Beech Road offers up some more stories

It’s not the best picture I have taken but this one of Beech Road early this morning offers up clues to our past.

Looking up Beech Road, June 2018

Ever since I wrote,  The Story of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, I have been fascinated by what the township would have been like in the 1850s.*

Now that is not as difficult or fanciful as it might seem.

The book was about what Chorlton would have been like during the first half of the 19th century and was drawn from contemporary accounts, old maps, along with census returns, rate books and the tithe records.

Putting all these together it is possible to reconstruct Beech Road as it would have been, including the location of the houses, and fields, and the residents, as well as the owners of both the land and the properties, and finally what was actually being grown in the fields on either side of what was then called Chorlton Row.

So looking again at the picture, it is possible to pick out the twist in what was really just a country lane, which in 1850, accommodated a set of cottages which jutted out roughly opposite the skip and later was dominated by a huge beech tree.

Further along on the left was the home of the Holt family and was known variously as Beech Cottage and later Beech House, while out to the right was a set of fields which were a mix of arable and pasture.

Along Chorlton Row and on to Round Thorn, 1853

From where I took the picture you would also have had a fine view of Lime Bank at Round Thorn.**

The house is still there, although much knocked about and is hidden by Carringtons.

It dates back to the early 19th century and may in fact have been built during the closing decades of the previous century.

In the 1840s it was the home of the Morton family and on the evening of evening of Tuesday June 20 Mr Morton took a stroll down the Row and onto the Green and the school where on this night he would chair a meeting of the local tax payers which threatened a rebellion.

But that is a story for another time.

Location; Chorlton Row

Pictures; detail from the OS map for Lancashire 1841-53, courtesy of Digital Archives, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk/ and the collection of Andrew Simpson

*The Story of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, 
https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2011/11/the-story-of-chorlton-cum-hardy.html

 https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2011/11/the-st

**Lime Bank, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Lime%20Bank

Back with Mrs Sykes looking for a story

Now the trail has gone cold on Mrs Sykes and the Diggle Hotel

Her connection with the Hotel goes back to 1861 when aged just 9 months she was living there with her mother who was the sister of Frederick Radcliffe the licensee.

A decade later she was living with her parents close by in the home of James Broadbent whose sisters were working in the Hotel in 1861.

And sometime during the middle of the 1880s she had married and was herself settled as landlady in the Diggle Hotel.

Hers will be a fascinating story to explore, more so because it will bring in the Radcliffe, Platt, Broadbent and Sykes’ families who she was related to and all of whom were embedded in the story of Diggle.

I had meant to go looking for the story earlier in December but got waylaid by other projects, but Peter’s painting of the Diggle Hotel has set me off again, and who knows maybe someone in Diggle will be able to help.

Painting; the Diggle Hotel © 2015 Peter Topping 

Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk

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

Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem ........one to listen to on the wireless

Now, In Our Time, on Radio 4 is one of my favourite programmes to listen on the wireless, and today's was fascinating.

"Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the most powerful woman in the Crusader states in the century after the First Crusade. Melisende (1105-61) was born and raised after the mainly Frankish crusaders had taken Jerusalem from the Fatimids, and her father was King of Jerusalem. She was married to Fulk from Anjou, on the understanding they would rule together, and for 30 years she vied with him and then their son as they struggled to consolidate their Frankish state in the Holy Land.

With, Natasha Hodgson, Senior Lecturer in Medieval History and Director of the Centre for the Study of Religion and Conflict at Nottingham Trent University, Katherine Lewis, Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Huddersfield, and, Danielle Park, Visiting Lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London

Producer: Simon Tillotson"

Picture; the coronation of Fulk with Melisende, from Livre d'Eracles, Guillaume de Tyr (1130?-1186)
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, from the sleeve notes

*Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem, In Our Time, BBC Radio 4, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bg2y

Miss Tattersall's guide for the Jewish cooks of 1895

Now, I have always maintained that history comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and lurks in the back of an attic as much as it does in the work of an eminent historian.

Rosa's peppers, 2014

And of course books on food, and the history of food are an essential part of understanding the past, giving an insight into what we ate, how it was eaten and particularly who ate what.

The politics of sugar, still surface to day with discussions on how we should approach those who made their wealth from importing, and refining a product grown by slave labour, while it is easy to forget that the Norman conquest pushed out old English names for certain foods in favour of their Norman/French alternatives.

So with this in mind I have long collected recipe books, from those of the late 18th and 19th centuries, through to the marvelous Meta Given’s Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking first published in the USA in 1947, to the post war leaflets produced by the Ministry of Food, and  recent collections which reflect food fashions, and the revolution in how we cook.

Added to these I often fall back on the food of Tina’s mother who was born and grew up in Naples.

Rosa's pastries, 2010

All of which is an introduction to an article by Keren David about an old cook book found in the offices of the Jewish Chronicle.

It dates from 1895, and is a “Jewish Cookery Book, compiled for use in the cookery centres under the school board for London” and while it was intended for young Jewish cooks, it offered up a range of dishes which Ms David points out “gives us some insight into the way secular and religious authorities worked together to assimilate Jewish children and families, without compromising religious observance, but most of all it offers a glimpse of everyday life for British Jews 125 years ago”.

At which point I could just paraphrase the article, but that wouldn’t be right, and so instead I shall just point you towards the link to Keren David’s article …. after all, why try and imitate something which has already been done far better than I could.

Location; London

Picture’s Rosa’s peppers, 2014, and Rosa’s Ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar and candied peel with a lattice of pastry, 2010 from the collection of Andrew Simpson 

*Miss Tattersall's guide for the Jewish cooks of 1895. Keren David, November 15th, 2019, Jewish Chronicle,
https://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/food/a-%EF%AC%82avour-of-haimish-history-from-an-antique-cookery-book-1.493119?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Email%2018112019&utm_content=Daily%20Email%2018112019+CID_5f44edf3793da479d5d2cb28406130f2&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software

Stories from the attic ….. part 4 ..... the camera

Now, just a few days ago, I ran some stories on the forgotten treasures that lay lurking in attics, cellars, and garages.

Peter Topping’s hoard was first off the starting line, and that led me to make the appeal for others to go rummaging, and that is exactly what Andy Robertson did.

And here is his little bit of the past …..an Olympus Trip, which he tells me, “my mother had one when we lived in London.  

When I moved to Manchester and was earning a wage, I bought mine probably 1975. A good servant!”

According to one source,"The Trip 35 is a 35mm compact camera, manufactured by Olympus. 

It was introduced in 1967 and discontinued, after a lengthy production run, in 1984. The Trip name was a reference to its intended market – people who wanted a compact, functional camera for holidays. 

During the 1970s, it was the subject of an advertising campaign that featured popular British photographer David Bailey. Over ten million units were sold”.*

So, there you have it a wonderful find that offers up a glimpse of popular photography in the late 20th century.

Location; Andy’s attic

Picture; an Olympus Trip 35, 2019 from the collection of Andy Robertson


*Olympus Trip 35, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympus_Trip_35

On Barlow Moor Road with tram car 183 and hidden buildings

It’s a tram picture again but with a bit of a difference, because it is the background which interests me more.

We are on Barlow Moor Road just past the junction with Beech Road, I don’t have a date but guess it must be the 1930s or 40s.

Tram car 183 is stationary and is empty.

What fascinate me are the buildings behind the tram.

All of which makes me think I must go and check out all these little bits of detail in the street directories.

In the meantime I have to admit it is a fine picture of car 183 and will no doubt please all the people out there who like these pictures of trams.

Location; Chorlton













Picture; from the collection of Allan Brown, date unknown

Making stories out of our histories ... part 4 .....the book ...

Now I am looking forward to getting my copy of The Stories of Our Lives, which is out today.

It  “is the culmination of a community project which brought together older people who wanted to share their stories, lessons and memories, with a group of voluntary writers who were keen to listen, learn and record what they hear".*

The project ran through the later summer and has been a remarkable success.

Once a month, the group came together and over a cup of tea, engaged in telling the stories of how we used to do things.**

Along with those stories, are some fascinating photographs and original paintings attractively laid out in a compelling format.

The idea and much of the organization was undertaken by Jolene who told me that, “This project is being made possible by the support of Chorlton Good Neighbours and a range of wonderful volunteers including the story tellers and writers themselves. Here is some of their feedback:

'How lovely it is to share common memories.'

'It's the most interesting morning I have had in ages!'

'Great for everybody involved.'
'I'd tell my friends to get involved, it's very rewarding.'

'Really fun atmosphere.'

"Enjoyable in all aspects.'

'Helped me relive happy memories.'

'What a fantastic project!'

'I think more people should be involved in more projects like this.'

Wouldn't it be great to reward these people with a memento of their generous efforts? 

To help us get our finished book printed, please check out the Just Giving link below. 

A £5 and over donation means you get your own copy to keep. 

You could also share this post to help us gather further support. https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/thestoryofourlives "

So, that’s it, leaving you to follow the link above to get your copy.

Location; Chorlton-cum-Hardy

Pictures; the cover and a selection of pages from The Stories of Our Lives, along with members of the project, courtesy of the Our Lives community writing project

So, that’s it, leaving you to follow the link above to get your copy.

*Jolene, https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/thestoryofourlives

**Stories of Our Lives community writing project, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Stories%20of%20Our%20Lives%20community%20writing%20project