Runcorn Memories: Detailed insight into history of Grange Infants school

By Runcorn And Widnes Weekly News on Jan 13, 10 12:09 PM in 1900-1945

ANSWERS to readers' questions sometimes elude me but fortunately there is usually someone out there who can help out.

Such was the case when Paul Snelson, now 54, asked me if I could tell him when the original Grange Infants School opened.

The staff thought it was the early 1930s but it turns out it was slightly earlier. The answer came from Harry Ackerley, of Grangemoor, who actually knew the exact date. It was February 1, 1929.

Harry told me: "Puritan tannery chief Harry Boston, who lived at Grange House (now the town hall), gave the land on condition that the then new school was called The Grange.
It was built on what is now the site of the senior Grange School.

Runcorn writer Chris Darlington has produced a CD packed with stories from some of the people who worked at Highfield and Camden tanneries.

Copies of the CD (priced £4.99) are available from the Curiosity Bookshop in High Street and also The Brindley arts centre.

"It's really worth listening to," said Chris.

The Runcorn group Scribes and Scribblers has produced a new book entitled Lost Landmarks in Past Times in Runcorn.

The book chronicles individual lives with nostalgic accounts of shops and shopkeepers, etc and life without washing machines, fridges and television.

Priced £7, it can be obtained at the Curiosity Bookshop, High Street, Runcorn.

Comments (0)