"Hi,
Your
blog is really interesting to me as I was born in Newton though no
longer live in the area. Harbour Farm was still standing in the early
60s and it stood on the land opposite Leigh Fold the second map on the
blog shows five buildings – these were flats
in two story buildings which were built in the 60s.
I
can remember the farm being pulled down and the roof timbers being
burnt as I walked past there on the way to school at Oakfield Primary.
The new school was built to replace
St Mary’s School on Talbot Road.
There was a shortcut down the
left hand side of the farm into Fir Tree Drive or “Debtors Retreat” as
it was known when we moved there in 1963 to be near my grandmother who
lived in a flat in Longfield Close.
Linda"
Harbour farm.
Many thanks Linda.
It's always lovely to hear peoples individuals memories of Hyde and the surrounding areas.:)
Barry in Oz. I left Newton in 1961 when my family moved to Woodley. I lived on Bradley Green Rd and at the top of the 'new section' it had Blenkinsops Farm (Now long gone). The only animals that were kept on the farm were pigs and as a kid if you took Mums veggie peelings to the Farm in a bag you received a small bag of sweets. The peelings were put in a 44 Gallon drum and boiled for pig swill. As you walked towards St Mary's school past the farm on the left hand side of BRadley Green Rd there were some older houses and at the rear of those were open fields. I recall a lad called Billy Linney who lived on St Mary's Road trying to climb a fence in this field with a loaded shotgun and it discharged, killing him. The Linneys were a large family on St Mary's road alongside other large families such as the Abbotts and the Shuttleworths.
ReplyDeleteOn the right hand side of Bradley Green Road near Talbot Rd lived an elderly man who was the local Rag & Bone' man, who had a cart gathering rags and who gave you 'donkey stones' in return, his name was Baxter and he had a son called Francis who later opened a laundromatte at 156 Talbot Rd where my Grandads Chippy used to be. Newton in those days was a small village where everyone new everyone else and had a great sense of community.
As I live nearby here now Barry this is very interesting.. I recall Francis and his brother Hubert.. they ended up owning quite a bit of property in the area.. they also did quite a bit for local causes. I know the scouts on Cartwright street benefited for donations.
ReplyDeleteHello Tom & Barry, This brings back memories.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandparents lived on St Mary's road and I can remember them talking about Billy Linney. He was only 14 when he was killed in 1962.
I also remember my Grandad used to go to a farm to buy eggs in the area, it was somewhere between St Mary's school and Newton reservoir.
Regards to all,
Dave Hamilton.
Barry in Oz. Tom, I revisited the old chippy in the mid 80s. I was standing outside what was now the Luandrette when Francis came out. I hadn't seen him since I was about 7 years old. He looked at me and immediately said "Your Bills Lewis's Lad". Folk used to think he was backwards, but he was as sharp as a tack. Dave, Newton, as a community was very close knit and much of this centred on the Chapel and the Church. every year a Pantomime was put on and they were great. Most of the shop keepers, like Jack Grey who had the newspaper shop, Cyril Parkey who had the butchers shop, Jim Mayall who had the bread and cake shop and many others put in many hours of practice and put on a great show. The Headmistress of St Mary's school, Gladys Clegg, was a real Character, she used to send 5 year olds accross the road to Jack Greys shop for 20 Du Maurier cigarettes (wouldn't happen these days). One day she saw me as a 7 year old walking on a pair of stilts my dad had made me, so she had 6 pair of stilts made, paid them out of her own pocket and had me teaching the other schoolkids how to use them in the school yard.
ReplyDeleteNext door to Mayalls Cake shop was a house where Mr Hampson lived. He was the Scout Master of the 3rd Newton Scouts which were based on Victoria Street. A very prim and proper man who modelled himself on Lord Baden Powell, even to the same moustache. A couple of doors down was Tattons Funeral home. I went to school with one of the Tatton girls, Sandra. On the corner was an old brick barn where Mr Tatton prepared the bodies. It was an eerie place and as young lads we tried to peek inside for a look but soon took off in fright at the slightest noise.
Newton was a great place for kids, we roamed freely amongst the wonderful green fields or played in the street until dark or when Mum called us in, never had to worry about paedophiles, drugs and such, it was a wonderful place to grow up in.
I took part in several of the pantomimes at St Mary's. one year they did Cinderella and my father, a welder, made a beautiful coach. I remember going to his workshop and sitting in it before it was finished. After our panto, other churches borrowed it to do Cinderella. I have often wondered what happened to it. I wonder if Barry in oz saw me and my sister as Babes in the Wood, or my father as one of the Ugly Sisters?
ReplyDeleteBarry in Oz. Marjorie, the only photo I have seen of 'The Ugly Sisters' is one of Jack Grey and Jim Mayall.
ReplyDeleteWhat was your maiden name Marjorie ?
Yes, my maiden name was Marjorie Davies. My dad was an ugly sister and the grave digger was the other. It would be sometime in the 40s.
ReplyDeleteBarry in Oz. Marjorie, would your Dad be Percy Davis ? The other Sister being Arthur Fitton ? There is a photo of the two ofthem as the Ugly sisters in Cinderella at Stt Mary's Church Hall in 1949 published in Barabara Soles book on 'Hyde', page 72.
ReplyDeleteThere is also a photo of yourself and your sister Maureen in 'Babes in the wood' in 1948 on page 73.
Hit the nail on the head, Barry. The photos are part of my family collection and I loaned them to Barbara, who I knew from an art club we both attended.
ReplyDeleteBarry in Oz. Marjorie, for your info (in case you didn't know) the 2 males, one wearing a wig, are Jack Grey and Jim Mayall. The leading lady was Jean Tatton I believe. You will find many of my photo's in Barbara's books as well.
ReplyDeleteI was born in 1946 and Mum & dad used to take me to all the St Mary's Panto's which was directly across the road from my Grandads chippy. Great days.
Barry in Oz. Tom, there used to be an Iron foundry on Talbot road opposite the bus stop near Manor Rd. Is it still there ? I also recall a girl called Beryl Axon who lived near the Post Office. She had a tin leg from a traffic accident.
ReplyDeletePrior to Bonfire night as a lad I used to make a Guy Fawkes stuffed with old newspapers, put it in a trolley and stand outside the gates of ICI waiting for the workers to come out. We used to sing 'Aye,Aye,Aye, penny for the Guy, throw him on a bonfire and then watch him die' and the workers each threw a couple of pennies in my trolley. I used to earn a small fortune for fireworks.
I know this isn't directly connected with Newton but Barry's comment about the guy has brought memories flooding back! Growing up in Kensington Street, where there was a great community and lots of youngsters, we used to go cob-a-coaling round the houses of our street, Kensington and Kew Avenues. I'm assuming that everyone of my vintage will remember what that was, but for those who don't, and younger ones, it consisted of the street children visiting every house and singing what I suppose were street rhymes of their day. For example:
ReplyDeleteWe've come a cob-a-coaling, cob-a-coaling, cob-a-coaling;
We've come a cob-a-coaling for bonfire plot.
Up a ladder and down a hole, pleased to give us a cob of coal or a box of matches.
Guy, guy, guy, hit him in the eye, hang him from a lamp post and then let him die.
Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are marching,
Who's that knocking at the door?
Oh its little Mary Ann with a candle in her hand and she's going down the cellar for some coal.
There's more of course, but that's all I can remember. People gave us money which, when we'd been all round, we divided between however many there were of us and then we went hot-footing it down to Keay's shop next to Slack Mills to buy fireworks.
Happy, happy days!
Does anyone remember the cows walking up Talbot Road?
ReplyDeleteI was very wary of them when my mother sent me up the road to the shops.
Barry in Oz. This is an extract of my Mums memoirs. She speaks about the first time she came to Newton with her new Boyfriend (my Dad)in 1943.
ReplyDelete"the first time Bill took me to his home was a real eye opener, he lived in a small Village called Newton and it was surrounded by hills, & as I had always lived in a town where there was no hills it was all new to me, every one knew each other & Bill was well known
because his Father had the Chip Shop.{ there was only two Chip Shops in the Village}I don't really know what I expected the Shop & house to be like but it was a bit of a shock,first there was the shop part which was quite a good size, then you went into a small passage from which the coal house was, a Scullery {Kitchen}& stairs ran of, that lead into the living room which was the only other room downstairs,in>this room which was'nt too large there was a big blackleaded fire place {which in later years it would be my job to blacklead}, A large old fashion sideboard a settee & chair plus a table in the center. In one corner though was a raidiogram which in those days was a luxury. The only electric was in the shop & the living room,every where else you had to use candles. Upstairs there was a middle room which two other rooms ran off. The kitchen was very small, just a sink, a stove plus a water boiler in the corner,{as there was no hot water,all water had to be boiled}. The toilet was outside down a path & as it was a combind backyard it was shared by Three more houses. There was four toilets, back to back, these was a bigger shock as there was no pull chain and the seat was just wood with a hole in it, I had never seen anything like it before & it took me a long while to get used to it, especially on dark cold night's. But for all that I used to love going up for the weekends, Sunday tea's were a treat,sandwiches
fruit & cream, plus lovely cakes from the shop next door (Mayalls). After we would have a game of cards{ no TV in those days} Helping in the shop I soon got to know most folks & I enjoyed it".
My Mum is 86 now and lives in Woodley.
She often tells the story about my Dad being repatriated after being in a POW Camp in German Sudatenland for 12 months (He was captured at the Battle of Arnhem). They had received a telegram from the War Office telling them that he would be home on a certain day so she went up to Newton and knowiong he would be arriving by SHMD bus she and my GRandad waited outside the Chip shop at 156 Talbot rd. They didn't know which bus stop he would get off at, the one at the top of the street near the Post Office or the lower one opposite Manor rd, so they kept there eyes open. Mum suddenly saw him walking down from the Post Office bus stop and they ran towards each other. They hadn't seen each other in over 12 months and at one stage Dad had been reported as 'Missing believed killed in Action'. Just like in the movies they ran at each other, then STOPPED AND SHOOK Hands'. Romantic the English aren't they ?
Came across this site purely by accident and have spent hours over the past few days reading it and walking down memory lane, and what wonderful memories. I was 4 or 5 when my parents moved to Newton in 1949/1950. We lived in the end terrace next door to the foundry, right by the bus stop. (I believe it used to be the old police station). It's not there now, it was knocked down just after we left in 196l and new houses were built there. I remember all the old shops, Grey's the newsagents, Mayall's the bakers, Cyril Parkey's the butchers (the number of times I was sent on errands there for the likes of "5 lamb chops and tell him I want nice ones"!, Gerties, who used to "pat" out butter from large mounds, with butter paddles and wrap it in greaseproof paper; she also stocked bottles of sweets such as hundreds and thousands, not quite sure what precise type of shop it was, seemed to sell everything. Just a little further up on the same side was Hagues and across the road was Ollerenshaws, the greengrocers. I remember the chip shop but I remember it as Capsticks, as I used to play with their daughter;
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this wonderful site, it has been such a joy to travel down. I will wrack my brains for more memories of my own to contribute.