History Group next talk: May 2nd, “The Lost Railways of South Manchester”

The Chorlton History Group meets on the first Thursday of each month starting at 1.30pm, at Wilbraham St Ninians Church, Chorlton

Next meeting: Thurs May 2nd 2013:   Roy Chapman will give a talk on “The Lost Railways of South Manchester”

Contact Bernard Leach (BTLeach@gmail.com) to be put on the Chorlton history mailing list

Video of WW2 Event at Chorlton Good Neighbours

Video of WW2 Event at Chorlton Good Neighbours, Feb 7th 2013

A video of the World War 2 Event at Chorlton Good Neighbours, celebrating 4 local WW2 veterans. The video show the build up to the event and the presentations to the two arctic convoy veterans, Bob Cowan & John Mackay, In addition,  Mickie Mitchell the petrol lorry driver and Alan Wood the fighter pilot, were also honoured at this event

Full versions of the videos shown at the event can be viewed online at:

Alan Wood: Fighter Pilot with coastal command, Banff Strike wing

Mickie Mitchell: She served in the army and then the Fire Service in Manchester during the blitz

John Mackay is another Arctic Convoy veteran who lives in Chorlton. Here is a video where he talks about his experiences on HMS Keppel in the Arctic Convoys

Bob Cowan: the World War Two Arctic Convoys and the Chorlton Good Neighbours campaign to get the British Government to allow veterans like Bob to received the medal of Ushakov from the Russian Government

Photos of WW2 Veterans Event, Feb 7th 2013

Photogallery of the event celebrating our Word War Two veterans  held on Feb 7th 2013 at Chorlton Good Neighbours.

Thanks to Carolyn O'Hanlon for the photos

History Group meets Thurs Feb 7th at 1.30pm

Chorlton History Group's next meeting:  

Chorlton’s World War 2 Veterans          Thurs Feb 7^th 2013 1.30pm 

At Chorlton Good Neighbours, Wilbraham St Ninian’s Church , Egerton Rd South, Chorlton

£1.50 charge for tea & biscuits  - All welcome

A tribute to some of Chorlton Good Neighbours members who served in World War Two:

• Bob Cowan, for whom we mounted a successful campaign for an Arctic Convoy medal to be awarded to veterans such as himself and also John Mackay of Chorlton who is also a veteran of the Arctic Convoys


• Alan Wood, fighter pilot, who was once shot down over the North Sea and was adrift in a one-man dinghy for 4 days


• Mickie Mitchell, who drove army petrol tankers round during the Manchester blitz

The session, led by Bernard Leach, will include film footage of the Arctic Convoys, an interview with Bob Cowan and a presentation to Bob to mark his being awarded the recently announced Arctic Convoy Survivors medal. We have also invited the Russian Ambassador to present the medal of Ushakov which the Russian Federation have awarded to Arctic Convoy veterans. We hope that Bob, John, Alan and Mickie will all be at the presentation to contribute and answer questions


               AB Seaman Bob Cowan 1941


                        HMS Mashona, 1942


Alan Wood, fighter pilot 1941

For further information ring Chorlton Good Neighbours on 881 2925
or email BTLeach@gmail.com

Chorlton in the Middles Ages

On Thursday Nov 1st Ian Meadowcroft. a retired history teacher,  gave a talk to the Good Neighbour's History Group on "Chorlton in the Middle Ages". Over 40 people came to hear Ian present his 'thought experiment' about what it was like to live in Chorlton in medieval times

Ian explaining how much of the Manchester area was covered by bog, peat moss and moorland, hence the preponderance of local names with 'moss', 'moor' or 'hulme' ( an old Norse word for a small island, or land surrounded by water or marsh).

 

Some of the audience who came to listen to Ian's talk 

A short video clip from Ian's talk 

Even though Ian's starting point was that we knew almost nothing specific about medieval Chorlton, he was able to give a very good picture of what life must have been like it what was border country, with the Mersey being the border between Northumbria ('the North') and Mercia ('the Midlands') and this area being one of the main route for invasion by the Scots - used as late as 1745 by Bonny Prince Charlie

Life was tough, with hunger and widespread disease. Famine was commonplace and there was little protection from a harsh climate and difficult terrain. On a cold, showery Autum day, we all went home grateful for simple things that we take for granted - like waterproof clothing and dry houses to live in.

Brian Hallworth's Talk on "The life and times of Mr George Formby"

Brian Hallworth gave a great talk on - “Still leaning on a lamppost” the life and times of Mr George Formby, at Chorlton Good Neighbour's History Group meeting on Sep 6th 2012, attended by over 30 people. Here are some clips of his illustrated talk which gives a flavour of the talk and of the music of the great George Formby 

Brian Hallworth giving his talk

Lights, Camera, Drizzle

Chris Lee, a film and culture historian, gave a talk to the Chorlton History Group on 2nd August 2012, entitled "Lights, Camera, Drizzle: Manchester, England and Film". Nearly 40 people attended and enjoyed finding out about Manchester's film history and seeing a series of clips particularly of films made at the the Mancunian Film Studios on Dickenson Road 

 The audience enjoying Chris's presentation

 Chris and his wife Pam having a cup of tea before the talk

Hurray for Jollywood!

The next History Group talk will be on Thursday 6th Sep at 1.30pm  

“Still Leaning on a Lampost: The Life & Times of Mr George Formby" by Brian Hallworth

As usual, it will be held at Good Neighbours (Wilbraham St Ninian's Church). 

All welcome 

Gagarin's visit to Manchester - History Group talk

A talk by Gurbir Singh at the Chorlton History Group, Chorlton Good Neighbours, June 7th 2012. Yuri Gagarin visited Manchester on 12th July 1961. He came through Chorlton and was presented with a medal by the Foundry Workers Union based at Brooks Bar, Whalley Range. Several people at the talk had seen Gagarin on the day, including Joyce  from Chorlton Good Neighbours  who worked in the Union offices where he visited and she shook hands with him. At the end of the talk is a short clip from a film of the visit to the  union office at Brooks Bar

Gurbir Singh giving the talk at Chorlton Good Neighbours