Dear Have Your Say
I have to thank you very much for sending me the latest edition of your very interesting magazine. I will be sending this latest magazine to my mother in Melbourne, Australia.

I know she will be very thrilled to see the letter you published on the back page about some of the memories she has of her childhood in Miles Platting.
Thank you and God bless you all.
Marie Gallagher

Have Your Say team
I am Tom Smith. I am the second oldest of four lads. My brother Sid was the eldest, then me, John and Bill. We were all born at 22 William Street. We all attended Nelson St. School from the age of three. Miss Oldfield was the teacher.

I am 88 years old and now live in Chadderton on my own, my wife died in 2001. I played cricket for the school and also a few games of football. Bill Andrews, Harold Lee, Frank Gibson, Tom Fergerson and Ernie Dyson are some of the names from the time I was playing. Mr Lucas was the sports teacher. I was also a member of Hugh Oldham Lads Club. I played both cricket and football for them. Quite a number of Platting lads were members. I worked at Bower & Purve in
Thomas Street at the age of 14. I left when I was 19 and started at A V Roe on Briscoe Lane until we moved to Chadderton. I was given issue 19 of the magazine, and decided to write to you.

Talking about boxing, you never mentioned Harry Fleming who had 3 British champions in his club. Jacky Brown was the World Fly Weight Champ of the world for a time.
Mr. Tom Smith

Dear Have Your Say
Thank you for the spring/summer 2005 magazine. With reference to your correspondent who wanted to know where Newton was. Perhaps I can shed some light.
My “Day by Day bible” which I received on my confirmation on 23rd February. 1941, was inscribed as being from the Rector, Rev. E. Stopford, of St. Marks Church, Newton.
My late husband and I were married on the 2nd September 1950, again at St. Marks Church, and our marriage certificate again gives St. Marks Church, Newton. It would therefore seem to place St. Marks Church, Holland St., Newton as an official address.

All my Sunday School prizes and 7 year, 1st class attendance certificate just give the church as being Holland St. Manchester.
I wonder if anyone else has kept any of their prizes or 7 and 14 year certificates?
Yours sincerely
Mrs Kathleen Bradshaw (nee Blakeborough)

Dear Editor
I have just read your spring/ summer edition of Have Your Say. I noticed in it that a Patricia Mullany was asking about info on Shaftesbury Institute on Varley Street.

I was in the boys brigade when Shaftesbury was in Vickers Street. Mr and Mrs Crompton were Deacon and Deaconess, they lived in Wimbourne Street, (Tripe Colony). I came from Hanbury Street, also on Tripe Colony.

I can recall some of the names of the band, i.e. Roy, Norman, Cyril, Lambert and their dad on the bass drum. John Hodgkinson, Jim Connolly, Walter Flanagan and Frank Gilbert. The two officers in charge were Bill Wadsworth senior and Bill junior. Bill Wadsworth junior had not been out of the army long and he would put us through our paces as if he was still in it.

I remember at Whit week we would lead St. George’s Church, Miles Platting. We also took part in a Wings for Victory week parade where we met the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Manchester.
I left Shaftesbury sometime in 1945 or early 1946, the Lambert family left to go to the Barker Street Mission in Newton Heath where Cyril became an officer.
I hope this letter will bring back some happy memories to some of your readers. It certainly has done for me.
Ken Purcell

Dear Team
Thanks for sending me Have Your Say magazine. I enjoyed reading it. I lived at number 64 Husband Street, Collyhurst. I went to St. James School until I left at the age of 14. My family then moved to Clayton in 1935. I am still living in the same house we moved in to; I took it over when my parents died. I had a happy childhood in Collyhurst and when I read your magazine it brings back all the happy times I had as a child.
M. Robinson.

Dear Team
Thank you for the joy you give to our family and others. You bring back lots of happy memories for lots of people. Keep up the good work.
Gerardine Armstrong

Dear All
I would like to say how much I have enjoyed reading Have Your Say Magazine which was sent to me by Elsie and Alf Almond, after meeting up with them after many years.

I was born in London and lived there throughout the War, having lost our home twice and sleeping in shelters and on the underground. My dad was in the RAF. At the end of the war we found it hard to find another home in London, so my dad brought us to come and live in my grandma’s house, which was empty since she had died. I was seven years old at the time. We came to live in 17 Broxton Street off Bradford Road and it was there I first met Elsie and Marjorie Wilson, Elsie later to marry Alf and become Elsie Almond.

There was also Doris and Jean Dickenson. I still write to Jean who now lives in Surrey. Someone who became my very best friend was another Elsie; Elsie Bostock now Mrs Fereday.
I remember we could spend all day playing on the Clay-Hills, and in those days with a bottle of water and some butties we thought we were well off. Then my dad taking us to Daisy Nook Fair and thinking we were far out in the countryside!

For the last twenty years I have lived on the road that goes down to Daisy Nook, this has brought me many happy memories, even going into Manchester on the 76 bus down Bradford Road makes me think of the happy times spent there and now to be able to read the magazine has been marvellous.
Margaret Statham (Nee Mayne)

Dear Have Your Say
Many thanks for sending me the magazine. I always enjoy reading it, and sometimes I’m lucky enough to see familiar names that bring back happy memories.
All good wishes from
Joan Roscoe

Dear All
Thanks for the magazine. I enjoy reading them, reminds me of when I lived in Ancoats many years ago. I intend to take some of the magazines to Australia, when I go there for a visit, all being well.
Thanks again
Mrs. Irene Griffin

Dear Have Your Say
A friend of mine came to my house from Failsworth Manchester, bringing your magazine, which I had never heard of. I was thrilled to bits reading it.

I was born and bred in Miles Platting, I went to St. Luke’s School and was in the Girls Brigade, we were well known as we lived in Albion Street, all the family attended the church, we were the Jones family; Irene and Edna (twins) Sylvia and Beryl. I left Manchester in 1949 when I married. I have lived in St. Helens over fifty years. How great I found your magazine.
I remember the Fenton’s, mentioned in Issue 18. The organist in church was called Norman Shaw not Bernard Shaw who married Dorothy Gilbody.
Thanks a Lot
Edna Coats ( nee Jones)

Dear Team
Re; your article on boxing and the stadiums in and around the Collyhurst area. Asking one old scrapper, Johnnie Red Higgins what he considered his hardest fight: The New Street stadium promoter Aaron Taggart promised him a new flat cap in the thirties when boxers fought for peanuts if John won his next fight at the stadium. He said the hardest scrap was to get the half a crown from Aaron to buy the cloth cap. Johnny won by a head!
Les Kane

The ex boxers association meet every first Sunday in the month at the Hat and Feathers Hotel, Mason St. off Swan St, city centre. Everybody very welcome.
It’s a knockout.

Dear All
Re; the letter from Eric Quinn in the spring issue. Well Eric, we reply to say you brought back to our family many memories of the neighbourhood. We remembered your hard working mum who worked at the Daily Express. So we send to you our best regards.

The Hughes family, Les, Earnest and George.
Flo Kane