To begin at the beginning or thereabouts, Taylor Street was at the heart of Gorton to the east of Manchester city centre.
A typical street of tightly packed brick terraces, dotted with shops, pubs, people and industry. I worked there as van lad for Mother’s Pride bread back in the 70s and saw those shops, pubs, people and industry slowly disappear.
Beyer Peacock whose immense shed dominated the northern end of the street, simply ceased to be, as steam gave way to diesel.
As full employment gave way to a date with the dole.
Adsega opening on nearby Cross Street heralded the arrival of the super fast, self-service supermarket, and sounded the death knell of the cosy corner cupboard.
The local pub was The Bessemer – its name forging an unbreakable link with the surrounding steel industry, that eventually broke.
To the left of the pub is the Bishop Greer High School construction site – the first of the new build that would later dominate the area, along with wide open spaces where shops, pubs, people and industry once were.
When the school eventually shut its doors, it became an annex of Openshaw Technical College, and I found myself working there in the 80s at the East Manchester Centre, until its eventual closure.
It’s now sheltered accommodation for the lost and lonely:
Located in a quiet suburb of Manchester with excellent links to the city centre, Gorton Parks has an exceptional range of facilities spread out across five separate houses, each offering a different care option. Melland House offers dementia residential care, Abbey Hey provides nursing dementia care, Debdale is the house for intermediate nursing care and Sunny Brow offers general nursing care.
We sought solace in The Pineapple.
The streets were trimmed and slimmed, much of the past a mere ghostly presence, almost imprinted on the present.
A brave new world of brand new modern housing, with an Estate Pub to match.
A busy bustling boozer – lots of live and local action for the lively locals, latterly seeing out time as a house of House – a real bangin’ Bashment, bass-man bargain basement.
Until time is finally called – no more four to the floor, last one out shut the door.
Nothing lasts forever and a sign of the times is an upended pub sign, lying dormant in the dust.
The Chunky no longer a great big hunk o’funk.
The big screen TV forever failing to deliver all the action, live or otherwise.
Latterly transformed into Dribble Drabble.
And so the beat goes on as successive waves of success and recession, boom and bust free-market economics, wash over the nation and its long suffering folk.
Its enough to drive you to drink.
modernmooch.com 
Have you any information of the history and architecture of the closed Anglican church of Our Lady & St Thomas, Mount Road, Gorton.
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Here we are Richard https://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101380065-the-church-of-our-lady-and-st-thomas-of-canterbury-gorton-south-ward#.WyE5ji2ZOi4
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Memories of Good old Gorton have flooded back, remembering the fish and chip shop on Taylor Street were I lived with my father, mother and 2 sisters. We moved into the chip shop in 1949 and as a young boy grew up playing on the red wreck enjoying the Fun Fairs that came every year and in the 1950’s jived to Elvis, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, all the rock and roll greats of that time. The picture showing Taylor Street/Pine Street shows the chip shop with a car parked outside, that was my fathers car with me using it from time to time.
Gorton and it’s vibrant community was a safe place for all the young children to play, no fear of problems with strangers or questionable characters, and the elderly felt safe and cared for by neighbours.
The shops on Cross Street and Hyde Road were places for us youngsters to explore, tasting the delights of Coffee Bars, listening to the new records in the record shop on Cross street.
Good memories, they were the Good Old Days of 60 plus years ago and I am thankful for having lived through that period of special time in history.
Today, well how sad to say that with all it’s modern technology and improvements in the environment. We have major causes of concern for today’s generation, and the future does not look promising for our/my grandchildren, my great grandchildren.
We cannot go back to the grime and grit of the forties/fifties/sixties, we need the advancement of technology to improve the communities, but without the moral problems society is struggling with.
Can we look forward with any hope for a return to the Good Old Days. ?
I leave that for you to judge.
Harry Cawthorn
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O went to bishop Greer when I saddled also lived next to Gorton park Joseph street
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I was born in Taylor Street. we swapped house I believe with my Grandad because it was a little bigger, it was only next door but one. My Auntie and my cousins also lived on the street.
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I lived with my gran on Taylor Street, and until the age of 11 attended Peocock Street School when Mr Bird was the headmaster. Then on to Ryderbrow Secondry Modern School with some of my classmates.
Happy days.
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