Vicki Masterson

The area of Sale and Sale Moor, which in the early nineteenth century comprised mainly farmland and small villages, is today a heavily populated part of the Greater Manchester conurbation. This fascinating history traces the rapid development of the area in words and pictures, documenting the suburban growth and the creation of transport networks that accompanied Manchester's population boom in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Over 200 photographs and illustrations taken from the collection at Trafford Local Studies Centre show how life has changed for these communities over the years, and will no doubt provoke nostalgia in older residents of Sale, as well as providing a valuable historical record of the period covered. A chapter on private lives and public celebrations introduces us to the famous and not-so-famous people that have inhabited Sale over the years, from the renowned physcican James Prescott Joule to Hannah Beswick, a local woman who was so afraid of being buried alive that she was not buried for 100 years after her death! Elsewhere, many fine views of local landmarks - some that still remain, some that are long gone - ensure that this compilation will delight all those who know Sale and Sale Moor.

A history of Sale and Sale Moor

This fascinating collection of almost 200 photographs explores the areas of Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme. One rural, isolated farming settlements, the growth and expansion of these areas has largest been the result of two daring schemes, the Bridgwater Canal in the eighteenth century and the Manchester Ship canal at the end of the nineteenth century. These industrial developments were instrumental in shaping the area as a whole and affecting people’s daily lives. The reader is taken on a tour of the area and chapters are included on schools, churches, working life and wartime experiences. Leisure and entertainment is also examined such as the once popular local festival, the Flixton Wakes. Each image is accompanied by supporting text providing a wealth of local colour and historical detail. Using photographs from the collection in the Trafford Local Studies Centre, these evocative images will provide older residents of the area with a nostalgic look at the recent past and brig newcomers an opportunity to look at how things used to be.