Went into the refurbished Central Library today. Remembering myself as a student sitting in respectful silence at polished tables surrounded by bookcases, reading quietly with the assistance of a small, friendly light. Sitting in Piccadilly Gardens with my Mother among rows of hungry workers anxious for a place in the sun and a sandwich. Flower beds blooming with surprises in the heart of the city, now trampled under concrete. Manchester is hiding somewhere, little pieces surviving among the mediocrity of urbanisation. I mourn for the place I once knew.
Piccadilly Gardens now is not a shadow on it's former self.Gardens means gardens to relax in with nice wooden benches not the horrible concrete mess we have today with a 'Berlin Wall' dividing the Piccadilly Gardens 'Metrolink' station. If it ain't broke don't fix it I reckon.Anyone remember the skies going dark around dusk with flocks upon flocks of Starlings coming home at night?
This vid is a drug to me, and many other, old SKOOL, Mancs. How I miss those days. What a brilliant choice of records to accompany the vid. Hopefully, I'll be back In years to come, and able to comment again. BTW, I'm living a few hundred yards where Sharston baths used to be.
Finally found video of Manchester l remember poking at names of stores remembering seeing Piccadilly gardens as l remembered them left Britain in 59 for states went to Manchester high for girls worked on street all newspaper offices were also for British rail payroll next to central station rode train from London road to Longsight every day lived on kirky lane on embankment across from station. house is still there this was a great video bringing back good memories thank you
My heart leapt when I glimpsed what has been captured in this magic montage - the backdrop of my Manchester youth - all sadly destroyed by insane planners, and replaced with buildings that couldn't hold a candle to the neo Baroque and Florentine edifices that were once the body and soul of King Cotton's capital. Gone is The Queen's Hotel, Exchange Station, Rylands, and the Kardomah Cafes - all pictured here - in favour of a concrete Dusseldorf, where PIccadilly Gardens is now a skateboard pan.
The Manchester of the 60's wasn't much different from the 50's when I was a teenager.Going into town meant catching the trolley from Stalybridge & hanging out in Bellevue & maybe taking in a movie & necking with a boyfriend in the back row of the Roxy or Odeon.Xmas time we always went to Lewis's to do our Xmas shopping.Just loved every minute of the slide show,brought back so many fond memories.I now have lived in Canada for almost 50 years ,still support Man. United & hope to return to my roots someday.THANKYOU
I left Manchester in 1967. I was born 1951 so I remember my mam taking me shopping every week in town and this show brought back so many fantastic memories well done.. I now live in Tasmania half a world away. Mam passed away 4 months ago aged 87 I wish she could have see this! When she went back home things had already changed and the same for me when I returned... A shame what has happened. My name is Frank Halliwell I'm using someone else's iPad to send this. I was brought up in West Gorton when it was all terraced houses and I still miss the community feel it had back then so thanks so much for the memories, well done..
This was so emotional I was in tears at the end, I am so glad that I lived my life I when did, being born in 1946 in West Gorton.Accept no substitutes -Town Was Town
Im only 21 and i loved this gorgeous collage of what my city used to be like now its just ruined with all the as we call them "chavs" in town i would have loved to be around back then it looks so beautiful
Brilliant. 60s and early 70s “going into town” on the 80 or 88 from moston. Underground market, Lewis’, afleck and browns for shoes (and the cafe for lunch as a treat afterwards). As others have said, haven’t been back for years and not interested what it looks like now :)
I landed my first job as a junior clerk, via the Office Service Bureau, in Fountain Street, Spring Gardens, in 1955, and there I fell for all those gorgeous pencil-skirted, young ladies, who sent me off to work in Brown Street. What a city it was then, with the Kendals, the Kardomah Cafes, Saint Anne's Square, Lewis's 6th floor silver service restaurant, C & A, Oldham Street, Sam's Chop House, Wiles' Toy Shop, Rylands, with its giant chrome sign. Alas all gutted on the mindless altar of change.
I preferred the old Market Street, a lot more interesting. Also the side streets off with all the little shops, I used to go in to town to get my hair cut at Steeds, who were on one of the side streets. when I started work in 1968 as a pipefitter/welder apprentice, I worked on what was Henrys store which was changed into the BHS store. I used to get the 105/110 from Broadoak road, get off at Piccadilly Gardens walk down Market Street over Deansgate and down Blackfriars on to Chapel Street, Salford, where our works offices were. I married in 1974 and my wife worked at the Daily Express and had just come out of Woolworths and gone into Lewis's store when she came out, she could see Woolworths was well ablaze.If she had been in there any longer who knows what might have been. Manchester back then, many Happy days.
So you must know the Micarloo Coffee Bar, Moseley Street - we dubbed it the *muck-a-loo* - but, if you want to know where me and my pals did our skulking (when we should have been selling typewriters), it was in the Kardomah on Market Street, where - unlike today's Starbucks and Costa - one was waited upon, by elderly liveried *nippies* in black dresses and starched white aprons, who brought us Kunzle cakes to have with coffee, that really smelt and tasted like roasted bean coffee ought to.
@Sharstonbaths Fair enough, but please change the spelling. This is great stuff and Manchester has no business with dumb down America. Thanks for posting.
I love these old footages they make me feel like a time traveller but these are different . I was actually there at the time and in the places filmed . Weird it was now then and now it isn't don't understand this time passing thing and what it's all about thing. Perhaps I will when I die ? or maybe not?
Yep, the whole thing needs to go; the scummy bus station too. Pave it and turn it into a square like a European city or a great park with nice, NICE buildings surrounding it - not the tacky crap there now. The whole Piccadilly approach from the station, the 'gardens', that dirty mess of a street with Burger King on it and Market Street (I would even say the Arndale) need demolishing and some serious town planning to make it into a proper attractive world city - since that is what the CC keep saying they want to do. Now those areas are just scrote magnets.
Just a thought I live near Maidstone prison could be plenty of explosives experts in there. also now the wall is covered in greenery cany you imagine all the insects and buzzy things that will come forth in the spring oh yuk take plenty of repellent. Sharston the 167 bus was never regular Iknow it came from the top of heywood went to manchester but I can't remember via what route.
Manchester, the place of my birth. Still feel a pull towards the place, and have visited a lot over the years. I'm 60 and we moved away in 1966 when I was just 4. I still regard myself as a Mancunian at heart. Wish we had stayed in the area. Still, I don't live too far away. I think most mancs were not happy about what happened to Piccadilly gardens.
I was born in 64 and lived in Manchester and Stockport area until I was 43. I live in Liverpool now but Manchester will always be my home and where my heart and soul is. Every time I visit now it looks more and more unfamiliar and like the USA will all those awful high rises. This film is a gem and a trip back to my youth. Loved it!
Dave I’m 60 born in 1962 New Bank Street Longsight in a 2 up 2 Down back yard and outside toilet tin bath in front of open fire ! Moved away exactly same age to Winsford Cheshire and still living here now …. Love Manchester go back almost every week .. where did you move to ? Andy.
Top vid.I used to get the 101 from Greenbrow road on a saturday to town.We used to go the joke shops on Tib St,then to piccadily gardens,piccadily records,Yanks the record place underground.Arcades then home.
Great to watch..i always used to say to my mam on saturdays "i'm going down town" also did my yts, (youth training scheme) at lewis's. and seen my bus on here.. the No:77 to newton heath. brilliant ..thanks for posting.
I was born in Withington hospital 1966 I do remember a lot of the buildings How beautiful was Piccadilly gardens ?/ And people sat down talking Nearly everyone is glued to their phones now (including me ) I love Manchester I would say for my era the Hacienda night club was a complete legend and part of my younger day Love all the comments too
We moved away when I was 4 in 1966. But I've visited often over the years, and regard myself as a Mancunian at heart. Feel a "pull" to the place. I was born at Beech Mount hospital Harpurhey. We lived in Broadway New Moston until 1966. Terrible what they did to the gardens at Piccadilly.
just like everything and everywhere else these days theres no character with change, its all greed and all in the fast lane, things were better then, things are worse now and getting worse as time goes on
I lived in Woodhouse Park and me and the cat would climb out the bathroom window and sunbathe on the roof of the 'shed' . One part was the coal hole, second part was a disused toilet. The main room had a big sink. All these houses were similar. Somerby drive!
@mrsfboomer Snacktime Cafe.used to go in there before starting work on smithfield market after getting off the 101 bus from wythenshawe because the bus arrived in piccadilly about half an hour before the market stall i worked on opend...thank you for the reminder...mrsfboomer
This brings it all back. All the old businesses, Mazells in particular where I spent hours mooching. The old cinemas. the News Theatre where you could sit through the programme a few times. Theatre Royal Cnerama, The Cinephone on market Street. I worked in cinemas in the 60's and town was the place.
Whatever happenned to you Sharston Baths? I recall with fondness your the two diving boards that attracted us there all the way from Rusholme during the 70's and early 80's.
Thank you so much for this collection. I was born in 1941 in Ashton Under Lyne and Manchester for us was the Big City. So many of these pics were familiar and so glad to see the "rough" pics too. That's how I remember it. Love to anyone who remembers it as I do.
Beautiful memories of the town and country of my youth. And though we never had a pot to piss in , I miss the town and country and it’s people so much, take a good look at what our politicians have given us now
Tina I hear you. I left Manchester in 1952, and was very moved to see pictures of The Ritz, where I danced during WW2, and seeing the names of the stores I remember, like Pauldens and Timpsons..... and I remember when the Queen, when she was Princess Elizabeth, opened the new Library - and one of the toilets was cordoned off for her use......I would love to find more on Manchester's past... thank you for posting this video...
picadilly gardens looked so much nicer in the pictures at around 5:00 not sure what year that is. I don't remember the gardens looking any different than they do now but i know they must have changed some in my life time, i'm 28.. i remember the old picadilly gardens bus station at least
This is extraordinary! My first cognitive memory of Manchester City Centre aged 6-years-old, with my mum and Auntie Paula, clutching a die-cast model of Fireball XL5 (wish I still had that toy), having had my short back and sides at Lewes' sat on a huge panda; my mum and auntie singing along to 'Down Town' - Thank you so much for the memory.
Thank you brought back some wonderful memories. Wish Piccadilly Gardens was still there. Never knew Chelsea Girl had to be fumigated...but it could be true...Manchester is surrounded by water, lots of rats in Manchester.
Had to visit Central Manchester a couple of years back. Absolutely shocked at what they had done to Piccadilly Gardens. Disgrace. Who remembers PALLDENS burning down ? Some good pics worth looking at but none of 'Takis' or 'Top of the Town' or 'Paragon Jewellers' Market Street, my first real job prior to joining the RAF.
Thanks for sharing and bringing back the memories.We lived off Princess Rd,Moss Side and me and my brother would get the Wythenshawe buses into town,Nos.44 & 99 to 110 I think.
Thank *you*, Dear Sharstonbaths. I owe you an undying debt of gratitude for bringing home to me, the memories of a Manchester I knew and loved; one which, without this unfolding montage, I would never see again. In 1958, I landed a job as a typewriter salesman, with W.H.Preece, Brown Street; the remit letting me roam the city, on full pay. This was *the last hurrah*, because I got called-up in June, and when I returned in 1960, planner J. Cartledge had already set his destruction-ball in motion.
oh come n I now live in kent you can bet your bottem dollar they would not get away.with it here Who does the land belong to it could belong to the public and its been nicked visit the reference libraries where are the deeds to piccadilly gardens come on its the 21st century we have pc's we can look things up I'm going too
I enjoyed that, my granddad and gran had the grousers/ sandwich bar next to the white lion on liverpool rd, and remember staying with them when town was like this :-)
Yep i remember it too cos i worked in the city centre in 1955 down Ducie Street - good video looks like a 'rainy night in georgia' lol. Now Sharston baths my dad worked on building those. Recently did a nostalgic trip down town and where i worked has been flattened for yuppie apartments......
Centre is a stupid adoption from French. I am flexible and prefer the much more sensible spelling center. Or better still the true (Old) English word: ord.
Great nostalgic footage, loved the music tracks.i remember all the buildings and shops of that era, when I was in my teens. My favourite club at that time was the Magic Village, it was situated on Cronford Court, the owner was a man called Roger Eagle, every thing was bulldozed for the Arndale centre......
A wonderful trip down memory lane of the Manchester I used to know and love....haven't been for over 20 years so I still remember it like this - don't think I want to go and see it now and spoil my memories! Great posting :) :)
Brilliant slideshow some memories there. BTW was it true or an urban myth that Chelsea Girl Boutique had to be closed and fumigated one time? (Top of Market Street across Tib Street from Pauldens)
Great video and great pictures, well chosen music. What more do we what. Im glad we can look back and appreciate how places change and look how big picadilly gardens is, tiny nowadays. The black and white to colour photo was a real treat appreciated!!
1001 memories what a great video. I feel sad at some of the stores that have gone Pauldens ( Debenhams) Sylvana, Littlewoods, Henry’s, woolworth my youth.😅😅😅😅❤
@paulmason6474 Hello Paul, Yes, I recall Henry's, you are going back long ago with that memory. I've lived in South England, for past 50 years but somehow still regard myself a Manc. Anyway, Peace to all.
