The people’s archive

This section shares the photographs and other items that Birchwood residents have shared with the Days of the New Town project from their own archives. This collection of pictures features the early days of Birchwood as a residential area and was projected on to a wall as part of Warrington Museum and Art Gallery’s Days of the New Town Exhibition. The exhibition closed in mid January 2019, but the people’s archive continues! If you would like to share photographs from your family albums or scrapbooks with the People’s Archive to be included in this section of the blog, I would love to hear from you. Please get in touch via the contact link on this blog.

The idea of the People’s Archive is for another history of Birchwood to emerge and be considered for the historical record, in addition to the “official” archive of the Development Corporation, one that reflects the lived experience of the residents. The images and items donated by existing and former residents of Birchwood present a very colourful and vivid record of the social and cultural history of the place. Many thanks to all those who have donated images and items: Nigel Hartley, Nick Jackson,  Jane Hewertson, Steve Hall, Andy Pearson, Brian Tuohey, Andrew White, Julian Webb, David John Daniels, Carol Gagen and many more who have commented on Facebook, and donated items on one of the People’s Archive days in 2017 and 2018.

Su Fitzpatrick

Nigel Hartley’s archive

The first set of images posted below, totalling 35, (ending with the interior shot of the Birchwood Centre) were taken by Nigel Hartley who moved to Birchwood with his family in the late 1970’s. The range of landscapes provide a fascinating glimpse into Birchwood as it was being built. I’ve provided captions to most of the images and the caption is laid out to refer to the image posted directly above it.

Nigel says: “The photos I have supplied were taken somewhere between 1981 and 1985 (they are not all of the same period).  Night shots were taken in the latter part of that range but the building of the Birchwood Center were taken in the earlier part of the date range. Some of the shots were taken on a walkabout with the Birchwood Photographic Society (as you might notice when looking at photos with other photographers in shot 🙂 ), others were taken by me just having a wander back in those years.  Me and a friend – Andrew Cockburn would sometimes take our cameras and cycle off to interesting areas just to photograph the local features.”

 

View from the partially constructed Birchwood Station bridge. The station was opened in 1981

Unfinished Birchwood station platform looking east towards Manchester. Houses built alongside Birchwood Brook Linear Park visible on the left in the distance.

Eileen, Fine Fare

This night shot was taken from the Locking Stumps Lane bridge across the M6

Thomas Risley Church, Locking Stumps under construction

This is possibly the Walled Gardens in its very early days

The above two images are details from the Walled Gardens

Looking northward toward Locking Stumps, the chimney stacks of Parkers Farm visible on the right of the pedestrian bridge

Above: looking east towards Manchester from the Birchwood Station bridge

Taken from Birchwood Station bridge looking north eastwards towards Oakwood and Birchwood Science Park

 

Birchwood Station bridge under construction looking Westwards towards Warrington

Birchwood Centre with its iconic funnel taken from Birchwood Station

A new roadway possibly forming part of the Birchwood Science Park. Chadwick House visible on the right in the distance

Speculative suggestion as to general area of this image: Given that it looks towards Chadwick House and a very faint outline of Fiddlers Ferry Power Station in distance, it is possible this image was taken from the area that would become Forest Park/ Gorse Covert.

Spectrum Arena in the process of being landscaped

Birchwood Centre with its original cladding and Fine Fare petrol station and Birchwood Boulevard office park to the right

Landscape surrounding the houses of Kinsale Drive, Locking Stumps

Birchwood Shopping Centre

Some of the houses in the Kinsale Drive development in Locking Stumps

Private housing built around the outer perimeter of Glover Road, Locking Stumps

Above two images are landscaping within Birchwood Boulevard office park

Birchwood golf course in Locking Stumps. Two towers of Parkside Colliery visible in the distance

Birchwood Shopping Centre’s original green cladding

Spectrum Arena

Birchwood Way by night

Pedestrian Bridge linking Locking Stumps and Heathfield to Birchwood Centre. Thelwall Viaduct visible in distance

Tower of Birchwood’s Fire Station and the lights of the BP garage in Oakwood

Experimenting with exposure speeds around the Chamberlain Powell and Bon office block within Birchwood Science Park (building now demolished. More images and information on this building is provided in the early days section of the blog)

Birchwood Shopping Centre’s indoor street at Christmas in the early 1980’s.

 

Steve Hall Archive

Current Birchwood resident Steve Hall kindly shared the following 20 images of Birchwood’s early days. Many are of his family in their first few years at their home in Redpoll Lane Oakwood, others feature the new years party at Birchwood Fire Station

Carol Gagen Archive

The following eight images and cuttings shared by Carol feature the programmes of a production of the Birchwood Players, press photo of the Locking Stumps Brownie group and family photos and a promotional material for houses of Kinsale Drive in Locking Stumps.

Jane Hewertson archive

Jane shared the following four images which include parades from the Birchwood Carnival in the mid 1980’s. Visible in the background to the Brownies on parade is the Genesis office complex being built.

 

Thanks to Elizabeth who shared the following three images on one of the People’s Archive days at Risley Moss in 2017. These pictures are from the mid 1980’s

Brian Hunt archive

The following eight images were taken by Brian Hunt at the various Birchwood bonfires throughout the 1980’s. I am grateful to Brian Tuohey who contacted Days of the New Town with the images. The November 5th Birchwood bonfire and firework displays were organised by the Rangers at Forest Park and Risley Moss throughout the period of the Development Corporation’s existence. The displays were hugely popular at the time. The sight of these incredible wooden constructions on fire live long in the memory of Birchwood residents and other residents from around Warrington. Sharing the following images on the Days of the New Town facebook page gained several hundred responses from people reminiscing about these events.

Vicky Rose archive

Thanks to Vicky for sharing these daytime photographs of Birchwood bonfire sculptures as they were being prepared.

Julian Webb archive

Julian sent through the Birchwood Guidebook, a brochure given to new residents of Birchwood in the early 1980’s. I have scanned a few pages from the brochure displayed below. The full brochure is 29 pages and most of the pages contain contact details for the numerous community groups active in Warrington at the time and those which were set up in Birchwood’s early years. Those specific to Birchwood included: The Margaret Quick School of Dancing; Locking Stumps Ladies Guild; Warrington Business and Professional Womens Club; Womens World; Birchwood under 12’s football team; The Bobettes Girls Morris Dancing; New Town Stars Girls Morris Dancing; Boys Brigade; 1st and 2nd Locking Stumps Brownies; 1st Oakwood Brownies; Junction Youth Club; Jo-Jo’s Youth Base; Birchwood Bridge Club; Birchwood Computer Club; Birchwood Horticultural SOciety; Birchwood Writers and Illustrators Club; Birchwood Art Circle.