Ellor Street

A Memory of Salford.

I lived on Ellor Street for the first 16 years of my life. I went to John Street School followed by Pendleton High School for Girls. I clearly remember the Salford Hippodrome at the end of the street and frequent visits there to see 'The Pantomime'. I attended the Unitarian Church on Cross Lane and after the service on Sunday afternoon would go with my friends to Brays, just further along Cross Lane, for a hot Vimto (we lived life in the fast lane in those days!) It seems incredible now in these days of 'ultra safety' but my sister and I would go alone to the library in Peel Park and cross the busy Crescent (the A6) at about the ages of 9 and 7. My aunt had a corner shop on Unwin Street called Jacksons and when she and my uncle went away I loved helping my mother look after the shop. I have very fond memories of my time at John Street School. It had a playground on the roof for 'the seniors' and it was my ambition to be able to play up there. However, I never achieved my ambition as the eleven plus intervened and I had to leave for my next school. I still clearly remember the names of so many classmates at John Street. I left the area for higher education in 1964 and although I still visit my brother in Worsley from time to time, I have not been back to Salford. I know there have been great changes and I feel it would be unrecognisable. I think that the only building I would still recognise would be St Paul's, Paddington -the church in which I was baptised. I prefer to remember Salford as it was. Despite Salford's former reputation as an area of poverty and deprivation I still have many happy memories and am proud to call myself a Salfordian.