Somewhere in Manchester before 1911

Now here’s an image with a story, but sadly not one that wants to be revealed.

We are somewhere in Manchester possibly between 1908 and 1911 and the photograph was part of a series of glass slides taken to illustrate the police duty of escorting a procession. 

The original caption simply reads: Procession: Sunday school.

The curator at the Greater Manchester Police Museum suggests that it “may have been in connection with the Whit Walks but I can't be certain. The location is presumed to be Manchester, but there is nothing in the original to say where.”*

That said there is one possible clue to its location and that is the bank directly to our right.  This was one of the branches of the Parrs Bank Ltd, which had premises across the twin cities.  Now given that this is a Manchester City Police photograph that further limits it to a small number of sites.

The road looks to be one of the main through fares into the city which further limits our choice and points to Stockport Road, or Oldham Road in Newton Heath.  Now I can’t be sure but the Parrs Bank on Oldham Road was on a corner which matches our picture, so just maybe we have the place.

As for an event it might be a Whit Walk but these were held in June and even given Manchester’s unpredictable weather the coats, hats and scarves suggest sometime either in winter or early spring.  So we could be looking at a Sunday school procession or some other similar occasion.

The children and there seem to be a fair mix of the well to do and not so well off are treating the walk as something to enjoy and while one serious faced youth looks warily at the camera, the majority are just enjoying themselves.

Along with the solitary policeman the procession is flanked by women many of whom are wearing shawls some loosely over their heads and others partially covering their faces.

It is a wonderful snap shot of early 20^th century Manchester and I rather think in time will offer up much more.

Picture; Procession: Sunday School, 1908-1911, courtesy of Greater Manchester Police Museum, http://www.gmpmuseum.com/

*Duncan Broady, Curator, Museum & Archives, Greater Manchester Police Museum & Archive