photo would probably be best but even a scan of a street directory would help.

Regards Stan,

If I scanned the A-Z map of Manchester and included it here it would be a serious infringement of copyright. Even for the maps already online, which I drew myself, I had to obtain Crown Copyright permission. The best option would be to buy a current copy of one of the A-Z maps - they come in all shapes and sizes from a tiny pocket-sized edition for a few pounds to a CD-ROM version for £40 (windows only). For more information, please e-mail me.

Date: Tue, 02 Mar 1999 15:30:46 -0800
From: "F. Hadland" frankh@unix.infoserve.net

I was very interested in photo 741 on Kingsway in Burnage. This used to be part of my mis-spent youth, however, I wondered if you could tell me the name of the intersection at which this photo was taken. Also I could not "blow-up" (perhaps a poor choice of words)the image #755 of Salford Royal Hospital so that I could better view the photo. I was "hiding" just across the street, under the stairs, when the "blitz" occurred that killed the staff in the hospital.

As usual your photos and news are very welcome. Although I cannot remember most of the places I see on the screen. But thank you for your great work. Frank Hadland, Vancouver, Canada

If you go back to the newsletter, you'll find I've linked the larger size versions of the pictures "blow up" is quite OK, I think. The intersection is Fog Lane. Which street did you live on. Could you give me the exactlocation of the building you hid in during the Blitz. Maybe you told me before. Any more places you'd like to see? Aidan

Thanks for the quick reply. I used to play soccer in Fog Lane park. Cannot recognise the place. As to my "hiding" building, it was 341 Chapel Street, across the road from SRH. In front of Handley's Bakery. Used to steal the cakes that were left out on the loading docks. (This was in the 1930's) Regards Frank Hadland

Greetings again: Is this the front or rear of the building? If it fronts onto Chapel Street, then the statue shown was not there in my time. In fact that is the spot where the "sticks" of landmines landed. There used to be a streetcar track coming down that street, and turning onto Chapel Street. The tracks were completely ripped out of the ground and thrown across the road.

Regards Frank Hadland

This is the front of the building, facing on to Chapel Street - Salford University is off to the left, and Manchester is off to the right. This grassy area is now occupied by this war memorial, so the building on this spot must have been destroyed in the bombing.

I used to play soccer in Fog Lane park (left). Cannot recognise the place. As to my "hiding" building, it was 341 Chapel Street, across the road from SRH. In front of Handley's Bakery. Used to steal the cakes that were left out on the loading docks. (This was in the 1930's)

Regards Frank Hadland

From: "Jean and Ken Vann" kj.vann@virgin.net
To: aidan@anamaria.u-net.com
Subject: RE book
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1999 19:18:14 -0000

Sounds good to me! I live in Bolton.(well Westhoughton) I think there is a market for a book on religious Puritan history in the area : aimed at US market, I love your pictures.

T

Thanks. Sounds interesting, though I'm not the one to write it! By the way, have you seen the "American" church in Stand, Whitefield?

From: "Lynda Youel" youel@tower.net.au
Subject: Cinemas
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1999 23:15:55 +0800

Hello Aidan, The name of the cinema, now demolished, in Miles Platting was the Playhouse.

The no. 53 bus used to cross Oldham Road there. Is it still running? Can't help with the name of the other cinema. Many thanks for this weeks newsletter. Excellent as usual, keep up the good work. Best wishes from Perth, WA Lynda Youel

Yes, the 53 is still going strong (unlike the Playhouse). The route has now been extended from Old Trafford to the Trafford Centre

From: "B D COOMBE" bridot@melbpc.org.au
Subject: Playhouse?
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1999 01:15:26 +1100

Hi Aidan, I look forward each week to reading your news from Manchester, we, who have left, now owe our thanks to you, if only for a little while I'm back home with the help of your pages, pictures etc. So thanks for a job well done.

I left Manchester in 1965, so had to dig deep to come up with a name, but I think!!! it could possibly be the Playhouse. If I am wrong or right I'm sure many others will know.

Take Care & Thanks again for the contact.
Dorothy Coombe (neeLord) ex. Moston.

Thanks for confirming the name of the cinema, which is now gone.

From: "Brian Oakley" oakley@sinfo.net
Subject: Hello from Panama
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 21:51:27 -0500

Dear Aidan

Well you were certainly quick off the mark this evening! We look forward to receiving your news each week but have never been successful in downloading the weekly "Eyewitness Update" before Tuesday morning, even though Panama is 5 hours behind good old Manchester. This evening, Hey Presto, it's only 9.30 and we already have the news which has made such a difference to our life since I moved out here with my wife, Del and 12 yr. old daughter, Susan 2 years ago.

Our home town is Royton near to Tandle Hill Park where we expect to return one day in the future. The road leading to the park, Tandle Hill Road, is one of the most picturesque around Easter time, lined with beautiful pink cherry blossom trees with golden yellow daffodils decorating the grassy verges. Just the scene to make a perfect photograph and really make us home sick! Perhaps you could consider it one day. In the meantime, we'll continue to admire your pics and make notes of all the new sites to visit next time we are home.

Thanks most sincerely for a great news service, great job. Best wishes, Brian, Del and Susan Oakley

I'll be visiting Tandle Hill park now that you've told me about it. Thanks very much indeed for your kind comments. Knowing people are enjoying the photos is what motivates me, so readers, please let me know if you like the photos - you're not paying for them, so a quick message all I ask as my "shareware" fee!

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