Now by chance and with the help of Ida Bradshaw, I am back in 1903, trawling the pages of the March edition of the St Clement’s Parish Magazine.
There will be those who mumble that it is a journey which yields little, but not so.
Contained in its 20 pages are a mix of parochial news, some uplifting stories, accounts of the early Christian Church, and advice for children, along with biblical questions, a hymn for missionaries and a problem for Draught players.
All of which are fascinating, but a century and a bit on, it is the adverts littered through its pages that make the magazine, a time machine.
In all there are eleven, some advertising national branded goods, but most from local tradesmen, including the butcher R. A. Cooper at 25 Barlow Moor Road, specializing in "Corned Beef and Pickled Tongue", and promising “family orders promptly attended to” and William Mellor, Carting Contractor and Coal Merchant, from 1 Hardy Avenue whose “Coal Delivered in Bags".
Added to these was Thomas Birrell who was a “Joiner and Builder and General Repairer of Property” with a workshop on the “The Green near the Old Church”, “Estimates given for Greenhouses”.
But the one which drew me in was Geo. E. Lascelles “Dealer in Fish, Game, Poultry, 34, Wilbraham Road, And At Hobson Hall Poultry Farm Egerton Road, Speciality; New Laid Eggs, Farm Fed Chickens, Ducklings, Turkeys, Guinea Fowls Best of Everything at Lowest Possible Prices”.
Now what makes Mr. Lascelles just that bit ahead of his fellow advertisers is that his shop has already featured in several stories recently.
No 34 will be known to many as the home of Shareen Fashions, which supplied school uniforms, and much more at decent prices, by a family who were always most helpful.
And it was during the alterations by the new owners that I spotted some beautiful period tiles.
Given that they were of fish and poultry I assumed they were put there by Mr. Worthington Brice who was listed as a fishmonger at the property in 1909.
But now I am not so sure, given that George Lascelles was doing the business with fish, chickens, ducklings, and much more six years earlier.
All of which may seem a very nerdy preoccupation, and I have to concede it is, but in the process it all adds to the story of where we live.
Location; Chorlton
Pictures; extracts from the St Clement’s Parish Magazine, March 1st, 1903, courtesy of Ida Bradshaw, and poultry tiles, 2019, from the collection of Andrew Simpson
Contained in its 20 pages are a mix of parochial news, some uplifting stories, accounts of the early Christian Church, and advice for children, along with biblical questions, a hymn for missionaries and a problem for Draught players.
All of which are fascinating, but a century and a bit on, it is the adverts littered through its pages that make the magazine, a time machine.
Added to these was Thomas Birrell who was a “Joiner and Builder and General Repairer of Property” with a workshop on the “The Green near the Old Church”, “Estimates given for Greenhouses”.
But the one which drew me in was Geo. E. Lascelles “Dealer in Fish, Game, Poultry, 34, Wilbraham Road, And At Hobson Hall Poultry Farm Egerton Road, Speciality; New Laid Eggs, Farm Fed Chickens, Ducklings, Turkeys, Guinea Fowls Best of Everything at Lowest Possible Prices”.
Now what makes Mr. Lascelles just that bit ahead of his fellow advertisers is that his shop has already featured in several stories recently.
No 34 will be known to many as the home of Shareen Fashions, which supplied school uniforms, and much more at decent prices, by a family who were always most helpful.
And it was during the alterations by the new owners that I spotted some beautiful period tiles.
But now I am not so sure, given that George Lascelles was doing the business with fish, chickens, ducklings, and much more six years earlier.
All of which may seem a very nerdy preoccupation, and I have to concede it is, but in the process it all adds to the story of where we live.
Location; Chorlton
Pictures; extracts from the St Clement’s Parish Magazine, March 1st, 1903, courtesy of Ida Bradshaw, and poultry tiles, 2019, from the collection of Andrew Simpson
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