Longford (inc. The Red Hills)

My grandmother kept a sweet shop in Grange Road for many years, Mrs Rowley, she kept it from 1911 till 1953.

Tom Mann house is definitely in Grange Road. An old peoples home named after him was near the entrance to the park.

Karen, Sorry there was no house in Grange Road on either side, between Jackers Road and Longford Park. Jackers Road side was allotments, the other side was field and Foxford School and the Fox Inn on the corner, 1930 to1950. The Fox Inn may have been Grange Road or Hurst Road, it was on both. Unless you mean some park of recent years.

Hi all, found these.

I am getting confused here (again) are we talking about 2 places, Tom Mann's house where he was born in Grange Road, and Tom Mann House, old peoples home?

177 Grange Road, home of Tom Mann Listed Building And I've no idea what you're talking about.

I think I have got my old head round it now, Helen. As I said I don't know that part of the city. Tom Mann's house in Grange Road was where he was born. Tom Mann House was a purpose built home for 47 elderly men and women in Hurst Road. I did not realise there were two Tom Mann houses and could not see how they could get 47 elderly people in his house!! Is the old people's home (sorry, carehome) still there?

Helen, Annewiggy. It may have been where he was born, but did not live there for long, and certainly wasn't recognised as living there until long after he died. Not on any of Heathite's lists. And that nursing home wasn't built for over a century after he was born. But I do believe the guy that did live there in the thirties era was named Bond and I knew him. lf so, I have been in the house. As I have with Lote, Lanchbury, Finch and scores of Grange Road people. It was less than 200 yds from Foxford School.

Woodshires Green postcard If you follow the link and examine the postcard, you see what is now Wilsons Lane. If you were there at the time and followed the road until you got to the big tree on the left and then headed across the fields directly to the right, you'd get to where my house would be built in the 1980s.

Hi Helen, You may be interested to use Google Streetview to see those same houses as they are today - slight changes but still very much as they were in so many ways! Search the road for number 55, which is the house with the apex-roofed porch, closest to the camera on your postcard.

Thanks Oddsock I find it almost spooky to see buildings in the old photos still there. I must have driven up and down that road hundreds of times and never noticed them.

John Campbell? Whose brothers were Rob and Mick?? He's my father. I lived in The Croft until I was 1, then we moved to the newly built Silverdale Estate.

Hi Ian. "treddz" hasn't been on to the forum for over two years now, so it's doubtful your post will be read by that member. You could try using the "contact" button against the member's name to see whether you can get any response. Good luck!

Hi MR, Thanks for the heads up. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who lived in the original Croft. Also, I have a stack of old photos which I'll upload at some point. ian c.

Hi all, I vaguely remember when I was a kid that there used to be a remote control car club who used to meet up in Longford Park, in the old tennis courts by the play area. Does anyone else remember this? I would have been at junior school (Grangehurst) so it would have been the mid-late 70s and I think it was Sundays, late morning/early afternoon. Was it a particular club that met up? Does anyone have any photos? ian c.