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From: RAYOPINT@aol.com Hi Aiden, this is a very interesting piece of history. These and the old Cheetham Hill baths, (are they still there yet?) was where I learnt to swim. I went to Temple school in Cheetham Hill and then on to Birchfields Sec/Mod. It was the highlight of the week going to the baths. I also attended a child guidance clinic on High St, not far from the baths. Memories keep them coming. I will send you some pictof Portland soon. Ray O'Neill. |
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READER MESSAGES EARLY TO MID SEPTEMBER 1999 Envelope-to: aidan@anamaria.u-net.com Hi Aidan, I've just been going over some of the pictures of pubs that are in your picture catalogue, doing an old-fashioned pub crawl without the after effects that used to go along with it. I've probably mentioned it before, but I used to drink Chesters beer, I suspect they aren't around anymore. My local was the Britannia on the corner of Ashton Old Road and Grey Mare Lane, Openshaw. I remember one of my friends remarking that to drink Chesters you either have to be crazy, or have a good constitution for it, he called it 'Fighting Beer.' I've told you I used to travel on business a lot, and once every five weeks I used to go to Head Office in London to report. That was on a Friday. I often drove, but sometimes took the train, I preferred to drive really as I found it quicker in the long run. Anyway, I used to get back to Manchester about 11:00 pm, and as Manchester had good landlords, you weren't chased out right after closing at 10:30 pm, like they do in many cities. I would walk into the Vault, where beer was a penny cheaper than in the room, although the ladies did have a 'Chitty Box,' where they could drink for the same penny off a pint. I would open the door and the Landlord would take off the towel, pull me two pints and open two bottles of stout and never a person would squawk, it was understood that I was late into the local every 5th Friday. Couldn't do that over here though. I also remember the 'Sunday Drives,' where you would pay in about 5 shillings a week, then one Sunday you would meet at the pub about 9:00am and the pub would be open, and beer flowing. The publican used to go to Mill Street police station, tell them he was having a Sunday Drive and make a donation. He would be given 1 hour, and sure enough at 10:00am on the dot, a bobby would casually walk by. Some of my favorite spots have probably gone too. I used to like the 'Free House' at the foot of the London Road (Piccadilly) station approach, on the opposite side of London Road. They used to stock good single malt there too. The Blue Pig, we've talked about before so I'll skip that one. When I was in my early 20's, there used to be a pub on the way from Romiley (I hope I spelt that right) and Stockport. It was in a little village up a single lane to the top of a hill. It was really old, with low, beamed ceilings and stayed open quite late as police rarely came up to check it out. One trick the locals used was to park a car part way up the hill with a note on it saying it had stalled. It effectively gave the imbibers some time to clear out, as you could see the road from the pub, because the police car couldn't get past and the constable would walk the rest of the way. You think he didn't know what was going on? The Fox on Ashton Old Road was another fave. It was there that I told my Dad I was going to Canada. I'd talked to a Canadian counselor in the labour exchange on Chorlton Street I believe, at 4:45pm. I caught the bus home, walked into the house at about 5:30pm and my wife asked where I had been, I was recuperating from a broken neck at the time, I told her, then added casually, 'By the way, we're going to Canada!' To which she replied, 'Okay.' That night I walked into the Fox, sat down with my Dad and told him, his response was comical, he said, 'You'll never leave Manchester United!!' We used to drink with an old Stoke City and Bogota, Columbia player, George Mountford, who was suspended sine die after going to Columbia with Charlie Mitten, his brother and other England Players. He was running a scrap metal business and whenever he had a lot to drink, he would take all kinds of detours just to avoid turning right across traffic on the way home. When I used to go to Edinburgh, I, like most other people, used to do the Rose Street crawl. Rose Street runs parallel to Princess St., and is the same length and laced with pubs and bars. Having just a half-pint in every one, you still couldn't get through them all in one night and still be standing up. In Hull, I used to go to the private club in the Central Police station, where they didn't serve on tap, but had copious amounts of Newcastle Blue Star in quart bottles. If you were pulled over, you could breathe heavily on one of Hulls finest then tell him where you had been and get a warning. Can you imagine being charged and going to court, I'd have loved to see the cop giving his evidence. In Newcastle-on-tyne, I used to go to the Post Office pub with guys from the branch, where we would have barm cakes with roast beef or ham for lunch. In London, one of my favorite spots was a small pub in an alley behind the road running out of Leicester Square to Charring Cross Road, behind one of the theatres. The actors and actresses used to nip in there between scenes in full make-up. One night, the Saturday when United beat Leicester City at Wembley, I took my dad and a couple of friends there. Who should trip, and I mean trip, in the door but that comic magician Tommy Cooper, with a blond in tow, he giggled, as everyone looked up, pointed to the package under his arm and laughed, 'Pajamas,' then pointing to the blond said 'Girlfriend.' Along with him was Martin Balfour, who was in rep across the street playing the 'heavy' as he did in Mark Sabre. He motioned to the bartender, holding up 3 fingers. The guy pulled the drinks and handed them over the crowd at the bar, performers always got served first between acts, and as he lifted his arms to get them, Balfour's coat swung open and showed twin shoulder holsters complete with pistols, his make-up. Two Leicester City supporters were sitting in his sight lines and one saw them, talked excitedly to the other and they both quickly drank up a left almost running. People are funny. Well, I'd better draw this book to a close, as you are aware, I could go on all night. Talk to you again soon. George Fascinating - well, there still pubs that stay open after hours - without police sanction - but I'd better not mention which ones! |
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From: "The Kolnicks" <thekolnicks@worldnet.att.net> I would love to see some pics of Radcliffe. There are several of us in the Lancashire Genealogy mailing list that would be interested. I would be interested in seeing a picture of St. Thomas Church is or was. It's surrounded by the streets Seymour, New Church, Blackburn, and, I think, Howarth. I'm looking at an old (1927) map of Radcliffe, so I'm not sure the church is still there. I'd also be interested in any pictures of mills that still exist. I hope to get to Radcliffe very soon - I'll be including it when I do my Eyewitness in Manchester Bury Metro feature, coming in the next few months.
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 15:13:25 EDT
I was delighted with your picture of High Street (Hathersage Rd) baths. I lived not far from there in Earl St Longsight and although I'm only 40 I used to go there every Friday upstairs for my weekly bath. I swam my first length there and drank an awful lot of oxo on my way home. And not long ago we had the TV show with Joyce Tenneson on here, and a part of that was shot in the baths. I'm right arn't I, the one with a guy called "The Street". Thanks again look forward to viewing more. It's nice to see things from home Cris Yes, that was "Prime Suspect 5" starring Helen Mirren as Joyce Tenneson, and also starring "The Street" - forgotten the actor's name. Hopefully soon, people will be swimming in there again, not shootin scenes from crime dramas! Prime Suspect 5 was excellent - I wish they'd show it again. From: "Diane Norton" <diane@wwwbubble.freeserve.co.uk> Silkin Court Community Orchard Planting will be in November, date yet to be set. The Orchard Group have involved the local community and a wide variety of fruit and nut trees will be planted. We'll be looking for volunteers to dig tree pits - so anyone who is handy with a shovel will be welcome! We've also been awarded funding for gates at the front of our block - part of the City Council's CAS-H (Clean and Safe) money, so things are looking exciting here at Silkin Court. http://silkincourt.hypermart.net/ The site has been revamped - it now has more info about the tenants association on it! Best wishes Diane Have a look at this website, which demonstrates just how nice it can be to live a Manchester City Council block of flats! Here's a mural on Oldham Rd featuring some council flats.
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 12:26:43 -0700 (PDT) G.T.Jackson e-mail :- geofftj@yahoo.com School Children's Song for Europe Comp project. - Mission Croatia project. Dear Aidan: I am the development manager for the new "The School Children's Song for Europe competition" I am from Crewe Cheshire, now living in Croatia. I work as a volunteer at a children's hospital, working on the fabric of the building and caring for the ill children at the hospital. I am concerned that the above project is gaining interest from other counties and that the UK is slow in showing interest, I have had little or no response from the UK. Have you any idea's how to help me with the above? I have many friends from England who try to help both me and the hospital but the hospital needs help in many ways eg; the roof leaks, I need volunteers to come here to help take the children outside for fresh air. The Main Areas of help required are:- Contacting other Schools in UK/EU (using the Internet) Promotion of project. Aims:- To help others (children/people) who need help. The idea that school children through music (the competition) will have fun in composing songs, providing the school children with a chance to help others and to represent their county/country, in the competition. For more information please view the above web sites. Latest News Iceland. The project is in its embryonic stages, the feedback is positive, simply contact myself at the above address. G.T. Jackson. Development Manager I can't give any specific advice, just to keep sending out your message - Hopefully someone reading this might be able to help you. All the best in the competition. From: RAYOPINT@aol.com Hi Aidan, this is a very interesting piece of history. These and the old Cheetham Hill baths, ( are they still there yet?) was where I learnt to swim.
I went to Temple school in Cheetham Hill and then on to Birchfields Sec/Mod. It was the highlight of the week going to the baths. I also attended a child guidance clinic on High St, not far from the baths. Memories - keep them coming. Ray O'Neill. Thanks - I'm not sure about Cheetham Hill baths - but Temple School is going strong, and getting very good results! Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 20:56:51 -0700 Hi Aidan Just finished reading your page about the Priory. I remember going to mass there as a child. We were visiting an uncle and I remember seeing the friars in their brown habits with a rope girdle. I feel so sad to see what has happened to it. If I had thought about it I would have expected to find it just as it was when I last saw it. The swimming baths I am not sure about it is a lovely building - much better than the dreary boxes they put up these days but- have I been in there? You tell me! A long time ago a bunch of girls from work - I think it was when I was working at the Daisy Mill in Longsight - yes I know Longsight Memories- well we decided to go to the swimming baths. Some could swim, I couldn't but was willing to try. But did we go to these baths? I had an idea it was near St Mary's hospital for women. We only went a few times, then the girls started dropping out so I only have vague memories... having to wash our feet before we went in the pool. Thanks Aidan I really enjoyed my link with the past. What happened to the Holy Name church. Has that fallen into disrepair too ? Well, must go... Anne Fletcher (also known as Anne Walker) The Holy Name is in daily use - it's in a very good location, surrounded by Manchester University. Yes, you must have gone to Victoria Baths - you're right, it is just down from St Mary's Hospital.
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 10:24:02 +0000 (GMT) Hi Aidan, Well done! I find Eyewitness in Manchester fascinating, especially the excellent black & white images of industrial areas such as Ancoats, very atmospheric. However I was wondering if you have any photographs of the old Hulme flats? I remember it vaguely as a child before I moved from Manchester to Hull, and am very interested in discovering more about the area since passing through it a couple of years ago just as demolision work was commencing. I was especially amazed at the work done by graffiti artists in this area, in fact some of it seemed to good to be destroyed. Although I've heard that the flats had a number of social and infrastructural problems, I was greatly saddened to see them being bulldozed. I hope you can help me, Thanks, James. I have a couple of pictures of the old flats shortly before demolition. I don't have any of the Crescents.
I'm planning a feature on Hulme to appear soon, with lots of new photos and hopefully some old ones. From: "Norman Price" <golfsierra999@hotmail.com> From Revd Norman Price, Par, Cornwall. I thoroughly enjoy your site and look forward to the regular updates. I am particularly keen to see photos of fires and fire engines. I think I have probably seen most you have taken so far. Any chance of others? Thanks. Kind Regards. Norman.
Hi Aidan. Thanks - sorry, don't have many of fires & fire engines - I'm more interested in normality! If you're interested in pictures of fires & fire engines, have a look at the website of a Liverpool ex-fireman www.firepix.com. I'm sure you'll find it interesting. Aidan Thanks for the details of the firepix web-site. Sorry you don't find fires and fire-engines part of normality. Sadly as the Fire Brigade First Responder Chaplain here in Cornwall, I find it is, sadly, too much a part of normality. I wasn't suggesting blood and guts. You did, however, have a GMC appliance speeding along Deansgate as well as a Cheshire appliance. Was the picture of the GMC appliance in the floods in Withington yours? That was some picture. Anyhow keep up the good work, and good luck with the campaign against the development in Piccadilly Gardens.
I didn't mean to denigrate the subject of fires and fire engines, it's just that I'm keen to take the things that regular media don't often cover. However, I do think that fire engines and fires make very interesting pictures. Here's one I took yesterday, specially with you in mind! Oh, and the GMC appliance in the floods wasn't mine. Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1999 22:20:11 -0700 I've just been going over some of the pictures of pubs that are in your picture catalogue, doing an old-fashioned pub crawl without the after effects that used to go along with it. I've probably mentioned it before, but I used to drink Chesters beer, I suspect they aren't around anymore. My local was the Britannia on the corner of Ashton Old Road and Grey Mare Lane, Openshaw. I remember one of my friends remarking that to drink Chesters you either have to be crazy, or have a good constitution for it, he called it 'Fighting Beer.' I've told you I used to travel on business a lot, and once every five weeks I used to go to Head Office in London to report. That was on a Friday. I often drove, but sometimes took the train, I preferred to drive really as I found it quicker in the long run. Anyway, I used to get back to Manchester about 11:00 pm, and as Manchester had good landlords, you weren't chased out right after closing at 10:30 pm, like they do in many cities. I would walk into the Vault, where beer was a penny cheaper than in the room, although the ladies did have a 'Chitty Box,' where they could drink for the same penny off a pint. I would open the door and the Landlord would take off the towel, pull me two pints and open two bottles of stout and never a person would squawk, it was understood that I was late into the local every 5th Friday. Couldn't do that over here though. I also remember the 'Sunday Drives,' where you would pay in about 5 shillings a week, then one Sunday you would meet at the pub about 9:00am and the pub would be open, and beer flowing. The publican used to go to Mill Street police station, tell them he was having a Sunday Drive and make a donation. He would be given 1 hour, and sure enough at 10:00am on the dot, a bobby would casually walk by. Some of my favorite spots have probably gone too. I used to like the 'Free House' at the foot of the London Road (Piccadilly) station approach, on the opposite side of London Road. They used to stock good single malt there too. The Blue Pig, we've talked about before so I'll skip that one. When I was in my early 20's, there used to be a pub on the way from Romiley (I hope I spelt that right) and Stockport. It was in a little village up a single lane to the top of a hill. It was really old, with low, beamed ceilings and stayed open quite late as police rarely came up to check it out. One trick the locals used was to park a car part way up the hill with a note on it saying it had stalled. It effectively gave the imbibers some time to clear out, as you could see the road from the pub, because the police car couldn't get past and the constable would walk the rest of the way. You think he didn't know what was going on? The Fox on Ashton Old Road was another fave. It was there that I told my Dad I was going to Canada. I'd talked to a Canadian counselor in the labour exchange on Chorlton Street I believe, at 4:45pm. I caught the bus home, walked into the house at about 5:30pm and my wife asked where I had been, I was recuperating from a broken neck at the time, I told her, then added casually, 'By the way, we're going to Canada!' To which she replied, 'Okay.' That night I walked into the Fox, sat down with my Dad and told him, his response was comical, he said, 'You'll never leave Manchester United!!' We used to drink with an old Stoke City and Bogota, Columbia player, George Mountford, who was suspended sine die after going to Columbia with Charlie Mitten, his brother and other England Players. He was running a scrap metal business and whenever he had a lot to drink, he would take all kinds of detours just to avoid turning right across traffic on the way home. When I used to go to Edinburgh, I, like most other people, used to do the Rose Street crawl. Rose Street runs parallel to Princess St., and is the same length and laced with pubs and bars. Having just a half-pint in every one, you still couldn't get through them all in one night and still be standing up. In Hull, I used to go to the private club in the Central Police station, where they didn't serve on tap, but had copious amounts of Newcastle Blue Star in quart bottles. If you were pulled over, you could breathe heavily on one of Hulls finest then tell him where you had been and get a warning. Can you imagine being charged and going to court, I'd have loved to see the cop giving his evidence. In Newcastle-on-tyne, I used to go to the Post Office pub with guys from the branch, where we would have barm cakes with roast beef or ham for lunch. In London, one of my favorite spots was a small pub in an alley behind the road running out of Leicester Square to Charing Cross Road, behind one of the theatres. The actors and actresses used to nip in there between scenes in full make-up. One night, the Saturday when United beat Leicester City at Wembley, I took my dad and a couple of friends there. Who should trip, and I mean trip, in the door but that comic magician Tommy Cooper, with a blond in tow, he giggled, as everyone looked up, pointed to the package under his arm and laughed, 'Pajamas,' then pointing to the blond said 'Girlfriend.' Along with him was Martin Balfour, who was in rep across the street playing the 'heavy' as he did in Mark Sabre. He motioned to the bartender, holding up 3 fingers. The guy pulled the drinks and handed them over the crowd at the bar, performers always got served first between acts, and as he lifted his arms to get them, Balfour's coat swung open and showed twin shoulder holsters complete with pistols, his make-up. Two Leicester City supporters were sitting in his sight lines and one saw them, talked excitedly to the other and they both quickly drank up a left almost running. People are funny. Well, I'd better draw this book to a close, as you are aware, I could go on all night. Talk to you again soon. George Very interesting.When is the book coming out? It's not often I go on a pub crawl these days, but soon I'll be doing a newsletter with QTVR panoramas of a selection of pubs in Manchester. In my mind's eye, your remiscences of pubs are in black and white. There are some great Manchester pub scenes in "A Taste of Honey" - with Dora Bryan singing a song called "Why because he loves me" and in "Hell is a City" where police officer Stanley Baker walks into the cop-shop local - in a back alley off Corporation St - the site of the present M&S building. From: RAYOPINT@aol.com George seems to have had a very interesting life in Manchester. He mentions the Britannia, My mum worked there, also one street back down Grey Mare there was a pub, I can't remember which one. She also worked there. And finally she worked at a pub one street up Ashton Old Rd from Grey Mare Lane, don't remember that one either, I was just a kid then and she used to take me in them, until one of the lads from the local nick tututted and took me outside. Ray O'Neill I went in pubs in Ireland as a child and it never did me any harm! Remember this pub? It's just across from Grey Mare Lane.
From: dagrimshaw@webtv.net (Denzil Grimshaw) I was shocked to read your article about Piccadilly and the proposed changes. As a young boy I remember getting off the bus at Piccadilly and walking through the gardens. As a young 12 year old the first poem I ever wrote was about Piccadilly and the statues there. It was the start of a life long love of writing.
As a boy that place was magical for a young boy from Hyde, to walk trough the gardens and look at the people rushing from place to place. It is a shame that the council would even consider this action when the movement in this country, the USA, is to provide more places like the gardens in urban areas. One of my favorite authors is Thomas Moore, an American Jungian psychoanalyst who wrote a popular book called "Care Of The Soul". He also wrote a book called "The Re-enchantment Of Everyday Life" in which he advocates that cities maintain much of the traditional looks for soulful reasons and advocates open spaces of green in downtown areas for the mental health of the public. Does the council have web site that I can send my input. Let me know. All the best. Yes, but could you send a "proper" letter to the Town Hall, to arrive preferably by the 12th of September. Please use this address: Manchester City Council, Assistant Director (Planning), Environment & Development, PO Box 463, Manchester M60 3NY - ref 056972 and 056973/VO/CITY2/99. From: "Adderley, Paul" Dear Aidan I've just read your newsletter on Piccadilly and I must say I totally agree with you. It seems for every good thing the city council do they do 2 or 3 more things that seem at best misguided and at worse corporate vandalism.
Piccadilly Gardens is an area that needs enhancement, not complete redevelopment. The council should concentrate on improving the White Elephant that is Piccadilly Plaza and try to bring some new life to it, not ruining a perfectly good open space which the council itself has allowed to become scruffy. Have you read the Dave Haslam book, yet? Is it any good? Regards Paul Could you please write a letter (not an e-mail) to Manchester City Council, Assistant Director (Planning), Environment & Development, PO Box 463, Manchester M60 3NY - ref 056972 and 056973/VO/CITY2/99. I'm just about to read the Dave Haslam book. I'll give my appraisal soon. Date: Fri, 03 Sep 1999 19:09:48 -0400 Hey Aidan, Could you give me the E-mail address of M/C City Council? I would like to add my voice to your arguments regarding the destruction of this oasis of tranquility. What has possessed these civic leaders? Eric An e-mail is not enough. You must send a hard copy of your letter to Manchester City Council, Assistant Director (Planning), Environment & Development, PO Box 463, Manchester M60 3NY - ref 056972 and 056973/VO/CITY2/99. |
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