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MANCHESTER EYEWITNESS
ISSUE NUMBER 6 SATURDAY, APRIL 12TH, 1947


The Lancashire resorts were the quietest since 1929 on Easter Monday due to high tides and torrential rain all over the country. For those who stayed in Manchester, there was an all day progamme of entertainment, including the "dogs" at White City, horse racing at Castle Irwell and the speedway at Belle Vue, where there were 20,000 spectators.

150 weddings took place in Manchester over Easter, and in 50% of them, one of the parties is a divorcee, according to registry office officials. Many marriages also took place in Manchester's Roman Catholic and free churches.

A 21 year old soldier, Frank Cheetham, was arrested at 2 am on Wednesday morning in Todmorden, Yorkshire, and charged with the murder of Miss Nellie Massey, the 70 year old Hulme shopkeeper who was battered to death two weeks ago. 200 people were interviewed during the investigation.

A search has been made for masked men who held up two women hairdressers in Reddish, Stockport, and at Manchester County Juvenile Court, three boys were placed on probation after they entered a Swinton cotton mill and slashed packages and warp from seven looms, causing £12 worth of damage.

A Buxton man was fined £1 for leaving some 500 watt light bulbs burning in a Warrington shop, and in Manchester, a man was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for the theft and black market sale of 92,000 cigarettes.

A. V. Roe's Newton Heath factory is to close. During the war, workers there turned out parts for Lancaster bombers and other warplanes. Currently about 9000 workers, including 1000 at Newton Heath, manufacture about 2 or 3 civilian aircraft per week. Officials at the Ministry of Labour said the workers will have no difficulty in finding new jobs as industries are "crying out for labour".

3000 engineers at Gardiner & Son oil engine works Patricroft have decided to end their go-slow, but have warned they may strike. The dispute is over the dismissal of nine men and three apprentices during the fuel crisis.

250 owners and occupiers of land went to the Town Hall to protest against the compulsory purchase by Manchester City Corporation of 740 acres of land around Wythenshawe. The cost to the Corporation will be £30m, of which £15m to £16m will be paid by private development. The land will be used for the construction of new houses.

Former US Vice President Henry Wallace visited Manchester on his way to the Fylde village of Freckleton, where a US bomber crashed in 1944 killing 38 children and 21 grown ups. Mr Wallace spoke out against American imperialism, and urged Britain to become the middle ground for free-enterprise America and Communist Russia.

The windy, showery weather continued into the middle of the week, reducing absenteeism among cotton workers, it was reported. But by Friday, there was sunshine, and temperatures in Manchester rose to 58 degrees, the highest this year.

Vendors have been out selling primroses at 3d a bunch and white and yellow daffodils at 1s 6d a dozen. Despite the good weather, most people are still wearing their winter clothes, though the brightly coloured new ties currently on sale in the shops would suggest that the tyranny of grey is at an end.

The weather office at Ringway says there is little probability of rain, and the Air Ministry predicts dry and fair weather for several days.

DST or Double Summer Time is back, so clocks should be put forward by one hour tonight.

Text and photos by Aidan O'Rourke

(Based on reports in the Manchester Evening News)

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