EYEWITNESS IN MANCHESTER MASTHEAD
NEWSLETTER 1998 WEEK 34 TUESDAY 18th - MONDAY 24th August 1998
50 YRS AGO & TODAY | 1 YEAR AGO | LAST WEEK | IMAGE COLLECTION | EYEWITNESS@DS98 | MANCHESTER PEOPLE
EYEWITNESS IN MANCHESTER UPDATE 10pm BST FRIDAY 21 AUGUST 1998

Piccadilly Gardens in sunshine

WELCOME TO ANCOATS - 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD!

ANCOATS, FIRST INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT IN THE WORLD, could become recognised as a world heritage site. Culture Secretary Chris Smith has recommended 32 locations in Britain, including the Greater Manchester districts of Ancoats, Castlefield and Worsley. Britain already has 17 world heritage sites, among them Stonehenge and Fountains Abbey (both of which I've visited - Fountains Abbey, in Yorkshire, is truly outstanding). The Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal and Angkor Wat in Cambodia are three famous world sites (which I haven't yet visited!) already designated as of outstanding cultural and historical value.

Ancoats, first industrial estate in the world

But are Castlefield and Worsley really as significant as the Pyramids or the Grand Canyon? I think so, and apparently so do tourists, who were interviewed on BBC's Northwest Tonight - one visitor said Castlefield was just amazing. But another said that Manchester's most remarkable and memorable feature might be its weather! More below.

WYTHENSHAWE HOSPITAL RECOVERS FROM FIRE

WYTHENSHAWE HOSPITAL, which only last week experienced a fire in one of its operating theatres, was on Tuesday night hit by another more serious fire which has put several operating theatres out of action. One patient, five year old Rory McGagh, had to be evacuated in the middle of an operation, as reported by Kevin Feddy in the MEN. Orthopaedic registrar Krishnan Rajesh was leading the operation was leading the operation when the call to evacuate came. The fire was apparently caused by an arsonist.

It seems amazing that a malevolent intruder could penetrate and cause serious damage to a hospital as technologically advanced as Wythenshawe. And what kind of person could willingly deprive the public of life-saving facilities? It's doubly ironic in the wake of the Omagh bombing, that medical facilities here are destroyed, while in Omagh similar units were used to save the lives of bomb victims.

HERE COMES THE SUMMER - DON'T BLINK, YOU MIGHT MISS IT

GLORIOUS WEATHER DOMINATED the middle of the week over much of the country, including Manchester. Suddenly, people were out doing the things you associate with sunny days: dressing in shorts and T-shirts - sitting on the grass at lunchtime, as in the photo at the top of the page - driving in cars with the top down. I was out with my camera and lots of film. I've taken quite a few, so please keep dropping in over the next week or so to see the fruits of my labours.

Grey skies over Manchester

The sunshine didn't last - today it was back to leaden skies, though confusingly, the sun kept coming out and there were large patches of blue in the sky. Unsettled weather systems will continue to sweep in off the Atlantic, but there should be some sunshine in there. I miss the hot summers of central Europe, but I'll have to settle for the autumnal climes of the UK - autumnal? It's only half way through August! - but that's the word used by the BBC weatherman this evening. Current EWM temperature: 57/14

EYEWITNESS IN BERLIN BANNER

READER MESSAGES
From: Richard Dougherty
Subject: Thanks

Aidan,
I have been away from Manchester for the last 11 years and have just found your web site. Thanks for all the pics - they brought back a lot of memories. Any of Failsworth?

Thanks
Rich

I'll take some the next time I'm in that area. Is there any particular photogenic place in Failsworth you could recommend?


From: Mark Beddows
Subject: North American twinning

How about Atlanta? The two cities have many similarities, such as wealth from the cotton trade, regeneration of run-down urban areas and are similar in population.

I believe (from my family in Worsley),that Manchester traffic is approaching the horrendous level we have here in Atlanta.

By the way , my wife (from Co.Mayo) and I, moved here four and a half years ago from Salford but are contemplating a return to Ireland in the near future.

Thanks for all the news from home.

All the best, Mark.

P.S. I forgot all the sporting events the two cities have/will be hosting.

Thanks for the suggestion. I've never visited Atlanta, but I've heard it's a boom city. I'll suggest it to people at the Town Hall.

The traffic here in Manchester isn't as bad as they say it is. They were saying the traffic was bad 50 years ago. There are more cars on the road than when I learned to drive, but I'd only use the word "horrendous" to describe somewhere like Bangkok - now there the traffic really is bad! Here we have plenty of superb roads that speed the traffic on its way, subject to occasional traffic jams!

Look out for an Eyewitness in Dublin at some time in the near future - that's where I went to university. My parents are from County Limerick.


From: Gordon Adams
Subject: Does Anyone Know

Dear Aidan,
I have been away from the net for some time, but to remind you, I was the chap looking for relatives of Frank Swift!
Your format has changed since the last time, so I hope this reaches you OK.
My Mother grew up in Salford at the turn of the century and WWI and was a seamstress. I have been trying to find out about a place she worked in the City. I believe it was called "Lightbounds. My spellling will be off the mark, but that is how she pronounced it.
I am on a new server so I hope this gets through to you.
All the very best,
Gordon (G. T. Adams)

There is a road in North Manchester called Lightbowne Road - that might also be the name of a district, as with Greengate in Salford. Unfortunately I don't know the origin of the name. Can anyone help?

Anyhow thanks for the message, and keep visiting Eyewitness in Manchester and Manchester Online!

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