Then the floor collapsed!
At long last me and my wife Catherine called in to the office on Sawley Road and joined up, to receive Have Your Say magazine. I was born in Duke St Miles Platting in 1947 (facing Corpus Christi Church) I was in the flute band and also an altar boy at Corpus Christi. When I left school I joined the Fire Brigade in 1966 my first Station was New Street but I spent most of my service at Philips Park Station. I had to retire in 1997 after I had an accident at work. Two questions I hope some of your readers can help me on , first in the 50s on Varley Street, tucked into a side street near the weigh bridge at Hardman And Holden and further down Varley St I think in Cash Street, were; I can only describe as huge concrete containers about four foot high what were they used for? (I think someone once said that during the war they were filled with water for The Fire Service to use).
Second I think it was in the late 50s; I was out playing on Varley Street when we heard a loud bang it came from St Norberts Hall, a floor had collapsed whilst people were playing bingo, I was told Father De Clerk was calling the numbers. I remember The Fire Brigade turning up and carrying people out, I also remember Father Cross instructing people not to make any comments to the press who had turned up! (if Father Cross said don’t do it nobody did). What I would love to hear is; what date did it happen? Are there any readers out there who was in the building when the floor collapsed, and was anybody seriously injured?