Queen Street - Before and After

The two photos below show the same view of Queen Street about 20 years apart.

How different it is now compared with when James North factory stood there.... Looks much nicer and cleaner now but I loved the factory as I grew up playing round there when I stayed at my Nans house. The shadow of my Nans house can be seen on the top photo.

 The old Queen Street view


This part of Queen Street had its name changed to become a continuation of Douglas Street.

Thanks to Dave and Beryl for the top photo.

Much appreciated. :)

Demolition of Queen Street,

Here is a photo that is quite dear to my heart as my Nan lived on Queen Street.

I spent most of my childhood playing around this area.
She lived in one of the three houses that were attached to Norths Yard at the Lumb Road end of Queen Street.( The far left of the photo)





A similar view, looking down what was Queen Street and is now home to Greenfield Primary School.

Courtesy of Google maps.

Norths from another angle.

Slack Mill, or Norths as it was later to become, covered a huge area from Market Street to Lumn Road and from Smithy Lane to Nelson Street. The only pictures of it that you ever really get to see nowadays are the ones of the front of the building with the large red brick tower.
Here are a few taken from Queen Street.


This one is looking towards the bridge that joined the Lumn Road site to the Douglas Street site. This is taken after the houses on the "Rec" or recreational ground side were demolished.


This one is taken from Queen Street looking at the back of the largest building that fronted Market Street. You can see where new bits of building work were done as the company expanded.


Looking into the goods yard at the back of the main site from Queen Street.

I had the good fortune to grow up in this area. My Nan lived in one of the houses that belonged to the Mill. You can see the gable end of the house to the right of the picture. It was joined to the yard and as children we could play in all the boxes and glove offcuts in the storage areas. It worked well . We didnt bother the workers and they didnt bother us. We used to wander all over the site without any problems. It just wouldn't be allowed in this PC day and age but was a veritible wonderland to us kids. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.