Weaste Memories

I have just read various entries for remembering streets of Salford which had my childhood flooding back to me with lots of affection. I also can remember the cobbled streets, rag bone man etc. But I also remember the people. I was born in 1950 and spent the first 15 years of my life in 39 Guide Street, Weaste. We lived next door to Rogers the coalman who were the noisiest of neighbours, mainly due to George's temper, poor Nora his long suffering wife. They had 3 children, David, Alan and George junior. I can remember other families in the street at that time. Starting with Mrs Boyle at No 1 who spent a large part of her day shouting, her son Walter who would do his best to stay out of sight. Across from her at No 2 was Mr Buck who did not appreciate any of our pranks which usually involved us knocking on his front door, the most memorable being when my brother tied his letter box with rope to a nearby lamp post. A little further down were the Harveys and the eldest boy Michael was my best friend for a long time. He had a brother Russell and a sister Lindsey. I can still picture an old chap who lived a few doors from the croft who would ask me to go to the shop for 2oz of nut toffee and would give me a sweet as a reward. Over the road from him were two sisters who my old brain is saying McCarthy?? The younger one I seem to recall having a love hate relationship with at such a young age, or I could be dreaming. Opposite the croft lived Frank Buck junior (son of him at No 2), I remember fishing with him at Winterbottoms reservoir. I remember an Irish family, the Reynolds, living opposite us and they had a boy called Tommy. There was a family called the Coppocks who lived next to the croft and their daughter Jean introduced us to Sunday school which did not last long (can't think why!). Then next door but one to us at No 43 were the Crawfords who had two daughters, Anne the eldest and Joan who I think was the same age as me. I still recall Joan destroyed my boyhood dreams by dating Jeffrey Kershaw from a few streets away. I can also remember my friend Brian Bowman who lived at the bottom section of Guide Street. Brian and I would get on the 6.20 a.m. No 10 Warrington bus to go fishing on a Sunday morning. I also remember doing my paper round for a number of years for the Croxley's newsagents at the top of Guide Street. I remember Bellamy's crumpets just round the corner. In no particular order I also recall.... the Sand hills, Buille Hill Park, the sewerage works at the bottom of the street, liners passing on the Manchester Ship Canal, Mr Johnson the barber, the Vesty's near the number 1 bus terminus. HAPPY DAYS