My Top Ten Memories Of Collyhurst

A Memory of Collyhurst.

I also remember Christmas1948, going out the side front door and seeing everywhere were covered with snow. It were so cold but it were beautiful. Now bonfire night were somethink else, we held our bonfire top of our street, Bright Street, later it had changed its name and became Brigg Street. People came from street to street, carrying black peas parkin cake, home made meat & potato pie & jackets potatoes, bottles of sherry, at least 50 to 60 people, maybe more. Flames from the fire reached the top of the houses and the sparks filled the sky - so fantastic. My best friend lived next door at 7 Bright Street, James Moloney - his mother, Molly, wonderful lady. By the way, I lived at number 9. We spent hours together, only trouble were we had two older brothers, mine John, James' brother Lorance who always stirred it for us, so we would fight each other, always winding us up for their kicks. I can remember going for coke for our fire at home, we had an old wooden box cart on wheels that my dad made. We had to walk all the way to Goulden Street just off Rochdale Road. It were a steep hill, as I remember, in winter time very icy and slippy, it took us a long time to get back up. I can remember the old radios there, worked by an accumulator, when run down Father would change it. I had to go up to Oldham Road, there were a shop on the front that gave you a refill. My father worked on the railway, London Road Station; my mother worked in a cotton mill, Lawsons of Butler Street. I went to Abbott Street School. My best mate were a boy named John Mellor. After school, Barnies Tip was where most boys went for a laugh, Nobby Stiles came with us and fell into a pot hole, soaking wet through he was. Saturday was wash day for the family, so me and mother up to Osborn Street wash house, then, if lucky, baths with sister Kathleen, highlight of the week. I can even remember our cobblers, Jack Chilton, a nice fellow. I used to go for fish and chips, with scrapings, to a chippy on Reather Street near the Arches, threepence it cost me. At the time, rent on our house was twelve & six. We used to go to a youth club on Livesey Street, near St Patrick's; Hugh Oldam lads club, very good. I remember going with dad to the old Smithfield Market for Christmas dinner. We had a lot of family who worked there. I grew up with the top barrow boys, lived at top of my street, Barnie Hamilton, good family. When I were a boy, Barnie came to Ancoats Hospital to see me, with my sister Kathleen, the good old days. I were born there, my mother was and father and four sister and one brother and also grandparents on mother's side, Wrights was their name. Going back to St Patrick's, every year, Abbott Street school, around winter time when snow fell, would fight with St Patricks at throwing snow balls. I have so many memories as a small boy I could go on all day and night. Left Collyhurst 1953, January. Before I end, my name is Tony Mchugh now.