Call Back Yesterday
Winifred A Garner

Neil Richardson 2002. A4, 67 pp. 87 illus.

This book, originally published in 1986, appears in a new edition under the Richardson imprint. It tells of the author's life, mainly centred in Northenden, a former village some five miles south of Manchester, where she was born in 1910. Local employment was largely catered for by the nearby Tatton estate but many families supplemented their incomes by setting up small market gardens, We learn of the strict formalities to be observed where funerals were concerned and, on the outbreak of war in 1914, the local difficulties over rationing. Many women in the village took up washing, travelling to the big houses once a week and working extremely hard for the whole of a day.

Mrs Garner presents us with a pen picture of the village as it was in the 1920s giving details of the many shops including a bicycle repairer, blacksmith and the usual chemists and chip shops, of which there were two each. The local doctor also carried out minor surgery. A cinema was opened in 1911 when the films were projected on to a white wall and the seating consisted of forms and chairs. The power was derived from a dynamo driven by a gas engine and the interval between films was of sufficient length to allow the adult customers to repair to the nearby pub, owned by the proprietor of the cinema. There were five farms and eleven market gardens while many of the inhabitants had allotments from which they sold their produce to passers by. Because of its position on the river Mersey and the various attractions set up on its banks the area was a draw for weekend visitors and the locals did a roaring trade selling cut flowers and serving teas in their houses. A long section describes the religious activities at one or other of the four places of worship with details of the usual celebrations on appropriate days.

Obviously the book will be of interest mainly to those familiar with the village and, as I am one of those, I found the book quite fascinating especially as this edition has been enhanced by the inclusion of over 80 illustrations to suit the text. (Walter Bee)