Today's post is made possible by Barry Lewis who was born on Victoria Street, Newton in 1946 and attended St Mary's primary School and Flowery Field Secondary, His Grandad had a Chippy on Talbot Road across from St Mary's School. Barry joined the RAF after working at T.Walls, Godley and served 5 years before migrating to Oz in 1969. Over to Barry now for the rest of the post.
No.15 setting off to Newton...
My Dad, Bill Lewis was a conductor then a driver on the No. 15 for years. He also drove the 210 from Hyde to Piccadilly, Manchester.
This is he on the right (the skinny one) with his driver Alan Stelfox in the late 1940s.
I have also attached a recent photo of myself and my first Primary School teacher Mrs Betty Sparkes. Please allow me a little story here to tie in with the bus story. Mrs Sparkes was my teacher at St Mary's primary school on Talbot Rd in the early 1950s, I lived with my Mum and dad in the Chippy directly across the road from the school. Every day my dad would be driving the Bus and he would stop the bus (passengers and all) outside the chippy to collect his flask of tea and sandwiches, but also to wait for Mrs Sparkes to get out of school and catch the bus. She lived at Glossop and if she missed dads bus she would miss her connection at Hyde and have to wait over an hour for the Glossop bus. On a few occasions Mrs Sparkes would be a little late out of school but Dad and the passengers would wait until she stepped on the bus. Would that happen these days ? I doubt it.
I have also attached a recent photo of myself and my first Primary School teacher Mrs Betty Sparkes. Please allow me a little story here to tie in with the bus story. Mrs Sparkes was my teacher at St Mary's primary school on Talbot Rd in the early 1950s, I lived with my Mum and dad in the Chippy directly across the road from the school. Every day my dad would be driving the Bus and he would stop the bus (passengers and all) outside the chippy to collect his flask of tea and sandwiches, but also to wait for Mrs Sparkes to get out of school and catch the bus. She lived at Glossop and if she missed dads bus she would miss her connection at Hyde and have to wait over an hour for the Glossop bus. On a few occasions Mrs Sparkes would be a little late out of school but Dad and the passengers would wait until she stepped on the bus. Would that happen these days ? I doubt it.
The above photo of myself and Mrs Sparkes was taken in August 2010 and it was our first meeting in almost 60 years and we had a great time together. Unfortunately she passed away October 2011.
St Mary School
St Mary School
The above shows St Mary's on the left corner, then a smaller building and then the Methodist building.
In this photo you can see the front of the shops on Talbot Road (where my Grandad had his Chippy in the old days) and just up the road is the Conservative club jutting out, known locally as 'The Time Tunnel.
Opposite the Time Tunnel you will see a fence then a load of trees, within those trees is the little house above and alongside that was the Methodist building seen in the Whit Walk picture above. There was then a large wide dirt driveway and then the houses that you see in the shops pictures.
No 177 Talbot Rd which was owned by the Taylor family, was in the 1830s a public house known as The Buck Inn. It recently underwent restoration and now houses apartments/flats.
I think this is a theatre group standing in the yard of St Mary’s school, over the top of the ‘Brides’ head you will see my old bedroom window above Jess Lewis Chip shop and next to that was Mayalls bakery. I hope someone can name the folks in the photo.
Very interesting blog today. We lived a few yards down from the shops, next door to the library for the first seven years of our married life.The chip shop was then owned by Chinese people but they did fine fish and chips.
ReplyDeleteBarry here, The history of the Chippy is as follows. It was owned by a great Uncle, Jim Bond in the early 30s then my GRanddad during the 30s , 40s and 50s. He sold it mid 50s to another uncle Wilf Dudley then he sold it in the very late 50s to Mr & Mrs Capstick.
ReplyDeleteNext door to Mayalls bakery was a house owned by Mr Hampson, the local ScoutMaster of the 3rd Newton Scouts. Then another house and then a house owned by Tattons Funerals. There was then an old Barn like building that fromnted onto Cook Street where Mr Tatton kept his bodies for funeral preparations.
What a lovely post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Barry and thanks Tom for putting it together.
Hi Beryl
ReplyDeleteyour old house is in view from my front window...
Barry as been great with the pictures and snippets of information... he as wanted many months for the post to be done... and what's great... is there will be a 'part 2' of Barry's pictures and memories in the coming week..
Hi Barry,
ReplyDeleteDo you remember Derbyshires chippy which was on the other side of the road when Capsticks were still trading?
You could get chips, peas, a special,bread and butter and a glass of pop for 9d.That was eating in.
Jean, I seem to remember that Derbyshires was up towards ICI near the Pub wasn't it ?
ReplyDeleteSome memories are vivid, such as the Post office (still there), Sissons shop, Tom Ollerenshaws shop, The 'overflow classroom' of St Mary's at the rear of the Methodist hall, the two front doors of St Mary's school, one with 'Boys' carved in the brickwork and the other 'Girls'. HeadMistress Clegg sending a 6 year old across to Jack Greys paper shop for a packet of DuMaurier ciggies (wouldn't happen today eh?) A bloke called Francis Baxter who's father was the Rag and Bone man and who, as a lad, was picked on by other kids because he was a bit 'slow' (they thought) and who ended up owning and running a Laundrette where Jesse's chippy was, a lass with a 'pot leg' called Beryl Axon (I think). Barry
Barry again, looking at the photo of the women and kids in the playground of St Mary's I hope it was a 'Theatre Group', if not it was the first 'Gay' wedding in the UK. Lol.
ReplyDeleteJean again,
ReplyDeleteNext door to Jack Grey was a snatchett that took you on to Hickenfield then Cyril Parker who was a butcher. Where the bookies is now was Gerties she sold a wide variety of stuff but only carried a couple of each item.
You are right about Derbyshires being near The Clarence.
Jean.
Jean, Barry again, that 'snatchet' was Cook Street that lead to the rear of the Chip shop which was in a small 'fold' with the rear of the Paper shop, the rear of the house between the paper shop and the Chippy and toilets for all those premises. I have given Tom a Photo of Cyril and Una Parkey in that Snatchet with myself and my Mum, should be shown in the next block of photo's, and yes, it went through to Hickenfield. I remember Gerties shop, it was a dingie little shop that had lace curtains just up from the Conservative club. There was another shop just past that on the right but I can't remember the name of it.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Linda WIllocks daughter of Jackie WIllocks I also lived on Talbot road number 160 and I just about remember Cyril the butcher.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to trace my family and forgotten past. Can anyone help pictures family where abouts and so on. Also The family name Branwood is also important to my past as this would be my dads sister who married into the branwoods.
Hi my name is Linda WIllocks daughter of Jackie WIllocks I also lived on Talbot road number 160 and I just about remember Cyril the butcher.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to trace my family and forgotten past. Can anyone help pictures family where abouts and so on. Also The family name Branwood is also important to my past as this would be my dads sister who married into the branwoods.
I used to go to School at St Mary's until it closed in favour of the new Oakfield Primary School, I remember going in to Mayalls bakers shop to buy a "Penny Loaf" miniature loaves with "Turog" on the side, they were delicious when still warm
ReplyDeleteHi Linda Willocks, this is Janet Mooney was Platts. If your mums name was Doris, she would be a sister of my mum, Mary Platts my dads name was Fred, there was also Aunty Frances who passed away many years ago, Aunty Molly still lives on Hickenfield, when you were small they lived with nanny in Sussex Place.
ReplyDeleteI LIVED IN THE HOUSE OPPOSITE PARKY'S BUTCHERS - 5 CHAPEL SQUARE. IT LAY BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND THE CHAPEL. I LIVED THERE WITH MY SISTER, PAMELA AND MY PARENTS. MY PARENTS BOUGHT THE HOUSE IN 1942 AND WE LEFT IN 1965. I USED TO PLAY WITH THE PARKY CHILDREN ; SHOP IN SCISSONS AND JACK GRAYS; BUY LOVELY MEAT AND POTATO PIES IN GERTIE'S; PLAYED WITH HE DAUGHTER OF THE PEOPLE IN THE PUB UP THE ROAD; BOUGHT CHIPS AND SCRAPS FROM THE CHIPPY BOUGHT BY THE SCISSONS, NEAR THE PUB; ATTENDED ST PAUL'S SCHOOL(NOT ST MARY'S); WENT TO THE LIBRARY WHICH WAS AT THE SIDE OF THE CHAPEL AND SPENT DAYS PUTTING ON SHOWS IN OUR BACKYARD WITH MY FRIENDS AND COUSINS, CHARGING A PENNY TO CHILDREN TO WATCH! I HAVE LOTS MORE MEMORIES TOO OF THOSE DAYS.
ReplyDelete