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Ordsall Hall
stands in the midst of postwar housing, not far from Robert Hall
St. |
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A GANG ATTACK on a school in Salford caused £899 worth of damage in early
February 1953. Salford's "Z" gang left its trademark - a blood red Z painted
on a blackboard in Trafford Road Girls School on Robert-Hall-street Ordsall
after systematically wrecking the interior of the school and then setting
it on fire. Drawings by children were ripped down and ink poured over
them. In one of the rooms the words 'This is the Z Gang' were scrawled
on the wall.
EWM says:
This report illustrates how vandalism and gang-related crime existed in
an era people remember as carefree and safe. Trafford Rd Girls School
and the nearby street which inspired 'Coronation St' have long since been
replaced by new housing. One of the few buildings in the area still there
today is Ordsall Hall.
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The River Mersey
at Northenden, with the Tatton Arms pub. Once a centre for boating,
strengthened banks on both sides of the river prevent flooding. |
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ARCTIC BLIZZARDS caused havoc in the Manchester area during February
1953. Many villages were cut off by snow. And on the 14th of February
the Mersey banks were threatened by high water.
EWM says:
Cold winters and flooding are less of a problem in the Manchester area
than in the past. Winters are generally milder, and the Mersey and Irwell
banks have been strengthened. In Salford, an elbow-shaped curve of the
River Irwell near Strangeways was straightened out, improving water flow
and putting an end to flooding in Salford. The work was finally completed
in 1971. Find out more in the Salford Local History Library at Salford
Museum and Art Gallery.
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Looking east
along the now disused South Manchester Loop Line towards Levenshulme
South Station. Just ahead is A6 Stockport Rd bridge and 1891 station
building. The line is now used as a greenway or footpath. This section
has since been cleared and covered in tarmac. |
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THE STATE OF THE RAILWAYS in and around Manchester is the subject of
much discussion in 1953. An article published on Feb 16 discusses the
future of suburban railways in Manchester.
There are two alternatives for the railway system in Manchester. Either
1) abandon all but the most important stations and confine train services
to long and medium distances, or 2) modernise the system in the hope of
recapturing a larger share of traffic. Since the early part of the century
the importance of the railways has been in decline. It is doubtful if
the revenue from the 100 or so stations in the Manchester area justifies
maintaining them.
One of the problems is that the fare structure is complicated and people
think that it is expensive. A simplified fare structure and an easy to
remember timetable might be able to attract large traffic. The chief disadvantage
of the rail system around Manchester is the lack of a north-south route,
requiring passengers to cross between Victoria Station and London Road.
The recently reported electrification of the Stockport and Wilmslow
lines is currently being considered, though it is unlikely to go ahead
while severe restrictions on transport investment continue. Proper planning
will be required and an independent commission will need to find out if
a modernised rail system in Manchester is viable. If not suburban lines
will have to close and the railways will concentrate only on long-distance
services.
EWM says:
Contrary to expectations, electrification of the Manchester Wilmslow London
line went ahead and was completed in 1960. New station buildings were
constructed at Oxford Rd and London Rd, which was renamed Piccadilly.
In the 1980's a short stretch of track was built in Salford enabling trains
from Bolton to travel via Oxford Rd and the south, and from 1992, Metrolink
trams started operating on local rail lines, as well as city centre street.
Piccadilly Station was rebuilt in time for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
Rail passenger numbers are increasing, and improvements are being made,
but the network still suffers from many shortcomings. Find out more about
the history of bus transport in Manchester at the Museum of Transport,
Boyle St.
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Early morning
view from the end of Victoria Station over what was once Exchange
Station which only the cast iron footbridge remains. Europe's longest
platform ran by the tracks lower left. Landmarks include Trinity
Church, flats off Chapel St and Threlfalls Brewery, renovated as
high tech offices and named The Deva Centre, |
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TRANSPORT IS EXPANDING in 1953, with many special offers on both trains
and planes. Here is a small sample of the fares on offer:
British Railways Manchester to London 'penny a mile starlight special'
30s 6d nonstop train time 4 hours, compared with the coach time of 10
hours. Whit Week runabout tickets issued at Manchester Exchange and Victoria
Stations 31/- third class (children under 14 half fare) for travel to
and from Southport, Blackpool and other Lancashire resorts as well as
the Lake District. Ticket valid on Lake Windermere BR steamers. A return
to London for the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday 2 June
costs 38/3.
Manchester to Dublin return on Aer Lingus £6, to Belfast £5.10s and to
the Isle of Man £4.18.0. A single to New York on the Royal Sabena Service
every Saturday from Jan 1954 costs £137.10.0. A winter season return is
£211.8.0 with a free baggage allowance of 66 lbs. Tourist fares on the
Wednesday departure cost £95.7.0 and return £146.12.00, with a baggage
allowance of 44 lbs. In November the Lord Mayor of Manchester flew to
New York on the new service from Ringway by Sabena Belgian Airlines. Travel
expenses were covered by the airline.
EWM says:
Wasn't the old money confusing! 30 shillings (30s or 30/-) is in today's
money £1.50. Sixpence (6d) is two and a half pence. . 38/3 'thirty
eight shillings and thruppence' was... I'll leave you to work that out.
Today you can fly Ryanair to Dublin for less than £6. A return tourist
flight to the US will cost around £300 - the baggage allowance remains
the same 20 kilos. View archive photos of Manchester Airport at the Aviation
Viewing Park.
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The disused
Manchester to Sheffield railway line runs along the Longdendale
valley, part of Cheshire in its original boundaries. Below us is
the entrance to the Woodhead Tunnel. The line is now used as a footpath. |
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DURING 1952 and 1953 engineers were carrying out work on the Manchester
to Sheffield electrification scheme. Work is running a year behind schedule
due to material shortages and bad weather. It is hoped that by spring
of 1954, Manchester and Sheffield will be linked by 65mph electric-hauled
expresses, the first of their type in Great Britain. Electrification with
its overhead cables is not pretty but it offers cheaper and quicker travel.
The Bo Bo electric engines running on 1500 volts can draw freight trains
where two steam engines were required.
EWM says:
The electric service via the Woodhead tunnel began in 1954, but the future
didn't live up to expectations. The outdated 1500 volt electrics and a
chronic lack of investment caused operational difficulties. The line was
closed on 17 July 1981 and is now a walkway, but the tunnels are still
intact. Find out all about the Woodhead line in 'Woodhead: the Electric
Railway' by local railway historian Eddie Johnson.
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