Junction brewers J W Lees played a part in the building of St Gabriel’s Church, John Willie once said in one of his masonic speeches at a nearby pub that he could see the church being erected from his home at Grimshaw Lane.

The vision of a set of pipes and a console is normally all that is visible to the public and parishioners.

During 1913 the roads were mainly unmade and consisted of loose materials.

The team picked one of the warmest days of the season to host the outside events.

What was once Hollin County Primary School, is now part of a £50m investment programme for two new primary schools, named Hollin Campus, which combines Hollin and Newlands on one site. One mainstream, the other special needs.

Last week we gave details of a postcard with a Fleetwood association. Back in the 1990s it was Middleton's William Wiggins who originated a relief fund for the families of what was to be the worst disaster in the history of the RNLI. Lifeboats from Lytham, Southport and St Annes set sail to rescue the twelve crew members of the stricken 484 ton barque, the Mexico of Hamberg on 9 December 1886.

This came from Ipswich and was taken from a postcard. Written on the reverse is "our house."

Next week as part of our reader images series, we are publishing some classic Parkfield School pictures. This was my Alma Mater when my family came to live at Middleton.

This week they are courtesy of the Allan Wood collection, from Yorkshire. Many of these photographs were taken by an enthusiast and are previously unseen.

As I write this the postman has just delivered a packet containing 18 black and white steam related photographs, all documenting the railway line from Werneth near Oldham through to Rochdale, passing Middleton and Castleton.

He went on to explain: "When there are no doors on the houses to block the view from the public street I think they are in the nude and the whole thing is deplorable."

This week we have two great books up for grabs for two lucky readers. A book containing almost 300 Press Association images from the 1950s, and "Did you like that?" Don Haworth’s book about Fred Dibnah, ‘In his own words.’

In 1902 folk from Manchester suburbs who visited the town for the first time thought that the area was pleasant. But if they had asked to see the ‘Park’ they would have changed their mind. The area in Middleton which was known by this title was far from picturesque.

On that Wednesday morning at 7.30am, 16 passengers boarded the car along with Alderman Lord, Councillor Aspell, chairman of the Tramways Committee and F Entwistle, Town Clerk.

Yet, hard as it may be to believe now, the town was once a Tory stronghold. Indeed it did not elect its first Labour MP until the swinging sixties.

When Alan McEwen viewed them he was really impressed, so much so he requested that I gain permission for him to use some in his new book ‘Smokestacks’ which is based on industrial heritage.

Recently Ivor Saxon has loaned Bygone Days a selection of slides, all taken around this time. We hope to feature many of them in the coming weeks. This week we look back to 1963 and feature ‘things that did not go according to plan’.

Mr Fred Yesford and his wife Florence were the first couple to take tenancy. They moved from a crumbling property at Springvale which was ready for demolition.

Every local authority had a long waiting list of families wanting better living conditions. Thousands visited the post war "Festival of Britain" in London. Day trips were organised from Middleton during 1951. This, along with newsreels of the day, gave an account of what was on offer in the future, an insight of things to come.

In the Manchester Courier of 25 October 1845 a report stated that; a committee of the most influential men in Middleton has been appointed, for the purpose of applying next session, for an act for a water works and gas company for Middleton. The water is intended to come from Tandle Hills, Thornham, where it may be obtained of excellent quality.

It was consecrated by the Right Reverend Bishop Frazer, Lord Bishop of Manchester, on Monday February 2 1885 and junction historian and organist Alan Ogden said the land for the building and the churchyard cost just £500, with the total cost including the church standing at £5,367.

Anthony Donnelly was born in Middleton in April 1986 and working as a coal merchant in the town by the age of 15. Though establishing a name for himself as a decent footballer in the local leagues, "Tony" - as he was known to his mates - was keen for adventure and signed up for the Royal Garrison Artillery.

These will eventually be added to a new programme that is being set up on the Libraries website. It will be a type of 'house of images' where members of the public will be able to view scenes of bygone Middleton online.

Many thanks to Dave Lappin and all other readers who have contributed photographs over the last year. We look forward to viewing many more in the coming months.

In his first year of office, he and his wife Emma decided to offer a Christmas treat to the poor. He printed 200 tickets - an invite to attend the Town Hall on Christmas Day.

Florence Nichol, nee Greenhalgh, has kindly loaned Bygone days some classic old pictures of Bowlee and Rhodes. Florence was born on Simon Lane, now demolished, and has lived in the area all her life. Her family have farmed the area for centuries.

In the Middleton Guardian of 95 years ago, while the war was given a full weekly round-up, life in Middleton and its districts was still reported fully, much as it is today.

It was the cold weather that contributed to the gas explosion at the Masons Arms. On Long Street another pub was damaged by an explosion during February.

Unlike a traditionally built chimney, it can not be chopped away at the base 'Dibnah' style.

]]> nostalgia http://menmedia.co.uk/middletonguardian/community/nostalgia/s/1171594_archive_papers_help_document_the_past?rss=yes#comments 2009-10-15T09:01:18 http://menmedia.co.uk/middletonguardian/community/nostalgia/s/1149960_explosive_stories?rss=yes A FEW months ago I received a email from New Zealand. The sender wanted to know if my old mate, Alan McEwen was the author of a book which he bought some years ago entitled, ‘Collecting Quack Cures’.

Alan did indeed write this book in 1977 and it sold in large quantities abroad.

The Middleton Guardian, at that time printing from premises in Market Place, in Middleton town centre, still had an aura of normality about it, but the war in Europe was gradually becoming part of Middleton daily life ...

Opened to a fanfare, this week’s subject under the historical microscope was described as a ‘Swiss chalet oasis in sea of cars’.

Its staff at one time served an estimated 500,000 cups of coffee, pumped out more than 22 million litres of fuel and served up 40,000lb worth of baked beans - equivalent to three elephants - each year.

The name Roy Gilchrist may not mean much to younger readers but to older visitors of Towncroft the name conjures up two seasons of destruction as the right arm bowler ripped through batsmen at a terrifying rate of knots - forever embedding his name in Middleton Cricket Club history.

Most place names date back hundreds of years and reveal interesting details about how the area must have appeared before industrialisation and urbanisation.

The name Middleton is an Old English placename, very common, and meaning in general ‘middle town, estate or settlement’.

Our pictures here show a vintage image of a place, and also an image of the same place taken in modern day.

It was the Golden Jubilee of Incorporation, 50 years had passed since the town became a borough.

To mark the occasion townsfolk held celebrations throughout the summer months. Our feature this week looks at events that made the news.

ICI was the undefeated world champion in the dyeing industry, but not many people know the trade first started on the River Irk back in 1788.

Within days of Neville Chamberlain's declaration of war on 3 September town was a hive of activity, black out curtains were fitted and windows were criss-crossed with sticking tape to stop them shattering during an air raids. It was also recommended that baths should not be filled with more than five-inches of water.

Now living in Doncaster Les has vivid memories of September 1939 and the start of one of this town. darkest periods in history.

With war clouds looming over Europe, Les and a friend had been to the Isle of Man on holiday as part of the annual Middleton ‘Wakes Week’ from Saturday 26 August to Saturday 2 September.

This week we take a glimpse at what made the Middleton Guardian’s news during this period.

Teenage boys were being constantly brought before the courts for a number of offences, but mainly it was theft from shops. Two boys, aged 13 and 14 respectively, broke into the Middleton and Tonge Co-op store in Oldham Road, today its the Yue Vee Chinese take-a-way. The boys stole 1,965 cigarettes, 18 ounces of tobacco, 22 boxes of matches, a quantity of razor blades, three tins of salmon, two boxes of toothpaste, a packet of Christmas cards, two tablets of soap and 67 farthings in cash. the total value was £9-10s-10d.

The town’s first citizen had a number of appeals, each had a worthy cause. While most fundraising was for local use, the Mayor set up the Spitfire Appeal with a target of raising £210,000 for HMS Thracian. This was started during Middleton Warship Week, March 1942. The Mayor’s Appeal fund provided 50 pairs of gum boots, 36 camp beds, huts for the outpost duty, heating stoves, a motor van and a travelling canteen for the Home Guard.

At one time a fleet of vehicles would link up with surrounding towns and Manchester city centre. Prior to this convenient service, townsfolk used the train or the horse drawn omnibus. A timetable printed in this newspaper in 1898 stated that the omnibus would depart from the Assheton Arms Hotel to Manchester at 8am, 2pm and 5pm. Sunday times were, 9.30am, 2pm and 6pm, with an extra service at 11am on Saturdays.

These photographs were originally taken by Guardian photographer, Jamie Lowe.

Since his retirement we do not meet very often, but, as always, I was pleased to see him, even more so when he arrived bearing a gift. He produced a glass bottle, eight inches high, bearing the name of T Butterworth, Middleton. Ale and porter merchant embossed on its circumference.

This was Mrs Bunting’s first thought when a lorry failed to navigate the junction at Oldham Road.

This week we report on a selection of events that ‘went wrong’ in the town.

This week we look back at what was happening in the town during March and April of 1939.

The films were discovered by his older sister, Margaret Coates, who lives in Chadderton. She unearthed them following his death.

Tony, as he was known by his friends, was the projectionist at the Empire Cinema, Corporation Street, until it closed. He had screened thousands of films at the Empire and also helped out at the ABC and the Odeon, Oldham. Margaret has now found another Middleton gem.

Visiting my estranged dad during the summer months, accompanied by my younger brother, was a pleasant experience during the summer months.

In the early sixties he brought together friends of his to form one of Manchester’s first electric bands, the Tremors, which he drove for and promoted before finally becoming their manager.

But a question I found difficult to answer, was, "When did you first become interested in the town's history?" This question was answered recently when a friend paid me a visit. It's always a pleasure to see Geoff Wellens standing at my door, even better when he is holding a carrier bag. This is because it will no doubt contain something interesting.

Here is the story of one such youth - Catherine Hanley - who enjoyed a jive at a Langley youth club ...

The donor of this week’s images wishes to remain anonymous, but we can reveal that the person is a relative of the late Eric Ogden, a future MP who was a former councillor back in the days of the old Middleton Borough.

In 2004 a commemorative ‘blue’ plaque was unveiled in his name at the Old Boar's Head public house in Middleton. The ‘Boars’ in the sixties was the watering hole of choice for Middleton’s musicians when not working. The ‘Blue Plaque’ is the first to a contemporary rock/country musician in the Greater Manchester area.

Take a look at our ‘then and now’ images this week and judge for yourself.

Even the key is wrong as Peter struggles on the edge of his vocal range to make the high notes. A much better choice would have been the flipside, Tampa Florida where Peter lets rip with some good old rock and roll. His picking on the backing is punctuating with guitar fills that would knot the fingers of a less competent guitarist.

Sheila Galliford, nee Birch, who now lives in Failsworth, has many happy memories of a thriving pub which once stood on Langley. Sheila lived on Windermere Road for 29 years, and during this time she witnessed the New Broom being built on land opposite her home.

John Sanderson and Pat Gaffney formed close harmony group, Raft with Graham Price. Mike Dodds joined friends in Merv and the Psychopaths. I had a short stint with ex-Psychopaths and Middleton super group, Tapp, Wright and Prendergast and later worked with Manchester band the Motifs, amongst others.

The local was once a common rendezvous point, but Middleton’s pubs are on the decline - unlike the fictitious Coronation Street boozer, which will never suffer from social changes and the credit crunch.

We were spurred on by The Who’s instant stardom (we thought it was instant) and our desire to become rock stars.

Looking around the town today we witness many pubs that are either empty or have been converted into another use. It is hard to believe that so many are no longer hubs of the community. It was Superintendent Jump who was responsible for many beerhouse closures during the early 1900s.

The move to writing their own songs would have increased any royalty cheques by a considerable amount - if they were lucky enough to received any. Royalties at the time and especially over the intervening years have become a huge legal wrangle between the record companies and their artist that will no doubt run for years to come.

Returning to my car, which was parked directly outside the baths on Fountain Street, just by chance I met a Tesco official. He is the man who is behind the new Arena, and is also responsible for the development of the new Tesco superstore.

It was mid morning on a very cold January day when he said he had just looked around the sports centre and was about to do the same at the baths.

Thanks to boredom and lead guitarist Mick Connolly, the band reformed to do more gigs in Germany, with options for work in Turkey and Italy, but the contract depended on them having a female vocalist.

It was stated at the inception of the proposed facility that the civic hall would provide a 'century' of culture and entertainment.  

Their booker Ian Hamilton even managed to get them a residency at the Scotch of St James, London’s hangout for the rich and famous. It was here that the band shared the stage with Jose Feliciano.

A letter was sent to the then Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, inviting him to officially open the new venue. The PM was not given a date upon which the ceremony would take place, in fact the opening date was kept a closely guarded secret.

His replacement was ex-Wheels drummer, Drachen Theaker. Drachen was with the Measles for about 12 months, Stan Dulson said that Drachen never really fit in with the Measles, explaining, “The band were crazy but Drachen was even crazier”.

Passing Suffield Street today the shutters are down at the Civic Centre, it’s finally closed its doors for the last time leaving many townsfolk with only happy memories. No doubt the same was said when the popular Co-op Hall on Long Street, closed.

The Wheels were an exception for groups of that period, in so much as they wrote their own songs. According to a Liverpool Echo article in 1964, the group had three and a half hours of their own material to entertain with; a truly remarkable feat.

Lynn Ewan, who once lived in the village donated the images featured this week. She also made a gift to Bob of a painting, also published this week, of the White Cottages, Manchester Old Road. The artwork was created by her great-grandad, Mr Tainsh who lived at Pool Bank Street. He completed the painting using a postcard as a guide, just prior to the Second World War.

The club was opened on 15 November 1963, a joint venture between brothers David and Philip Aaronson, Stanley Forman and Harvey Livingstone who, it was stated by the Middleton Guardian, "would be waiting to welcome the town's moderns" - the formal name for mods.

Peter Cowap was a conscientious student and always on the lookout for something new. So it was inevitable his curiosity would be aroused when he walked in to Barratt’s one day in 1961 and heard Pete Bocking picking on the guitar with his fingers instead of carving out the notes with a plectrum.

Rock and roll was sucked into being by the vacuous content of the music scene at that time. Looking back at the music charts - only four years old in 1956 – songs like: Twenty Tiny Fingers, Poppa Piccolino, Where Will The Dimple Be, and Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea were mixed in with multiple releases of the same songs by different artists, a situation that speaks volumes about the quantity and quality of the material available - or not - at the time.

My favourite for interest value is the one overlooking the old rectory grounds. This photo shows a part of Mellalieu Street prior to houses being built on the left hand side before Rectory Street. The picture was taken by Les when he lived on Rectory Street. He told Bygone Days: "I took the photo while being precariously perched on a step ladder in our back garden."

One of her photos is an retrospective image of a well maintained Central Gardens. Harry had been employed as a gardener in the gardens for a number of years, he was well known by the councillors. It was following his retirement that I became his successor, a hard act to follow. Unlike Harry I had little knowledge of horticulture.

For a number of years he has sought out past pictures of the good old days from residents of Rhodes, but he is always on the lookout for more.