Now, nature and entrepreneurs abhor empty spaces, and so sometime in the early 20th century someone filled that bit of open land at the point where Claude Road takes a right turn on its twisty journey towards Chorltonville.
What look like workshops appear on the 1932 OS map, and are still there thirty-seven years later.
And then sometime during the 1970s they were demolished leaving only the petrol pump on the right side of the entrance.
At the time I wasn’t over bothered about such things and gave little thought to what had become a bit of an overgrown mystery.
Back then there were plenty of such spaces, which have now gone.
So that brings me to this 1969 picture, which shows the workshops, the petrol pump and in the distance the cinema.
So often the hard evidence in the form of deeds, rate records and even pictures can be hard to track down, and people’s memories begin to fade.
So, I am pleased there is this photograph dating from 1969, and a picture drawn by my old friend of Ann Love in the 1960s when the workshop had become a garage by which time the structure sems to have been altered.
Leaving me just to hope there are people out there with memories who will get back to me, and perhaps can also add memories of former workshops, like the one behind Bellwood Road.
Well we shall see.
And within hours of the story going live, Rob Green, posted that Rainbow Close which is the small development on the old site, "must have been built in the early 90’s.
I used to play around the back of the old garage in the mid to late 80’s where I would duck through the fence and swing over the brook on an old rope swing on to the old Sale Cycles land.
I used to love looking at all the new bikes in the window and they had a Rolls Royce pedal car I always hope to receive as a Xmas gift. I remember the petrol pump well walking past it on my way to Brookburn School. Great days".
Location Claude Road
Pictures; Claude Road, 1969, Courtesy of Manchester Archives+ Town Hall Photographers' Collection,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/manchesterarchiveplus/albums/72157684413651581?fbclid=IwAR35NR9v6lzJfkiSsHgHdQyL2CCuQUHuCuVr8xnd403q534MNgY5g1nAZfY, and the garage, Ann Love, circa 1960
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| Claude Road, 1969 |
And then sometime during the 1970s they were demolished leaving only the petrol pump on the right side of the entrance.
At the time I wasn’t over bothered about such things and gave little thought to what had become a bit of an overgrown mystery.
Back then there were plenty of such spaces, which have now gone.
So that brings me to this 1969 picture, which shows the workshops, the petrol pump and in the distance the cinema.
 |
| The garage, circa 1960s |
So, I am pleased there is this photograph dating from 1969, and a picture drawn by my old friend of Ann Love in the 1960s when the workshop had become a garage by which time the structure sems to have been altered.
Leaving me just to hope there are people out there with memories who will get back to me, and perhaps can also add memories of former workshops, like the one behind Bellwood Road.
Well we shall see.
And within hours of the story going live, Rob Green, posted that Rainbow Close which is the small development on the old site, "must have been built in the early 90’s.
I used to play around the back of the old garage in the mid to late 80’s where I would duck through the fence and swing over the brook on an old rope swing on to the old Sale Cycles land.
I used to love looking at all the new bikes in the window and they had a Rolls Royce pedal car I always hope to receive as a Xmas gift. I remember the petrol pump well walking past it on my way to Brookburn School. Great days".
Location Claude Road
Pictures; Claude Road, 1969, Courtesy of Manchester Archives+ Town Hall Photographers' Collection,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/manchesterarchiveplus/albums/72157684413651581?fbclid=IwAR35NR9v6lzJfkiSsHgHdQyL2CCuQUHuCuVr8xnd403q534MNgY5g1nAZfY, and the garage, Ann Love, circa 1960
Lovely article. I envy you still having many land marks nearby that date back to your childhood. I am developing a strong affection for Chorlton. The great thing about here is the warm concern the folk have for each other, esp regardless of religion. I've given up going back to Belfast as the street on which I lived has now been flattened and redeveloped. On reflection, it's probably all for the best. G.
ReplyDeleteThanks G .... where are you now?
DeleteI lived there from the 1950's until 1976. I lived at 47 claude road on the right of the picture. On the left side of the picture was the house where Mrs Holloway and her son Earnest lived. The works in between was Curnon engineering. Curnon invented a steam flow meter which you can read about here https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/cp147507/curnon-engineering-company
ReplyDeleteThe owner was Mr Gabbott who had an old Austin 7. There was two engineers Alan Piper and John Langford. The factory blew up in 1977 which was caused by mottrams garage on the same site. No idea what heppened to Frank Mottram? If you need more information contact me at j2nno@yahoo.com
Thanks. https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2023/04/that-lost-magical-chorlton-playground.html
DeleteAnother important story of Claude Road was in the Manchester Blitz a bomb hit the middle of Claude Road. The impact was about 50 metres from 47 towards the bus terminus. If you walk along you see a few houses are from post war construction. There is a map at https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-blitz-bomb-sites-map-10465447, this shows that a Gilbert Medicott (43) died at no 49 next to 47. I was tpld otherwise and it happenned at no 47. When we were decorating the front room and stripped the paper off you could see the plastering that covered the shrapnel damage.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this
Delete