Compstall, Cheshire

The Savoy cinema

My memories of the Savoy are of learning to ride a 2 wheeler bike in front on the wide pavement and of everybody dancing there when the war was over. Then of going to the cinema on Saturday mornings when Mr Scroggins used to keep all the children in order. They are happy memories.

Days out on Hyde Market

Being born and brought up in Flowery Field, Hyde was the centre of the universe for us as children. After shopping on Hyde market we would turn the corner and enter into the world of this picture. On the right of the picture, in the distance there was the bank then Fred Dawes, TV and Radio dealer where we would go to pay rental on our black and white TV. This was later taken over by Granada. You can see their shop clearly on the LHS of the picture. Next, coming towards the camera, Ibbotson's bakery. The best tipsy cake in the world and when mum and I went in on our own during the week we would enjoy a delicious toasted teacake and cup of tea as they had half a dozen tables by the wall opposite the counter. Two doors up the tobacco shop and how fascinating were all the ephemera of smoking displayed in the window? Next door again, and two steps up a marvellous sweet shop, the only place one could buy Terry's Golden Feather, a mix of all soft centres and my mum's favourite. Crossing the road Sayer's bakery, a bit more modern than Ibbotson's and the first place we experienced the trick of making the edges of a product look far more full than the inside - an inch of cream round the outside edge of the Swiss Roll and a mear smearing in the middle!
Round the corner, in Norfolk Street my gran hed her first house when she was married. Purely by chance, 40 years later my brother rented the same house. So many good memories. I have my Francis Frith poster framed and on display at the bottom of my bed and spend hours in my mind wandering around this area, taking me into adjacent places not in the picture. The market hall with Knightingale's pulling toffee as you watched. The cinema, the Co-op, UCP - United Cattle Products, a great cafe and some of the best tripe in the area. H V Hird, ironmongers, Meschia's cafe and their delicious home made Italian ice cream. The PSA, (Pleasant Sunday Afternoon) a reformers answers to men languishing in the pubs and families left at home. Until the day it closed it was only 1d (old penny) to get in and enjoy all the activiities with a cup of tea and biscuits thrown in. I must stop, need to go away and dream!

Childhood Memories of Mottram

My Grandma, Grandad and Auntie Annie lived on Market Street all their lives. They moved into the houses when they were brand new - they had a building at the bottom of the little garden which incorporated a flushing toilet and a coal bunker. However, they didn't have a bathroom and I remember sitting in the tin bath in front of the fire hiding behind the washing-maiden. We used to make toast on the fire - it tasted so good, and Gran used to put her teacakes next to it to rise. Across the road was the butcher's and the fish n chip shop whilst further up was Mrs. Sheldon's where I was sent to buy sterilised milk. There was also the Post Office by the traffic lights and The Junction pub. At the top end of Market Street was the White Hart pub - as seen on the right of the photo, another butchers, a grocers, a greengrocers and round the corner Mrs Peel's sweet shop! At the Crown Pole there was always a lovely Xmas tree lit up - there is still one put up now but not as good. When we had bad winters I used to help dig a tunnel from the house to the toilet as the snow drifted up to the bedroom windows and in the summer I used to donkey-stone the front and back step whilst watching for the village Boxer dog to wander past.