So where did we hold a demonstration?

Crown Square, circa 1981

This is Crown Square, and back in the 1970s and 80s it was one of the places where demonstrations finished up.

There were other places, of which Whitworth Park, Alexandra Park along with Albert Square were the ones I seem to remember.

Go back almost a century and Stevenson Square played host to a large number of rallies and demonstrations while in the decades before Peterloo many impromptu gatherings occurred at New Cross.

All of which just leaves the sight of Peterloo, which everyone will be familiar with.

Albert Square, circa 1981

As for the start place that seemed to be any open bit of land large enough to take lots of people and close to the big roads into the city.

In the early 1970s the favoured venue was Oxford Road, although I can remember assembling by Strangeways prison once.

More recently and for reasons I don’t fully understand we were told to meet up near the Cathedral to process to Piccadilly Gardens.

Location; Manchester

Picture; Crown Square, and Albert Square, circa 1981 from the collection of Andrew Simpson