By Ron Historyo
I came out of Manchester heading north, Stopping briefly because I spotted something in Failsworth. Wrestling Heritage member Eddie Rose at the British Legion. Not wearing his red mask either.
From Failsworth I went on to Middleton, another strange boundary change, they’ve now put Middleton into Rochdale.
Two early sixties venues in Middleton. The Beatles were on at The Co-Op Hall in 1963 before an attendance of 300 and the baths hall I believe pulled down to make a better complex.
Very much an Independent flavour. Early Johnny Eagle.
From Middleton I journeyed to Rochdale. Way out of Manchester now and yet Rochdale can stretch beyond Littleborough to Walsden, almost into Todmorden in Yorkshire before you are out of Greater Manchester.
A few bills were captured of what looks to me like Wryton shows at Rochdale Athletic Ground.
This was the old home of Rochdale Hornets and Speedway, demolished in 1988 but once could accommodate over 40,000 spectators. The bill shows a whole heap of Manchester area wrestlers. This of course was an outdoor summer venture. To take place in 1964 and the following year 1965 it must have had some success.
The next stop off was Bury, The Palais de Danse back to the Independent Scene.
For all those who live nowhere near Manchester, let me tell you this. As you travel through all these hill towns on the edge of the Pennines, each town has a different version of the Lancashire accent. Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton, Wigan and Chorley (outside Manchester) all are different and East Manchester very different to South. Is there anywhere in Britain like that?
Another souvenir, what are the chances that the Doctor death was Paul Lincoln?
Having skirted round now, although still North, I am perhaps a little more West in Wigan. Strange that the Snake Pit does not seem to have inspired a major venue for wrestling in the town itself. You would have to ask a true Wigan person if he regarded himself as Manchester, but in 1974 the town was made part of Greater Manchester. I did find a couple of bills for the Empress Hall in 1969, a fabulous venue that was a ballroom with balconies.
But the main capture of bills was The Monaco Ballroom in Hindley. These shows I believe were put on by Jack Atherton.
Hey, not a bad night out for ten bob. Ricky Starr, and a Loser to unmask match and Fallon and Roach.
I don’t think the bill was drawn up by a wrestling fan. (Hall Dennison!!!!!)
Almost as good as the world cup. I believe the place is still going strong today as The Rose Club. Seats about 500.
Moving away from the Northern Extremities of Manchester and moving South East. Although the High Peak area is Derbyshire, it’s towns have a Stockport postcode and the economy is very affected by being on the outskirts of Manchester. In fact Glossop is only 4 miles from Hattersley and is nearer to Manchester than Wigan.
New Mills, Chapel-en-le-Frith and Buxton also were under consideration in the 1970’s to be part of the Manchester Powerhouse as was a lot of Cheshire such as Knutsford, Northwich, Macclesfield and Lymm, but these areas were kept out to avoid financial hardship for their respective counties.
If there is ever to be another London in the North then just maybe this could all yet happen.
So the Pavilion Gardens Buxton adverts that made the Manchester newspapers. Very much Joint Promotions and a place I quite enjoyed visiting.
Built in 1875 I think the seating capacity might have been in the 600-1000 region. Like the Kings Hall Belle Vue you could end up with a pillar in the way.
Then there was The Victoria Hall Glossop, The Constitutional Hall Chapel-en-le-Frith, and New Mills Town Hall and even a show in 1960 at Glen Villas in New Mills. Apollo Promtions. Anyone know who they were?
And you see what I mean, New Mills near Stockport.
Local Boy Clark Mellor certainly used Manchester to progress his wrestling career. The High Peak is very much part of the Manchester Perimeter.
The final zone I have chosen to complete the perimeter is again not officially in Greater Manchester, but the places chosen are so near to Manchester Airport , it would be hard for these people to deny that they do not either work in Greater Manchester or depend on it for their existence. Some of Cheshire like Stockport and Altrincham was put into Greater Manchester in 1974, But Wilmslow escaped, Macclesfield was not included and Winsford, Northwich, Knutsford and Middlewich were all passed over so as to not economically weaken Cheshire. Like the High Peak, I believe they very much qualify as the perimeter. The only venue out this way I went to was Winsford
Quite a few guys on the above bills who did their own promoting
And below, There is Apollo Promotions again. Without a doubt the early sixties were boom years and if advertising is anything to go by the popularity of wrestling was possibly starting to fade before the end of the decade.
Historyo
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