From the cradle to the grave
I was born in School Street, Ancoats off Rochdale Road, and moved to Collyhurst flats, the people were lovely and the flats were very nice. I could walk to the Playhouse Cinema on Oldham Rd, or down to the Empress and the Osborne Cinemas, the Butler Cinema and also to the Revoli/Essoldo on Rochdale Road and the Savoy opposite Reather Street. You could also go to Granelli's for ice cream and a drink of Vimto, or any fruit drink and nice sweets.
There used to be plenty of shops on the road, not hidden away like today. You never felt lonely and there were lots of pubs, White Hart Collyhurst St, The Heywood down Oldham Road, The Ram near the Empress, The Lancaster, The Bird in Hand, The Nottingham Castle, Ye Old Pack Horse and the Angel on Butler Street, The Wheatsheaf near Prussia Park,
Into the town centre; Yates on Oldham Street, was very nice for Pea Soup the waitress' dressed very smartly in a black dress with a white collar and cuffs and head band. There was C&A where you could buy nice clothes, Woolworth's on the corner of Oldham Street, the lovely Piccadilly Gardens with a nice Band Stand and Water Fall, across Mosley Street, was Lewis's now Primark also Paulden's now Debenhams. If you wanted your Photo taken, there was Jerome's in Market Street. If you wanted make a dress the place to go was Morganstiens for nice material.
Then there was the fish market and the barrow boys with nice fresh fruit 'those were the days'.
I forgot to mention the toffee apple shop on Rochdale Road called Irvines, Mays Pawnshop for lovely Jewellery, and Marco Rea ice cream Shop.
My dad's cousin was head mistress at St. Patrick's for many years her name was Agnes Farrell, she lived opposite the school on Livesey Street, her mother was my grandma's sister, her maiden name was Mary Agnes Fitzpatrick. Agnes' mother and my grandma Bridget and Sisters Ellen, Annie and brothers Michael and Richard came from Dunmore in Ireland during the Potato famine when they were little children.