Childhood Memories Of Eccles And Surrounds

A Memory of Eccles.

I was born in 1924 in Salford. My parents moved to 254 Barton Lane, Eccles, corner of Barton Lane and Fairless Road when I was 4 years old. Dad was an electrical engineer and fitter with Eccles Corporation.
In 1927 my sister Olive was born.
My first school in 1929 was Lewis Street School, Patricroft, where I met my first friend, Joyce Locket. I went for a time to St Catherine's School at Barton, just over the swing bridge. My last school was St Andrews, Eccles. I left school at 14, so I lived through the depression years. We played ball games, whip and top, hop scotch, and rolled hoops along the pavement with a stick. We had cycles and used to take picnics to Barton and Astley Moss areas in school holidays.
I used to watch the gas man light the street gas lamps with a long pole just before dark. The Co-op bread van would deliver bread at 4p a loaf. The rag and bone man came round and Mum got white stones which I used to whiten door steps for pocket money. The Crown Cinema was a treat, for the Saturday afternoon matinee for 2p, usually Cowboy & Indian films. We could also buy 5 caramels for a halfpenny
There was no TV in those days. We had a radiogram which was great. We were never bored, and made our own games. We had aunts, uncles and cousins to visit and play with, grandmas and one grandad to spoil us.
My sister and I would walk just around the corner of Barton Power Station into Trafford Park where there was still a small area of Trafford Park called Bluebell Wood  where we would pick bluebells for Mum.
I used to like to go on the canal tow path and watch the barges laden with coal on the way to the power station. I never told my mum as we were told not to go there in case we drowned.
At 14 I had my first job, filing in the office of Lancro Chemicals in Eccles. Then came the Second World War. We had an Anderson Shelter in the back garden, and ID cards, my number was NULO123/3, and gas masks. We spent many nights in the Anderson Shelter during the Blitz, just a few days before Christmas. Our house was damaged so we stayed for a while with my aunt who owned The Gatley Nursing Home.
Later we moved to Castlelaw Cildstream, Berwickshire. At 18 I joined S.W.L.A. I am living now in Queensland, Australia, and am 85 years YOUNG.
I have fond memories of my time in Eccles.

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