My roots originated in Gatley. My Great-grandparents Joseph and Mary Kinsey had the Horse and Farrier in the 1870's and later the farm which is now Pendlebury Road and Brookside Road. The Farmhouse was No. 9, Old Hall Road (now a listed building) and known then as Kinseys Farm where they used to entertain the first world war troops. Joseph and Mary had four children and their daughter Emily Kinsey, who married Blacksmith Thomas Swan from Brownley Green, were my Grandparents. Thomas died in 1914.

They had my mother Edith Swan who married Horace Steele (Newsagents from Northenden), and I arrived. Unfortunately Edith also died, and I was brought up by my grandmother Emily in Gatley. Due to this I heard many stories and have lots of old photos of Gatley in my relics.

Emily lived in a cottage which was part of the Horse & Farrier car park, but when it was demolished in 1935 we moved to a house in Pendlebury Road, which had once been their farm land. My mother had her 21st birthday at the Horse & Farrier in 1920, and I found a drawing in her autograph book which reads 'Good Luck from the Horse & Farrier.' A copy of this is now framed as you enter the front door of the pub.

All my family went to St. James's Church and the Primary School. I married 'the boy next door' Allan Allsop and we have two sons Mark and Christopher, and four grandchildren. We moved to North Wales, and unfortunately Allan died in 1990.

I still love my yearly trip back 'home' to walk round the area and reminisce although things have changed since the 1930's and 40's era. Everyone I knew then has either died or moved on, but the happy memories where we all knew each other years ago are still with me.

I would like to add that the recent Gatley Memorial Park created by my old school friend Irene (Sumner) Jones has some interesting plaques on the seats in remembrance of past Gatley residents - one to my own family of Kinsey/Swan - which is a lovely idea for a once quaint interesting little village.

Joyce M Allsop