Berry Family

[patol70]

Just put the phone down after quizzing my 85-year old aunt .
She came up with the unbelievable name of "Cherry Berry" and the connection with Cherry Blossom boot polish .
Evidently Cherry B was a friend of my late aunt , Blanche Statter , and her brother Willie B married a cousin of my late mother , Dorothy Haslam.
Keep on keeping on !!
Best wishes
Pat Oliver

[Lynda B]

Hi sorry this is nothing to do with Berry, but thisbrought back  memories of my dad coming back from work on his bike from Kearns in Atlantic Street.  The buzzer sounding when it was time. I also used to bike down Atlantic Street to work.
  When I was young used to go to Navigation Crossings and watch the trains.  In the school holidays going to Manchester on the train and having lunch of fish and chips in Lewis's top floor restaurant. Oh how it has changed I went back there in March.

[hermanside]

William Berry Blacking manufacturer lived at Parklands Dunham Road Altrincham.
His brother was Thomas Berry. He had a son William Henry Berry. The Cherry Berry link came through this line
The Cherry Blossom story is just folklore as Berry senior was in manufacturing.
If you chk the link re Cherry Berry Polish  this will confirm this.
In Hale Cemetry there is the Berry plot!

More info contact hale civic society= halecivicsociety {--at--} hotmail.com

I'm sure the society would be interested in all information that people have. They love to collect local stories and publish themn in their newsletter


Moderator Comment: e-mail edited, to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please replace {--at--} with @

[Yvonica]

mshrmh

Thank you for the link to the biographies of Altrincham notables.  Although I'd heard of most of them, the one that stands out for me is Bill Speakman VC.  I remember when he came back from the Korean War with his VC, we all lined Hale Road, I stood on the railway bridge, and we were given Union Jack flags to wave for him.

Lizzie

Regarding Bill Speakman VC, I used to live in one of the houses on the railway bridge and Bill's mother lived 2 doors away from where I lived.  He used to give me "aeroplanes" when I was little - aeroplanes are when you hold one hand and one leg and swirl you round.  See also my response # 26 below.

[Yvonica]

Don't worry about going off subject, it's nice to be on familiar ground and be able to help people with info about my home town. The remarks about Speakman bring back memories.

The Berry question is a little confused, Basil Morrisons book 'Looking Back at Altrincham' says that his daughter lived at Parklands on Charcoal Road. I've found a William Berry in Knutsford Road Dunham. There's also the Firs Road address, and one on the Downs which Lizzie suggests and my family seems to favour. Still, it all adds to the fun!!

By the way, I entirley agree about the changes in Alty, more's the pity. The place used to have  character, now it's fast becoming just another clone town.

Jac

Strange you should mention Basil Morrison - my grandmother's sister (whose maiden name was BERRY) lent a Mr Morrison photos which were never returned of olden years.  Could this be the same man?  My grandmother's sister has since died but I do remember her telling me this.

[Loretogirl47]

Does anyone recall the Radium manufacturing company on Bridgewater Rd in Broadheath. 

We lived across from it in the 50s, I believe it made polish and we used to play with the off-cut pieces of metal, they were like a Frisbee,  we threw them and they would glide a good way.  We got many cuts from them but they were great fun.   

We used to have a bonfire on Guy Fawkes night on the spare land which I think belonged to the Radium company.    That was real community spirit, we collected for weeks prior to Bonfire night and the local people would provide, cocoa, parkin and treacle toffee for all and bake potatoes in the fire, nothing tasted better.

It was such simple times then, people seemed to watch out for each other and nobody had very much.

What we got for Xmas presents the children of today would scoff at, mostly clothes for the year and if we were lucky a toy.  I got a pedigree walking doll one year, which I still have.

[LizzieW]

we used to play with the off-cut pieces of metal, they were like a Frisbee,  we threw them and they would glide a good way

Try doing that today and "Elf and Safety" would be after you, not to mention the police.

[littlej]

Strange you should mention Basil Morrison - my grandmother's sister (whose maiden name was BERRY) lent a Mr Morrison photos which were never returned of olden years.  Could this be the same man?  My grandmother's sister has since died but I do remember her telling me this.

Yvonica,
I have the Basil Morrison book "Looking Back at Altrincham" which is always on sale in the area. My Mum is in two of the pictures which is why I keep it, that and the nostalgia! Do you know which pictures were lent to him, maybe they are in the book.
You also talk about the houses on Moss Lane Bridge, I knew them well, my aunt lived in Mayor's Road for many years, and I knew that Bill Speakman's Mother lived there. Did you know they have pulled them down now? there is now an Ice Rink there, and opposite, a Tesco Superstore.

[Yvonica]

Jac,
Sorry don't know exactly which photos he borrowed, all I know is that they were probably ones of the coronation & views of Moss Lane Bridge.  I'll know them when I see them because she used to show me all her photographs when I was little and the few remaining photos are in an album which I have.  I was born in one of those houses on Moss Lane Bridge - I was born at No.23.  Bill Speakman & his mum lived at No.27.  His mum's name was Hannah, she had Bill prior to her marriage & had Bill's half-brother and half-sister after her marriage.  His half-siblings names are Anne and Bert.  I know the houses have been knocked down because, last time I was visiting family in the UK, I went to look.  It looks so small there now - it's amazing how much used to fit in such a small area.  The people who used to live at No.29 also live here in Australia about 10 minutes away from me.  Whereas the people who lived in No. 25 - half are still in the UK and the other half are in Canada.  My gran's sister lived at No.21 and the people who lived at 19 still live in the UK.  The rest of the street are no longer with us.
Spoke to my other relative who lives 10 mins from me (she's a bit older than me) & she remembers the parade for Bill Speakman.  She says we were all in the coach behind Bill's car going through Altrincham with the parade, because we were his neighbours.  So must have passed you waving your flag.