Gib Row... these were at the bottom of Apethorn Lane... you had to go through the aquaduct to get to these... or cross the 'Green Bridge' over the canal and then take the steps down. I remember the old Gib mill being worked, and I recall these being pulled down... but cannot recall when that was. I know that long after they had gone a lady would walk past the back of our house on Cheetham Fold, cross the train lines by the 'Level Crossing.. walk past Thislefields and take the track at the side of the cottages there, which lead you under the main train line and towards the aquaduct to visit this spot. Sometimes she would come every evening around 7 o-clock or so... other time she would go weeks without coming past. If I was playing on the fields or the train lines near to the level crossing she would always say hello, smile and give me a mint. She was a nice lady but always looked sad... my mum and dad knew her and said she used to live in Gib Row and missed the place... I always thought there was more to the story but never got to find it out.
My neighbour Ray used to live in one of these... I know he looks in now and then, hopefully he might be able to tell me about this row and who lived here..
We used to walk down here a lot. Always seemed very secretive because of walking under the viaduct for some reason. I was probably imagining some Enid Blyton "famous Five" adventure as I walked under it. ha!
ReplyDeleteI remember walking past these houses,as I lived on the Cheetham Fold estate,it was handy for walking the dog ,I too found it atmospheric and remember the houses were numbered 2-32 and therewere old fashioned lamps on the wall at the first and last house,when it was getting darker and these were lit and knowone around we knew it was time to go home,what a shame all the old land marks are disappearing.Don,t live in the area now but am enjoying looking at the pictures more please.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous... I was born and bred on Cheetham Fold at No 67 in the square.. near by the shops.. Family name 'Wigley' Do we know each other?
ReplyDeleteTom
Tom,my family name was Ardern,we moved into Redgate in 1953 soon after the house was built I was three years old,I also remember having to use the level crossing enabling us to get to the canal and River Tame,a sign said Look and Listen,we were always careful there,that was before Foxholes estate was built. I remember a family name Wrigley did you have a relative named Eileen as that is what I vaguely remember she would be the same age as me and I think she went to Leigh Street and was in my friend Susan Millers class,I may be wrong as time fuzzes the mind sometimes I lived at 26 and my friend Susan who sadly passed away 2yrs ago lived at no 40.
ReplyDeleteHello again Anonymous..
ReplyDeleteThe Eileen you recall is my sister... and she did go to Leigh Street.. She now lives in Bolton, with her husband Albert, she has two daughters.. one of whom still lives at home and works in the family Pet shop..
Do you recall the Wooden Cottage at the side of the train lines.. just over Waverley Road train bridge.... it was known as Cooksons Cottage... they had a collie dog with a wall eye that used to patrol the bridge and barked a lot..
I remember the shop further up Cheetham Fold (not the spar) that sold broken biscuits..
When we used to go over the level crossing and walk towards the houses we would have to be quick as Farmer Booths Geese would attack... ha!
I will phone Eileen later and tell her to look at your comments
Hi Tom my name is Margaret,I do remember the cottage but unfortunately not the dog,although i expect i did bump into him from time to time as i walked that way to go to school,many times i used to peer over that bridge when a train came along,seemed quite a way down then,does,nt seem it now that it,s a walk way.
ReplyDeleteI too remember those geese expect they got their come uppence in the end ha ha on somebodys table.Do you remember where the Apethorn is now there used to be a field with cows in it,my memory is of seeing them covered in flies around their mussels,at the side of the house there were barns and i remember it was quite smelly,knott lane when we moved to Redgate was a dirt road and i remember at the top was a house that was a Dr,s surgery,according to my father i fell down and cut my head open(never been right since)he rushed me up there i can vaguely remember and the Dr,s wife refused to let the Dr see me as we were,nt registered with him think it was Dr Dixon,she told my dad to take me down Higher Henry St. to a Dr who would see me,can you imagine that today.Am I right remembering your sister was quite tall and had shoulder length dark hair,I don,t know whether she will remember me but she may remember Susan.I pay visits back to Hyde on a regular basis,I left Hyde with my parents in 1968 as my dad had to move with his job to Bristol,I married and went to live in Deal in Kent,then Poole in Dorset I now live in a place called Oldcotes 10miles from Doncaster and Sheffield 8miles from Worksop,i,m retired now but still enjoy going home as i call it and always have and always will,love looking at the photos,takes me back I will get my dad to search through his photo,s I definately know he has a couple of the railway line with a train passing by the crossing give my regards to your sister Eileen.
this brings back memories... we moved to Farm lane No 13 when it was new about 1952 went to enfield street school and remember when they surfaced Knott Lane I remember your brother tom ... he started the Grammer school same time day as my brother, I remember both our mums struggling to get the uniforms to gether but so very proud they had got to grammer school. I also remember the name Margret Ardern but can't put a face to it , Susan Miller I knew very well lovely fun loving person. My name was Jean Birchall
ReplyDeleteHi Jean.. thanks for commenting. My brother who went to Grammer School was Harold... sad to say but he died over 10 years ago now. I can imagine how proud mum would have been... Harold was the only one who passed from our family... I will also ask my sister Eileen if she can recall you Jean. Enjoy looking around the blog.... please feel free to send in any photo's or information you think might be handy.
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