Potato Wharf, Spud Spectacular!

Restoring the barrow

Cllr Carmine Grimshaw has a couple of old market trader's barrows in a lock-up behind Swan Street, Ancoats. He has said that if we could mend the axle block, then we could borrow the barrow!
Pete has offered to help mend it...

Barrow found!

The barrow sees the light of day again

Soaking the wheels in my garden ready for the event - this makes the wood swell and help stop the metal rims coming off

Another day off School!

Children from the local Primary School had an 'afternoon off ' to help harvest the potatoes before the boat arrives on Friday on its journey to Potato Wharf. Apparently this is how our long summer holidays and our half term came about - time off to help the farmers.

Victorian Harvest boy

Harvest Couple

Nightsoil treasures - alsorts were found including the 'bowls' of two old clay pipes

Recording in the field with a mobile phone

Harvest couple - altogether a class act

Development of Events and oral history training

We have now had two lots of training with Yvonne Hosker of Footloose Walks...
The first was to help encourage interaction at events and the second on developing a guided walk...both sessions were informal and enjoyable, clearly structured and informative...

Training at the Kindling office

Trainees at Castlefield

Oral History Training for Dunham WI with Stephen Kelly of  the North West Oral History Society

 Having come along to the event at Dunham Massey, certain members of the WI are interested in finding out more about the history of nightsoil and its relationship to agricultural practice as they are researching the history of the area as part of their centenary celebrations.

A barrow for the potatoes?

Stories from the Oxnoble pub about the potatoes being barrowed from the waterside up to campfield or other local Potato markets led me to think...
could I get one for our event on Saturday?

Market traders Church St. and Tib St

Found Norma at McCalls on Church Street... the last stall trading outside there.
Norma generously shared the photos above...but no news of a market barrow.
Were these the same kind of barrows as those that were pushed through the streets on a Sunday in Audenshaw and Droylesden from Ashton Moss to the cry of  'Celery!, Moss Celery!'?

When I was copying this picture in the Arndale Centre, a young woman exclaimed...'Oh! Is that Italy?...We trade like that!"

Contacted Castlefield Residents Association about the event on Saturday...to ask if anyone had researched (or remembered) activity relating to Potato Wharf and our food heritage.
Got in touch with Cllr Joan Davies who has been really helpful...I asked her if she knew anyone with a barrow (I had remembered them, from student days, up near Tib Street) She put me in touch with Cllr. Carmine Grimshaw, a former market trader on Church Street...
well! fantastic...he has an old barrow in need of a bit of restoration and then we could borrow it!...How kind is that!?