HIGH STREET - 1990

Why can't the town be like this now

Looking through the slightly foggy, rose tinted glasses of nostalgia, I prefer the town in the late 50's to early 60's. I loved the treat of visiting Daisy Oliver's, the activity and friendliness in Goldsmiths the butchers (Brilliant sausages) and the delicious smells from the bakery, where we used to join the massive Saturday morning queue for bread. Liptons and International Stores were also a source of wonder.

This is how I remember the town, growing up in the late 80s/90s, good times, much better than the depressing ghost town its become today.

I used to live in the flat above these shops in picture 13, the window on the left that looks as though it has a tree growing out of it was my bedroom. We overlooked what I remember as a bomb site, I seem to recall it being demolished. We moved up to Northdown Road later then out to Denton in about 1958. In picture 7 to the right of La Baguette shop used to be Dewhurst the butchers. I was sent up there to get mums meat order. The floor used to be covered in saw dust which they kept under a trap door at the back of the shop, I always wanted to get down in there and play in it. I used to be given a bit of extra meat as the butcher used to say I was a growing lad. Thats probably why my mum used to get me to go up there.

Hi Terry, I used to live with my mum, dad and brother, above where the florist is in the 1970's, back then it was a bakery,  one of us would always be there to get the first bake of the day!

I remember Dee's being opposite when I was younger and when I went in the shop I would always get a free milky bar as I used to look like the milky bar kid. Then I think it was in late 1977, the family moved to Denton.

Hello Richard, yes it was Funnells Bakery beneath the flat, I liked to get hot doughnuts from them. They used to deep fry them, you don't get hot jam doughnuts like them anymore. As an apprentice with Bannisters Builders who were opposite in the sixties It was my job to get the joiners lunches there, Chelsea buns were a favourite as well. I seem to remember being at school with someone with your surname. Can you confirm this?