Oldham memories
Here are memories of Oldham and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Oldham or a Oldham photo.
Childhood
Born in Windsor Road 1954 and lived at 99. Very good childhood memories of Werneth Oldham Chadderton and Royton.
Born in Oldham
I was born in Oldham in 1944, we moved into a house in Smith Square just off Huddersfield Road in 1948 and stayed there till 1959. This house had no back door, no electric and no hot water. It was a tough life but the people were great, I have some fond memories of this place and if anyone has a photo of Smith Square I would love a copy, it would be greatly appreciated. My email is: nookfarm@ntlworld.com
Desperate For Information on William Balshaw
I have found a letter from Mary Ann Balshaw (possibly Ada Mary Ann) written from British School, Patricroft in 1882 - I believe she was the sister of my grandfather. He disappeared without a trace in about 1928. The parents were Adam Balshaw and Mary Ann (nee Wilson). If anyone knows of this family I would love to hear about it.
June Bartlett
Born in Oldham
I remember seeing the Queen when she visited Oldham - I was born there in 1950.
Harrington Board School
This is a memory from my own childhood when my grandmother used to tell me about her life as a child mill worker. Born in 1885, she died when I was 8 years old, and I so much wish I had more details of who the real Fanny Daulby (Frances Lilian) was. But my detail is very sketchy, and I am the only surviving member of our family old enough to even know her name! She talked about going to school in the afternoon after working mornings in the cotton mill where she lost the tip of her left index finger working under a machine, clearing debris of some kind. She had a brown, curved claw at the end of that finger. The school she talked of was Harrington Board School. I think she said she had to pay a penny to attend and could only attend if she could persuade her mother to fund her. She must have been a very interested student, since... Read more
Early Years
I was born in 1953 in the front room bedroom at 103 Chamber Road, Hollinwood, Oldham. My Dad Denis Murray was from Oldham, son of Simeon and Margaret Murray from Talbot Street.
I remember walking to Corpus Christi School on Old Lane with my big brother John. I remember Miss Doran who was a very scary person to a 5 year old. I remember going to Oldham market and eating 'specials'. I remember going to Lord St Baths. I remember going to the cinema on Saturday mornings. I remember going to Werneth Park most afternoons before I started school. I remember getting the bus to Mumps Bridge, then onto Zealand Street off Ripponden Road to see my Grandmother. I remember going to the Bendix to do our washing and eating peanuts from the machine.
Grandmother's Workplace
My grandmother gave her place of residence as Werneth House in 1887 when she was married, occupation domestic, does anyone have a picture of what it used to look like? or any relevent history as to who lived there. Many thanks Aquilla
My Holidays in Oldham
I had relatives who lived in Oldham and we used to go on holiday there. They were such great times. We would set off early in the morning with a packed lunch and walk up the penines to Hartshead pike. We would go down the fout and through Sally's Hole. The address we stayed at was Twelfth Avenue, Abby Hills, Oldham. Try as I will, I cannot find any trace of this address. My uncle who was my mother's brother was named George Molden, his wife was auntie Phill. There was a cousin who got married to a chap by the name of Tom Olden, so she just had to drop the M from her name when she ws married. I would love to hear from anyone who is a relative of the Molden family or remembers them or the address where we use to stay I know the place can't have just vanished. Any information would be most welcome.
The Sweet Shop And The Imperial Cinema
I was moved to Oldham as an evacuee from Stretford in 1941 to live at 395 Featherstall Road North. The house was occupied by my great-great aunt Ellen Farrow, and her son Fred and his wife Maggie. When I arrived I was full of impetigo (at least that's what I was told). I was literally scrubbed from head to toe, then bandaged over an ointment on the sores. The next day I was embarrassingly taken on the bus to a clinic, bloodied bandages showing below my short pants. There the bandages were painfully removed and I was washed with calamine lotion. Whatever the treatment the sores healed and there was no recurrence of the problem.
Maggie and Fred Farrow both worked at the Willowbank Cotton Mill at the bottom of Granville St.
Fred also worked taking tickets evenings and weekends at the Imperial Cinema which was only three doors away across Granville St. If my friend George Rigby and I were good and only sat in the front... Read more
Evacuee
I was evacuated to Oldham in the early 1940s when London was getting blitzed and was taken in by Sarah and Levi Allen of 8 Bell Street, what a lovely couple. Just a one up one down on the corner of Blanche Street so they had the top and I had the bottom, and there was a beautiful Golden Retriever as well, we all got along famously. The outhouse was around the corner to Blanche Street,under the arch which led to the rear of 8 and 10 Bell Street to three outhouses that served 8 and 10 Bell Street and 1 Blanche Street, it was all cobblestones and clogs those days so there were some nervous times for a young vaccy on a dark night. I still remember my buddies, Roy Scargill from 10 Bell Street, Roy Benson from 7 Blanche Street, Anne Standrin from 3 Blanche Street and the Finnerties down a block on Spencer Street, they used to give me their copies of the 'Dandy' and 'Beano' when they... Read more
A Teacher
Born in 1951 and living in Oldham all my life, I often wonder if the best and kindest teacher ever is still alive. Her name was Mrs Walker from St Hilda's junior school. Mr F J Howker was the headmaster at the time and was also a rugby referee. Good memories from almost fifty years ago.
Memories of Lancashire
Help
I was born in oldham/chadderton but moved away at the age of ten most of my years where happy.... im beggin for help im tryin to find photo of eustace street school ... n chanery street chadderton as they where...plz help me if u can im beggin anyone who as a pic please send it or post it on here many thanks
Eustace Street School
I was born in Chadderton in 1953, in my grandfather's house on Bamford Street.
I attended Eustace Street School and the memories of my time there have shaped my life. I simply adored school and I am now a Special Needs teacher and writer. I particularly loved my junior school teacher ( who was also the deputy headmaster), Mr Goring. He was a marvelous teacher with heaps of charisma. Every day in school was an adventure. My time in his class left me with a life long love of books and poetry. I only ever wanted to be a teacher - and some fifty years later - it still defines who I am. I was saddened to read that the old school was pulled down in 2009, having been left in a state of disrepair. However, it will live forever in my memories of those happy school days.
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
I moved to live in one of the houses shown in the background of this picture around 1964/65.
Rushcroft was a council estate and my father worked in a cotton mill and my mother worked at the Osram mill in town, making lightbulbs.
Shaw was a prosperous thriving place at this time. I lived on Duchess Street, which is illustrated here, until 1971. It was a very happy time for me. It was a simple life but it was good.
Sadly, family life changed dramatically for me following the death of my father in 1971 and I had to move away. I will always look back on these years as the best years of my life, and feel privileged that this very poignant memory has been captured on camera.
CROMPTON County Secondary Modern School. (t''Central)
t'Central stood at the junction of Kings Road & Moor Street, almost on the bend.Compared to the junior school it seemed very modern and had only been open about twentyfive years. It had a large playing field behind it. Sport was an important thing there. I was in the relay swimming team. Otherwise cricket and football were of no interest as my feet were like shovels and my co-ordination was a travesty. I don't remember any pressure being applied to me or any animosity or stress. I had a wonderful time;I just attended until I was 15 and then left; no exams, no "o levels", I just got myself a job as an apprentice fitter a week before I left and that was it.
I think my happiest times were in the English Literature classes when we read books and discussed them, er - no, we were told about them and essay writing. We had the BBC schools broadcast for music, geography and again English. Art was usually a pleasure... Read more
Remembering
I was brought up in Mossley and have lots of happy memories. My sister Dot still lives there, she fills me in on what is going on. I now live in Florida but will always be a part of Mossley which I took so much for granted while living there. I have travelled to a lot of places and countries since I left there but believe me there is nowhere quite like Mossley, it is a lovely place to see. I show people over here photos and they all say it looks nice. I had a lot of good friends there. I went to All Saints C of E, left school in 1959, started work at Astalls foundry then went to the Brunswick mill for a while. Both parents were born in Mossley so we really belong there. No matter where I go I will never forget it or my life and friends who are still there, so if anyone wants to get in touch my e mail is pete010@adelphia.net.... Read more
Memorybank total
We're very pleased and excited by your response so far to our "Share your Memories" community.
You've shared 26,132 memories of 5,726 towns & villages across the UK - keep them coming!
Find Memories
Simply search for your favourite places to read others' memories and share your own.
Tips & Ideas
Not sure what to write?
It's easy - just think of an important place in your life and ask yourself:
How does it feature in your personal history?
What are your best memories of this place?
How has it changed over the years?
How does it feel, seeing these old photos of your favourite place?
Do you remember stories about the local community, its history and people?
Start now!
It's easy to add your own memories and reconnect with your shared local history. Search for your favourite places and look for the orange "Add your Memory" icon to begin.
Places this week
Here are some of the places you've shared memories of this week:
- Acomb, Northumberland
- Loughor, West Glamorgan
- Bushey, Hertfordshire
- Stroud, Gloucestershire
- Burghfield, Berkshire
- Harrington, Cumbria
- Alton, Hampshire
- Harrow Weald, Middlesex
- Thornley, County Durham
- Monk Bretton, South Yorkshire
- Gravesend, Kent
- Boldon Colliery, Tyne and Wear
- Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire
- West Dean, West Sussex
- Aldershot, Hampshire
- Corringham, Essex
- Twechar, Lanarkshire
- Dartford, Kent
- Ryhill, West Yorkshire
- Gawber, South Yorkshire
- ... and lots more - Browse this week's memories now.
Your memories
To jump straight to the memories you have added already to the Community, click here
I Remember When...
This stunning compilation highlights some of the best stories selected from the thousands contributed here on the
Frith website. The result is an absorbing chronicle of British life from the Second World War to the mid 1960s.
A colourful treasure trove of memories, "I Remember When" is an
irresistible mix of personal stories and recollections that affectionately reveal the detail of everyday life in Britain.
