Always My 'home' Town.

A Memory of Northwich.

I was born in Bucklow Hill outside Altrincham in 1945. I lived at 60, Cromwell Rd, Winnington Park. At the age of 5 I started to attend Winnington Park Junior School. I was living with my grandparents at the time.
My friends at that time were Frank Kidd, John Harrison, Roy Stanley, Roger Dickinson, John Flaherty & Alan Williamson, all who lived in Cromwell Rd.
As there were very few cars at the time and even fewer motorised 'vans', I remember the horse & cart used by a local vegetable seller to bring his wares around. Just off Cromwell Rd was a long back entry that lead down to Verdin's Park. That was where the small shop used to be that I went to collect my grandmother's 'food rations' from.
I have vivid memories of the building of the new railway sidings close to Verdin's Park & the footbridge that spanned them. A couple of very large, grand houses were demolished to make way for the sidings.
Verdin's Park was a popular place for us to play, with our home made bows & arrows. Popular that is until the Park Keeper spotted us & chased us off. Very often we'd hide in the park bandstand & wait until he'd gone & then continue playing.
I remember very well the old market & market hall in Northwich, a fabulous old building which, in my opinion, should have been preserved.
Going down to play in Barnton Woods is also one of my fondest memories. There were hordes of Bluebells & what we used to call 'Onion flowers' - wild Garlic. We used to go home stinking of onions. Going to watch boats being lifted up on the Anderton Boat lift was also a favourite thing to do. One of my grandmother's sisters, Beatrice Tarbuck, lived in Anderton, so that was always a 'port of call' as well.
When I was 8 years old, my grandparents moved to a council bungalow in Standford Drive on Leftwhich Estate. My two cousins, John & Mavis Bickerton also lived on Leftwich Estate, as did the 'Drinkwater twins', one of whom is on here I think. Sadly, I had to leave my friends from Cromwell Rd behind.
From age 8 to 10 1/2, I attended Dane Bridge School, which I swear must have been the model for 'Do The Boys Hall' in Nicholas Nickleby. I made a lot of new friends there, but didn't learn that much.
I moved to New Moston in Manchester in '55-'56 (ish) & attended the Junior School there. Going on to attend the new Secondary Modern School.
I left school in 1960 & began work at the A.V.Roe Ltd aircraft factory where I worked in both design & manufacturing until early retirement in 2007.
Despite having lived in Manchester for so long, Northwich will always be my 'home town'. I had a very happy childhood there & still have wonderful memories of it (Including many visits to Joe Allman's Junk Shop, which we used to get to through Verdin's Park). I still regularly visit my cousin on Leftwhich Estate. Sadly, Northwich has suffered in the same way that many small towns have, due to the recession, but it's still & always will be my 'Home Town' and I wish I was able to move back there. Unfortunately, at my age, it's not an option.
If anybody on this site has any information regarding any of the friends from Cromwell Road that I mentioned, don't hesitate to send me a message.

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