Works farewell Picnic

Recently my son went to a school reunion at Ardwick Tech and was given one of your magazines. We really enjoyed reminiscing with them. I was born in Miles Platting near the Albert Memorial School, eighty six years ago. I started work on my fourteenth birthday, which was in the middle of August. I started work at Hollands Woollen Mill, until it closed during the war (because it had a glass roof). I then worked in the cotton mill in the ring spinning room.

Here is a photo of the party Bill Holland gave us as a farewell in a big Hotel in the centre of Manchester. I am sat to the left of Bill and my lifelong friend (91 in March) Grace sat in front of me. I’ve often wondered what happened to the “spinners” he took to Canada with him to the mill he owned there. Bill had a son and daughter who I imagine will be in their fifties now.

I used to live at the top of Lime Street on the opposite corner to Granny Boardman’s greengrocery shop. I often wonder what happened to John Boardman and his large family. John used to have use a horse and cart for his greengrocery while his wife looked after the shop lower down Lime Street. When we left in about 1948 they had ten children. (I believe they had some more after that!) They were always lovely and clean, and well
mannered. My husband took a photograph of the ten children, I always wondered if it still survived.

They were hard times but we never felt threatened when we walked in the dark. After I married we used to live on Sandal Street, I remember my son left the front door open when he went to school, when I came home at dinner time, it was still wide open and nothing had been stolen. Could you do that today?
Mrs Rose Buckley nee Gerrity