"I LOOK forward to thumbing through the pages of the Guardian each week,” is a comment from an 89-year-old Alkrinton resident.

“I came to  Middleton when our home in Monsall was bombed out during the last war, I have read the Guardian for 62 years. My family know that Saturday morning is when I read my paper and during those few hours it’s, “Do not disturb”.

For some people who are unable to purchase a copy of the Guardian, like ex-pats, the only way to keep up to date with the town’s affairs is via the internet.

This week, we have featured comments submitted by online readers of the popular ‘Nostalgia’ page. “Tonge school brings back memories for me,” writes Bernard Partington from Barnsley. “I was there until 1947. The building next to the school was Hulberts Coal & Iron Merchants. Across the road was Aunty Lena’s sweet shop. Here you could get a glass of pop for 1d.”

Author of sought after book, ‘Memories of a Middleton Moonraker’ Alfred Howarth was a pupil of Tonge school. His second book 'Don't forget to write' is still available. Written with humour and compassion it is a great buy at £2.75 incl p&p. To buy a copy ring Alfred on0161-793-0614.

It was following the publication of the Stanycliffe article written by my friend Geoff Wellens in July that  Paul Heywood from Buxton supplied this feedback: “In 1916 my mother was born in the cottages on Stanycliffe Lane which used to be opposite Kingsley Road. My grandmother, Mrs Proctor had a little sweet shop in the front room of her cottage until 1966. So it was of great interest to see the lane which was how my mother had described it to me when I was a child. There are still Proctors and their relatives living in the Stanycliffe area.”

‘Aah Biscuits’, published 27 September, brought this response frpom Lesley Gibbs of Buxton: “As a child in the 1950s I lived in   Crumpsall, our next door neighbour, Connie Beswick worked at the biscuit factory. My sister and I used to look forward to Friday evenings when Connie would bring us a large bag of broken biscuits. My favourites were the wafer biscuits. My sister liked the custard creams, another favourite was jammie dodgers. Happy days.”

We had an informative response following our ‘Help at hand’ story. Middleton Local Studies Library requested help in identifying photographs of unknown soldiers. Andy Blackley wrote to inform readers of a service which could be of help.

Mr Blackley has created a website, www.militaryimages.net. He said: “One of the aims of military images is to assist people in identifying military photographs that have been left to them by fathers and grandfathers etc. If readers place the photos on the page I am sure our members and viewers will assist in providing information about the images. This is an international site.”

In June Stephen Whitworth, from Chadderton, noticed a familiar family name in our story ‘Horror as Middleton floated by’. He wrote: “Thank you so much for your Nostalgia section. It makes fantastic reading. I am 52 years old, born in Oldham, but Middleton has always had a special in my heart.

“I was very interested to read about the floods in Middleton. The name Morville was mentioned in the article. My great-grandfather was called Richard Morville and I am wondering if there is any connection." It transpires that reader David Armstrong who first informed Bygone days of the families flood story is in fact related to Stephen.

Another online reader from Harrow, Middlesex, has left a message and she too claims to be related to both David and Stephen. All three parties want to communicate privately. This can be arranged if they email their request and permission for their details to be forwarded to the Guardian.

I have had numerous requests to give a talk and slide show. In Middleton we already have a person who is the very best at keeping his audience entertained with bygone pictures.

Geoff Wellens and I share old Middleton pictures, and I am sure that Lancashire night at the Old Grammar School on 27 November will be a fascinating trip down Middleton’s memory lane.

Click on 'View gallery' for more ...

Tweet