I like the way that that sometimes a picture reveals a story which most of us will have never come across.
This is Wilton Road on the corner of Beech Road and the building behind has in its time been a grocer’s shop, a launderette and is now a restaurant and for almost all of the 19th century stretch back into the century before it was a wattle and daub cottage known as Sutton’s cottage.
All this was familiar to me but what I didn’t know was the connection with the upstairs room of the building and Chorlton Evangelical Church.
For the following story and the pictures I am indebted to Paul Maylor who writes, "Chorlton Evangelical Church has met in its own building on the corner of Brookburn Road and Ivygreen Road facing the old St.Clement’s graveyard since 1951, but originally rented a hall above John Williams & Sons (grocers) on the corner of Beech Road and Wilton Road now the site of the 'Laundrette' restaurant.
Originally known as Chorlton Christian Fellowship, the name was changed to the current one in 1953.
The church met there from 1930 when I believe the row of shops was only newly built, through to 1951.
This picture shows a group from the Sunday School stood outside the door to the stairs leading up to the upper hall, so it is sometime in the period before the move away in 1951.
The doorway is now hidden behind the wooden fence/partition at the rear of the 'Laundrette,' the protruding wall has gone by then but the line could be seen on the ground.
The picture of the church building dates from sometime soon after the opening in December 1951 and the change of name to Chorlton Evangelical Church.
This is the original building and the white hall which is at the side of the building today wasn’t built until the 1960s.”
And like all good stories Paul has promised more, commenting “I have realised that there is one lady who still attends the church who will probably remember the names of at least a few of the faces in the photos that I have, so I hope to check facts with her and add more later.
Meanwhile for your own interest, I’ve attached one of the images which I hope to get one or more names confirmed for.
It looks to me like some sort of a Sunday School trip, in the 1950s or maybe the 1960s. I can’t tell if they are at their destination, or about to board from somewhere in Chorlton, which would probably be around Beech Road or Chorlton Green.
I think the man in glasses on the right of the picture is might be Ken Saulez, who I only met a few times in his later years when he was a trustee of the church but then living in Alderley Edge. I think he had previously lived on Morville Road.”
So as they say, watch this space.
Location; Chorlton in the 1950’s
Pictures; Wilton Road, the Chorlton Evangilical Church and a an outing, circa 1950’s, courtesy of Paul Maylor
All this was familiar to me but what I didn’t know was the connection with the upstairs room of the building and Chorlton Evangelical Church.
Originally known as Chorlton Christian Fellowship, the name was changed to the current one in 1953.
The church met there from 1930 when I believe the row of shops was only newly built, through to 1951.
This picture shows a group from the Sunday School stood outside the door to the stairs leading up to the upper hall, so it is sometime in the period before the move away in 1951.
The doorway is now hidden behind the wooden fence/partition at the rear of the 'Laundrette,' the protruding wall has gone by then but the line could be seen on the ground.
This is the original building and the white hall which is at the side of the building today wasn’t built until the 1960s.”
And like all good stories Paul has promised more, commenting “I have realised that there is one lady who still attends the church who will probably remember the names of at least a few of the faces in the photos that I have, so I hope to check facts with her and add more later.
It looks to me like some sort of a Sunday School trip, in the 1950s or maybe the 1960s. I can’t tell if they are at their destination, or about to board from somewhere in Chorlton, which would probably be around Beech Road or Chorlton Green.
I think the man in glasses on the right of the picture is might be Ken Saulez, who I only met a few times in his later years when he was a trustee of the church but then living in Alderley Edge. I think he had previously lived on Morville Road.”
So as they say, watch this space.
Location; Chorlton in the 1950’s
Pictures; Wilton Road, the Chorlton Evangilical Church and a an outing, circa 1950’s, courtesy of Paul Maylor
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