I was 7 when moved in 1953 from the pre-fabs. We moved to Finningley Road from Heaton Park. Lots of other neighbours moved to Darnhill and others to Langley. A lot of people moved from Heaton Park to Langley. My father did the water pipes for Langley and Darnhill. Catherine
Heap County Darnettes Jazz Band
This amazing photograph was shared with us by Margaret W. It shows Darnettes Jazz Band from Heap County School at one of their fund raising dances circa 1966/7. Margaret tells us that the majority of the band lived on or near Lanark Close, Darnhill. Do you recognise yourself?
Now and Then – Langley
The neighbourhood is dark and dreary, Boarded up houses, people weary. Pensioners with nowhere to go Families just putting on a show. Everyone trying to do their best Living their lives in this great big mess! That’s what I thought before I found Community centres all around. Places of activity Groups for them and for […]
In the same boat – a poem about Langley
We came in 55 from the prefabs What a lovely house! Gardens, indoor toilets and stairs for the first time – we ran up and down them all day long But winter in Langley was freezing No central heating so I’d warm my legs by a stove in the mornings drinking a cup of tea […]
First Christmas in Darnhill
My first Christmas was in 1967. My daughter Helen was 2 months old. It was lovely. We had Christmas dinner at my mother-in-laws. It was a lovely atmosphere. My husband was from Higher Openshaw. He came with his mum and dad. I came from Bacup so it was a smashing atmosphere, everybody was very friendly. […]
‘Who needs money when there is love?’
Where do I start? I was born in 1967 and we moved up from Clayton, Manchester. Darnhill was where everybody knew everybody, and was very friendly. As a kid growing up you didn’t dare do anything wrong as there was this one bobby we called him Sherlock and he used to ride around on a […]
Growing up in Langley
I came to Langley with my mum and dad when I was just a baby and we lived in the flats on Rowrah Crescent just overlooking the Golf Course. I remember the coal fire we had and burning my fingers on a piece of coal. I was only about 4 or 5. I remember the […]
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Langley Overspill – Middleton Library photo’s
Above are some photos that we found in the archives at Middleton Library of the Langley overspill. As you can see, the library has a fantastic range of documents detailing the history of Langley and the growth of a community. We used these photographs in one of our workshops at Burnside Community Centre and asked […]
St. Margaret’s School Memories
Church services and Sunday School were held in St. Margaret’s School for a number of years before we raised enough money to build a church. We were made welcome by the people from St. James’ Church and my school was very welcoming to all who came. My 3 children started school there. There was a […]
Christmas hymns
When St. Margarets Church played Christmas music every Christmas Eve they were the best days. For some reason they’ve stopped but, I would love nothing more than to hear them play Christmas songs again to share the memory with my children.
Old and Young
My Gran lived at the end house before the school on Sutherland Rd. She always sat in the window reading and when the children were going to school, she’d wave her hanky at them. When she died in 1989, they brought the children to the railings and they all waved a hanky. She was 93. […]
Famous faces in Manchester
Grandad (my dads dad) had a ‘sell anything’ shop on Oldham Road. He did cycle and sewing machine repairs. One day, Gracie Fields called in wearing a fur coat because she’d seen a picture in the window. Mt grandad was thrilled and gave it to her for free. His dad was furious because they were […]
Resistance to move
My Nana was offered housing in Darnhill and she said “I was born and bred in Collyhurst and I’ll stay in Collyhurst for the rest of my life!” And she did! She was born in 1945 just after WWII. Lewis
Experiences in Darnhill
I moved to Darnhill from Salford (Bury New Rd. Strangeways area) in 1963 and that winter was very bad. In Salford, we had no electric, 1 cold tap, no hot water and a private landlord. At school, we used to talk about TV and I was very jealous. There was a running joke: ” have […]
Neighbours and Friendship in Darnhill
My 5 daughters and son have grown up on Darnhill. They all went to Sutherland Rd School and each of them have done very well. The house we have is really nice with a large back garden, front garden and side of the house. We have always taken care of each garden, lots of flowers. […]
Friendships in Darnhill
I moved to Darnhill from Fallowfield with my husband and 3 children in 1972. It seemed very strange, but after a few weeks of getting to know people I realised they had all been in the same boat. We all became friendly and soon became best friends, helping each other out. By this time, my […]
80 years in Middleton
I’ve lived in Middleton for 80-odd years. My name is William, I was born in a cottage in Middleton. It was a very old terrace and on that road there was a small shop in one of the houses (which my maternal grandmother worked at). At the end of the row was a Co-operative Society […]
‘All you’d see was green’
I remember when it was all fields up here. It started near Wood St. and it was all green. You’d look up Wood St. and all you’d see was green. We moved from Oldham to Clayton after the war and then we moved to a prefab on Victoria Avenue East in Middleton, near the Avenue […]
Memories of Bowness Road
There was a row of shops on Bowness Road where my mum worked. I remember going to our local pub The Falcon with my dad and my uncle. I grew up on the estate and lived there until I was 26 when I met my future wife and we have been married for 30 years.
Moving to the countryside
I came from Manchester, but I was born in Salford. When we arrived on Langley it was nice and peaceful and it was countryside. It was lovely. The house was nice and warm and our lawn was long. We cut the lawn singing ‘here we go again’. I remember my parents shouting me in the […]
Moving to Langley
I came from Wythenshawe and came to Langley in the 50’s. I lived on my own in a flat. It had a little bit of a garden and had one bedroom. It was all farmland and there was a corner shop. I met my husband in 1961, got married and we stayed in the flat. […]
Heap County School
Thank you to Alison F for this fantastic photograph from Heap County school, Darnhill in 1971/2. Alison features on the photograph, along with her uncle who was the headteacher!
Cold Winters in Langley
When I first came to Langley, I was 5 years old. I have been here for 50 years. I remember the cold winters because there was no gas fires, only coal fires, so my mother had to get up early to make the fire so we could be warm before we went to school. Anon
Community Spirit
I remember going to the Christingle Service at St Margaret’s Church which is still going now. It had a good community spirit. You couldn’t get a place at St Margaret’s School, my children went to Bullough Moor instead. I arrived in 1972 and I’m still here.
You don’t have to be rich to be content
My memory is of an unfinished estate, a bare house and my 2 young daughters, one three years old and one 1 month old. We tried dressing the house with decorations, but it still looked bleak but when the tree was lit, it looked lovely and we felt happier. The presents were important, we weren’t […]
