Now for three years I passed Major Street without even giving it a second glance, it was just one of the streets you passed on your way up Minishull Street.
Although I did have my own moment of destiny on the corner where the two meet which involved the publican of the Cross Keys pub and a dispute about the length of my hair.
It was November 1969 I had been in the city for just three months and in the company of four others we went into the Cross Keys for a drink, only to be refused because we had long hair which in my case hadn’t even covered the top of my ears.
We of course left only to return a year later having seen the landlord leave as we were passing. By then all of us had shoulder length hair and it seemed a fitting revenge. Such are the great moments of history. Others marched and demanded social change and we defied a publican.
The Cross Keys has gone now along with a big chunk of the two streets I knew.
That said the one I am really interested in had gone even before the start of the last century.
This was number 14 Major Street and it is a building I have been interested in ever since I discovered it was briefly one of the refuge buildings for a children’s charity.
The charity was the Manchester and Salford Boys’ and Girls’ Refuges which had been established in 1870 to provide a bed and a meal for destitute boys.
It quickly extended its work to include girls as well as boys, and provide more permanent homes offering training for future careers along with holiday homes.
It also campaigned against some of the worst cases of child exploitation taking negligent parents to court and arguing against the practise of employing young children to sell matches on the streets of the twin cities.
And sometime after 1883 it took over number 14 Major Street as an additional home.*
I can’t be exactly sure on the date, but the 1883 street directory does not list it and the 1886 one does.
Nor did it have a long time, because by 1890 it had gone and in its place was a factory.
And just leaves me with the building which was sandwiched between the Cross Keys and number 14.
It went through various uses but by the 1880s had become an “eating house” which it remained through all the time the charity occupied the building next door.
And that is all I want to say.
Location; Manchester
Pictures; the Cross Keys, A Davison, 1970, m49464 courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass and nu 14 Major Street, 1886 courtesy of the Together Trust, http://togethertrustarchive.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-together-trust.html
*Slater's Directory of Manchester & Salford, 1863-1911
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| The Cross Keys on the corner of Major and Minishull Street, 1970 |
It was November 1969 I had been in the city for just three months and in the company of four others we went into the Cross Keys for a drink, only to be refused because we had long hair which in my case hadn’t even covered the top of my ears.
We of course left only to return a year later having seen the landlord leave as we were passing. By then all of us had shoulder length hair and it seemed a fitting revenge. Such are the great moments of history. Others marched and demanded social change and we defied a publican.
The Cross Keys has gone now along with a big chunk of the two streets I knew.
That said the one I am really interested in had gone even before the start of the last century.
This was number 14 Major Street and it is a building I have been interested in ever since I discovered it was briefly one of the refuge buildings for a children’s charity.
 |
| Nu 14 Major Street, 1886 |
It quickly extended its work to include girls as well as boys, and provide more permanent homes offering training for future careers along with holiday homes.
It also campaigned against some of the worst cases of child exploitation taking negligent parents to court and arguing against the practise of employing young children to sell matches on the streets of the twin cities.
And sometime after 1883 it took over number 14 Major Street as an additional home.*
I can’t be exactly sure on the date, but the 1883 street directory does not list it and the 1886 one does.
Nor did it have a long time, because by 1890 it had gone and in its place was a factory.
And just leaves me with the building which was sandwiched between the Cross Keys and number 14.
It went through various uses but by the 1880s had become an “eating house” which it remained through all the time the charity occupied the building next door.
And that is all I want to say.
Location; Manchester
Pictures; the Cross Keys, A Davison, 1970, m49464 courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass and nu 14 Major Street, 1886 courtesy of the Together Trust, http://togethertrustarchive.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-together-trust.html
*Slater's Directory of Manchester & Salford, 1863-1911
I read your comment about your first trip
ReplyDeleteto the Cross Keys.
The landlord was my grandfather and I have to admit that he was very old fashioned in some of his views. Being the Chairman of the Manchester and Salford Licensed Victualers he always kept a tightly run establishment. It wasn't ony long hair that he had strong views about. Of course in those days regular patrons were indeed plentiful. I know he was not the subtlest of people when he saw something which displeased him. Luckily you saw him leave and I hope you enjoyed that drink. Cheers.
Thank you we did with that added sense of the four naughty boys playing in the headmaster's study. Thank you for your contribution.
ReplyDelete