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The ultimate sweet tooth shop

Harold Cunliffe
20/ 3/2008

OUR Empire cinema feature certainly brought back many happy memories to many of our readers. Corporation Street has a rich history of being a place for social gatherings over the centuries.

The Dyers and Polishers club was born at the time of the cotton boom. Its purpose was to act as a meeting place where the 400 or so workers of this trade could pay their union subs and negotiate the affairs of their working conditions. Originally an upstairs room in Suffield Street was used to thrash out their grievances. The club moved into the disused chapel on Corporation Street in 1935. By 1966 few of the patrons worked in the cotton trade. In an attempt to attract the younger generation the club introduced a 'free and easy' - a free helping of pie and peas on Fridays.

Over the road at the Town Hall a gala concert including a slap up meal was provided by the Mayor of Middleton, Councillor John William Lees. The town’s officials and dignitaries along with council officers were entertained in 1886. Only five of the invited guests failed to attend.

Ex-pat Mr Les Lord from Doncaster emailed Bygone days. He now informs us that he has become a 'Silver Surfer' and reads affairs online. In his message he recalls: "As a child I went to the Empire cinema every afternoon to the children’s matinee, which was a good two pence worth of entertainment. There was always a serial, a cowboy which closed with the hero being in a difficult situation which of course ensured a good attendance the following week.

"As part of the reorganisation I see the baths and the civic centre are to be demolished, which evoke even more memories. I must have been one of the first swimmers in the new baths as I joined the quickly growing queue for admission early one Sunday morning in 1938, following the official opening the previous day. The new pool looked so inviting with its tiled base, such a contrast to the old building on Manchester Old Road which had a concrete base.

"Water in the pool was only changed once a week. By that time it was like swimming in pea soup. I was privileged along with others to be taught to swim by that great Middleton character, Frank Watson."

Many cinema goers bought their sweets prior to entering the cinema. At Corporation Street there were shops opposite the cinema, one was owned by Miss Cora Taylor, her sweet and tobacco shop never missed a day’s business, in four decades the only time she closed her shop was because of wartime restrictions. Miss Taylor said in 1970 cigarettes were 4d for ten and chocolate was 2d for a two ounce bar at the time she took over the shop in 1932.

David Armstrong from Alkrington remembers a small sweet shop that was run by Mrs Richards, grandmother to the chiropodist, at Durnford Street. The shop, almost opposite the Empire, was a converted dwelling which was fitted out to sell sweets in the front room. The back room however was used for another type of business. Of all things, it was used as a dental surgery. The dentist, Mr Loveday had his main practice in Bolton and would open his surgery three times a week at Middleton.

Recently I was reminded of the cobbler that sat in the window of his shop, which was at the corner of Old Hall Street, he sat watching the world go by accompanied by his pet Scottie dog as he repaired footwear.

Everyone knew Mr Greenwood, he always had a smile whenever you passed his shop.

Clarence Gothard Greenwood came to Middleton when he was aged eight. His father worked as a dyer and bleacher in Yorkshire, when the foreman moved to another location it was usual in those days for his gang to move with him. The Greenwood family came to Middleton along with the parents of the former Baths superintendent, Mr Frank Watson. Clarence retired aged 75 when his shop was demolished. He once said that he had an old vice on his workbench which had a date of October 1276 engraved on it.

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