See better days …… and do better things …..

I won’t be the only one to remember wandering through the House of Fires that emporium of all things to do with keeping the house warm.  

Here could be found ornate coal scuttles, fire surrounds, grates and much more which were offered at “affordable” prices for a £10 deposit fitted in 8 days”.

For us it was the humble fire grate and sometimes a new coal scuttle, but there were plenty of other things, and judging from the steady traffic of customers “Tommy” did the business.

And then it closed, and we were forced to look elsewhere.

I have Andy Robertson to thank for the pictures which he took last week on a wander across this part of Trafford.

I did sometimes wonder at the origins of the building and armed with copious street directories and OS maps I have plunged myself into a bit of research. 

Suffice for now I know that one of the buildings straddling Talbot and Chester Road s was Matin’s Bank which had merged with the old Lancashire and Yorkshire bank in 1928 and shows up in the 1911 directory as the L&Y Bank at 555 Chester Road and no. 2 Talbot Road.

It’s immediate neighbours on Talbot Road were Burgons Limited, teal dealers, at no. 4, Mrs. Emma Whitworth confectioner at no. 6 and E.H. Houghton wine & spirit merchant at 8, leaving a doctor at no. 10.

I doubt that the Hall of Fire has long to last and may soon be the in the sights of a developer.

.

We shall see.

And within hours of me posting the story my old Facebook friend Bill Sumner answered my thoughts about the future of Tommy's with "Little did you realise whilst looking at the fires, that beneath your feet in a tunnel rumbled the main Manchester to Altrincham Railway line exiting at Old Trafford Station., this being the reason for that property not being replaced with a towering block of offices or apartments, planning permission refused recently".

Adding . "I leave you here with a photo of the Garage that many years later became Tommy's.......Talbot Rd side and late 1920's would be right. The Pankhursts lived just a few doors down, the Bingo Hall car park covers the site.

The married Pankhursts lived at Drayton Terrace, Richard before he married lived at James Place which was in fact a little to the right of the marked circle. 

A Cinema was later built at the rear of their home".

Bill's picture is from the Talbot Road side and he tells me dates from the late 1920s.

Leaving me just to thank Bill and once again reflect on how sharing our past ads to our understanding.

Location; Talbot Road and Chester Road

Pictures; House of Fires and other curiosities, 2024, from the collection of Andy Robertson its former self, circa late 1920s, courtesy of Bill Sumner