Demolished Streets in Beswick, Manchester in Coronation Street titles

[Matt7924]

I have been reading about the history of Coronation Street and found that the most famous and best-known opening titles (that also featured the ginger cat) had scenes that were shot in the Beswick area.  The coronationstreet.fandom.com website mentions that these scenes showed Myrtle Street, Albert Street, Carmen Street and Morley Street in one shot and that most of the buildings are now gone.  The scenes were shot in 1975 and google maps shows that Myrtle and Albert Streets still exist although they are rebuilt.  I was wondering when all the terraced houses came down and why the area was redeveloped? This title sequence was the longest running in Coronation Street's history as well.

The article also mentions the famous cat shot as being filmed by a building known as Arnold's garage near Ashton Old Road.  Does anyone remember the garage as I have looked at old phone books on Ancestry and not found it.  Apparently the famous cat just came onto the roof and the director liked the shot.

 

[hanes teulu]

This is a 1948 view of Myrtle Street
https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/386508/397894/13/101329

On the left are later "old maps" - click on later old maps to view development. You may have to use zoom function to produce an image.

Cannot answer your specific questions.

[hanes teulu]

Spotted an advert in the Manchester News, 17 Mar 1945, which mentioned "... 3 Brookville Place, C.-on-M, M/c 13, opp Arnold's Garage"
C.-on-M presumably Chorlton on Medlock

Old Maps - Brookville Place, there's a coach works across the road.
https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/384860/396687/13/101329

[hanes teulu]

A 1914 advert mentions "Arnold, coach builder, Up. Brook Street, Man'er."

Brookville Place runs off Upper Brook St.

All this not quite "Ashton Old Road" - but in the locale.

[carlineric]

There is a website with the Ordnance Survey revision points photographs of the Manchester area. I am not linking as the site as it is semi commercial - watermarked images are free. These photographs were taken by the OS in 1949/50. The photographs are held by Manchester Central Library.

[Matt7924]

Thanks for all the details.  I have looked at the maps and seen where the old streets ran and the Arnold coach builders does seem like it could be the Arnold's garage close to where some of the the scenes were filmed.

As Coronation Street and Weatherfield are based on Salford, I have always been a bit surprised that the crew went to the east side of Manchester to film some of the scenes for the 70s title sequence, especially as I read some of the other shots in the same titles were in Salford. The same article also says streets in Old Trafford were used for the first colour titles in 1969. I wonder why they didn't stick to using Salford?

[PhilCash]

As far back as 1948 (I think) the local authority had identified the area of Beswick aka Bradford in Manchester as suitable for redevelopment, stating that the housing was poor quality and the area was effectively a slum. My father was born and raised in the area and says that the housing looked (& was) dirty and grim, due to all the pollution from coal fires in houses and local factories. However; it was solidly built and was capable of being modenised for example, his family lived in an end terrace on the corner of School street and Mill street and his parents had one of the upstairs bedrooms made in to a bathroom.

Sadly, the postwar period is littered with the 'we know best' attitude of local planners who recited the blunder headed mantra that 'all old is bad, all new is good' and (ignoring the importance of communties) proceeded to demolish most of the area in the late 60s and 70s. Many of the local industries also close at this time including the Stuart Street Power Station; Richard Johnson Wireworks and Bradford (coal) Pit. All that was left standing were a few pubs and the odd church (though many of these have gone since). As a child in the early 1980s, I can recall my father driving me around the area where he use to live. Aside from St Bridgets Catholic Church, there were no buildings. All I could see was the original roads (cobble visible in many places) and pavements. Just beyond (but running parallel to the pavements) was a continuous grassy mound (about 4ft high), underneath which, was the rubble of the former buildings. I wish I'd at least saved a brick because even this has all gone now and in its place stands Alan Turning Way.

My grandparents (and other family members and some old neighbours) were rehoused in new accommodation on Ramage Walk & Palmeston Street, near Ashton New Road, but they were lucky as although they were still in a terraced houses; each house had a front and back garden and was well built from brick. Compare that the Council's 'premier' redevlopement scheme of panel built flats, which resulted in the infamous 'Fort Beswick' development on Wellington Street, completed in 1972. Poorly designed and badly constructed; the developement was plagued with problems and eventually demolished from 1982 onwards.

[Viktoria]

Phil I agree with so much in your post.
I know the area well, my in-laws lived there and Ancoats Hospital Accident  Dept was very familiar to we children who often played in the still standing
ruins of bombed houses.
The houses still standing were capable of being modernised ,two knocked
together etc.

The area bounded by Cambrian St, Mill St, Ashton New Road and Gt,Ancoats St was Beswick .


The high rise buildings that took the place of the little terraced houses were part of one of the worst social experiments ever to be forced upon working class people .
Many other people were moved to places like Langley ,houses yes,but no shops,no social facilities etc.Dreadful, the isolation - hard to get to visit family
still in Manchester - a couple of buses at least - all added to the misery.

On Pollard St,  there was The Star Hall, started by the Crossley family of Crossley’s Springs and Motors.
A beacon of light in a very poor area.
Very philanthropic people ,they opened a Maternity Hospital so women got a rest and good care for a few days at least  after having theit babies.
This was late 1800’s early 1900’s .
The Round House had been a Church  but became a Youth Club for the deprived youngsters in the area.
Mary Kingsmill Jones  the Mayoress I think opened it and some new “ Social Housing” ,that quickly became slums, shoddy building etc.
Beswick St branched off  and my M in L was born in Junction St.

Manchester Council was a Labour Council at the time .

Sorry to correct you but the roads were oblong granite setts ,cobbles are large pebbles on end.
Often called cobbles I agree.
Viktoria.

[Ray T]

Here we go again - blame the planners!

The choice to declare a slum clearance area is an environmental health matter and, whilst “the planners” might have a say in what might replace cleared houses, if you have any spleen to vent, this should be directed at the environmental health officer/public health/sanitary inspector; or whatever they chose to call themselves at the time.

That said, there were perfectly good reasons to renew housing in may cities as much of it was both cheaply and badly built, lacking in facilities and incapable of economic improvement but those problems seem to have been lost in the mists of nostalgia.