Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion The History of Greater Manchester By Tram

 It is one of those original ways of telling stories of Greater Manchester and fits in with that slightly quirky way that me and Peter Topping have brought you the history of where we live.

The idea of telling the story of Greater Manchester by using the tram network has a lot going for it.

You can catch a tram from the city centre and go south, east, north, and west and along the way each of the 99 stops will have a story to tell, and being the tram, you can just jump off, explore this little pocket of history and move on. 

Or skip to the end destinations and discover interesting historical things about Didsbury, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Rochdale, Oldham, Salford and bits of Trafford, Altrincham and Bury.

And this is the new project Peter, and I have chosen for a series of new books.

Each book will wander along the network, taking in nine stops or so at a time, with original paintings by Peter, old photographs, and stories by me. 

The first two in the series can be found in Chorlton Bookshop, Waterstones on Deansgate, and in the shop in Central Ref or from us at www.pubbooks.co.uk, price £4.99**

Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ........ nu 12.... The Story 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 third suggestion.

Day five and The Story of Chorlton-cum Hardy.

Here for the first time is a detailed account of an agricultural community that was just 4 miles from Manchester and  the people who lived here, using their own words and records.

It tells of daily lives, setting them in a national context, and balances the routine with the sensational - including murder, infanticide and a rebellion.

Partly a narrative of rural life and a description of a community's relationship with a city, the book also include guided walks around Chorlton a database of references and sources.

Available from Chorlton Book shop, 506 Wilbraham Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9AW 0161 881 6374, other bookshops and from the History Press

Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ........ nu 11 Manchester Remembering 1914-18

Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ........ Manchester Remembering 1914-18

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

Manchester Remembering 1914-18 draws on official reports and newspaper accounts as well as letters and photographs and a multitude of other personal items.

Much of this material has never been seen before and some of it is unique in that it allows us to follow families through the whole conflict challenging many of those easy and preconceived views of the war.

So here is the story of George and Nellie Davison of Harpurhey and Hulme, Miss Rebecca Chapman’s first week as a Salford tram clippie, Mrs Fannie Jane Barlow’s, a Red Cross nurse from Chorlton and others from Newton Heath, Didsbury and Fallowfield.


Available from Chorlton Book shop, 506 Wilbraham Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9AW 0161 881 6374 other book shops and the History Press

Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ........ nu 10 nothing to do in chorlton five times

And so if you have been following our new series of nothing to do in chorlton, you will know we have published five books on the theme.

But just in case your friends don't ... here are all three.

The books costs £5, is available from  www.pubbooks.co.uk and also Chorlton Bookshop.

It is small enough to slip into your pocket or bag as you travel from location to location, and equally important for anyone looking for a special present will easily fit into a Christmas stocking.

Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ..... nu 6 .....the Didsbury Pubs book

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

And with that in mind, here is the first book on Didsbury pubs and bars.

There are 49 of them, with 450 paintings and pictures with the stories which trace some of the many ways Didsbury has changed and developed over four centuries.

Added to which since it was published a few of the bars and pubs have closed ..... offering you the chance to use the book as a detective story and chart those places which have gone dark and dry. 


You can obtain your copy  from us at http://www.pubbooks.co.uk/ 

Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ..... nu 4 ..... Chorlton Churches, Chapels, Temples a Synagogue and a Mosque

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

Thirty places of worship, split into five walks, and illustrated with 265 paintings, contemporary and period photographs, illustrations and maps.

Along with the stories of these places of worship it features the synagogue and mosque in West Didsbury.

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

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

Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ........ nu 2 Didsbury Through Time

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

Day two and Didsbury Through Time, a book designed to take you across the old township from east to west with a mix of old photographs, original paintings by Peter Topping and lots of stories from me of the lives of the people who lived behind the doors of the posh and the humble houses.

Here is the tale young Bertha Geary who heard the Flying Man and of odd goings on down at the Devils Gate and much more.

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 info@chorltonbookshop.co.uk.
& E J Morton the bookshop, 6 Warburton St, Manchester M20 6WA 0161 445 7629

Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ........ nu 1 Hough End Hall

Now very soon lots of you will be pondering on Christmas presents and so with that in mind over the week here are some suggestions.

Day One and Hough End Hall The Story, written by me with original paintings by Peter Topping this book tells the story of 400 years of the hall’s history from posh place, to farm house and finally a restaurant and the promise of something more.

Here are stories not only of the people of plenty but all those who have passed through in those four centuries.

But buyer beware. It was published in 2014 and while the last chapter has been eclipsed by events the rest of the history stands.

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

Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ......."Smile Dammit Smile!!! Chorlton" No. 5

Now very soon lots of you will be pondering on Christmas presents and so with that in mind over the next week here are some suggestions

And I shall start with Peter's silly and funny plunge into investigative journalism  with stories on “Bodies Found in Southern Cemetery”, “Chorlton Bus found on Moon”, and “Mysterious Container Found on Doorstep", along with “Books Discovered in Chorlton Bookshop”, and “Dead Shark Found in Chorlton Diving Pool”.

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

Books for Christmas …… from my chums ……. number two

When you spend your time researching and writing books it is always nice to reflect on the work of friends who have published their books this year.

And today it is the turn of my old friend and collaborator Peter Topping and our mutual friend Lindy Newns.

I have known them both for over forty years.

Both pursued very different careers before turning to books, and poetry.

Together they produced Poems by Lindy and Pictures by Peter, which inspired Peter to go on and write two more books exploring “Rhyming Poems” and Musical Nursery Rhymes.

All three are available in Chorlton Bookshop and from  www.pubbooks.co.uk

Books for Christmas …… from my chums

When you spend your time researching and writing books it is always nice to reflect on the work of friends who have published their books this year.

And to start, here is a review of the new book Longford, written by my friend Juliette which came out in September.

I have featured it already on the blog, and this month it was picked by Manchester Post*, who I thank for allowing me to reproduce the review.

It is available from Chorlton Bookshop, Waterstones and the Squeeze Press, https://woodenbooks.com/index.php

*Manchester Post Newspapers, https://communitynewsgm.co.uk/about-the-newspapers/manchester-south-post/

Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ........ nu 9 nothing to do in chorlton

 Now if you had ever wondered who lived on Beech Road in 1848, or why it was called Chorlton Row and where the lost fish pond was located the new book “nothing to do in chorlton” will offer up the answers and provide you with a shedload of other interesting information to keep a pub quiz going all night and beyond.

The book costs £5, is available from  www.pubbooks.co.uk and also Chorlton Bookshop.

It is small enough to slip into your pocket or bag as you travel from location to location, and equally important for anyone looking for a special present will easily fit into a Christmas stocking.

Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ........ nu 8 nothing to do in chorlton

Now if you had ever wondered who stole our village Green or just where the lost stream went, the new book “nothing to do in chorlton” will offer up the answers and provide you with a shedload of other interesting information to keep a pub quiz going all night and beyond.

The book costs £5, is available from  www.pubbooks.co.uk and also Chorlton Bookshop.

It is small enough to slip into your pocket or bag as you travel from location to location, and equally important for anyone looking for a special present will easily fit into a Christmas stocking.

Suggestions for a Christmas present and an outrageous piece of self promotion ........ nu 7 The Ever Open Door

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

The Ever Open Door was commissioned by the Together Trust and tells the story of the charity from its early days in 1870 offering a bed for destitute boys to a huge organization, offering homes, help, and industrial training for young people which continues that work today.

Its history over the last 150 years mirrors the changes in how we thought and carried out the care of young people, and that makes it an interesting subject to study, offering as it does insights into the changing thinking and policies surrounding looked after young people.

The Ever Open Door: 150 years of the Together Trust, Andrew Simpson, The Together Trust, 2020, 140p, £14-99. ISBN 978-1-5272-5671-2. Available from, The Together Trust, https://shop.togethertrust.org.uk/