Now I always think that some of the most fascinating pictures of Chorlton are not those of a hundred years ago but the more recent.
Often these we remember because they are our past and yet in a strange way they can seem as remote as a photograph of Beech Road taken at the start of the last century.
So it is with this one taken by my old friend Tony Walker in 1980. Richardson’s still bears its name of the Beech Tree Bakery with its pine panelling.
The Police Station is still an office for the City Council and away in the distance we still had a Post Office.
Looking more closely I am struck at how in 1980 Beech Road was still a conventional parade of shops. Next to Richardson’s was the fabric shop Marcele Materials and further down the Wool Shop as well as one of the two butcher’s while the boarded premises had been a grocery store.
Completing the row was the Chinese takeaway of Mr Chan and the furniture place, where you could get anything from a three piece suite to a 1950 rotating ash tray.
And facing them was another butcher’s shop, a hardware place a grocers and further down Muriel and Richard’s veg shop. Within two decades many of them had gone.
Picture; Beech Road circa 1980 from the collection of Tony Walker
Often these we remember because they are our past and yet in a strange way they can seem as remote as a photograph of Beech Road taken at the start of the last century.
So it is with this one taken by my old friend Tony Walker in 1980. Richardson’s still bears its name of the Beech Tree Bakery with its pine panelling.
The Police Station is still an office for the City Council and away in the distance we still had a Post Office.
Looking more closely I am struck at how in 1980 Beech Road was still a conventional parade of shops. Next to Richardson’s was the fabric shop Marcele Materials and further down the Wool Shop as well as one of the two butcher’s while the boarded premises had been a grocery store.
Completing the row was the Chinese takeaway of Mr Chan and the furniture place, where you could get anything from a three piece suite to a 1950 rotating ash tray.
And facing them was another butcher’s shop, a hardware place a grocers and further down Muriel and Richard’s veg shop. Within two decades many of them had gone.
Picture; Beech Road circa 1980 from the collection of Tony Walker
Mr Chan was a really nice guy, always asked about my family even though his English wasn't brilliant,missed his meals when it closed.
ReplyDeleteI agree a lovely man ,this near black hair. Food was the best
DeleteI remember one of the Richardson brothers being a goalkeeper in Barlow Hall Junior School football team on Darley Avenue and they lived on Barlow Moor Road between Mottram Arch and Hardcastle Avenue. He won an award for being such a good goalie one year. His physique was also an advert for how good their cakes were!
ReplyDeleteI used to get my hair cut on beech Road at bill Jackson barbers I think it's a gallery now
ReplyDeleteI did a few times. Only new one cut though
DeleteMr Etchels was great as a kid 50p would buy you enough sweets for the whole day. Loved it when I lived there, footie on the reck then back to get chips hoping the owner didn't drop fag ash in the fat, brilliant lol.
ReplyDeleteAnyone remember bill Jackson barber shop my dad used to take me to him I remember sitting on the wooden board
ReplyDelete