The silly bits of Chorlton’s history

Now I never turn down an invitation to talk about our past.

The story, 1904

And yesterday was one such invitation, which was part of Chorlton Book Festival which closes today with Superhero You!

In all there were 15 events ranging from the literary to the historic, with plenty of practical activities and of course the Manchester Poets and the ever popular Pub Quiz at the Beech Inn.

And having started the Festival with a walk around Chorlton’s past we were back at the end with a mix of silly objects, more than a few stories of how we used to live and because it was the Book Festival there was a session on 

“When Art met History and became a book”.

The Earth Rod

It was a change to the advertised event and pretty much took up the afternoon with a break for tea, coffee, cake and biscuits.

In the two hours we explored the joys of darning socks, remembering old 78 rpm’s, while extolling the merits of the iconic Nokia 3310, and puzzled over a 45 cm brass bar which in the 1920s was used as an earth rod to aid the reception of an old wireless.

And finishing off with a genuine Viking oyster shell.

Followed by a romp through the Chorlton of 1904 and the story of how art and history combined with modern technology turned my friendship with Peter Topping into six books, which may seem outrageous self promotion ..... which it was.

All of which just leaves me to thank Beverley Smith and her colleagues at the Library, who have made the Book Festival such a success, and to thank Kay Luxon and Peter who recorded the event in pictures and to the 40 or so members of the Grand Day Out group who turned up on a cold dismal November afternoon.

The audience

And for any one wondering about the silly objects, the Viking oyster shell came from the Jorvick excavations in the 1970s. 

The 3310 was my trusty phone for years, a mobile, which you could drop, and it just bounced, had a battery which didn’t run out in half an hour and played snake.

The silly objects

While the earth rod was one of 60 found in my Dad’s shed in south east London which had been made by Frederick Smith at the Anaconda Works in Salford.

Location; Chorlton

Pictures, the event, 2018 courtesy of Peter Topping, & Kay Luxon and from the collection of Andrew Simpson

* Superhero You!..... for all “incredible families to come along to Superhero craft day at Chorlton Library between 11am-4.30”, part of Chorlton Book Festival, www.chorltonbookfestival.co.uk