Street party picture prompts Northwich memories

Northwich man Gordon Brown found this old photograph in his loft.

He and his brother Keith think the party was held in Queen Street to mark the coronation of King George VI in 1937.

Gordon said the woman on the right is a Mrs Butterworth, a woman just off the picture to her right is his own mother and he is more than likely in the pram behind Mrs Butterworth.

“That’s probably me in the pram because I was born that year,” he said.

“People might recognise who’s who.”

Other people he remembers are Mrs Little and his Grandma Cooper, who are stood on the right of the table and the old Pavillion cinema is looming in the background.

Gordon said life in Queen Street was rather dramatic during his 1940s childhood.

“We were here during the floods,” he said.

“I came out of Danebridge School, which is the medical centre now, walked round past the old Pavillion, came to my nan’s, she would always give me a butty, then I would walk across the field to the houses in London Road.

“I walked on this field at 3pm, and I knew every blade of grass on it – there was no TV in those days so we played football until it was dark.

“I walked through the grass and all of a sudden thought ‘it’s wet!’ and when I got to the other side and turned round and the grass had all gone because the water had come out of the ground.

“I walked up our path and up the three steps into the kitchen, saw the field flooded and told Mum but she clipped me ‘round the ears and said ‘don’t be daft’, but I turned round and the path was under water.

“We were all trapped up in the bedroom then until 6pm.”

He also remembers when on the site of the Guardian offices, in Theatre Court, there was an old theatre.

This was never used as intended, instead it was used to store coffee and tea.

• If this has prompted any memories for you then get in touch with our newsdesk. Ring 01606 813624, email gbebbington@guardiangrp.co.uk or visit our office in Theatre Court, off London Road.