Four petrol pumps ….. three concrete stumps ........ and two pizza shops

There will be many who remember the three concrete stumps outside what are now Pizza Hut and Domino’s on Wilbraham Road.

1959

And there may still be some who can recall the four petrol pumps which stood on those concrete plinths.

They are gone now but for almost all of the time I have lived in Chorlton the stumps were there.

At some point when part of the building was the pottery studio, they had been decorated with colourful tiles but I have to confess I thought little about them. 

Only once did I ponder on whether they had been the base for petrol pumps which of course was what they were for here was Wilbraham Garage. 

It wasn’t the first in Chorlton, that was probably Shaw’s on Barlow Moor Road but still it is an indication of how far the motor car had taken over.  The three stumps supported four pumps which stood in front of the shop and garage and like Shaw’s were in a row of conventional shops and houses.

And last night with the help of Anthony Petrie I went looking for the history of the garage, the pumps and the concrete plinths.

He has access to four street directories spanning the early and middle decades of the last century.

Street directories record the residents and businesses street by street, with separate listings in alphabetical and trade order.

2023

The Manchester and Salford directories go back to the late 18^th century becoming more detailed during the following two centuries.

The last was published in 1969 and because they were compiled and published annually offer up a record of who and what was where and how in some cases occupants moved around the twin cities.

In 1954 613 Wilbraham Road was home to Wilbraham Garage which is still listed there in 1961, leaving me just to book into Central Ref and go looking either side of 1954 and 1961 to establish when the garage opened and when it closed.

1985

But in the nature of these things, I bet someone will know.

For now I can just record that in 1929 the site was home to the accountant Harry Moorhouse who had diversified into cinemas and owned a chain which stretched across Manchester.

Although I rather think his house was demolished or seriously altered to accommodate the garage.

We shall see.

But that is not quite the end of the tale, because here after perhaps 40s years are two of the tiles made by the Pottery Studio.

For almost four decades they were part of the tiled surround to our bath.  

And when the old bath went and were replaced by a walk in shower only a handful survived.

Perhaps not a petrol pump or concrete stump but a reminder of that spot.

Location; Wilbraham Road

Picture; Wilbraham Road,, A E Landers, 1959, M18423, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass in 1985 from the collection of Tom McGrath  in 2023, courtesy of Google Maps, and two of the tiles from the Pottery Studio, 2023, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

Find out more about the story on Sunday when you can join me for The short Chorlton History Walk that’s got the lot ……. at 2pm oiutside Benitos on Wilbraham Road, which is part of  Chorlton Get Together; https://chorlton.coop/event/get-together-2023/