My Early Years in Salford
I was born in Salford, at 15 School Street in 1951. My first school was Stowells Memorial, I think the headmistress was a Miss Dent. There was a butchers shop one the corner with the same name as our family, but I don't think we were related. The little boy who lived there was called David Burgess. I remember rows and rows of terraced houses, all cobbled streets. Our street was a designated Play Street. Pity we don't have them now! There was a bomb site in what had been the next street to ours, we just called it the croft. We had access to a small patch of macadammed road to practice on our skates, otherwise we went to Bule hill Park, or Chimney Pot park to torment the "parkie" We moved away from Salford in 1959, and of course, the landscape of my early childhood is vanished. Does anyone else remember School Street in the '50s? My father worked at Greengate and Irwell rubber works. At one point I was attending Regent Road School, and remember Fay Wong, and Rita Tilly. I think Fay's father had one of the earliest Chinese food shops.
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RE: RE: My Early Years in Salford
I went to Regent Road School and I sat next to Fay Wong, she was the cousin of the Chinese chip shop owners on Regent Road and yes I think it was the very first Chinese chip shop in Salford. I still live in Salford and yes it has changed so much. I lived in Willis Street off Liverpool Street when I attended Regent Road School. When I left I went to Clarendon Secondary Modern. Hope this jogs a few memories for you.
Comment from Kay Washington on Monday, 27th August 2007.
RE: RE: My Early Years in Salford
I lived at 9 School Street and was born in 1947. I think Jacqueline Timperley used to be called Jacqueline Burgess and she had a brother called Tommy. Tommy was my best mate till he moved to Welwyn Garden City, I have often wondered what became of him. I remember David ('Spud') Burgess well. The last time I saw him was about fifteen years ago. Kathryn White must be Kathryn Gallagher who I haven't seen for fifty years. I would love to get in touch. Kathryn, Margaret Sullivan, who went to America, Spud Burgess and I used to play all day in summer and every night after school. No drugs, no mobile phones or play stations, just our imaginations. Aunties and uncles, pins and needles, ralivo and kickcan and the trips to chimney pot park. Roller skating on the tarmac and playing walley with a football. Sat on Margaret's step at night listening to Radio Luxemburg. Innocent happy days, gone forever.
Comment from Michael Hawkins on Thursday, 5th January 2012.
RE: RE: My Early Years in Salford
We lived in School Street from 1958 until they knocked it down, I went to Stowells school too. We lived at 29 next to the butchers, I remember Mr and Mrs Sullivan at 25, the corner shop was Falkners, and later Mrs Grahams. I can't remember the croft at the back of School Street although I remember them building the playground on it in the 1960s. The school was still there until a year or so ago, well the building was, the school closed a while back. It has been demolished now. Montford Street is still there and Robinsons woodyard which was opposite the infants school. If you join facebook there are 2 groups with lots of old photos of the area, the Stowell memorial C of E School, group and the 'for people who come from Salford and are proud of it' group. I was born in 1958 but now live in Huddersfield but still go back to watch Salford and see family.
Comment from William Sloan on Sunday, 12th June 2011.
RE: RE: My Early Years in Salford
Message for Elsie Dean. My parents were managers of the Grapes from 1962 to 1964. Ann & Ted would have managed the place during the 1950s. I have a list of Managers dating back to 1857. I also have a photo of the pub taken in 1961. My brother and I spent many happy times there. Those were different days, there used to be a couple of blokes who would get up on a Saturday night and do a turn in the concert room. One of them was Piccalo Pete, he used to play the piccalo and the other one used to sing like Al Jolsen. Oh happy days.
Comment from Andrew Brannick on Friday, 21st January 2011.
RE: RE: My Early Years in Salford
My parents, George and Florence Holmes, managed the Britannia Hotel in Odsall Lane for the last few months or so before it was demolished. I remember the fairground next to it, and the cattle being herded round to the abattoirs. I attended Regent Road school. We then moved to the Cattle market Tavern on Cross Lane, where we lived for about 7 years or so. I went to New Windsor Primary School and then to Clarendon Secondary Modern School for two years before going to Odsall Secondary. This is where I met Mayling Wong whose parents owned the chinese chippy on Regents Road. I used to sit next to Mayling and we became friends. She had the most beautiful handwriting, and her drawings were exquisite. I have often wondered if she attained her goal of going to Hong Kong as a teacher. I remember the Salford market behind the Cattle Market Hotel and the fairground on the wasteland..My aunt and uncle were the managers of The Grapes on Cross Lane, Ann and Ted Taylor. When we left the pub, we went to live at 5 Tatton Street where I lost my Dad. Mum and I were there until a couple of months before moving to Australia. I remember the feeling of community, and the friendliness of the corner shops. On visits back, it is hard to work out where places used to be. Most of my memories of Salford are good, just the occasional one I'd rather forget.
Comment from Elsie Dean on Saturday, 9th October 2010.
RE: RE: My Early Years in Salford
Hi Jacqueline, I lived at no 26 School Street and went to Sstowell Memorial School. I was born in 1948 and later went to Trafford Road Juniors and then to Pendleton High School for Girls. I remember David Burgess well and my best friend was Margaret Sullivan who also lived in School Street and went to St Joseph's. We used to play out late at night in the summer, kickkan and rallyveno. I love to look at old pictures of Salford 5 and remember the Croft which we backed on to very well, we always had a big bonfire and used to scrounge wood from Robinsons wood yard.
Comment from Kathryn White on Saturday, 14th August 2010.
RE: RE: My Early Years in Salford
I too lived in Robertson Street, born 1950, moved to Seedley in 1966. It seemed like another world then, everything was pulled down in 1979. Still had family there who just escaped to Swinton before Thatcher & friends stopped the building of council houses. I remember Rita Tilly & Linda Foulkes very well from my days at Ordsll Sec.
Comment from Norman Vernon on Sunday, 18th July 2010.
RE: RE: My Early Years in Salford
Hi Jacqueline. I too went to Stowell Memorial Infants School. I was born in 1948 in West Ashton Street, Salford and i still live in Salford in the Irlams o'th' Height area now. We married in 1968 at Stowell Memorial Church. My father worked at Greengate and Irwell for a while as did my mother's three brothers, Arthur, Ronald and Derrick See. Arthur's wife Dora worked there as a tea lady and in the canteen. We are still in touch with Tonoy Russell who went to Stowell Memorial, Lawrence Shepherd who played the organ at Stowell Memorial Church. Tony's son Chrisrtopher was in the same Cub and Scout Groups as our son Richard which is when we met up again after our school days. I went to Trafford Road Junior School and then Ordsall Secondary Modern School for Girls from when it first opened.
Comment from Marion Madden on Sunday, 28th December 2008.
RE: RE: My Early Years in Salford
Jacqueline, As you say the Regent Road that we knew has completely dissappeared. I have found some old photos to try and piece it back together but they are quite hard to get hold of. It is a shame that a whole way of life has been completely wiped off the map. I suppose we still have the Barracks houses there and half of Rudman Street. I often wonder where all the people that I knew ended up. We left in 1970 to move briefly to Salford precinct and then to Urmston. I have recently moved back to Salford after over 30 years. I live off Claremont now and a lot of the old Victorian and Edwardian houses are still present - they should put a preservation order on the area so that the council cannot ruin it.
Comment from Stephen Broadhurst on Monday, 12th May 2008.
RE: RE: My Early Years in Salford
Hi Kay, thanks for your response. Everything goes in circles, doesn't it. 50 years after leaving Salford, I now work for Bupa, on Salford Quays, yards from where I was born. I drive along Regent Road every day, and try to work out where the school was, but of course it has all changed beyond recognition. Stay well, regards, Jackie
Comment from JACQUELINE TIMPERLEY on Sunday, 2nd September 2007.
RE: RE: My Early Years in Salford
I was born in Salford 5 in 4 Woden Street. My name in those years of my birth was Ivy Stephens and I went to St Bartholomews Shool on Tatton stree. t I now reside in the U S A Las Vegas, Nevada. My family owned the Spinners Arms on Oldfield Road in the latter days of my life in Salford. I was born in 1937 at Hope Hospital - my mother's name before marriage was Lily Chritchley and she was married to James Stephens. I have been looking on these memories of peoples lives in Salford but have not yet seen anyones name I remember. If there is anyone who remembers me let me know ? I look forward to hearing from whom ever writes, thankyou Ivy.
Comment from Ivy Gross on Sunday, 11th March 2012.