Issue 27 / October 2012

Cheadle Civic Society
Established 1964
Newsletter
Cheadle Royal Hospital main buildings and gardens
Issue 27
Autumn 2012
2
Cheadle Civic Society was formed in 1964 with the following aims:
• To encourage high standards of architecture and town planning in Cheadle, Cheshire.
• To stimulate public interest in and care for, the beauty and improvement of features of
general public amenity or historic interest.
• To pursue these ends by means of public meetings, exhibitions, lectures, publications, other
forms of instruction and publicity and promotion of schemes of a charitable nature.
Committee 2012 - 2013
Chairman:
Hon. Secretary:
Hon. Treasurer / Membership secretary:
Membership co-ordinator:
Life president:
Editor:
Special correspondent:
Andrew Taylor
Helen Moorhouse
Philip Gould-Bourn
Damien Lynch
Maureen Mather
Claire Laverty
Anne Laverty
Kath Hallworth
Geoff Thompson
Alan Murphy
Rev. Rob Munro
Norman Redhead
Amanda Mattison
428-1875
428-6378
428-0199
428-5994
428-2977
491-4151
283-9974
491-0357
485-8069
491-1789
428-3440
486-6541
283-6566
Alan Bridge
Alan Jabez
Pat Seddon
498-9650
01625-520322
428-6137
Views
The views expressed in this newsletter are those of the editor or the contributors, not necessarily those of the committee members or members of the Society. Material in this newsletter is copyright to the Society and the contributors and may not be reproduced without permission. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, neither the editor nor the Society
can be held responsible for the consequences of any inaccuracies in the newsletter.
Index
Page 1:
Page 2:
Page 3-6:
Page 7:
Page 8:
Page 9:
Page 10 -13:
Page 14 -16:
Page 17 -19:
Page 20:
Cover illustration. The main building of Cheadle Royal Hospital
Society aims and committee members
Cheadle Matters. News and editorial
Transformation of Hall Street Green
Cheadle celebrates the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
Cheadle plays its role in keeping the Olympics on track
The 100th anniversary of the opening of the Electra cinema
The untold story of the Second World War’s Guernsey evacuees
The hidden history along Manchester Road
More pictures of Hall Street Green
Web site address: www.cheadlecivicsociety.org
3
Cheadle Matters
News and updates from around the village
Greetings
Hello everyone. It’s been a busy year in Cheadle
and we hope everyone enjoyed the Jubilee Celebrations and the Olympic Games. There’s also a lot
happening in the heart of the village and 2013
should see new luxury flats and a new Sainsbury
opening on High Street. We have plenty to report in
this newsletter and we hope everyone enjoys the
rich selection of stories we have included relating to
different aspects of Cheadle life, past and present.
George and Dragon concerns
Sadly, the ongoing issue of the future of the
George and Dragon is becoming a growing concern. This landmark building has now been unoccupied for more than three years and has become a
serious eyesore at the east end of High Street. The
current owners, Dorbiere, who only purchased the
pub themselves in 2010, placed it on the market in
the late Spring of this year, but at the time of going
to press, it remains unsold.
Until Dorbiere find a buyer, they have a legal responsibility to properly maintain the building and
adjoining premises to a reasonable standard. There
has already been instances of lead being removed
from the front porch and there are genuine fears
that unless a proper maintenance and protection
programme is put in place, the condition of the
building, one of the best known in Cheadle, could
deteriorate rapidly. To prevent this happening, the
Society has recently been in touch with Stockport
Council’s Conservation Department to ensure that
the Council inform Dorbiere of their legal responsibilities and that the Council subsequently monitors the pub closely to ensure the building isn’t
allowed to deteriorate, with the worst scenario that
it starts to become commercially unrepairable.
With many pubs struggling in the current recession, Dorbiere have taken the decision they would
prefer to lose the property from their portfolio than
have the problems of trying to make it a commercial success in the uncertain years ahead and have
already substantially lowered their original asking
price from £425,000 to £345,000 to try and push
through a sale as quickly as possible.
Matthew Phillips, the commercial surveyor commissioned by Dorbiere to find a buyer, says there
has been a notable interest in the pub, claiming
more than 20 companies, including several mainstream brewery chains, as well as other local businesses, have already viewed the property and he is
confident it is only a matter of time before a buyer
will be found who has both the necessary funding
available as well as the experience of managing
such a building.
The Civic Society’s view is that it is very important a buyer is found quickly so that the building is
re-occupied and the unsightly shutters on the outside will be removed and the front of it renovated
and repainted. However, there is a growing concern that with the George and Dragon being both a
Grade 2 listed building and also within Cheadle’s
conservation area, new owners will be limited with
any changes they can make and will also have to
negotiate strict planning regulations. There is a
further issue that because of the age of the building, it will require considerable ongoing maintenance, which will increase its annual costs further,
and this could be another barrier from any suitable
new owner making a purchase.
The appearance and condition of the George
and Dragon is causing increasing concern
Public consultation for substantial funding to
improve the centre of Cheadle
A public consultation is now taking place regarding the allocation of up to £400,000 of funds to
benefit the heart of Cheadle. The funds will be
coming directly from Stockport Council and a
number of local people have already forwarded
suggestions as to how the money should be spent.
These include relaying paving stones on High
Street and surrounding roads, eliminating flooding
issues in the centre of the village, adding another
pedestrian crossing on High Street, moving the bus
stop away from the George and Dragon, improving the road layout in the centre of the village and
assessing other key transport issues, reducing
“signage clutter” on a number of key roads and
improving the old public toilets building. Full details of the consultation are available at Cheadle
Library, local shops and on the Stockport Council
web site. The changes will be made during the
2013/2014 budget year.
4
Cheadle Matters (continued)
Barnes Convalescent Home development
The ongoing story of Barnes Convalescent Home
has taken a new twist. Members may recall that
plans were created for a new multi-occupancy
residential village there a few years ago, but the
idea was subsequently scrapped as the economic
recession set in. However, the Barnes complex
was recently sold to a Stockport based company
called Diamond Strategic Land who are now preparing proposals for a new project which should
mean the main building will be redeveloped and a
series of town houses built on the land around.
Full details of the proposals should be available on
the company’s website shortly and we will provide
an update in the next newsletter.
www.diamondstrategicland.co.uk
Cheadle Post Office on the move
A major development is likely to take place in the
heart of Cheadle in the next few months with
Cheadle Post Office moving away from Rectory
Gardens and into the shop which was formerly
Alcocks Fashions in the middle of High Street.
The privately owned Cheadle Post Office has been
under economic pressure for a number of years
and its relocation will have the dual benefit of reducing its costs and also ensuring it will be more
accessible to people throughout the village. However, the move could have a significant knock-on
effect as there is currently uncertainty as to what
will happen to the premises which the Post Office
currently occupy. There have been fears that the
adjoining Cheadle sorting office could be sold to
developers and a new sorting office opened in a
cheaper location elsewhere, meaning many people
may have to make a longer journey to collect their
post and packages. However, if there were plans to
develop the site, there may first have to be an archaeological investigation of the area as this is the
location of the Old Rectory, one of Cheadle’s oldest buildings until it was knocked down in 1939,
and yet, despite its significant historical importance, there are currently very few detailed records
remaining of the premises, which a thorough archaeological dig may reveal.
Warwick Mall redevelopment nearing completion
The major construction work which is currently
taking place on the site of the old Warwick Mall
on High Street, should be completed by the end of
March 2013. By then, there should be two new
retail outlets on the ground floor and 14 luxury
apartments on the two floors above.
On completion, Sainsbury’s, which has recently
expanded its Cheadle Royal superstore, will take
over the larger of the two retail units, with another,
non-food company, occupying the other. Both
units will have their own front doors leading onto
High Street and it is expected that both units will
be fully operational by next Spring.
Around the same time, the 14 luxury apartments
should also be completed, and as is now the case
with an increasing number of new developments,
these will be for rent only, not for sale.
Entry to the apartments will be via the Massie
Street car park, although tenants will not have any
dedicated parking spaces included. Most of the
apartments are two bedrooms, although there are a
few which only have a single bedroom. The developers believe the apartments will attract an assortment of tenants and are likely to be most appealing
to people working in the area on short-term contracts.
Friends of Abney Hall Park appeal
The Friends of Abney Hall Park group are actively
looking for new members to help maintain the 200
acres of beautiful parkland surrounding Abney
Hall. The group were formed in 2005 and have so
far been responsible for everything from clearing
and protecting the pond and paying for the renewal
of the footpath around the pond, to planting thousands of native bulbs throughout the park and create a rare wetland, and much else besides.
However, due to cutbacks by Stockport Council,
Abney Hall Park has recently lost its two resident
park wardens, who previously undertook much of
the ongoing maintenance of the park, and it has
now largely been left to the Friends to organise the
work themselves. Jean Goulden, Chair of Abney
Hall Park Friends, say they plan to organise regular task days from now on to undertake such jobs
as pond cleaning, litter picking and general tidying
and she is now looking for enthusiastic helpers to
undertake the work.
For further information, contact Jean by telephone
on: 491-1018 or by e-mailing her at: [email protected]. The group now also have their
own informative web site: www.abneyhallpark.com
The moving of the Post Office from its current site could
see major changes around Rectory Gardens in the future
5
Cheadle Matters (continued)
Cafe at Abney?
Regular visitors to Abney Hall Park over the summer may have noticed a new refreshments kiosk
close to the scout huts. The initiative is the brainchild of local residents Steve and Kate Peacock
who say there has been so much interest in the kiosk that they have recently approached the Council about opening a full-time cafe inside the old
pavilion, which adjoins the scout hut and overlooks the old sports field. They say they intend to
put in a formal application shortly which could
also include plans to renovate the old pavilion and
turn it into a visitors centre, as well as base for local schools and other groups involved in conservation, wildlife and photography. Steve says there
are a large number of dog walkers and other people who use the park every day and many have
expressed great interest in the idea. As there are no
other similar facilities in the area, he believes it
could also help to attract more visitors to the park.
Join the fun on the Abney 5K run
Anyone who is keen to get on their sports kit having enjoyed the Olympic Games during the summer would be warmly welcomed by the regulars at
the Abney 5K run. This is a competitive five kilometre running race which began in 2011 and is
now proving increasingly popular amongst South
Manchester’s running enthusiasts. It takes place on
the first Saturday of every month on a specially
sign-posted circuit around Abney Hall Park and is
open to runners of all levels. Gary Thomas, one of
the run’s joint organisers, says there are sometimes
people as their seventies taking part, as well as
more serious younger athletes from the Manchester Athletics Club, but he says everyone is welcome, although he recommends that anyone who
has not run for a while should have a few shorter
practice runs before taking part. To adhere to national running event regulations, there are always
marshals on the course and first-aiders in attendance. For more information call 428-5212 or go
to: www.abneycheadlerun.co.uk
Runners of all levels gather outside Abney
Hall for the start of the monthly Abney 5K run
Remembering Reads of Cheadle
There was much interest in our special feature
about Derek Seddon’s personal photographs of
Cheadle in the last issue of the newsletter. One
person who was particularly interested in the picture of the Reads of Cheadle garage forecourt photograph was Pam Cunningham as her husband
Eddie began his apprenticeship at Reads in the late
1960s, remaining there for nearly 20 years before
moving to work in Wilmslow. Pam says the photograph (shown below) rekindled many memories
for both of them as there are so few photographs
remaining of Reads, which was a mainstay of
High Street for much of the 20th Century.
Reads of Cheadle was a popular landmark
in High Street for much of the 20th Century
Who’s Who and Who Was Who of Cheadle
We are happy to report that much work has been
undertaken recently on a new book featuring the
great and good of Cheadle. The finished book
should contain profiles of more than 150 local
people and should make fascinating reading for
anyone interested in Cheadle, past and present. It
is hoped the book will be finished by the Spring of
2013 and we will provide an update in the next
newsletter.
History of Cheadle Cricket Club book
A major new book on the history of Cheadle
Cricket Club is now also nearing completion. The
book is being written by Civic Society chairman
Andrew Taylor and he has so far spent most of this
year accumulating a huge amount of previously
unpublished material relating to all aspects of
cricket in Cheadle.
The A4 size book, which will contain a wealth of
evocative photographs, is scheduled for release in
2013, the 150th anniversary of the founding of
Cheadle Cricket Club. Andrew says that although
the book is nearly finished, he is still interested in
hearing from anyone who has any old photographs, scorecards, artefacts or other memorabilia
relating to cricket in Cheadle. He can be contacted
on 07565-644826 or by e-mail at: [email protected].
6
Cheadle Matters (continued)
Kathleen Wienholt tribute
We are saddened to report of the death of Kathleen
Wienholt a few months ago at the age of 98. Kathleen was an integral part of the Premier Cafe family in Cheadle for much of the middle years of the
20th Century. Born in Cheadle in 1913, Kathleen
married George Wienholt, the son of the Premier
Café’s founder, August Wienholt, in 1936. They
then lived in High Grove Road for nearly 30 years
and for much of that time Kathleen worked in both
the Premier Café’s shop and office and was also a
well-known personality in the village. In later
years, Kathleen and George moved to Alderley
Edge where they helped develop the Wienholt pastrycook business which still exists today.
Con Club 120 years old
Happy birthday to the Cheadle and Gatley Conservative Club (The Con Club) which celebrated its
120th anniversary in September. Situated on the
corner of Oak Road and Stockport Road, opposite
Cheadle Green, the Club has been a significant
part of local life for several generations of Cheadle
families. Although the main building has changed
little over the years, it was expanded in the late
1940s, while further land was acquired in the
1980s, which is now the club’s car park. Today,
the club has nearly 400 members and has a very
popular bar, social club, function room, snooker
room, dance studio, as well as its own crown green
bowling lawn which is used daily and is kept in
immaculate condition. To celebrate the club’s historic milestone, there was a packed diary of events
in September and other events are planned before
the end of the year.
There will be a detailed illustrated history of the
Club in the next issue of the Newsletter and any
member who has any personal photographs or stories relating to the club should contact the editor.
Cheadle parking developments
Anyone wishing to park their car at a Council
owned car park or in an on-street parking space in
Cheadle (and throughout Stockport) from now on
can now do so by paying via their mobile phone or
by paying online. Local councillor Iain Roberts has
been one of the principal backers of the new scheme
and claims it will have the dual benefit of enabling
people without any cash to pay for their parking, as
well as enabling car owners to extend their parking
time without having to return to their car. However,
while the Society welcomes the development, it believes a better initiative will be to allow free parking
for two hours each day at all Council owned car
parks as this would help to revitalise local economies, which would benefit everyone.
Cockleshell Heroes exhibition at Stockport
Story Museum
Stockport Story Museum will be launching a major new exhibition about the Cockleshall Heroes at
the beginning of November. The Cockleshall story
was one of the most daring and amazing of World
War 2 and was later turned into a major feature
film. It involved 13 young Royal Marines being
despatched by submarine to the Gironde Estuary
in occupied France and then paddling by canoe at
night to attack German vessels moored in the main
port in Bordeaux. Although most of the Marines
were subsequently captured and killed, it is believed their extraordinary efforts may have helped
to reduce the length of the war by up to six
months. As one of the canoeists was 21 year old
James Conway who came from nearby Heaton
Mersey, Stockport Story Museum have acquired a
large number of photographs and other artefacts
relating to this secret mission and are putting the
exhibition together as part of the 70th anniversary
of the event. The exhibition begins on November 3
and will last for 12 months. Stockport Story Museum is located at 30 Market Place, Stockport, and
is open from Tuesday to Sunday.
World famous Christy towels moves to Cheadle
There was much interest in our feature about the
history of the giant sports retailing company Umbro in the last issue of the newsletter and we can
now announce that luxury towel maker, Christy,
who also have strong links with international
sport, have recently moved to Cheadle. Christy has
been making and selling high-quality towels for
more than 150 years and for the past 25 years they
have been the official towel supplier to the Wimbledon tennis championships, with their towels
regularly to be seen during matches wiping the
brows of the world’s leading players. In recent
years, the company has significantly expanded its
range and now also offers high-quality rugs, robes,
bed linen, cushions and pillows. The company is
based on Bird Hall Lane, Cheadle Heath.
Update on the plans for a residential care home
at Abney
Following our report in the last newsletter that
Care UK were looking at turning the empty offices
in Abney Hall Park into a state-of-the-art residential care home, the company said a public consultation they had about the proposals attracted 45
people and they regarded the response from the
local community as being positive. However, as of
the end of September, they said negotiations with
the building’s owner were still at an early stage
and they remained undecided as to whether to proceed with a formal planning application.
7
The transformation of Hall Street Green
from urban wasteland to attractive community park
Cheadle
Green
improvements
update
The recent
transformation
of what
is known as
Unfortunately,
the behind
recession
thechurch,
past fewhas
Hall
Street Green,
St over
Mary’s
years
has
meant
a
number
of
community
projects
been an excellent example of different parts
of the
have
had
to
be
postponed
until
there
is
an
upturn
community collaborating on a project which
will
in the economy.
One ofofthese
been the imbenefit
a large number
localhas
people.
provements which had been agreed for Cheadle
For
many
an area
landbeen
nearly
acres
Green.
Theyears,
original
plansofhad
for two
the existing
in sizetowhere
Andrewnew
Street
and Charles
Street
pond
be replaced,
benches,
footpath
and
previously
existed
(adjoining
Brook
Road,
Ernest
lighting added and the canopy of the trees to be
Streetsignificantly
and Hall Street)
had become
severely
nelifted
to enable
the green
to have
glected
and
was
barely
used
by
anyone,
despite
much more daylight. While the plans remain in its
prominent
position.
As such,
by have
how any
place,
Stockport
Council
don’tinspired
currently
other
local
green
spaces
had
been
transformed
funds to begin the work, but the Cheadle Civic in
recent times,
a number with
of home
owners of
in Cheadle
the area
Society,
in association
the Friends
decidedhave
to form
organisation
called
Thefunds
Friends
Green,
beenanactively
seeking
to find
of
Hall
Street
Green
with
the
principal
aim
of
findfrom private sources to help pay for the improveing
a
way
to
regenerate
the
land
into
something
ments and they are now being assisted by an exmuch morelocal
attractive
and accessible.
perienced
professional
fund-raiser to try and
speed-up
thefirst
process.
As such,
it will
One of their
initiatives
waswe
to hope
approach
the
now
be
a
case
of
when
the
improvements
will and
take
Civic Society who were extremely supportive
place,
not
if,
and
we
will
keep
you
informed.
donated £500 to help them develop their ideas.
The
next big
to approachdig
Stockport
Proposals
forstep
an was
archaeological
in the
Council
who
agreed
to
provide
assistance
to help
grounds of Abney Hall.
them
apply
for
National
Lottery
funding.
A
plan
The interest and success of the archaeological
digof
action
was
then
put
in
place
as
to
exactly
what
on Cheadle Green in 2010 has encouraged Man-improvements
were
needed and how
much
they to
chester County
Archaeologist
Norman
Redhead
would
cost
and
an
application
was
submitted
the
look at other possible sites in Cheadle where atodig
National
Lottery
in
2010.
may also prove fruitful. Speaking at the Society’s
AGM in
May,
believes
there aisthorough
excellentassesspotenAbout
one
yearhelater,
following
tial
for
a
dig
at
nearby
Abney
Hall
where
a
number
ment of the their application, the Lottery gave them
of
outbuildings
used
to the
exist
during
time
the
a grant
of £43,000
and
group
setthe
about
impleold
Grove
Printworks
occupied
the
grounds,
before
menting the improvements as quickly as possible.
Abney Hall was built. He believes the remains of
Most
redevelopment
took place
in the
some of
of the
these
buildings maywork
still exist
beneath
latter
of foliage
2011 and
early
2012
withon
thetop
much part
of the
which
has
nowand
grown
green
now
transformed
from
what
is
was
just
a
and could provide a lot of new useful information
few
years
ago,
the
new
green
was
officially
about the history of the area. He also believes there
opened
by Stockport’s
Councillor
Wendy
is excellent
potential to mayor,
undertake
an archaeologiMeikle
in
September
at
a
special
launch
party
cal dig on the old Bleachworks site which used to
where
the improvements
to the
be
the home
to Cheadle’s were
lowershowcased
mill as it contains
entire
a largecommunity.
amount of local industrial heritage, with
much of it still visible at ground level. As always,
acquiring funding could be an issue, but judging by
the success of the dig on Cheadle Green, there will
certainly be no lack of interest.
Proposed Abney Hall visit
Plans are currently in place to try and arrange a
special viewing day of the interior of Abney Hall
exclusively for Society members. For those who
have never been inside this wonderful early Victorian stately home, lived in for many years by the
famous Watts family and visited frequently by
Agatha
in the
early
of the
Before. Christie
The old green
was
veryyears
run-down
and20th
littleCenused
tury,
it contains
a wealth
magnificent
furniture
The range
of changes
thatofhave
taken place
have
and artwork
and was decorated
the highest
stanbeen
very significant.
The most to
noticeable
is that
dards
of
the
period.
Once
a
date
has
been
arthere is now a new, all-weather footpath throughranged,
we willThe
contact
members
andhas
suggest
anyout the green.
central
grass area
also been
one
interested
should
make
their
booking
as
significantly tidied. Thirteen new trees have been
quickly as
possible.a number of fruit frees, which it
planted,
including
is
hoped
willdormer
producewindows
a rich abundance
of apples
High
Street
developments
and
pears
in
the
years
ahead,
for
the
benefit
Members who have followed our story aboutofthe
everyone.
A new
herb garden
been
planted.
A
iconic dormer
windows
whichhas
were
removed
withnew,
long-lasting
notice
boardabove
has been
erected. In
out permission
from
the roof
the Carphones
addition,
the
railings
around
the
green
have
Warehouse shop on the corner of High Streetbeen
and
replaced
and new
bins and
birdthere
boxes
have
Massie Street
willlitter
be happy
to note
have
been
added.
There developments.
are also severalStockport
new, highnow been
positive
Counquality
benches
in
place
along
the
footpath,
as
cil’s Conservation Officer has informed us they
well
separate
wooden
which
has
been
wroteastoa the
owners
of the bench
property
in the
summer
carved
fromlocal
an old
oak tree and
contains
artistic
explaining
conservation
laws
have been
images
of
an
owl,
fox
and
flower.
There
are
breached and action needs to be taken and asalso
we
four
artistic
woodlearnt
carvings
around have
the green
wentother
to press
we have
the owners
acand
theresponsibility
final improvement
should
be the
cepted
and are
currently
in installathe proction
improveda timescale
lighting. to get replacement winess ofofagreeing
dows
designed
and installed.
Hopefully,
Stockport
Council’s
parks department
co-this will
happen
in
the
next
few
months
and
be
in
place
ordinated much of the work, and the group
will
sometime
2012.
now
work during
with the
Council to ensure the green is
properly
maintained
in the future. Meanwhile,
George and
Dagon redevelopments
children
from
Cheadle’s
Ashfield
Road Primary
After many months of being
unoccupied
and with
School
created
a
bog
garden
at
one
of theownshutters on the doors and windows, end
the new
green
also gained
valuable(alessons
ers of and
the George
and Dragon
grade 2about
listedgardening
and
wildlife
and
it
is
hoped
this
relationbuilding) have recently submitted a planning apship between
the school
and
will continue
plication
to make
changes
to green
the building
for its in
the
future. as an upmarket pub and restaurant
reopening
sometime
the next say
few that
months.
Thethe
Society
Many localinresidents
because
greenisis
happy
that
a
redevelopment
of
this
iconic
Cheadle
now so much better than it was before, they
are
landmark
is
now
finally
progressing
and
the
using it much more regularly. Two residents integwho
rity as
of much
the building
willtobyget
andthelarge
be maindid
as anyone
project
off the
tained.
also hoped
the re-opening
of the
estabground Itareis Penny
and John
Allwark, who
have
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historic photographs showing scenes of Cheadle
from the past 120+ years and we intend to add
some to the web site and will also make them
available at next year’s AGM. Below is one the
pictures which has been acquired.
After. The new green has many new
flowers and trees and is much more attractive
See more photographs of Hall Street Green on the back cover
8
2012 - A summer to remember
Civic Society helps organise a fantastic festival to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
Saturday the 2nd of June, 2012, will long live in
the memory of anyone who attended the Queen’s
Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Ashfield Road
and the adjoining Jubilee Park.
While there were many other street parties held
throughout the country to celebrate 60 years of the
Queen’s reign, it is unlikely any others were better
organised or provided as much entertainment to so
many local people.
sample the rich variety of food available at the numerous food stalls and marquee.
A number of local sports clubs were also in attendance and gave expert tuition to anyone who
wanted to try out a sport for the first time or get
more information as to where they could play if
they wanted to get more involved in the future.
Some people wore period costumes from the 1950s
Hundreds of local people came to enjoy the day
The Cheadle Civic Society contributed £1000 in
advance to help arrange the event and a number of
the committee members were part of the special
committee which was formed to bring together so
many traders, entertainers and local residents.
There were also many people dressed for the occasion with plenty of Union Jack jackets and hats on
display. Others wore period costumes, appropriate
for when the Queen acceded to the thrown.
The Civic Society stand also proved popular, with
many people joining the Society, while many others came to discuss local issues with the committee members who turned out in force.
Although it did rain occasionally during the day, it
didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm for an event
which proved extremely popular.
Many local groups performed for the large crowds
Many popular “fairground attractions” were brought in
There were so many highlights it would be difficult to list them all, but for many of the young
children it would have been the opportunity to
watch the dogs in the dogs show, the donkeys
from the donkey sanctuary, as well as get very
close to a number of very exotic owls.
For others, the “fairground attractions” proved particularly popular, while many people were keen to
Although most of the stalls and events finished at
around 4pm, the main stage carried on for several
more hours with the “Cheadle Has Talent” competition attracting lots of high-quality acts. The winner was 14 year old Scarlett Quigley, a classical
soprano singer who enthralled the audience with
her beautiful voice.
She also generously came back for an encore after
she received her prize in the pouring rain and we
wish her the best of luck in what we hope will be a
successful musical career in the future.
See many more photographs of the Cheadle Diamond
Jubilee festival at: www.cheadlecivicsociety.org
9
Cheadle plays its role in keeping the Olympics on track
It was promoted as the greatest show on earth. An
extraordinary festival of sport and a massive celebration for the modern world.
But while it was an event which mainly took place
in London, Cheadle also played a small part in
helping to ensure the Olympic Games was a great
success
Even before the sporting programme began, the
Village Hotel, on Wilmslow Road, hosted the athletes and officials from Papua New Guinea for a
few days as they undertook their pre-games preparations at a training venue in Stockport.
me I had never seen before and will never see
again. But that is what the Olympics does. It
brings together people of all ages, colours, beliefs
and backgrounds from all across the world.
When I did have time off I found myself travelling
around London visiting other Olympic venues and
exhibitions and savouring the atmosphere everywhere I went. If I was wearing my special Olympics Volunteers uniform, many people would come
and ask me questions about the Olympics or London and I was always happy to be of assistance.
But Cheadle played another part in helping to keep
the Games on track. Your editor was one of the
70,000 volunteers or “Games Makers” who also
went to London for the duration of the Olympics
and helped out at the volleyball tournament at
Earls Court.
I helped to make sure that every player was looked
after, that every spectator found their seat and that
everybody had one of the best experiences of their
entire lives. In reality, I did a multitude of jobs and
while it sometimes it meant very early starts and/
or late finishes, nobody seemed to care as there
was such a sense of happiness and camaraderie
amongst everyone who was around.
I was even lucky enough to watch some of the
matches and it’s unlikely I will ever again experience the drama, passion and excitement that took
place on that Olympic volleyball court. I managed
to watch at close-up the final of the women’s volleyball tournament and was distinctly moved by
the unbridled joy of every one of the Brazilian
players as they secured the final point in their victory over the USA.
Your editor in “Games Maker” uniform at the Olympic
Games helping to ensure that everything went smoothly
Everywhere there were vast crowds. At all the
venues they were people from so many nations,
either supporting their own heroes or just happy to
wave their national flag. Inevitably, there were
many more British supporters than any others and
so many were dressed or draped in Union Jack
shirts, shorts, dresses, flags, hats or socks or whatever else they could find. In fact, all across London there was an extraordinary outpouring of national pride and unity.
Despite the worries beforehand of possible terrorism concerns, transport problems and ticketing
issues, the whole event was exceptionally well organised and the years of planning meant it was so
much easier for me and the other Volunteers to
ensure that everything went to plan during each
day of competition.
Nobody seemed to mind the lack of sleep because
everyone knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, which, sadly, would be over so quickly.
The women’s Olympics volleyball final was a spectacular event
The medal ceremony was just as riveting. It was
even more emotional watching it in real life than
enjoying it on television. To see the delight on the
face of each athlete as they received the gold
medal they had worked so hard for in their lives
was a memory I will never forget.
I found myself openly crying with people next to
I felt very privileged that I had been given an opportunity to play a small part myself and meeting
so many people from so many places was a real
pleasure.
My hope is that the success of the 2012 Games
will help to motivate a new generation of youngsters to take up some form of sport in the future or
that in our sometimes troubled world, the good
name of the Olympics will help to maintain peace
and harmony across the globe until the next
Games takes place in another four years time. AJ
10
Special feature
The 100th anniversary of the opening of Cheadle’s only cinema by Alan Jabez
One hundred years ago this year saw the opening
of Cheadle’s one and only public cinema, and for
more than 50 years it brought glitz, glamour and
Hollywood movie stars to many local residents.
Many others came from miles around, attracted by
the magic of the moving image, and long before
many other places had a cinema of their own, this
wonderful new entertainment venue put Cheadle
firmly on the map.
It was called the Electra, and although it was shut
down and demolished in the 1960s, it is still
fondly remembered by those who lived in Cheadle
at the time. It was also the place where many local
people did much of their courting and spent a lot
their leisure time.
From the beginning, the driving force behind the
Electra was a small, highly motivated lady called
Esther Harriet Burns, born in north Manchester in
1875, and her husband James, who she had married in 1896.
Esther’s sister Isabell had visited America when
the early “movie theaters” were opening and was
so impressed by what she saw, she returned to
Manchester and opened her own cinema in Hulme
in 1910, one of the earliest cinemas in the North of
England.
The interest in the Hulme cinema motivated
Esther and James to follow suit and with Esther
having been left the considerable sum of £300 in
a will by her aunt, they decided to open their cinema in Cheadle, which was then regarded as an
up-and-coming village on the outskirts of Manchester which had a growing affluent community.
They moved into Cheadle to be close to the new
business and purchased a large house half way
down Ashfield Road. They initially thought of using the site of Haw Bank, opposite Cheadle Green,
as their cinema, but finally chose a building in the
middle of the north side of High Street which they
believed was much more suitable.
The building was number 44 (High Street) which
had previously been owned by the Worthington
family and used as a dressmakers and laundry.
Once they took over the premises, Esther and
James found a local builder and together they created a single floor timber and plaster structure
which had a quaint mock Tudor frontage and steps
leading to the main entrance which gave the building a more elevated appearance.
The cinema opened on August 26, 1912, and although the interior was exceptionally basic by today’s standards, with everyone sitting on wooden
benches and sawdust on the floor, it was a huge
innovation for the area at the time.
As a touch of bravado, they placed an oval shield
above the screen with the letter “B” (for Burns) in
the middle and this remained there for many years,
even after the Burns family has sold up and moved
away.
It is believed they called it the Electra as they had
been influenced by the success of the Electric Cin-
When the original Electra Picture House opened in 1912 at 44 High Street it was the only cinema for miles around
11
ema in Portabello Road in London, which was one
of the first British cinemas to open and subsequently became a benchmark for many others.
Esther and James worked very hard together to
make the venture a success, and once their two
young sons were old enough, they would also help
out, be it in the projection room, box office or anywhere else.
Despite this being such a new venture, the couple
reaped the rewards very quickly and by 1914 they
had already earned enough money to modernise
and expand the cinema. They removed the mock
Tudor frontage and instead placed a series of ornamental pillars on the front of the building to give it
a more distinct appearance.
A rare photograph showing the reconstruction of the
Electra in 1914 to make it larger and more prominent
From the beginning, a piano was installed at the
Electra as all the films were silent in the early
days, and the pianist would play music to match
the mood of the film and thereby enhance the audience’s viewing experience.
Details of the new shows would appear on notice
boards around Cheadle, as well as inside and outside the cinema. The aim was to change the film
programme twice a week and it’s likely many people would have visited the cinema on a regular
basis.
They carried on throughout the First World War,
although with most young men away fighting for
their country, it would often be young boys who
became the projectionists. In those early days, it
was part of the cinema experience that the projector
would break down regularly and would need fixing
during a show. In fact, John Donald, who had his
saddlers shop across the road, was regularly called
in to fix the leather “donkey belt” which worked the
projector, and over the years, it’s likely he got to
watch as many films as anyone else.
Esther and James Burns (left and centre) with their daughterin-law Mabel in front of the box office in the mid 1920s
At least power failures weren’t a problem. With
the Stockport to Gatley tramway right outside the
door, the family made the decision to install a generator from the National Gas Engine company to
create their own electricity, rather than use the
public electric service as they believed this could
have caused a problem to the smooth running of
the projector whenever a tram passed by.
The reconstructed Electra of 1914 had four ornamental pillars,
while the old mock Tudor porch had been moved elsewhere
Curiously, a giant-size notice-board advertising
other entertainment venues around Manchester
occupied the space immediately next to the Electra. It is unclear whether this existed previously,
but it remained for many years and if it was the
place where everyone stopped to see what was
happening around town, then being right outside
the Electra’s front doors may have been good for
business.
In those pioneering days of cinemas, most of the
major films available came from America, and in
particular, the fledgling studios in Hollywood. But
the images of the “Wild West” and Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and others performing their
comedy routines would have captivated the local
audience in the days when many people still regarded any sort of moving image on the silver
screen as something akin to magic.
The shows would take place in the evening from
Mondays to Saturdays, with a matinee also taking
place on some days. In 1916, the price of a ticket
varied from three (old) pence (c1p) for a seat with
12
the worst view, to a whole shilling (c5p) for a seat
reserved in advance.
Some of the major film dramas of the era were
episodic, like modern TV soap operas, and this
would have encouraged the audience to return to
make sure they never missed a storyline.
After the First World War, the Electra went from
strength to strength. It became so popular that a
further significant expansion took place in 1923. A
larger building was constructed with the old steps
leading to the front door removed and the new entrance now being at ground level. The ornamental
pillars which had only been added a decade earlier
were also taken down.
Another significant occurrence took place when
“talkies” were introduced a few years later. This
meant speakers had to be installed and the projector system updated. For the first time the audience
was able to hear the actors talking on the screen,
as well as hear genuine screen music and sound
effects. It’s been recorded that the first major
sound movie to be shown at the Electra was Al
Jolson’s “The Singing Fool” which premiered on
October 30th 1929 and would have transformed
the cinema experience.
Owner Esther Burns on the steps of the Electra
sometime after it was modernised in 1914
An old poster showing the performances in a week
in 1916 along with ticket prices and opening times
Inside the new cinema, individual upholstered seats
were installed and there was probably a bigger and
better screen, as well as carpeting on the floor.
.
Esther and James wanted to emphasise this was a
more modern and grandiose building and they
changed the name from the Electra Picture House
to the Electra Picture Palace. They were keen to
take the Electra to another level and the changes
they made generated considerable publicity around
Manchester.
Following the premature death of James Burns in
1926, Esther was left to run the Electra herself, but
she continued to put as much energy and passion
into the business as she had done before. It’s believed she also moved into a flat which had been
built above the cinema, and a café was also opened
on the premises which proved popular.
By now, large crowds were flocking to the Electra
every week, and by the early 1930s, with better
transport systems in place, people were coming
from much further out. Local fish and chip shops
and other eateries were also benefiting from the
extra crowds in the village, while the innovative
Premier Cafe, near the George and Dragon pub,
often stayed open later on the nights when the
Electra had a performance so people could enjoy a
nice meal after they had watched a show.
The final redevelopment of the Electra (on the left)
in 1923, created a more grander building on High Street
13
The later 1930s though started to see a decline in
the Electra’s fortunes. A number of significant
changes took place with one of the biggest being
the opening of the larger and more modern Tatton
cinema in Gatley which would have taken away a
number of the Electra’s customers. Also, Esther,
aware that she was unable to make the Electra any
larger, went into partnership with local businessman J W Davies to build another large modern cinema in Northenden, which was named the Forum.
Once World War 2 broke out, even the biggest
companies struggled to make much money out of
the cinema business. With so few films were being
made and with many men away from home and
many women largely left to look after the children,
they had little money available for regular nights out.
After the war, the Electra continued to struggle.
With many other larger and more modern cinemas
having been opened elsewhere, it didn’t have the
pulling power it had in the past. And with more
people now owning a car and able to drive to
wherever they wanted for their evening’s entertainment, the Electra also suffered because it had
no dedicated car park. The arrival of television in
people’s living rooms also meant more people began to stay at home in the evening, than go out in
the way they had done before.
In the late 1950s, the Electra was leased to GB
Snape, another group which operated cinemas
around Manchester. They fared little better and in
the early 1960s, they introduced bingo sessions on
Sundays to try and raise revenue. But a number of
Cheadle’s church-goers complained and the sessions soon ended.
The last major change to the Electra in 1923 saw the entrance
placed at ground level and the front facade more dominant
Once the Forum was up and running, Esther decided it was time to move on from the Electra and
she sold it to Associated British Cinemas (ABC) in
1936. She then used the profits to build an even
larger venue on the outskirts of Stockport. This
was to become the Davenport Theatre which became known nationally and which she retained
until 1964 when it was sold to another entertainment group. Esther remained actively involved at
the Davenport until well into her 80s and finally
passed away in 1975 at the age of 99.
Her grand daughter Sylvia Hill remembers her to
this day as a very hard working and much-liked
lady who had a fantastic business brain and a raw
passion for the cinema. Even in her later years she
attended many trade events and would personally
select the films she wanted her customers to
watch. In many ways she played a huge role in
bringing high-quality entertainment to many generations of local families.
Such was her day-to-day involvement at the Electra in the early years that once she sold it to the
ABC, the cinema was never the same again. It was
no longer the family run business where the owner
knew many customers by name, but simply another establishment in a multi-chain national organisation, with the senior management all based
in London.
Finally, once GB Snape’s lease expired in November 1963, ABC closed the cinema. The building
was then demolished two years later, and in September 1966, a Victor Value supermarket opened
on the same ground, ending forever a significant
era in Cheadle’s recent history.
The Co-op now occupy 44 High Street and there are
no visual signs that the Electra previously existed here
These days, a Co-op Travel shop occupies 44 High
Street, adjacent to the pelican crossing, and there
are no visual signs that the Electra existed at all.
With the Internet and television now dominating
so many people’s evening entertainment, it is
doubtful another public cinema will ever return to
the heart of Cheadle.
But for those who did live in the village in the pretelevision era of the early part of the 20th Century,
the Electra was a much-loved institution that
brought happiness and laughter to very many people.
14
The untold story of the Guernsey schoolchildren who
came to Cheadle Hulme for five years during World War 2
In the early months of the Second World War,
many young children were evacuated to villages
around Stockport, but there is one group of more
than 130 children who arrived together to stay
only a couple of miles from the heart of Cheadle
and whose extraordinary story has never been told
before.
Along with many others, they came from the island of Guernsey when the threat of invasion from
Germany was at its strongest and when the future
safety of the island’s children was of paramount
importance.
It was June, 1940, and with little over 24 hours
notice, several thousand children were crammed
into boats heading across the English Channel for
Weymouth, and then after a long and arduous train
journey north, they were sent to new homes in
towns and villages across Lancashire, Cheshire
and the West Riding of Yorkshire.
A large number of them came to the Stockport
area, and after being housed initially in basic temporary accommodation at the town hall and elsewhere, most sleeping on mattresses on the floor,
they were then dispersed within the borough, with
an entire contingent from Guernsey’s Forest
School coming to live in Cheadle Hulme.
The story of all the Guernsey evacuees is something which is now being told for the first time,
thanks to the dedicated efforts of local historian
Gillian Mawson. She has spent the past few years
tracing the history of the estimated 17,000 Guernsey people, children and adults (almost half the
island’s population) which were primarily sent to
the North of England and she has now produced a
hugely informative book which chronicles this period in great detail and includes many personal
stories, as well as previously unseen photographs.
As Gillian was born in Stockport, she has taken
particular interest in the stories regarding the children who came to Cheadle Hulme and has unearthed a considerable amount of information
about their time there.
The island’s Forest School was located not far
from the main port, and as the threat of invasion
from the German armed forces increased, a decision was taken on the 19th of June that as many of
them as possible should be evacuated to the
mainland at the earliest opportunity.
Parents were notified and were given the opportunity to keep their children at home, but most realised the long-term safety of their child was more
important than the family bond. As such, within
less than two days, 134 children from the school,
along with the headmaster, four teachers and 14
helpers were on their way to the mainland.
At that time, none of them had any idea where
they were going or how long they would be away
for. Their ages ranged from as young as four to
their mid teens, while there were also several
brothers and sisters travelling together. Many
made the journey with a little more than the
clothes they were wearing and the only possessions in their little suitcases would have been a
photograph of their mother and father and a few
Many of the Guernsey school children, teachers and helpers enjoy a war time Christmas meal
inside Cheadle Hulme Parish Church Hall thanks to the support of all members of the community
15
personal keepsakes.
Some were told they were going on a short holiday
with their friends to minimise the trauma, but in
reality it was a huge transformation for everyone,
especially as they were leaving a small, coastal,
closely-knit rural community and were heading for
sprawling, inland, industrial South Manchester
where it would be very much colder in the winter
than any of them would have experienced before.
other families throughout the area also helped out
by providing clothes, toys and books to make it
easier for the children to adjust. There was even a
“bring-and-buy” sale at Abney Hall with the
money raised all going to help the children in
whatever way possible.
Unfortunately, on June 28th, 1940, everyone’s
worst nightmare was reaslised when the Germans
had bombed and subsequently occupied Guernsey,
with the bombing causing considerable damage.
The mayor and mayoress of Stockport visit
one of the Guernsey schoolchildren in hospital
The school group only had very limited information as to what had happened back home and with
the Germans subsequently limiting all communications, it was no longer possible for either the
parents to contact their child or any of the children
to contact their parents. Mr Martel was able to
send the occasional letter via the Red Cross to let
people know how they were doing and sometimes
he would get a reply, but all personal contact was
discontinued and any information they did receive
was very basic.
The group arrived in Cheadle Hulme on the 7th of
July, 1940, and by then, several dozen local residents had agreed to give up a spare room or rooms
in their house for whatever length of time was required. Whilst most did it as an act of charity as part
of the war effort, all the homeowners did receive a
“billeting” allowance which varied from 8 shillings
and sixpence (43p) a week for a single child under
the age of eight, to 15 shillings (75p) for an adult.
Although they were British by nationality, all the
evacuees had led very different lives to most people from the north of England. Some had very
French sounding surnames such as Gallienne,
Ozanne, Robillard, le Poideuin and Duqemin. Almost all had never previously seen smoke, trains,
trams or big towns before, while some initially
struggled to understand the local dialects of the
people they were now mixing with.
There were many houses used, although most were
on Ravenoak Road, Hulme Hall Road and Granby
Road, with most brothers and sisters placed close
to each other.
While some of the children found this epic trip
“overseas” a great adventure, most found it a very
difficult period as they not only had to adjust rapidly to a very different type of life in a place none
of them had ever heard of before, but they also had
to cope with leaving their mothers and fathers for
the first time, and not knowing when they would
see them again.
The headmaster, Percy Martel, who had left his
own wife and child behind, then had the job of reestablishing the school so the children could continue their education. With no other empty buildings around, it was decided that Cheadle Hulme
Parish Church Hall would be the most suitable
place and lots of desks, chairs, books and other
materials were brought in so they could carry on
much as before.
In those days, Cheadle Hulme was part of Cheadle
and Gatley Urban District Council, and many
A letter sent back to Guernsey by the headmaster via
the Red Cross informing a family that their child was safe
16
Sadly, for everyone, the war continued for a lot
longer than most people anticipated. In Guernsey,
some of the men (fathers) were taken to the Continent where they would remain in dedicated camps
until the war was over, whilst in Cheadle Hulme,
some of the children struggled a lot more that others as the war continued. Some had been placed
alone in homes belonging to families much older
than themselves and they found it very difficult to
adapt to the loneliness. Others though did find new
friends and were able to settle much quicker.
The people of Cheadle and Gatley helped as much
as they could, and eventually, after five long years,
there was a huge sense of relief when the war was
finally over in 1945. However, the end of the war
also caused a lot of anticipation and for many it
proved to be another traumatic experience.
track down and interview more than 160, both locally and on the island. Many have thanked her for
helping to share their story with the rest of the
world and she has even received Guernsey’s
“Ambassador of the Year” award for the research
she has undertaken.
She says most of the evacuees remembered the
people they stayed with as being extremely kind
and who went out of their way to look after them
when the war put their own lives in turmoil. Many
also kept diaries at the time which have helped
them to retain their stories themselves.
Some of the local “foster” parents who had looked
after the child for almost as long as the biological
parent, found it difficult to say goodbye. Some of
the older children decided to remain as they had
found a job or a sweetheart here. Some returned to
Guernsey but then subsequently came back as they
felt more accustomed to the life over here and believed there would be better employment opportunities around Manchester in the future.
After the war, and once the Germans had left and
Guernsey had returned to some sort of normality,
the government there were extremely keen to express their gratitude to all the communities on the
mainland which had helped out. Special gifts were
sent with Cheadle and Gatley Urban District Council receiving a painting of the Guernsey landscape
and coastline by renowned local artist Arthur Soleus, along with a personalised thank you letter.
Gillian Mawson’s new book is a comprehensive account
of the Guernsey evacuees who came to Northern England
These days, there are children of the former Forest
School pupils who now live around Cheadle
Hulme, but little else remains which connects the
area to Guernsey. However, the picture by Arthur
Selous does still remain and is now on display at
Stockport Story Museum, along with a selection of
journals, letters, savings books, membership cards,
liberation medals, photographs and other interesting artefacts from the period which have been
kindly loaned to the museum.
The Arthur Soleus picture of Guernsey is among a variety of artefacts on display in Stockport Story Museum
As for the evacuees, wherever they settled, many
stayed in touch as they felt it would help all of
them to remember and deal with with this extraordinary period in their formative years.
Now, nearly 70 years since the war ended, and
even though a large number of the evacuees have
passed away, Gillian Mawson has still managed to
Some people believe there should be a permanent
physical reminder in the more local area to let future generations know that more than 150 people
from the beautiful island of Guernsey were looked
after here for several years during World War 2,
with new families being formed and many lasting
friendships being started.
If anyone has other ephemera or artefacts relating to the Guernsey evacuees who came to
Cheadle and Gatley in the 1940s, please contact
Joanne Dunn at Stockport Story Museum.
17
The hidden history along Manchester Road
There has been much written over the years about
the famous Watts family and the wonderful home
they made at Abney Hall, but very little has been
recorded about what are effectively Abney’s nearest neighbours -the small cluster of buildings on
the east side of Manchester Road, heading north
from the railway bridge.
The buildings occupy prime land very close to the
centre of Cheadle, but it’s unclear as to exactly
when they were built and who lived there in the
past.
Of the buildings, Ashlea House, the property nearest the Mersey, has always been significantly larger than the others. It is believed it was called
Ashlea because of the large ash trees in the leafy
fields that originally stood there, although there is
some evidence that it was referred to as Ash Leaf
and Ash Leves during some part of the 19th Century.
While there is very little information remaining as
to the origins of all the buildings, the earliest reliable map of the area from the early 1840s shows
there were some buildings on the land then as they
are today, suggesting the terraced properties leading north from Manchester Road may have been
constructed in the early part of the 19th Century,
or even earlier.
Ashlea House, a very different type of design, is
not on the map and was built in later years. It
seems plausible that when Sir James Watts acquired the Abney estate in the late 1840s, this included all the land up to the existing properties on
Manchester Road and it was he who decided to
build Ashlea House then, around the same time
that Abney Hall was being constructed.
There is little information available as to who were
its first occupants, but what is known is that Sir
James Watts' eldest son, also called James, lived at
Ashlea House with his young family in the late
1870s and early 1880s, before moving into the larger Cheadle Hall (at the back of Cheadle Green) in
later years.
Ashlea House was then occupied for nearly 50
years by the family of Arthur Sidney Latham, a successful Manchester cotton spinner. At one time they
also employed five servants who all lived there.
From the late 1930s to the late 1940s, Ashlea
House became the principal home of Professor A
H Burgess, a former president of the Association
of Surgeons of Great Britain and a pillar of Manchester’s medical establishment at the time. He
remained there until his death in 1948.
In the late 1950s, John Sydney Morris and his wife
Jessie, moved into Ashlea House with their five
children. The youngest of the children and the
only son was Simon Morris, who moved into the
house when he was only a few months old and
spent his entire childhood there. Today, he recalls
The properties on the east side of Manchester Road, the other side of the railway bridge,
are a community amongst themselves and yet are very close to the heart of the village
18
the house as having eight bedrooms, a large
lounge, morning room, kitchen, billiards room, dining room, boiler room, attic, as well as a five room
cellar. There was also a wonderful ballroom on the
ground floor with an original maple wood floor.
There was also a gas lamp in the grounds, which
has now been removed, while the original driveway from Manchester Road has also been blocked
off, with access to Ashlea House now on the
Cheadle side of the building.
In those days, with the canopy of the trees much
lower than it is today and much less trees and
other foliage around, it was a lot easier to walk
into the grounds around Abney Hall. This was particularly appealing to the Morris children and their
friends who regularly played in the wide open
spaces that existed when Abney Hall was occupied
by the district council and when what is now the
pond was still a large grassy field.
The front of Ashlea House in the 1970s
He remembers that during much of the 1960s and
beyond, the family had rousing Christmas and
New Year’s eve parties in the ballroom which
were attended by many local people and usually
carried on late into the night. Friends of the family
also came round regularly to give dancing lessons
to local people in the ballroom, with the music
coming from a grand piano in the corner.
For many years, the car park at what is now the back of Ashlea House and the Ashlea pub were large well-tended gardens
The back of Ashlea House in the 1970s
Apart from the substantial size of the building and
the expanse of land outside, Simon Morris, who
now lives in Mobberley, says there were many
other benefits of being a young boy growing up in
Ashlea House at the time. One was the sensation
he enjoyed several times a day whenever a train
passed by on the nearby Stockport to Altrincham
railway line. He recalls the pleasure of seeing the
plumes of steam coming from the big powerful
engines as the trains passed through Cheadle village and also remembers the house shaking from
the reverberations on the track.
The building primarily remains the same today as
it was in the 1960s and ‘70s. The only main differences are that one of the large chimneys has been
removed, a new front door and hallway have been
added, a small extension has been added at the
back and the colour of the pebble dash is now
painted light brown, as opposed to the darker grey
colour it was for much of the 20th Century.
Outside, however, there have been many changes.
Even as late as the 1980s, Ashlea House occupied
a substantial amount of land which has now
mostly disappeared. This included a tennis court,
extensive apple and pear orchard, as well as large
well-tended garden. There was also a large stable
and paddock at the back which were home to a
horse and a pet goat, with the goat always attracting plenty of attention when it was taken for a
walk in High Street.
The back of Ashlea House as it is today
The Morris family vacated Ashlea House around
1987. By then, Simon and his sisters had all married and moved away and with Jessie having
passed away, it was too much for John Sydney
Morris, then in his 70s, to look after the property
and grounds himself. As such, after nearly 30
years, he packed up the family’s remaining be-
19
longings or burned them in the garden and moved
overseas to live with one of his daughters.
Boddington’s brewery company then occupied
Ashlea House for a few years and turned it into
offices, with part of their personnel and recruitment staff based there.
known as The Railway Inn. It is believed it became an inn (or beer house) not long after the railway line and station opened in 1866, although in
those days it was a much smaller establishment
than the pub that exists today. Until the station
closed in 1917, many of the train passengers
would have walked the few yards from the station
entrance to the pub either before or after their journey, and the pub was probably also used by many
of the railway workers.
The pub was substantially altered when the Chef
and Brewer chain bought it out and renamed it The
Ashlea in the 1990s. During the modernisation
program, they substantially expanded the interior
of the building, adding a new restaurant wing and
extending the bar area. They also built a large car
park in the rear where the old stables and gardens
previously existed.
On the other side of the Ashlea pub are the only
remaining properties in the cluster which remain
residential today. These are number 8 and number
10 Manchester Road, with number 8 almost attached to the railway bridge.
A young Simon Morris in the 1960s with the family’s
pet goat which lived in the stables behind Ashlea House
These days, Ashlea House is occupied by Stockport Council’s Social Services Adult Care unit and
serves people throughout the western side of the
borough. Inside, all the rooms are now offices, but
the old maple wood floor on what used to be the
dance room does still remain, although it is now
entirely carpeted.
The Ashlea pub today. For many years it was the Railway Inn
In earlier times, before the Railway Inn was rebuilt, numbers 8 to 26 Manchester Road were all
residential properties and over the years they were
occupied by people from all walks of life. Former
Civic Society member Dorothy Knowles lived at
number 8 for many years, while back in the 1890s,
the houses were occupied by a coach proprietor,
railway plate layer, accountant, bleacher, painter,
as well as the Cheadle railway station master.
The huge park around Abney Hall proved a popular
place for all the children who lived on Manchester Road
Number 8 and number 10 (by the railway bridge) are now the
only properties which remain residential on Manchester Road
Today, there is a large driveway between Ashlea
House and the Ashlea pub, the next building towards Cheadle. However, originally, there were
three cottages on the land, with all the buildings
joined together.
For many years, what is now the Ashlea pub was
While numbers 12 to 26 Manchester Road are now
absorbed by The Ashlea pub, numbers 8 and 10
have changed very little over the years and with the
start of High Street only a stone’s throw away, they
remain an extremely convenient place to live.
It is hard to know how this row of buildings will
evolve in the future, but for many Cheadle people
they have always aroused a certain amount of idle
curiosity as they have stood slightly isolated from
the rest of the village, and yet are as much part of
village life as anywhere else.
AJ
More pictures featuring the recent changes at Hall Street Green
Many members of the local community came
together to make the improvements to the green
A high-quality notice board is now one
of the key features at the front of the green
Several artistic carvings have been installed. The one above
is in the shape of a bench and features an owl, fox and leaf.
With council support, the local residents did much
of the digging, planting and gardening work themselves
Many new flowers and trees have been planted
which have made the area much more attractive
There was a large turnout of local residents at the
special launch party for the new green in September
For more pictures and history of Hall Street Green go to: www.fohsg.webs.com
For further information about other community green spaces around Stockport, go to:
www.stockportgreenspace.org
NOT YET A MEMBER?
JOIN THE CHEADLE CIVIC SOCIETY TODAY AND HELP TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
If you are not yet a member of the Cheadle Civic Society and would like to join, please send a cheque for
£5 with your name and address to: Honorary Treasurer, Phillip Gould-Bourn, 19 Mornington Road,
Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 1NJ. You will then get your own copy of the newsletter mailed to you directly twice
a year and will also get free admission to the Society’s AGM and any other event. Your contribution will
also help the Society maintain its efforts to make Cheadle a better and safer place.