My family moved into a house on Vine Street, number 26, in 1968. I was ten and my brother was four at that time. Our house was situated next door to Lancaster House, which was the residence of circuit judges. We regularly saw them return from sessions in their limousines flanked by police. They used to wave to my little brother as he would stand there as they passed, to attention, saluting!
Across the road was far less overgrown than it is today and you could see all the lights of Salford from our front windows. I remember my mother saying it was like fairyland.
Most of the time it was a very happy house. But there were times when we felt uncomfortable. Things would go missing and then re-appear in places that we had searched. We all felt something strange about the stairs area. My mum would often feel as if she was being pushed as she went downstairs, and one time did fall and broke her ankle.
I would never look in a mirror in the dark as I always felt like there was someone behind me, and felt like they would also be reflected in the mirror. My brother used to have regular nightmares where he would see a man with staring eyes that would be going round and round. I am convinced someone committed suicide by hanging themselves above the stairs, but I cannot find anything to corroborate this theory. I’m sure I vaguely remember a neighbour telling my mum that this had happened. I would love to find out any more history of the house.
I went to Broughton High School on Mesnefield Road, later altered to Kersal High after it changed from a grammar to a comprehensive school. A school friend lived further along Vine Street (closer to Bury New Road) in a home for diabetic boys run by her parents. There was a synagogue at one end of the street and a convent at the other end!
My father, who was a self employed builder, did work for both of them. My brother and myself used to be sent to the convent to collect what they owed my father for his work. Occasionally we would be summoned in to see the Mother Superior, who would pay us in person. She would chat for a short while, and she gave me some lovely little religious pictures which I still have, although I am not Catholic. But most of the time we would just be given an envelope and sent on our way.
When I left school I went to work at Cussons soap factory for a time, where my mother already worked. At first I worked on the shop floor, but then progressed to the offices.
I remember walking along Bury New Road so often. We always walked everywhere! We would walk to spend the day in Heaton Park, or to the cinema (either the Rialto or the Mayfair in Whitefield). We also used to go to the swimming baths in Broughton. It was a really lovely area then, and we never felt anything other than safe.
I also remember there was a club opened near the Broughton baths called Sobers, by Peter Adamson, who played Len Fairclough in Coronation Street. It was called Sobers because it was a non alcoholic bar. I went on the opening night with a friend and there were lots of the Corrie cast there, although I don’t think it stayed open very long.
There was a little shop on the corner of Moor Lane and Bury New Road. It was tiny but you always seemed to get what you needed. I think it may once have been a toll house in days gone by. It was always so busy. We also spent quite a lot of time on Kersal Moor. There were no trees then, just very sandy soil and clumpy grass. There was often a man using a metal detector but we never spoke to him, so I don’t know if he ever found anything.
Julie White (nee Hadnum)
