Go west …….. and discover Altrincham’s past …. part one

It may not be the most elegant of titles, but it does the business of introducing our new book in the series of the History of Greater Manchester by Tram.*

Lions at the Town Hall, 2026

It marks a departure because the first four books have taken in the city centre and south Manchester, and with this one we head out through Stretford, Sale and Timperley and onto Altrincham.

But like all the others the format is the same ….. take a number of tram stops, discover their stories and together they build into the history of Greater Manchester.  To these we add a collection of Peter’s paintings along with some old and new photographs.

Two pots and a heap of lampshades

And the route to Altrincham, via Old Trafford, Stretford, Sale, Brooklands, Timperley and Navigation Road offer up a heap of the past from Manchester’s 1857 Art Exhibition and tales from the Duke’s Canal to the Bravest Little Street.

We started in Altrincham and fell across a local postman who was convinced we should visit Church Street Antiques because in his words the “owners know all there is to know about the town’s past” and given that they have been trading from the shop for three decades it was a promising start.**

But nothing can beat just wandering the streets and taking a chance of going in and exploring the interior of old buildings.

And that led us into the former Altrincham Town Hall and a discussion with Libby and Ella who are part of the team which manage the building for the community and were more than happy to tell us the story of the Town Hall along with the statue of the market trader which was unveiled in the grounds in 2008.

To which Peter went home and produced this fine water colour of Church Street Antiques which must be one from inclusion in the book.

And later we may have more with perhaps one of the clock tower.

Well we shall see.

Bravests Little Street, 2026

Of course, there is much more and along with the Market Hall, and sundry old buildings we had a resident who directed us to Chapel Street for ever remembered as the “Bravest Little Street” for it was here that “from just 60 houses, 161 men volunteered in the Great War [and] 29 were killed”.

All of which promises a heap of stories from just one of the eight tram stops in the book which will be published later this year and is available at £4.99 from Chorlton Bookshop, the shop at Central Ref, St Peter's Square, or from us at  www.pubbooks.co.uk

Next; Peter’s painting of the Clock Tower a bit more Altrincham history.

Location; Altrincham

Pictures; scenes from Altrincham, 2026, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

Painting; Water colour of Church Street Antiques, 2026 

*A History of Greater Manchester by Tram; https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2026/03/go-west-and-discover-altrinchams-past.html

**Church Street Antiques, www.churchstreetantiques.com