Memories Of Bredbury

A Memory of Bredbury.

I was actually born in Hyde in 1939 but moved to Bredbury in 1940 where Dad worked at Exors of James Mills until his retirement in the sixties. We lived at 5, Newlyn Drive off Bents Lane and I lived there until my marriage in 1966 when wife Julia and I bought a new build bungalow on Powick Drive, Bredbury Green. Think we were about second to occupy on this new estate. We moved to Denton during the very hot summer of 1976 ( my wife was a Denton girl ) , I was a member of Denton Golf Club until we did the big move in 1984 to North Cornwall just outside Padstow where we have lived since. I went to Bredbury County Primary school until going on to Audenshaw Grammar school in 1951. My sister, 9 years younger also went to same B.C.P.S then went on to Marple Grammar. Remember the war years when the Germans were trying to bomb the steelworks and of course we lived adjacent.Fortunately they didn't get it and only dropped incenderies but we used to shelter in the pantry under the stairs and sometimes in the cellar of the Burgess family next door. Mr Burgess was the cobbler who had the little shop almost opposite Newlyn Drive on Bents Lane backing on to Partington's farm. Remember I got my 25 yrd swimming cert at school, we used to use Marple baths. Vivid memories of the freedom we had as kids in those days. May not have had many posessions as kids these days have but boy, I reckon we had much better childhoods depite all the deprevavations right up to the fifties. Holidays saw us out from dawn to dusk, on the boats on the canal, cycling the towpath up to Marple locks, roaming Werneth Low and goodness knows what else. Winter building our own toboggans and sliding down Star Fields off George Lane. Before the steelworks was extended, there were allotments behind our house and we used to go through and sneak over the railway lines ( top line to Hayfield and bottom line to London ) to get to the football ground at the Wallpaper Mfrs. One day a copper cycling over Redhouse Lane bridge spotted us and sneaked round via Highfield Avenue and caught us happily having a kick around. Took us to George Lane police station and fightened the life out of us. Remember policeman were minimum of 6 ft + a helmet in those days and were giants and respected by us little scruffs. Suppose looking back we were a right bunch of nogoods by today's standards but we never did anything malicious or caused damage. I was also in the Scouts at Haverlow and used to roam about in Chadkirk woods, seems we did a lot of roaming in those days.Thursday night was scout night and on way home used to call for a fourpenny mix ( with fishbits ) at what we called Greasy Annies, on Berrycroft Road. Run by two spinster sisters who were aunts of a mate also in the scouts.It later became a fine chippy, think it was Ray's place and now believe it's called Matts Plaice. Used to fancy his sister Marjorie who was a little bit older but never got anywhere. Don't know anyone who lives in the area these days, my parents of course dead for some years and know one or two friends have moved away, such as cousin Colin Ford who lived on Queens Rd. Hope anyone connected with Bredbury and district enjoys my rabbiting. Cheers from Cornwall.. Terry Butcher.