Biddulph, Biddulph Grange Orthopaedic Hospital c.1955

Photo ref: B611303

The boy on the right at the front is my brother David Bailey.

I remember visiting here with my mother in the early 1950s. My Grandparents Herbert and Nellie Chappell managed the Hotel from around 1913 I think. Does anyone have information that would give me some dates for them ??

My late father, W Gary Bailey, and my grandfather, Master Builder W Lloyd Bailey (who built all of the houses on Brown Lees Road, Brown Lees ) were conducting maintenance work at the church, namely re-mortaring the exterior walls. My father noticed the mortar dropped through between 3 sandstone blocks at the rear of the chapel. The ensuing discovery beneath the church was the fabled ...see more

I remember as a 4 year old, standing outside my late grandmother ( Annie Bailey's ) railway cottage, watching the steam engine pulling coal laden, wooden frame coal wagons past the Railway Cottages. The Driver and Fireman would both wave their cloth caps at me, as I stood and watched, fascinated !!! The smell of the steam and coal was acrid, full of magic and atmosphere !!!