Information about Norwood Avenue

[Caro1ine 10]

Has anybody got any information on Norwood Avenue on previous residents or can anyone recommend any helpful web sites to help me trace previous residents and it's history.

Thank you!

[david weston 10]

Hi Caro1ne. My aunt Cissy Weston lived at No 26 Norwood Ave (Formally Longley Avenue). Her husband was called Collis and their two sons, Arthur and Leonard, were motorbike enthusiasts in their youth. Next door ( going away from Herries Rd. ) was a lady called Dolly, but I forget the family name. My aunt had a friend, furthur on still, called Mrs. Quinn. I can just remember a VJ celebration party on the green opposite. Like most estates in the '50's, the residents were house and garden proud and for me visiting from an old terraced house I thought them wonderful with their gardens, verges and greens.The Housing Dept's policy of putting 'problem families' in amongst such responsible residents led to the sad decline of such fine estates.The lads went to the school up near the Cinema and Arthur was a paratrooper. He married Doreen and they lived at Harold St. down Langsett Rd. way for some years before getting a house on Crowder Rd opposite the park. Arthur died during the 90's and Doreen soon after. I lost touch with larger than life Leonard. Arthur and Dorren's sons were Steven and Andrew. Andrew still lives at the Crowder Rd. address. Aunty Cis worked for the manufacturing jewellers, Julius Isaac's, firstly off Moorhead and then their later premises on Blonk St. off the Wicker, 'Summit House'. If I remember more I'll log it.

[skippy 11]

Like most estates in the '50's, the residents were house and garden proud and for me visiting from an old terraced house I thought them wonderful with their gardens, verges and greens.The Housing Dept's policy of putting 'problem families' in amongst such responsible residents led to the sad decline of such fine estates.The lads went to the school up near the Cinema.

 

The school was Longley Junior school Dave, the ones that didn't pass the 11 plus exam went on to Shirecliffe Secondary Modern as it was called in those days.

We moved to the Shirecliffe from a terraced houses at Crookes in the 50's, and it was marvelous to have a bathroom, inside toilet in the back porch, and a garden that backed onto Roe Woods.

Norwood was a lovely little estate and more like private houses, but the Longley area and most of the others were like that too when I was a kid, I noticed a mark difference when I visited the whole area again after being away for 22 years, they didn't seem as nice and friendly as I had remembered them when growing up.

When I read about different estates on this site, and the problems that exist today, there must have been a big influx of problem families moved to these areas, or is it just a few causing all the problems ?

[skippy 11]

Has anybody got any information on Norwood Avenue on previous residents or can anyone recommend any helpful web sites to help me trace previous residents and it's history.

Thank you!

 

You could try looking in a Kelly's directory ?

[me-and-pippo 12]

Next door ( going away from Herries Rd. ) was a lady called Dolly, but I forget the family name.

My aunt had a friend, furthur on still, called Mrs. Quinn.

 

Here is a scan showing the residents of Norwood Avenue in 1965,

... photobucket

Edited July 17, 2010 by me-and-pippo

[Jan39 10]

Hi Caro1ne. My aunt Cissy Weston lived at No 26 Norwood Ave (Formally Longley Avenue). Her husband was called Collis and their two sons, Arthur and Leonard, were motorbike enthusiasts in their youth. Next door ( going away from Herries Rd. ) was a lady called Dolly, but I forget the family name. My aunt had a friend, furthur on still, called Mrs. Quinn. I can just remember a VJ celebration party on the green opposite. Like most estates in the '50's, the residents were house and garden proud and for me visiting from an old terraced house I thought them wonderful with their gardens, verges and greens.The Housing Dept's policy of putting 'problem families' in amongst such responsible residents led to the sad decline of such fine estates.The lads went to the school up near the Cinema and Arthur was a paratrooper. He married Doreen and they lived at Harold St. down Langsett Rd. way for some years before getting a house on Crowder Rd opposite the park. Arthur died during the 90's and Doreen soon after. I lost touch with larger than life Leonard. Arthur and Dorren's sons were Steven and Andrew. Andrew still lives at the Crowder Rd. address. Aunty Cis worked for the manufacturing jewellers, Julius Isaac's, firstly off Moorhead and then their later premises on Blonk St. off the Wicker, 'Summit House'. If I remember more I'll log it.

 

Hi my mother-in-law was Mrs Quinn, she told me she submitted a letter to the council to have the road renamed Norwood Avenue, from Longley Avenue, when they built Longley Avenue West, to save any confusion, also regarding the Street Party after the war, there are photo's of it at the Weston Park Musium, if you're interested they will let you have some prints. I remember Mrs Weston very well, they'd been friends for years. I remember Aurther and Lenard, but only by name as they were maried and left before I went there.

[hillsbro 33]

This scan from the 1942 Kelly's directory shows "Clement Acaster Quinn" at No 4, also Collis Weston at No 26 as mentioned by david weston.

[DUFFEMS 56]

This scan from the 1942 Kelly's directory shows "Clement Acaster Quinn" at No 4, also Collis Weston at No 26 as mentioned by david weston.

 

First time I've seen the surname Collis used as a forename.

[hillsbro 33]

First time I've seen the surname Collis used as a forename.

Me too - apart from the inventor of the famous mixture, but a quick look at the 1911 census shows 60 people with this forename, including Collis Weston who was then a 14 year-old "errand boy (foundry)" living with his parents in Maxwell Street.

[david weston 10]

Hi Jan, great to hear you knew those wonderful folk on Norwood Ave. We once went on holiday, my parents and me from Carwood Rd. and aunt Cis and Mrs. Quinn; to Brid. I think, on the train. I remember clearly listening to Mrs. Quinn talking on the journey about a burgulary in the area. In those days so rare that it would be talked about everywhere. (around this time there was a paper boy murdered in Wigan of a similar age to myself and this was a national news topic for weeks: just shows how bad things have got as they're everyday now.) Collis is an unusual name, he always wore a Trilby hat and reminded me of American film characters. They had a dog, 'Rex', which Aunt Cis would sing to and it joined in with howling! I used to ride up to Norwood Ave. to see them on Sundays on my 3-wheel bike, 'Family Favourites' drifting out of the houses on Herries Rd. as I passed. I admired the Art-Deco bus shelter by the City General (as it was then) I believe that icon was a victim of Civic Vandalism, being demolished some time ago. Should have been a preservation order on it.

[okismoki 10]

Hi Jan, great to hear you knew those wonderful folk on Norwood Ave. We once went on holiday, my parents and me from Carwood Rd. and aunt Cis and Mrs. Quinn; to Brid. I think, on the train. I remember clearly listening to Mrs. Quinn talking on the journey about a burgulary in the area. In those days so rare that it would be talked about everywhere. (around this time there was a paper boy murdered in Wigan of a similar age to myself and this was a national news topic for weeks: just shows how bad things have got as they're everyday now.) Collis is an unusual name, he always wore a Trilby hat and reminded me of American film characters. They had a dog, 'Rex', which Aunt Cis would sing to and it joined in with howling! I used to ride up to Norwood Ave. to see them on Sundays on my 3-wheel bike, 'Family Favourites' drifting out of the houses on Herries Rd. as I passed. I admired the Art-Deco bus shelter by the City General (as it was then) I believe that icon was a victim of Civic Vandalism, being demolished some time ago. Should have been a preservation order on it.

any relation to julie and jackie weston?

[Jan39 10]

Hi Jan, great to hear you knew those wonderful folk on Norwood Ave. We once went on holiday, my parents and me from Carwood Rd. and aunt Cis and Mrs. Quinn; to Brid. I think, on the train. I remember clearly listening to Mrs. Quinn talking on the journey about a burgulary in the area. In those days so rare that it would be talked about everywhere. (around this time there was a paper boy murdered in Wigan of a similar age to myself and this was a national news topic for weeks: just shows how bad things have got as they're everyday now.) Collis is an unusual name, he always wore a Trilby hat and reminded me of American film characters. They had a dog, 'Rex', which Aunt Cis would sing to and it joined in with howling! I used to ride up to Norwood Ave. to see them on Sundays on my 3-wheel bike, 'Family Favourites' drifting out of the houses on Herries Rd. as I passed. I admired the Art-Deco bus shelter by the City General (as it was then) I believe that icon was a victim of Civic Vandalism, being demolished some time ago. Should have been a preservation order on it.

yes it was a nice estate back then. I remember the dog Rex, your aunt used to go for a cuppa and a chat every thursday to my mother-in-laws, and she would get him to sing, as she called it.