Artist Douglas paints a picture of the past - readers' responses

By Ellesmere Port Pioneer on Feb 4, 09 11:07 AM in 1900-1999

OUR special three-part nostalgia feature with Ellesmere Port-born international artist Douglas Edwards last month brought back fond memories for his old friends.

Gwen Manning, of Wellesley Walk in the town centre, says she and Mr Edwards both attended John Street School.

And she tells us that, even though there was hardship after the war, she too loved her childhood.

Her experiences reflect the community spirit that many Port residents enjoyed in those decades.

Recalling her neighbours, Gwen said: "There was the old man who fetched the parcels on his horse and cart.

"Then there was the Hindmoors milk cart. I always helped on that when they came down our road.

"Then there was the Singing Fish Man, as we called him. His name was Price from Oldfield Road.

"We were very close to everyone in Crescent Road. There was a little shop there where everyone went called Hindley's.

"Mr Hindley was a very nice man who looked after us kids when the war was on."
During their childhood, there were many places in the Port for Gwen and her brother, Roy Morgan, to play.

She said: "Ledham's garage at the back of us was where my brother Roy spent most of his childhood playing.

"We used to play down the cattle arch as well, and there was a fairground in Westminster Road that was called Stoats. I spent many happy days there.
"I also spent a lot of time in the park in Westminster Road.

"We used to go to the tuck shop on the corner of Wilkinson Street in our dinner hour and go on to the park to eat it."

Gwen added: "My father, Watty Morgan, was abroad for five years, fighting the Japanese, so when he did come home, he didn't know us. But it was like that for everyone, we just got on with it."

As she grew older, the much-loved Hippodrome (pictured above) became the Majestic Dance Hall where she enjoyed as many nights as she could.

When she left school, she went on to work at Anderson's newsagents.

Gwen explained: "I loved it there because I knew everyone who came in.

"All the mill men would come in at 5am each day for their baccie (tobacco) and we would have a joke with them, it was great.

"The Ellesmere Port Pioneer office was in Cromwell Road in those days and you had to go up the stairs to get into it.

"I remember some of the people who worked there because I had to collect the papers for the shop.

"I have never left the Port, I've always loved it here.

"I know it has changed but we had the best years when everyone knew everyone else and the Port was a busy place with plenty of work and things to do.

"I could go on and on about the Port. I have got some good memories of the old days."

FORMER town resident Colin Roddan told the Pioneer he has "thoroughly enjoyed" reading about the childhood exploits and memories of his old friend Douglas Edwards.

Mr Roddan, who used to live at 4 King Street, Ellesmere Port, was mentioned in his chum "Douggie's" three-part trip down Memory Lane.

He told us: "As young lads we went in Warrington contractor's yard. Ted Fletcher there was Uncle Ted, he lived next to the yard and was foreman in charge.

"He used to knock on our door to see my dad and say I had been in the yard.

"He was actually worried about us getting into trouble or getting hurt.

"My dad told him 'If you catch him in there again, give him a clip around the ear and he won't do it again'."

Mr Roddan, who now lives in Chipping Sodbury although his sister still lives in the Port, has a nostalgic return home every once in a while.

"I go down King Street and it's not really changed at all, except for at the bottom where there was a field on which we played football and cricket.

"Douggie was an artist back then and we used to marvel at his drawings," he added.

Douglas Edwards says thank you for the opportunity

I WISH to thank the Pioneer for publishing my memories of Ellesmere Port over the last three weeks.

I hope all your readers have enjoyed it.

I'd very much appreciate it if, through the paper, I could pass on my best wishes to Dorothy Lyth who so kindly phoned your office in the spring to say how much she had enjoyed my previous articles.

I was in the same class at school as a Sylvia Lyth from Worcester Street, who was always very pleasant and intelligent.

Sylvia had twin sisters, Pauline and (was it?) Dorothy or Doreen and the latter once worked as a telephonist at the Queen Street exchange in the years before self-dialling phones.

I remember once, on a visit to England, she and I recognised each others' voices when I'd asked her to connect me with a certain phone number in Liverpool, so we spent some time talking to each other.

I wonder if this person was your springtime caller?

Dorothy (or Doreen) was a participant in the Miss Ellesmere Port contest in the late 1950s.

There was also a brother, Colin, who had a very serious fall into the empty hold of a ship in dock in the Port.

Thankfully, Colin was not killed and eventually regained his health.

Anyhow, whoever the Dorothy Lyth is who enjoyed my memories, thank you so much for saying so.

DOUGLAS EDWARDS
Virginia, USA

EDITOR'S NOTE:
If the Dorothy Lyth referred to in this letter is still around in Ellesmere Port, maybe she'd like to contact us with her own memories. And if anyone else can answer Mr Edwards' question, we'd gladly welcome their views and thoughts.

Comments (0)