Memories of Mottram

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.

My home village

I cannot remember the exact year but I remember the shop (centre) and the houses to it's right. The shop was called 'Jolly's' and sold sweets and other things. The road was widened in the 1960's so the shop and houses were demolished. There now stands a garden with a lifesize statue of L.S. Lowry, the artist who lived just up Stalybridge Road.