Manchester Retold ......A City’s Journey Through History ...... Part 3 ..... of wars and more gentle things

Now I am looking forward to Manchester Retold ......A City’s Journey Through History, which is a special evening of readings and book signings with local authors, hosted by the History Press at Central Ref.*

As the title implies this will be an opportunity to sink deep into our collective history with Graham Phythian, Joanne Williams, Michala Hulme, Sheila Brady, Michael Billington, and me.

The subjects covered by the six historians includes Manchester during two world wars, the darker side of the city’s past, the history of Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme, and the contribution of the residents of Chapel Street in Altrincham to the Great War.

The event will be introduced by Mike Billington, whose book on the Story of Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme was published earlier this year, and is the first substantial book on the area since 1898.

It draws on a variety of sources to tell the story of these three areas.**

And of one of the historians Mr Billington will be introducing is Graham Phythian who will be talking about two of his books which describe Manchester during the Second World War.***

These are Manchester at War and Manchester and Salford during the Blitz.

Manchester At War, is "based on transcripts of recorded interviews with senior civilians and former members of the Armed Services, this is an invaluable first-hand record of what it was like to live under the shadow of war. 

The everyday hardships and heroism are recalled: the Blitz, rationing, the Home Guard, evacuees, war work, and the American presence prior to D-Day. Despite all the tragedy and difficulties, the Mancunian spirit shines through with frequent dashes of unquenchable humour.

Richly illustrated, and filled with true narratives of the courage and unbreakable spirit of the people of Manchester during those tumultuous years, this book looks at how the city fared during the Second World War, played her part in victory, and how the day-to-day life of her people was affected.***

The event will take place in the Performance Space of Central Ref, and is free ...... but with only 108 places you are advised to follow the link and book soon.*



* Manchester Retold,  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/manchester-retold-a-citys-journey-through-history-tickets-51397657778?aff=ebdssbdestsearch#

**The Story of Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme, Michael Billington, 2018 £18.99

***Manchester At War, 2014, £12.99 & Manchester & Salford Blitz Britain,  Graham Phythian, 2015, £12.99 

A city skyline ........... the day Andy Robertson wandered into Salford nu 5

Now here is a scene I like.

Take an empty street, choose one which has been cleared of some of its old buildings and what you get is the opportunity to judge the different shapes of the skyline.

Location; Salford

Picture; a Salford skyline 2014, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

No more will I catch the 4.10 to Ashton from Victoria

I am the first to admit this isn’t one of the best from the Lost Manchester Collection.

To be fair I always found developing old black and white film a bit hit and miss, and this one is more a miss than a hit.

All of which I can see why I never turned it into a print.

But the Christmas scanner present has at least allowed it to come out into the daylight again.

We are in Victoria Railway Station and for three years it was my preferred way of getting home to Ashton.

It was quicker than the bus although it did involve a walk down from Piccadilly and that alone made it easier to go for the 218 from the bus station.

Still those days have gone and now Victoria has had a makeover and invited the tram to join the trains.

Location; Victoria Railway Station

Picture; Victoria Railway Station

*The Lost Manchester Collection, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/The%20lost%20Manchester%20Collection

In Flanders Fields at Central Ref* ...... remembering Wilfred Owen

Now David Harrop is a modest man, and having mounted a major exhibition at Central Ref, commemorating Manchester’s involvement in the Great War, he was happy just to meet the visitors who came to see In Flanders Fields and read the comments they left.

That said I know he was proud that the Lord Mayor visited the exhibition last week and was particularly taken by the display dedicated to some of the poets of the Great War.

David told me that “coming down in the lift from the upper floors at the Central Ref you cannot help but see the giant poppy displayed in the original large flat display cabinet which houses part of the in Flanders Fields exhibition. 

This display case is a tribute to the poets, John Mccrae, Rupert Brook and Wilfred Owen. 

When the Lord Mayor saw Owen’s obituary newspaper cutting, she invited me to the event  marking Wilfred Owen’s death on November 4 1918”. 

David who is a distant relative of the poet was able to visit the Clifton hotel in Scarborough and look out at the North Sea from his room where Wilfred Owen wrote some of his poems.

And never one to miss an occasion David also went along to Manchester Cathedral where as part of the “centenary commemorations there is a small exhibition about the Royal Mint’s £2 Armistice coin designed by the Cathedral’s Artist-in-Residence, Stephen Raw, which  includes lines from Wilfred Owen”. 

Location Central Ref









Pictures; The War Poets Cabinet, courtesy of David Harrop

*In Flanders Fields will continue in Central Ref till the end of November

**Wilfred Owen Exhibition, Manchester Cathedral, November 4th to November 24th 10am to 4pm http://www.manchestercathedral.org/events/2115/wilfred-owen-exhibition

What Mr Topping did in Ilkley ....... and a debate

Now you step into the world of Royal Mail pillar boxes at your peril.

To me, they are red, have a long history and are where you post a letter.

But woe betide anyone who incorrectly labels these big red boxes with the wrong name, or worst still the wrong date.

I know I have had plenty of incensed mail from  "incandescent of Ipswich" to know that making any comment is fraught with the possibilities of erudite and irate comments.

Even more so when they are those double aperture versions.

We still have one in Chorlton, there is another in St Ann’s Square and I remember them from home.

And today Peter has dropped his picture of one into the ring.

It is in Ilkley and because Peter painted the Chorlton one he mused on “Ilkley Twinned with Chorlton?”

It is a nice idea but the twinning would have to be done with shedloads of places, such are the locations for these pillar boxes.

And here is the controversy because I always remember them as having one opening for UK posting and another for the World.

But I also remember them being for first and second class letters, and recently came over a reference to the apertures being for “stamped and franked mail”

All of which is the point to give up.

Replies on picture postcards, directed to the “Double aperture Pillar Box Friendly Society”.

Location Ilkley

Picture, double aperture pillar box, 2018, from the collection of Peter Topping

Having fun at the Lowry

Now I have become fixated with some of the more drab and dismal buildings in Salford, so here as a refreshing contrast and back again for another appearance is the bright, new  Lowry Theatre.

I can’t remember exactly when I took the picture but it will be a decade ago and may well have been when our Josh was rehearsing for a youth production and I was waiting to meet up with him.

And I know some will go sniffy and dismiss it as another arty glass reflected image which it is but I like it and of course it is a fine contrast to those pictures of pubs which have “seen better days and done better things.”

Location, outside the Lowry Theatre, Salford

Picture; the Lowry, circa 2006, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

The promise of Salford ..........travels on a tram

Now, I know there are lots of people who regret the passing of the Salford of their youth and will rail against the developments that are rising into the sky.

For some they make Salford no different from any 21st century city anywhere in the world.

But that is to be a little unhistorical because the buildings that have gone, from Edwardian office blocks, to Victorian mills and warehouses, along with rows of terraced houses could equally be seen everywhere.

Added to which many were past their sell by date and were held together, more by hope than anything else.

So instead sit back on the tram that takes you into Salford.

Andy had planned on a trip to follow the new Trafford Centre spur, but on a whim chose to record scenes from a tram window on that short stretch from Pomona into Salford.

Like everywhere the old mixes with the new helped also by a skyline which quickly went from blue and white to grey and ominous.

Of course I am the first to admit that many of the new rise giant may not last as long as their 19th century counterparts.

But that will have more to do with commercial considerations than building quality.

Location, on the tram that takes you to Salford





Picture; on the tram 2018, from the collection of Andy Robertson