A history of Didsbury in just 20 objects ... number 14 ……. a very special memorial

The story of Didsbury in just twenty objects, chosen at random and delivered in a paragraph or more.

There are a number of war memorials in Didsbury, but the most prominent is the one beside the library.

It was unveiled on July 2nd 1921, and was dedicated to “The memory of the sacred dead of this village who, having left all that was dear to them endured hardships, faced dangers, and finally paid the supreme sacrifice in defence of our King and Country”.

The fourteen men responsible its erection were listed in the order of service, and they were, John T Seale, Rupert C Samuels, James Clayton Chorlton, James Frederick Motorhead, Thomas William Evans, Frank Taylor, G. Biddle, F. Merrill, C. B. Owen, J Davenport, Councilor E. D. Simon, George Edward Crowe, T Malloy and R Bramwell

Of the fourteen, eight have come out of the shadows, and their backgrounds throw an interesting light on how such committees were constituted.

One was a doctor, one a surveyor, one was employed by Manchester Corporation and the remaining five were manufacturers, and all by 1921 were in their late 50s and into their sixties.
George Biddle and Frank Taylor both had sons who died in the war and were commemorated on the memorial, and interestingly of the eight, these were the two men who were not professionals or manufacturers.

The order of service consisted of 10 pages, detailing the address, the hymns and men commemorated, and begins with a dedication that “The memory of the sacred dead of this village who, having left all that was dear to them endured hardships, faced dangers, and finally paid the supreme sacrifice in defence of our King and Country”.

Location; Didsbury

Picture; Order of Service, 1921, courtesy of David Harrop

The Garden Entrance to the City ……. At Parrs Wood in 1928

Now I have always been fascinated by that patch of land, where the Kingsway meets Wilmlsow Road.

The park in 2015

It is a small plot surrounded by fast flowing traffic and has always seemed a planner’s after thought, more so as the volume of cars, buses and lorries has increased over the last four decades, and the place is dwarfed by the cinema complex to the south and the supermarket to the east. *

Once, and we are talking the 1970s, I would sometimes take myself off and sit in the park, partly hidden by the dense bushes and trees along the Parrs Wood Lane side.

At the time I was particularly intrigued by the entrance pillars on the north side, and still wonder if they were once replicated at the other entrances.

The historian in me also speculated on when the park was built, and as you do, I occasionally made a note to go looking in the archive.

But then as so often happens I came across the story, which is not quite what I had expected, and was a sideways discovery, while researching the pubs of Didsbury. **

The park surrounded with clutter and traffic, 2015

The park dates from 1928, and was an attempt to challenge the growing presence of cars and lorries in what had once been a quiet bit of land, dominated by the 18th century estate of Parrs Wood.

All of that changed, with the construction of the Kingsway which was opened in 1923, and the Corporation bus garage which was ready for business just three years later.

And so, in 1928 “the Royal Manchester Institution after some months of preparation and consultation with the Parks Committee announced at its annual meeting, that its scheme for the development of the corner of land where Kingsway meets Wilmlsow Road will be effected.  

The scheme is to make out of the triangular plot of land a small garden which will be welcome to visitors of the city with some display of green”. ***

The plot of land, 1927

The design had been modified, and “the fountain will be replaced by glass and the low stone wall by posts.”

Aerial photographs from 1927 show the triangular plot beside the bus garage awaiting something to happen.

The Institute handed over £500 in the January of 1929 with work beginning at some point after that.

But, the park was nearly lost to a developer who wanted to erect a petrol station on the site in 1932, but that is best left to a chapter in the new Didsbury pubs book which tells the full story.

Location; Didsbury

Pictures; the green at Parrs Wood, 2015, from the collection of Liz Scantlebury**** and  Didsbury, Manchester Corporation Parr's Wood Bus Garage, Manchester, N S Roberts, m67682 courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass


*Parrs Wood .............. what was once and is now, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2019/01/parrs-wood-what-was-once-and-is-now.html

**Manchester Pubs- The Stories Behind the Doors – Didsbury, Andrew Simpson & Peter Topping, to be published later in 2019

*** Garden Entrance to City Parrs Wood Development Scheme, the Preservation of Amenities, Manchester Guardian, October 9, 1928

 ****Liz Scantlebury,  http://www.lizscantlebury.com

One of the last photographs from the Wesleyan College in Didsbury ......... 1940

The year of 1940

Now this is one of those little bits of history which could so easily have been lost forever.

We are looking at a photograph of the students who attended the old Wesleyan College in Didsbury between 1939-40.

For almost a century it had been preparing men for the Methodist ministry and 1940 was a landmark in its history.

Students

During the last world war the college had become a hospital and in 1946 it was sold to Manchester Education Committee which means that this picture has real historical significance.

Added to this we know the names of all those who stare back at us including those who were leaving that year and the teaching staff.

In time it should be possible to track most of the men and in so doing build a profile of that year’s student body and of course go a little way to discovering what happened to  each of them.

Some no doubt went on to serve in the war while others took up posts in the church

Now such photographs are not rare but ones with such a local connection do not always surface.

And for this one I have David Harrop to thank.  David is a keen collector of memorabilia associated with both world wars and the history of the postal service.

The College, 1920

Many of these items have appeared in his permanent exhibitions at the Remembrance Lodge in Southern Cemetery, and we have discussed just what the chances are that some of these men will be buried in Southern.

It is a question as yet I have no answer to but I think it will well worth researching.

At present I have come across little material on the final period of the Methodist College which makes the photograph both unique and important.

And points to the importance of such material which by chance has survived three quarters of a century and was spotted by David on eBay.

So as they say watch this spot.

Picture; Students and staff Didsbury College, 1939-40 and the main building of the college 1920

Back on Hardman Street looking at Sailor Salmon in 1923

Now I couldn’t resist revisiting Hardman Street which ran from Wilmslow Road down to William Street.

It is now part of School Lane and looks nothing like it did back at the beginning of the 20th century.

The best you can do to get a sense of what this street was like is to walk round into Warburton Street which is equally narrow but has a set of cottages which have more appeal than these run of the mill 19th century properties.

Added to this Hardman Street had a coal yard at both ends and some lock up workshops.

So, not the sort of place to attract the people of plenty and the 1911 street directory lists quite a humble set of people ranging from a painter, a boot maker, two carters and a pawn broker.

Looking down the street from William Street the only thing which could be said to the lighten the place are the advertising hoardings which on this day in 1923 are dominated by the week’s showing at the Scala Cinema just up the road in Withington and Sailor Salmon Slices.

And as you do I went looking for Sailor Salmon and found the company advertisng in the early 20th century, but have yet to find them on the shelves today.

But there will be someone who can tell me all about them.

That said our Sailor has suffered a bit from someone attempting to rip his poster from the wall, a fate which looks soon to be replicated by the advert for the cinema which may have been someone with a total dislike of salmon who just saw a bad

Picture; Hardman Street looking west towards Wilmslow Road, 1923, m21212,  courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass

The 77 remembered in West Didsbury

It is a simple war memorial, consisting of just a column topped with a cross and the names of 77 men who died in the Great War.

It stands on Northern Grove, in the grounds of what was once St Luke’s Mission Church and it may well be that some of those listed will have attended the school which was beside the church.

In time I will delve into the records of those men and discover the story behind the memorial.

Now West Didsbury was a smallish community and while I can’t be sure at this stage whether all those listed lived in the area,  the loss of 77 must have had a profound impact.

In advance of the research I am sure there will be people who can add to the story, perhaps offering up a personal link to the memorial or something of when it was erected, the cost and the names of subscribers.

Location West Didsbury









Picture; war memorial, West Didsbury, 2017 from the collection of Andrew Simpson

On Hardman Street, in Didsbury on March 12th 1924 reading the adverts

Hardman Street, March 12th 1924

We are on Hardman Street in the March of 1924 and for the discerning reader of adverts it has got the lot, including the announcement of the films Reef of Stars and Within the Law, both made in that year and showing at the cinema in Elm Grove round the corner.

Reef of Stars was set in South Africa and included panoramic views of the countryside, while Within the Law followed the trail of a young woman wrongfully sent to prison seeking revenge on her release.

But for those who didn’t fancy steamy melodrama and vivid scenes from the other side of the world, there was always the Halle Orchestra, performing Bach, Beethoven and Brahms and advertised as the Last Halle Concert.  Or for those in need of advice there was Mrs R. Ray at the Houldsworth Hall giving a talk and “Free Demonstration” on "How to Dress Well.”

Posters and adverts

That said my own favourite amongst the rest has to be the announcement of a “Public Meeting and Concert” organised by the Fellowship of Freedom and Reform held at the Public Hall to be held on March 14th.

The local speaker was Dr T Watts and the subject was Against Prohibition.  Now this is interesting because the Fellowship of Freedom and Reform was itself a temperance organisation.

But one that campaigned for more responsible trading arguing for family orientated pubs which offered food, skittle-alleys, billiard-tables, gardens, and concerts.

They published their own magazine called Sobriety along with pamphlets like “The Improved Public House, [which can be] obtained at the price of one shilling from the Fellowship, at St. Stephen's House, Westminster; and it contains some excellent photographs and much encouraging information of the progress being made in the provision of places where food and other amenities are obtainable as well as drink.”*

Badge of the Fellowship, circa 1924

Now there is more to find out about the Fellowship not least its links to the drink trade and their general political position of the rights and freedoms of the individual.

And maybe with more research s it might just be possible to discover who attended that Friday evening meeting and just what the mood of the audience was.

Looking towards Wilmslow Road

In the meantime I shall return to the picture of Hardman Street on what looks to be a bright sunny morning.

Our photographer has captured just three people on street that day along with the parked bike.

In the distance is Wilmlsow Road and the junction with Barlow Moor Road.

It is of course a scene that has long since gone.

The cottages were I am told demolished for a road widening scheme which never happened although it did also lead to the end of Hardman Street which became the extension of School Lane.

*The Spectator, October 26th 1929

Picture; courtesy of Didsbury Civic Society, and the badge of the Fellowship of Freedom and Reform  courtesy of Andrew Whitehad from his blog, http://www.andrewwhitehead.net/1/post/2011/10/fellowship-freedom-reform.html

Travels through the village ………… part 2

The idea is very simple, select almost the same spot along Wilmslow Road through the village, and throw in a series of picture post cards taken from almost the same place over the last century.*

So here are the second two, from the 1930s and 1920s.




Location; Didsbury Village

Pictures; the Village, the 1930s and 50s








*The location of the village green was down by the Didsbury Hotel and Old Cock.

A building called the Towers, the Ship Canal and a certain animation company

The Towers is a building with a lot of history.

It was built between 1868 and 1872 by John Taylor who founded the Manchester Guardian in 1821.

Here in 1882 the decision was taken by a group of businessmen to build the Manchester Ship Canal and in 1920 it was bought by the British Cotton Industry Research Association and renamed the Shirley Institute after the daughter of one the main contributors to the cost of buying it.

And today it is surrounded by a business park which has recently become home to Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick Entertainment.

Cosgrove Hall was based in Chorlton and it was here that they produced some memorable animation films including Danger Mouse and Chorlton and the Wheelies.

And now they are back in Manchester with a team of 40 animators and graphic designers with a plan to generate another 70 jobs in the next few months.

All perhaps a long way from the young man who began work in a lab at the Shirley Institute in 1921.

We know only his first name and that his laboratory was visible from the drive as you made your way up to the building.

I don’t suppose we would even have known about him if his mother had not sent a picture postcard of the Towers to a friend with the proud message that “this is a view of the new Institute showing the new Lab where our Joe will shortly be working in the house.”

Picture postcards can be a wonderful source of local history not only offering up  fascinating glimpses of buildings and places but also because the messages reveal much of what was going on at the time.

In our case Jean’s account of her son Joe’s first job at the Institute is the only popular reference I have to the people who worked there.

But no doubt that will be other accounts and maybe even some pictures of the laboratories, offices and the canteen.

After all I am intrigued by the widely held belief that the building has 12 towers, 52 rooms and 365 windows which is why it is known locally as Calendar House.

In the past there have been open days and I rather think if there is another I shall attempt to wander through the old servants’ area of the house.

According to one description this will allow me to visit the kitchen and follow the trail to the china closet, the plate safe where the silver was kept and onto the servants’ passage which led to the dining room the butler’s pantry, and servants’ staircase.

Now this is my type of history.

Like a lot of people it is the quiet and hidden lives of the servants which are more interesting.

And so I want to explore the cook's pantry, housekeeper's room along with the servants' hall with its small spiral staircase in the far corner that led to the roof and the kitchen with its large open fire and range sadly now concealed behind a wooden screen.

And while I am on this romantically fuelled flight of fancy I wonder if Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick Entertainment might be inspired by the servants’ room’s, the passages and that spiral staircase to come up with a new animated film.

Now that would be something.

Painting; The Towers © 2013 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures,
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