High Street 1951, Oldham
High Street 1951, Oldham Ref: O39002
Memories of High Street 1951, Oldham
Born in Oldham
I remember seeing the Queen when she visited Oldham - I was born there in 1950.
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 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
Childhood
Born in Windsor Road 1954 and lived at 99. Very good childhood memories of Werneth Oldham Chadderton and Royton.
Oldham & local memories
Read and share memories of Oldham and Lancashire inspired by Frith photos.
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.
