Bygone Gatley

I was born and brought up at Baxter Park, Gatley. My grandparents moved to Gatley from Yorkshire before the war and lived at the Poplars. They moved as they were going to build the Tatton, and my grandparents were having a house built at Baxter Park. My dad met my mum after he followed her home from the chippie in the village, I can't remember their name but I think it began with a 'C'.

I used to go to Fox and Chandley's for groceries for my mum. I remember the fabulous aroma when you walked in - Coffee beans being ground & The blue bags for the sugar - and I remember the Guinness advert in the first shop, it had pelicans or something similar bending down into a bowl as if they were drinking. Nearby was Lansley & Waterhouse - they were the shoe & bootmenders. If you nipped up around the back, they would sew the buckles on sandals or the soles on your shoes. Mathers had the bread shop, and later on, Dad and I would go to them for the bread (they also made fantastic meat & potato pies) and then go and have a drink at the Mop.

I remember Teddy Lords, - our Ann went into the back one day - I think it was with Edwina. They had chickens hanging up and one must have been still alive and frightened her to death. (so she said). We used to go all over in those days. Back of Gatley Flats and on to the 'Brick Pond. It's all built on now, motorways and the like - but it's the same everywhere. I can remember Billy Barrel and their family. I used to know Jackie, but I think she was a bit older than me - it must be nearly 50 years since I saw her. It was a nice little village then. We had to go up the 'slope' to get home onto Charnville Rd (used to be Charnwood when I was born).

During the war when I was a baby, there was an air raid shelter at the back of the tennis courts and a bomb dropped behind it - luckily it didn't go off and I am here to tell the tale. On one occasion, a load of incendiaries had been dropped and the fields were on fire. Mr Chinowarth? banged on our door to tell mum to get out (Dad was in Burma). It's a long time since I left and I'm now in Yorkshire where my dad came from originally, but it's nice to get nostalgic now and again. Re the Tatton: Hopalong Cassidy was my hero. Mum used to give us 6d and it paid for us to go in and have a packet of tiger nuts. Thanks for the memories Mr Chandley.

Kath Wilkie nee Gomersall