Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ........ no. 3 The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy

Now very soon lots of you will be pondering on Christmas presents and so with that in mind here is the sixth and last suggestion.

This is the alternative history of Chorlton featuring people, buildings and events that don't usually get into the official histories.












Available from us at http://www.pubbooks.co.uk/ or Chorlton Book shop, 506 Wilbraham Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9AW 0161 881 6374

The mystery behind the Maypole on Wilbraham Road

Now I grant you as mysteries go it ain’t Agatha Christie or even a Sexton Blake but I am intrigued by the wrought iron arch behind the Maypole grocery shop at number 41 Wilbraham Road.

Maypole Dairy, 41 Wilbraham Road

The shop opened in 1909 and was still trading fifty years later and is now part of LewisBet, the Bookmakers.

Today the gap between the Maypole Diary and what is now Barclays Bank is a small retail unit.

When this was constructed is unclear but in 1959 it is there and part of the grocery shop.

But that doesn’t help with my bit of ornate iron work.

It may of course still be there and I suppose I should pop down and explore, or at the very least ask the owners of R J’s the barber shop to have a look out back.

That ironwork

But where would the mystery be in that?

Even if it is still there, that doesn’t help with the question of why it was erected.

Maps of the period do not help although the 1907 map does hint at something beside the bank and back then this was the Manchester and County Bank who may have decided on putting up a bit of decorative iron work, but I somehow doubt it.

Of course Mr Lloyd who added this to his collection may have mistaken this Maypole Dairy for another, opening up the possibility that this isn’t Wilbraham Road, but I doubt it.

We shall see.

Location; Chorlton-cum-Hardy

Picture; the Maypole Dairy Wilbraham Road, circa 1909, from the Lloyd Collection

Saying goodbye to a Chorlton friend ….

 It was seven years ago that we published the Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy which featured stories of the people, places, and events which have contributed to the history of where live.

It was a different sort of history book, in that few of those we wrote about could be described as famous, but each left their mark.  Some like Alan Hollingum is a much-loved resident who is known for his distinctive appearance, others like David Wilkinson will be remembered as the friendly postman, and Allan Brown and Margorie Holmes had lived in Chorlton all their lives and had a rich treasure chest of memories.

On a December night in 2017 the launch of "Quirks"

We also included a heap of interesting buildings, a park, an archaeological dig, and a couple of housing estates, all of which sat beside some bizarre as well as tragic events, like the Great Chorlton Burial Scandal, The Twilight Sleep Home for Painless Childbirth and the Manchester Blitz.

The book was well received, went to a second reprint and is now gracefully edging towards going out of print. 

There are just six copies left and we have taken the decision to rest The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy with an option to produce an online copy sometime in the future.

But the underlying theme is too good to be left to sit on the shelf, so we will be returning to the people, places, and events of Chorlton in three small pocket-sized books.

So good an event Alan Hollingum popped in

Each will be 32 pages long, contain a mix of history, with original paintings by Peter Topping and “period” black and white pictures of old Chorlton.

So, there is it is …. shedloads of the stories in the tradition of stories you have come to trust, and which will help walk you  like a tourist  across our past.

No one and no place is ruled out so if you want to nominate a topic for one of the three books let us know by leaving a comment on the blog, via social media or by contacting us direct at peter@pubbooks.co.uk 

And David Wilkinson, his wife and the Lord Mayor arrived

In the meantime, the first in our new series on the historic pubs of Chorlton will be in the book shops later this month.

It tells the fascinating story of the Horse and Jockey and draws on recent research.

And will be followed by editions on the Bowling Green Hotel, the Beech, Trevor Arms, The Lloyds, Royal Oak, Sedge Lynn and Spread Eagle.

Along with a bonus book on "The Lost Chorlton Pubs".

Pictures; the book launch for the Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, December 4, 2017, Chorlton Library courtesy of ALTOSOUNDS

Walking in the sun and sharing Chorlton’s history

Now given that the sun has been cracking the paving stones for weeks, I rather assumed that the Quirks Walk 3 would be a stroll under a cloudless and blue sky with suntan and shorts the order of the day.

But as we know Sunday dawned wet, grey and miserable, and the prospect of the history walk from Southern Cemetery down to Ken Foster’s Cycle shop must have appeared daunting to those who had signed up.

Nevertheless 16 braved the elements, and began the walk with more catching us up along the way.

And within minutes of starting, the rain had moved off towards Stockport, the sun had come out and by the time we finished, I wished I had opted for those shorts and flip flops.

For those that missed the trawl of our quirky past, we took in stories about Southern Cemetery, George Best, our lost open air theatre and large swimming pool in Chorlton Park and the case of Mr Mr Brundrett’s sparrows.

So, a typical Quirks Walk which everyone enjoyed.

Leaving me to thank Ken Foster, Sean, and all the  staff at the Cycle shop who provided that much needed refreshments at the end of the walk.

And of course a thank you also to the "Hardy 16 + 2" who took a gamble and walked the walk, and were rewarded with some fine anecdotes, a shed load of history and a bit of sunshine

The Quirks Walks will take their summer break, but will be back in the autumn, with more quirky historical rambles around Chorlton-cum-Hardy.

But for those who can't wait, there is always the book, which is a companion to the walks.

It is a celebration of all things quirky and interesting about Chorlton.

Inside its covers, there are 140 paintings, pictures and maps, with stories about the buildings and the people who live here, or have lived here and more than a few bizarre tales.

You can obtain your copy  from us at http://www.pubbooks.co.uk/ or Chorlton Book shop, 506 Wilbraham Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9AW 0161 881 6374

The walks are in association with Chorlton Voice/Chorlton Civic Society.

Location; Chorlton





Pictures; Quirks Walk 3, 2018, courtesy of Peter Topping

Today ........ walk our Quirky past

We are back with that every popular stroll through our quirky past.

And there is the companion book, The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, published in 2017, available from Chorlton Bookshop or direct from us at www.pubbooks.co.uk.

Walking the Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy

We are back with that every popular stroll through our quirky past.

And there is the companion book, The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, published in 2017, available from Chorlton Bookshop or direct from us at www.pubbooks.co.uk.

No chips .... no fish .... no mushy peas .... no pies ...... on Beech Road ..... in the summer of 2018

I wonder how many of the Friends of Beech Road who visit each weekend will have clocked that our chippy has closed.

Now the passing of any local business is a something to regret, especially as it was the source of many a quick meal over the last forty or so years.

And its history goes back much further, because along with the newsagents next door it has consistently sold the same thing since it opened at the beginning of the 20th century.

That makes it almost unique and its record is only matched by four Chorlton pubs, and the bakery opposite.

These are the  Horse & Jockey which got its license in 1793, The Lloyds, which started serving in 1868, the Beech from the early 20th century and the Trevor Arms, from just 1908, although in the case of the Trevor there was a beer shop on or next to it from the 1870s.

And in answer to the torrent of comments about the other pubs, the Bowling Green moved into its present building in the early 20th century, having traded from the 1780s from a building next door, and the Royal Oak only dates from the 1930s, having also moved out of its original building.

True, that pub over the water also dates from the 18th century but it is no longer in Chorlton, while the Spread Eagle was a private residence much longer than it has ever been a pub and hotel.

On a happy note, I am pleased that Neil who ran the chippy is still frying chips and battered fish but is now opposite the old swimming baths, which just leaves me to report that there are rumours that no 42 Beech Road will continue its long relationship with food and reopen as a Chinese takeaway.

I wonder what it will be called, and I do remember the chippy has gone through a series of different names, of which my favourite must be the “Vimto Chippy” so called because of the Vimto stickers around the window.

And once we have a new name it maybe time  to revise the Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy which was published last year, including a paragraph on the return of a Chinese takeaway to Beech Road.*

Location; Beech Road

Picture; the chippy, 2017, from the collection of Peter Topping

*A Quirky book about Chorlton, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20Quirky%20book%20about%20Chorlton

The Collector's Treasures

Now I have it on very good authority that the Antiques Road Show will be in Salford in the summer, which begs the question ...... which collector will snap up these three?

They are a limited edition have only been worn by one person and accompany that one person on history walks and the promotion of the books displayed on the shirts.

Added to which they do also come as a pair, given that Mr Topping who wrote the said books with Mr Simpson, also has a set of the shirts, which he also wears  on those special occassions and actually designed them.

You can see them being worn on May 27 at the next Quirks Walk through History ...... more on this and those books, later.

For the Friends of Wilbraham Road ........ a saunter down the history of this great highway

Now if you take the highway that leads from Edge Lane to Fallowfield looking for history, it pretty much has the lot, from dark and sinister tales, to silly events and more than a few tragic moments.

And packed in between, there are some fascinating historical trivia, including the home of the solicitor who decided to create a chain of cinemas, the story of how a bit of Manchester Road vanished and the day that David Ball who was the manager of the book stall on Chorlton Railway Station past a morning with Reg Croton who ran a taxi and lived on Sandy Lane.

All, and more will be revealed on the third of our walks linked to the book The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy.  The walk will be on Sunday May 27 and will start from the Lloyds Hotel at 1 pm and will end at the Creamiers, over the old railway bridge beside Egerton Arcade.

There will be some familiar stories but because of the ever changing nature of Chorlton  there will be plenty of new ones, including the building that was once Woolworths became B & M, and is now Benito Lounge, which opened last month.

I have watched as the transformation from shop to cafe bar progressed and I am pretty impressed with how it now looks.

That old 50s building with its period steel window frames and brick tower always looked out of place in that parade running from Barlow Moor Road to Brundretts Road.

Peter was equally intrigued by the transformation and decided to paint the new Benito Lounge, and inspired by the painting I decided to dig deep into the history of the site, all of which will be on offer during the walk.

So, in conclusion as they say in all good adverts, “Watch this space” for more on the thirds Quarks history walks.

Painting;  Benito Lounge. Painting © 2018 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures.

Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk

Facebook:  Paintings from Pictures

Today ...... at the Narnia lamp post on the green ...... and then on to 400 years of our Chorlton history

The sun is shinning, so  saunter with us for ......

Location Chorlton 

Saunter through our past ...... tomorrow

One to do tomorrow

Location Chorlton 

A pond, a lost clay pipe and the mystery that is Mr Daniel Sharpe ....... Walking the Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy* ....... our second saunter through the past

Now you may well ponder on the missing pond and clay pipe which were once on Beech Road, as was this house which was home to Mr Daniel Sharpe who lived here from 1841 and maybe earlier.

He was a wine merchant and may have moved into the property with his new wife after their marriage in 1833.

Sadly she died in 1846 leaving him a widow until his own death in 1861.

Although that is not strictly so, because in 1852, he married his servant Ann Bailey, who was much younger than him.

The marriage seemed not to be successful ,for nine years later she is no longer with him, and in his will made shortly before he died, having left her nothing he adds a codicil and awards her a small sum of money.

It is a story I will return, to on our walk, and so if you want to know about Mr Sharpe, the pond and the clay pipe which incidentally was found in our front garden, then you had best join us on Sunday, April 29th at 1.00pm on Chorlton Green beside the Narnia lamp post.

So that just leaves me to say that the maximum for the walk is 50 and knowing how popular it will be it is best to book ahead, by contacting peter@pubbooks.co.uk or text 07521557888 leaving your name and the names of the people you will be bringing.

Andrew Simpson & Peter Topping in association with Chorlton Voice.

Location; Chorlton Row

Pictures; Daniel Sharpe’s house, 21012, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, is available from Chorlton Bookshop or from www.pubbooks.co.uk/ or 07521557888

The Creameries ....... back with a bit of Chorlton's continuity

Now by the time most of you will be reading this story, the bakery at the Creameries on Wilbraham Road will be open for all those who like good bread.

And if by chance you are reading it on Wednesday, then you may just want to call in for breakfast because the Cafe will have opened.

I have been fascinated by this building for decades, and over the years have written about it,* culminating in a chapter in our new book The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy.**

I like the way that what was once a creamery has gone almost full circle and in the process a little of its history is now revealed, because after posting a story last week Paul and Chris got in touch with their own stories.

From Paul came, “my wife Leslie Valentine Dunleavy was born in Chorlton shortly after her dad, D.A Dunleavy acquired the Creamery in 1951.

Leslie sometimes worked in the shop, and her mum used to play Tennis at the Chorlton Club with Annie Walkers " Rovers Return " mother.

1928

My own connection with Chorlton is that my maternal grandmother’s first husband was named Charles Chorlton, his father a Chorlton and his mother a Hardy, they sold up in Chorlton and moved to Hanley to open a Theatrical Boarding house for the artistes of Music Hall”.

Now that opens ups a fascinating story for the future.

But returning to the Creameries, Chris had done some detective work and discovered that “I tracked their telephone directory entries from 1928 and the last entry is for 1961. Unfortunately the database for 1962 is corrupt but there was no entry for 1963”.

And that fits nicely with an advert they placed in the parish magazine for 1928 and a listing for them at the same time place in 1969.

2012

All of which leads nicely to Paul’s last thought, that when the family are next passing, “it will be great for three generations to walk into the newly incarnated Creameries in memory of the Dunleavy era and to reflect that Leslie’s dad had been born next door in 1914”.

I am sure there will be more to uncover, but for now I like the sense of continuity in the story.

Like Paul I will zippy down to the Creameries to sample the food and get a bit more of that continuity.

Enough said.

Location: Chorlton

Pictures; of the Creamery, 2018, courtesy of Peter Topping and in 2012 from the collection of Andrew Simpson and the advert from St Clement's Parish Magazine, 1928

*The Creameries, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/The%20Creameries

*The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, was published on November 16 and is available from Chorlton Bookshop or from http://www.pubbooks.co.uk/ or 07521557888

So what was Chorlton like in 1848?

And the answer to the question will be revealed this Sunday ..... saunter through our past with me and Peter Topping.

Location Chorlton 

Welcome back to the Creameries ......

So after a long and empty stretch when the Creameries on Wilbraham Road was just a sign above the door, it is back and open for business.

Ready to go, 2018

Or at least will be soon.

Peter who took the picture yesterday, tells me that “the bakery opens on Tuesday and the cafe on Wednesday” which is a neat bit of history repeating itself.

Back in 1928 it advertised across Chorlton offering “Purity, Quality, Punctuality, BY HAVING YOUR MILK ALWAYS DELIVERED IN SEALED GLASS BOTTLES”.

And that was a real selling point given that milk had often been sold from metal churns which might have no lid, and were transported across the dusty roads of Chorlton by horse and cart.

But like many local creameries ours could not compete in the face of first the big dairies and then later the supermarkets, which together could offer milk, cream, butter and cheese at massive low prices.

I have no idea when the Creamery in Wilbrham Road closed but Peter and I always thought it should be included on our book, “The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy" and the news that it was to be reopened guaranteed a story.

So from the chapter, Over the railway bridge, past the Egerton Arcade and then to the Creameries, from theQuirks book, here is an extract.

"Purity,Quality, Punctuality", 1928

'........ like all good stories this one has a happy ending, because what was once a Creamery will be so again although there is a slight twist to the tale.  According to Sophie, one of the team at the Creameries,  “it’s a bakery and that’s the core. What we’re serving could be as simple as a piece of bread and butter, but it’s a treat, and truly delicious.

Key to our menu is bread, cheese, wine and beer. The baker’s oven is the focal point of The Creameries, and our baked dishes go perfectly with our in house cheese, butter and cured meats.

Our aim is to create intelligent and thoughtful food that keeps people happy and interested. We will emphasise British cooking and food provenance, working with ethically minded suppliers'.  

The team consists of Mary Ellen McTague, who is in charge of menus, drinks and service, Sophie Yeoman who will be working full time in the kitchen and managing the site and Sue Wilkinson who is in charge of interior design, marketing and events”.

Location; Wilbraham Road

Pictures; The Creameries, 2018, Peter Topping, & St John's Parish magazine 1928


*The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, was published on November 16 and is available from Chorlton Bookshop or from http://www.pubbooks.co.uk/ or 07521557888

What would you have been doing in Chorlton in 1847? ........ Walking the Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy ....... our second saunter through the past

The first of the new history walks was so successful that I am looking forward to the next, which starts on the village green and will proceed up Chorlton Row to Barlow Moor Lane.*

Walking up Chorlton Row in 1847

There will be a lot to see, including the Wesleyan chapel which was just over 20 years old, Mr William Davis’s smithy, a few fine houses, and two farms, along with some wattle and daub cottages and a pond.

More over there was that ever important consideration of who on the Row we should be polite to.

Chief amongst these will have been Mr Holt who had made his money in Manchester, where he still owned an extensive portfolio of property, but had decided that the air of Chorlton was more to his liking.

Sarah Sutton's Cottage, wattle and daub house, 1892

His house stood at the top of the Row where it joined Barlow Moor Lane, and the grounds then extended down to Lane End, along High Lane and back by Cross Road.

There were others who we might doff our cap too if we were on the Row but more about them later.

What makes the walk special is that we shall be following in the footsteps of the journalist Alexander Somerville who was the last British soldier to have been publically flogged.

In 1847 he had walked the lanes of Chorlton looking for evidence of potato blight, that disease which had destroyed the crops in Ireland, and was already in parts of northern Derbyshire.

The home of Mr Holt circa 1908

He didn’t find any but recorded his conversations with some of our local farmers, one of which was James Higginbotham whose land included a strip along what is now the Rec on the corner of the Beech Road and Cross Road.

The conversation turned away from potatoes to fruit, which made up a significant part of the crops we grew for the Manchester markets, and included raspberries, rhubarb, currants and gooseberries and above all apples and pears, and in particular the Newbridge pear, and Rose of Sharon apple.

And if you want to know what Mr Higginbotham told Alexander Somerville, then you had best join us on Sunday, April 29th at 1.00pm on Chorlton Green beside the Narnia lamp post

So that just leaves me to say, that the maximum for the walk is 50 and knowing how popular it will be it is best to book ahead by contacting peter@pubbooks.co.uk or text 07521557888 leaving your name and the names of the people you will be bringing.

Andrew Simpson & Peter Topping in association with Chorlton Voice.
Location; Chorlton Row

Pictures; Chorlton Row, 1854, from the OS for Lancashire 1854, courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk/ Sutton’s Cottage circa 1892, photograph from the Wesleyan Souvenir Handbook of 1895 from the collection of Philip Lloyd

*Chorlton Row is now Beech Road and Barlow Moor Lane is Barlow Moor Road

**The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, is available from Chorlton Bookshop or from www.pubbooks.co.uk/ or 07521557888

Discovering the bits of Chorlton you didn't know ..... that quirky history walk next Sunday

Walking the Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy ....... the first saunter through our past

Now when we wrote the new book The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy we always planned that it could be walked.*

And so with that in mind our first walk back in time will be on Sunday March 25 at 1pm.

The event is free and ushers in the start of British Summer time, making it an event not to be missed.

We will meet on the green by the Narnia lamp post opposite the Horse and Jockey.

During the time it takes to walk from here, via the Bowling Green pub, and up past Scotch Hill to the Lloyds Hotel, we will introduce you to some quirky stories, a few quirky people and the answer to the mystery of the Edge Lane Lake.

Packed into the walk will also be the tale of two murders, a dodgy deal which cheated the Methodists out of their Sunday school along with Caleb Jordrill, famous for his participation in the ancient custom of Riding the Stang, and James Renshaw, whose students buried his cup and dinner plate beside Blomely’s Fish Pond in order to be sent home early from lessons.

And for those who want a more serious slant to our past, there will be a description of how we moved from a small rural community to a suburb of Manchester and along the way lost the old hamlet of Martledge.

So that just leaves me to say, that the maximum for the walk is 50 and knowing how popular it will be it is best to book ahead by contacting peter@pubbooks.co.uk or text  07521557888 leaving your name and number of people.

Andrew Simpson & Peter Topping in association with Chorlton Voice.

Painting; The Lych gate. © 2013 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures, www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk

*The Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, is available from Chorlton Bookshop or from www.pubbooks.co.uk/ or 07521557888

Walking the Quirks of Chorlton-cum-Hardy ....... the first saunter through our past

On our village green with the Narnia Lamp post .....

Now, it was our Joshua who first called the lamp post on the village green, the Narnia Lamp post and that is what it has always remained.

2018 from a picture, 1980

We have plenty of pictures of it taken over the years, from high summer, to autumn and a few in the depths of winter when everywhere was covered in a heavy snowfall.

1980

And as everyone knows, in Narnia, before Aslan arrived, it was always winter and never Christmas, a fact that Lucy discovered when she went through the magic wardrobe and stood beside the lamp post in the snow.*

It is often the starting off point for the history walks and will be again on March 25th when we do our first Quirks History Walk.**

And so with that in mind Peter painted the lamp post as it looked one summer’s day back in 1980.

Back then the Horse and Jockey hadn’t acquired the title of the Inn on Green and it would be another twenty-eight years before Peter Dalton bought the pub from the brewery and began its transformation.

During those years our lamp post was a focal point for gatherings on the green from the summer fair to a production of Henry V.  It was also here that by chance one Wednesday evening in 1986 I passed a string quartet, all dressed in formal attire playing a selection from Vivaldi.

There was no audience, but they played on just for the fun of it, and then, and now I thought it seemed so Chorlton.

1933

And for those who want a bit more history I can tell you that the lamp post has moved around a bit.

At one point in the early 20th century it was closer to the lychgate but I guess was moved as traffic got busier.

Later still in 1933 there is a picture of a similar one outside the Horse & Jockey which is different from ours, but why spoil a story?

Painting; The Narnia Lamp post, © 2018 Peter Topping from a photograph by Andrew Simpson, 1980

Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk

Facebook: Paintings from Pictures https://www.facebook.com/paintingsfrompictures

*The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S Lewis, 1950

**Walking the Quirks of Chorlton cum-Hardy ....... the first saunter through our past, March 25th at 1 pm meet beside the Narnia Lamp post