Dear Have Your Say
My father Percy Griffiths was employed at Bradford pit from 1956 until it closed in about 1969. It was here that he lost a leg in an underground accident in 1957.

Some years later he was asked to make a safety film for the coal board, this included footage of my father, my sister and myself.

I was wondering does anyone know where I could get a copy of the film? Father ended his working life at Agecroft Colliery during the 1983 strike.
Any info would be gratefully received. Robertembrey@aol.com
Robert Griffiths

Dear Maggi
Looking at your web page brought back a lot of fond memories of my childhood in Collyhurst. I lived there ‘til I was 30 when I got married. We lived on Talgarth Road, my mother still lives there now and we were one of the first families on Talgarth Road. I remember we had to walk over the rubble as they were still building the houses.

I went to Harpurhey High School for girls’ the lower school was in Harpurhey and the upper on Church Street in Moston. My eldest brother went to The Albert Memorial School and my little brother went to Moston Brook School for boys. I remember well Collyhurst flats and Willet Street Police Station and the park, I played in it many times, the Gay Street Mission band and club and St. James’ Church where I would go every Sunday.

I now live in Moston, and I go to Collyhurst sometimes, but it’s not the same now that a lot of the people I remember are now gone. My father did have a 8mm projector; we have put onto video; Manchester Town Centre the Whit Walks and some of Collyhurst so I can show my children what it was like for me as a child.
Mrs Deborah Cooper BA (Westwell)

Dear Gang,
Thanks again for my magazine it is such an uplift when you’re getting old to read things from ones past. I had a wonderful surprise my sister May Burrows came a few months ago from Australia so I was able to give her a copy and she was thrilled and said a big thank you to all. I think you send a copy to my cousin Mrs. Fortune if so I would like to say a big thank you to Edna, Jim and Don for taking the trouble to make a surprise trip to our local club on Saturday to say a final goodbye to May and Leon going back to Australia. It really was a night to remember.
Elsie Chamberlain

Dear all,
All our family enjoy reading Have Your Say. My 11year old daughter Leona enjoys the old stories of when her late grandma and grandpa Leo would have been children.

My late mum Eileen Jones (Maiden name) and dad Leo, were both born, educated, married and became parents in Miles Platting before moving to Blackley in 1959. That community gave them a great grounding for life ahead.
Geradine and dad Leo Armstrong

last Issue on its way to Australia now as usual. Much appreciated.
Rita Lake

Dear friends at Have Your Say,
Please continue to send me my favourite magazine. I am looking forward to your next issue. I am enclosing a small donation and look forward to reading about the surrounding areas where I lived which was Inkerman Street Collyhurst at the back of the Balmoral pub on Rochdale road.

I was with all my family grand parents and cousins on the night of the Manchester blitz and will never forget it; we were all in our cellar which my dad made into a lovely room for us all beds table chairs and a warm fire.

Mum and dad were trained wardens and thankfully not on duty that night as the loudest bomb dropped on our local library a street away. I can never forget it my dear Gran collapsed and dad tried to find a doctor. Dr. Reynolds came and told us to let her come round naturally and left her some medicine.

Next day all the kids around went to inspect the massive hole it had made, it was enormous but we all came home with books we managed to ‘save’ from the bombing! Mine was Aladdin it was the loveliest book I ever had so something nice came out of something evil don’t you think!
Mrs. J. Eyers

Dear Friends,
Thank you very much for Have Your Say magazine, having only just received it, I’ve only had time to flick through it but it will be well read before I send it on to my daughter in Tenerife. Referring back to issue 14, Louis Hannett asks regarding the occupants of the caravan near Thomas Street Croft.

They were Mr. Nuttall and his sons Terry and Anthony. Terry was in my class at Corpus Christi and if he’s still around will be aged 75.
Keep up the good work
Joe Greenhalgh

Hi,
Have just received Issue No.15, and then accessed the archive to view all the back issues. Have had a great time reading them all. Many thanks to my sister, who is still in the UK, as well as your good selves for putting me on your mailing list.

We lived in Miles Platting from 1933 until 1940, then moved to Todmorden to escape the bombs, before returning in 1943 for a couple of years before moving to Cheetham and then Wythenshawe.

After doing National Service I immigrated to Canada in 1956 and presently live in Nova Scotia, the opposite side of the country from Alan Jay. His description of those times is certainly fair and accurate, but, unlike him, and like most of your other contributors, I have a wealth of fond memories despite the poverty.

My children and grandchildren, although brought up in a much richer environment, in a material sense, are poorer than I was in terms of the variety of experiences from those days. Incidentally, I recall an Avril Jay who may have been related to Alan. I have been surprised at how well I am able to relate to so many of the reminiscences of your other older contributors.
Peter Cavanagh
See: A wealth of Fond Memories to read about Peter’s memories. Ed

Dear All,
Thank you for the extra copies; enclosed please find the usual to help with expenses. Very pleased you have received the funding to help you continue and hope this will be in place for many years to come, for it would be a great shame if such a popular magazine went out of commission due to a lack of support. Best wishes for the future.
J.Fairclough

Dear Sir or Madam
Please find enclosed some of the work my dear friend Mr. S Whittaker typed up before he died in 1999, he had a stroke in his late 70s and typed them with one hand. He lived on Wood Street Langley where his wife still lives; I thought you might use them in Have Your Say. I am sure they will bring back many memories for a very lot of people.
W. Livesey

Dear Sir or Madam
I am collecting used stamps, postcards and picture phone cards for guide dogs for the blind. I was wondering if any of your readers would be kind enough to send me any of their used stamps. Please send all stamps postcards and picture phone cards to;
Mrs. Diana Ashton.
66, High bank Roe Lee
Blackburn Lancs.
BB1 9SX

Dear all at Have Your Say
Thank you for sending me the latest mag, its brilliant. Could you put another member on your list please he’s originally from Collyhurst Thank You keep up the good work.
Cynthia Bouhouch

Dear Sir or Madam,
My brothers Leo Armstrong passed on to me one of your magazines, which I found to be an excellent read. I like many of your readers came from Miles Platting and attended Corpus Christi school up to 1953. The stories told, take me back to my childhood, where I played in Lime St (where I lived), Fir St., Winstanley St. Sycamore and Ash St. Some of the girls I played with just in case any of them read your magazine , were Sheila Hockenhull, Maureen Shirley and Ann Beattie and Mary Slack, that’s just to name a few.
I’m enclosing a small donation and would be obliged if you could send me a regular issue.
S. Pelham

Dear Have Your Say
I am concerned about the fact that my local post office is going to be closed down in November. Is there anything you can do?

I am not a pensioner but due to health problems I’m not at all steady on my feet. So I like to shop locally whenever I can. Last winter I fell and broke my arm when I had to go out in the icy weather. If I have to walk further to collect my invalidity benefit this will not help me at all. I didn’t want to change over to having my benefit paid into a bank account for the same reason as the nearest bank is over a mile away.

Can you help in getting someone to listen to my plea?
Ms. J Green