Thank you so much! I am from Russia, but my English teacher is from Oldham.He is very pleasant and wonderful young man. I respect him very much...Now he works in Moscow. God bless him,his parents,brother and all relatives!!! God bless you, Oldham!!!( Because you gave a birth of such nice people like my dear teacher!!!)
Dear Alan Walkden. What a great, great video! I learned so much in less than 8 minutes. We Americans tend to think of all Brits as snooty colonialists /or superior in some way, but not so. I look at the faces of those men, women, and young children who should have been in school, working in bare feet, and I get a much better sense of the tough lives of the working class of your country at that time. Thanks for the education!
I was Born in Boundary Park 1951,Dad born, Pit St. Glodwick 1922.He would have been proud to see this great vid.Very well done.sadly died 2 years ago.he would go to Town every week rain or shine up till 2015.Always loved it,and hated to hear anyone call the place.oh dear what happened,still you can't take away the memmories Loved Billingtons and of course,The Latics.He worked in the Mills from 1937.and walked home to Denshaw,from Grains Bar, where the Trams terminated. Also got on the train from Glodwick road station,and the H Bus Home.My God.Thanks.
I'm from wigan me but it's sad to see how all the towns have gone to shit now especially all the northern traditional towns like wigan rochdale bolton Oldham etc times were hard I can imagine when these photos were taken but I would much rather have been born in that day and age . Everyone had a tens of thousands more respect for each other than nowadays .
Ex Salford man now living in Oldham. I can remember listening to the folk club singing this famous old Ewan Mcoll song at the Royal Oak at Rhodes Bank.
Brilliant, moving images of my home town. I now live in Oldham's former twin town(!) - Blackpool. I will never say I'm from anywhere but Owdham and am truly saddened at the demise of both Oldham and Blackpool. Rather than blame chavs and immigrants, the way forward is to educate the young about the proud history of both places. This piece of film highlights the massive impact towns such as Oldham had on the country. if only the town council would realise how important Oldham was in providing a huge backbone to the history of our nation: Renovate Hartford Mill and turn it into a living, thriving museum - make people realise why Oldham exists and why this nation owes such a massive amount to the hard labour of my ancestors and so many more Roughyeds.
Well said Mr D. Esp the not blaming but educating bit. I was born in mill town Glossop but moved to Blackpool when 12. I wouldn't call it the demise of Blackpool, I'd call it the further demise. I still love it for all its warts 'n' all, mind. I spent 18 years out of this country. Each one made me more appreciative of what we have and what we are back here in this nation and esp. in our region. And I just got back from watching City win in cloudless Manc spring sunshine so life is good up here in the supposedly grim north.
I was born in Blackpool in ‘43. Lived in a little terraced house with no electricity or bathroom. Plenty of fresh air, sunshine and VERY bracing winds. When the Wakes Week visitors came into Central Station on a Saturday morning you could hardly walk down the streets it was so busy. Blackpool is much poorer now but it’s still got wonderful fresh air.
Nostalgic look at my place of birth..so many familiar names …Ferranti,Platts,Hollinwood + many more…Grandad worked in the coal mine,Mum went to work in the cotton mill at 14… remember Daisy Nook & Alexandra Park…many memories still, even though we emigrated to 🇨🇦when I was 5….thanks for this retrospective,brought a few tears to my eyes I must say
I used play in a group at the Miner's Arms.We had some great times. I dated an Oldham girl called Eileen. She was some years older than me but gorgeous! She worked in one of the mills, and she would come with her friends and watch us play. Due to the noise at the mill, these girls had learned to lip read and they would chat with each other across the room, when the music was playing! I wonder where Eilene is now, or if she is even still alive? If you ever read this Eileen I want you to know how much I loved you xxx Chris.
***** Thanks Jeanie. Eileen is probably dead now. I was 19 and she was 31. I am now 67 so that would make her 79. If she is still alive though I bet she is still a lovely lady!
All those mills. All those people working. All those pristine, donkey stoned, door steps amidst all that dirt and grim. Have we lost more than we gained?
1972,I went to Oldham's Tech ,Rochdale Rd,just facing the Spotted Cow .I Lived in 25 Sports Man Drive ,Fitton Hill . I have really enjoyed myself.The decline of the textile industry dealt a terrible blow to the town .There were riots in 2000 .
just watched this love it, hard working people, who just "got on with it" love to get some of the prints i saw in there, tks to my daughter for sending this, first thing i saw to day, oops! my eyes are leaking
Thanks for the great collection of photos and the happy memories, I lived in Oldham for 65 years and saw it at it's best. Glad I don't live there now though.
Nice vid. Remember a lot of those places and brings back some memories. Was born in Oldham (worked in the cotton mills at Sandy in the 70s whcih was part of the Shiloh Group) The miners arms was a dive though. Married a Oldham girl though that didn't last long. I left Oldham after the last cinema closed down (the Odeon). Couldn't live in a town without a cinema, that killed it for me.
Thank you for sharing this film clip with us, and reminding us where we came from. I have a Lowry print, and a painting of Tommy Fields market proudly on my lounge room walls.
A very moving, well done film. My grandfather, George Ford, was born in Oldham. From what I can tell his father moved his family to the USA where he became a farmer in the rich farmland of Central Illinois. If anyone knows any Ford family in the area I would be grateful for any information. I am facebook..Sharon Hinkley
Dirty Old Town written by Kirsty McColls father Ewan a Salford man who wrote it about the gas works on Liverpool Road and Manchester Ship canal in Salford
Not all of Oldham but I would say 99% makes me proud to live in Oldham nicest people in the world, But sad to see what has become of the town I knew so well ( theres a song in there somewhere ) X
Thank you . E MACK. For your kind remarks.they are very much appreciated . glad you liked in . The music was from "The last night of the proms" a great \British event . ALAN
THANK YOU ,Spinoza Thank you for you interest and comments .you are right our parents who worked in those mills .were slaves but didn't know it.. Yes Oldham is in old Lancashire .now called Greater Manchester. I have just returned from a visit to the Isle of JERSEY and saw the graves of many of your countrymen pulled from the sea in ww2. so very sad. thank you ALAN
Heritage culture and customs now long gone now …as Oldham is run by people who’s own heritage, customs, history and culture do not have the priority of the preservation of Oldhams culture, customs, heritage and history as important for future generations
Hi Alan ..Many thanks for putting these clips together it would do the kids good to have a look at these and see just what the kids back then had to do...also where it says Royton think its 7 minuets into it I tend to think its Shaw Market street so the left the Coach and Horses and right behind The Shay Wake ..I may be wrong tho..Many thanks again x
Doomed... Oldham , The open prison of the UK. I lived there and yes it was a great place long ago . Im really saddened to see the war memorial in the centre being surrounded by the shit those men fought to oppose . And no one gives a damn , they just moan about it
@3sidneystreet THANK YOU, FOR KIND COMMENTS. SORRY ABOUT THE WRONG CAPTIONS.MY MISTAKE IT'S MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT A VIDEO ON YOU TUBE .I GOT ALL MY IMAGES ON LINE AS NOW LIVE IN SPAIN. HENCE THE MIX UP. ALAN
Hi Fumusfumus, Thanks for your interest in my video .You are quite right the pics are not all in Oldham .But they helped me to paint a picture of what it was like ,It was my first attempt a making a video .My nephew put it on You Tube for me . and it went world wide . I have had some wonderful comments from many different countries . Thank you again for your kind comments . ALAN
It was not just the linen that was important but the support industries behind it to make it function that was critical for a nation all the machinery with all the trades needed for manufacturing , the metal industries , the lubricants , the trucking industry , accountants , construction for the factories , no country can prosper without manufacturing , so until they resurrect it the nation will go nowhere .
Wonderfull video, although I suspect a few of the pictures are not Oldham. The shear size of a cotton mill can be appreciated from the images. At the end of the 19th century Oldham had more cotton spindles than any other country in the world except the US. Platt brothers employed 15,000, helping to make Oldham the main textile machinery maker in the world. The industrial spirit of "makers" lives on in all the people I meet with a family past from Oldham. A pity it has little place in the UK now.
Hi Steven. I have a family bible which has Fitton family members in it. I think from Royton. Do you know any from there? Cheers. I am sorbie tower on facebook,
l enjoyed the videos but was hoping to see a picture of horsedge street l lived on the street from birth to 8 years of age when we moved to newton heath manchester my mothers name is vera lees she worked in the lilly mills from the age of fourteen up until we left for manchester she can still lip read which is just as well as the noise from the mill made her deaf.
4 года назад
Was apprentice painter to Jimmy Newman on Horsehedge st 1964
Such a shame a proud town was brought to its knees . The crowning glory is its war memorial, but I expect in time that will offend the new majority ,. I left in 89... Thank God !
There is a piqture of the empire theatre, if u went to the end of the building there is an ally way, go down it and it leads you to retiro street.I used to live in a house at the back of the theatre whith my grandmother
@jambutty58 THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS .SORRY ABOUT THE ELK CLOSING HOPE YOU GET A NEW JOB SOON .(I WAS BROUGHT UP ON JAM BUTTIES THEY ARE STILL MY FAVORITE FOOD) ALAN
I was taken to see the result golf the bomb that dropped on Abbyhillls. Remember the a German p.o.w stopping me on King St. when walking with my auntie Else Weems. he wanted to touch my hair because I reminded him.of his son. This was out side the odd fellows Hall. do I have memories of that town , yes. picking coal from the street going to Higginshaw Gas Works to collect a sack of coke in the freezing cold with multiple cousins. certainly unusual memories but none I would like to repeat. yet the people cared / worked hard / not always the cleanest you would meet. Meals made from scraps cow heel pie , tripe pieces from UPC ON KING ST. BAG OF TRIPE AND COW HEEL PIECES. WITH STRONG MALT VINEGAR. 6 PENNY MIXTURE FOR FRIDAY TEA BETWEEN 4 KIDS. NO I WILL NOT FORGET MY ROOTS BUT I WOULD NOT WANT MY FAMILY TO LIVE AMONGST THEM. AFRICA. IS MY HOME. JOHANNESBURG THE CITY OF GOLD !!!! SO MANY THOUGHT , IN FACT being turned into a mega slum . small pockets of decent sized suburbs in which the citizens make the place. safe and clean. yet we have good people who want a better life for their children regardless of race / creed / colour. Crime is the enemy of all good people and unemployment and grants from. the ANC sucks the will to work from people. I think in u.k. benefits. soul destroying. so yes my roots may have been there in the 40s/50s but no more I have transplanted in to the red soil of Africa which I love . The people / The Wild Life / The Bush and my Family. Nkosi Ziklele E Africa.
All this racism why do u know how many muslims died fighting for Britain in the world wars. Most of them forgotten. What's that saying " lest we forget" yea right
They just got on with it, they had no choice ...says it all really, all those years and during the war effort they still kept on going,everyone did their part, my grandma worked at ferrantis and lost part of her index finger, but returned to work a few days later, was also the days you could leave your front door wide open so neighbours could pop in for cup of tea and a chin wag, i could go on and on with the stories i've been told over the years but saddens me when i see mills being torn down to make way for new housing ripping apart our history, not many left now and also the inside market is being closed down to make way for a car park, moving this to the inside of spindles shopping center, civic center is another thats coming down!
