Sheila Barlow (nee Gore) 8th June 1933

BACKGROUND

Sheila Gore was born at Old Turks Cottage, Turks Road, Radcliffe on 8th June 1933, the home of her grandmother, Harriet Gore, widow of Thomas. Whilst only 4 years old, her brother Derek died of Broncho Pneumonia, aged only two. He was buried in Radcliffe cemetery and one of Sheila's earliest memories is going to visit the grave with her brother and sister, Ronald and Jean, but being very small they thought the shelter by the side of the cemetery was were he was buried and it was not until much later that Sheila realised this was not his burial place.

The first school that Sheila attended was St. Paul's Methodist Day School on Ainsworth Road, Radcliffe, later to become known in 1963 as "Radcliffe Wesley Methodist School", this was the infants and junior school.

St Paul's Wesleyan Church (now Wesley Church)
· Begun 1881 in a cottage in Stanley Street;
· 1886 a school built which also served as the church;
· New church built 1901 in Ainsworth Road at the junction with Turks Road;
· Under a re-organisation in 1962, the former churches at Railway Street, United Methodist Smyrna Street, and Black Moss were united under the name of Wesley Methodist Church, using the former St Paul's premises.

Sheila left St. Paul's after sitting her 11+ and went to Radcliffe High, Abden Street, the same school that all her children would also attend in later years, but known as Radcliffe Secondary Modern, now Radcliffe High again.

Her ambition before leaving school was to become a Hairdresser, however things did not go her way as it was expected that she would follow in her sister Jean's footsteps and start work at "Walker Allen & Sons" as a Trainee Weaver, shortly before her 16th Birthday in 1949. After initial training Sheila was eventually given her own loom, a job that she did not really care for and eventually left after marrying Peter Barlow, several years later.

In her early years Sheila, Ronnie, Jean, Brian and David liked to visit the old Picturedrome (later to become the Rex Bingo hall) on Water Street, for the Saturday movie, which was just around the corner from where they all lived at number 12, Robert Street.

This eventually turned to dancing in her teenage years, at the Bury Palais de Dance, on Bolton Road, where she often went twice a week with her friends Margaret Greenhalgh (her future bridesmaid) and Mildred Cowburn, both work colleagues from Walker Allen's. It was on one of these twice weekly nights out that she met Peter Barlow, her future husband, who was a close friend of Frank Pilling (his future bestman), who also worked at Walker Allen's.

Sheila married Peter Barlow on the 10th March, 1956 at St. Thomas's Parish Church, the ceremony was performed by the late Rev. Reg Smith, later to become Canon Smith. Sheila's bridesmaids were Margaret Greenhalgh, later to become Hatchman, as previously mentioned and Margaret's sister, Brenda, bestman being Frank Pilling. Her uncle, John Gore, the younger brother of her father, William, give her away on behalf of her father, due to his illness. Their first house was 55, Coomassie Street, Radcliffe where they lived until around December 1961. The wedding reception was held at Little Lever Conservative Club, where the reception cost £11.18.0, which was for 31 Adult Teas @ 7/- and 6 Children @ 3/6 from Fulfords High Class Bakers & Confectioners, 85 High Street, Little Lever.

Sheila and Peter moved from Radcliffe to 21, Church Street, Ainsworth around December 1961 and it was here that the whole family was brought up. Stephen, Andrew, Mark and Diane where all born at Bealeys Maternity Hospital in Radcliffe and John was born at Fairfield General in Bury, a place well known to Sheila, where she and her mother visited her late father, William Gore, every Sunday for over 19 years, and continued to visit after the death of her mother, Anne Gore (nee Stansfield) in 1969, right up until his death in 1973. William suffered a massive seizure and stroke when he was only about 51, which resulted in the loss of his speech and the use of both his right leg and arm, he was in Fairfield General Hospital for the remainder of his life.

During their time in Ainsworth, in between the children growing up, Sheila held a couple of part time jobs to help with finances. The Fish and Chip Shop at number 45? Church Street was owned by Mrs. Greenhalgh and her daughter Mrs. Pat Covax, whose daughters Tina and Mandy also lived there. During this time Sheila usually helped out for no pay and when the shop was sold, worked for a short time for the new owners, John, a retired sailor, and his wife. From here, Sheila went to work for Gordon Bates Greengrocers in Church Street, around 1974, when her daughter Diane was five years old. She worked at the Greengrocers for about 3 years, then later had a 12 month spell on School Dinners at Bury College, where she had been recommended for this post by another Sheila Barlow that also lived in the village, with her husband Peter and sons Mark, Graham and Ian.

Sheila managed to escape the family on two separate occasions, leaving the children in the expert culinary hands of their father, Peter - ugh. Her husband Peter tried to arrange a surprise trip, which was being organised from the Lancashire Fusiliers Club, Wellington Barracks, Bury, unfortunately he had to spoil the surprise because Sheila did not have a passport and needed one to go on the trip to Paris. The trip flew from Manchester for the weekend and she went with another friend from Ainsworth village, Moira Gilmore, all she can remember from this trip is that it was snowing in Paris and they all had a snowball fight.

The second weekend trip away was to Amsterdam, which again was organised through the Lancashire Fusiliers Club, Bury. Sheila went here with her friend Freda Heywood and it was during 1974, she remembers that her daughter, Diane, was five years old and she promised to bring her a watch back as a present.

Whilst living in Ainsworth, Sheila had many friends, Marian Harrison being amongst them. She met Marian when she was asked to assist with the brownies, Marian was Tawny Owl and asked her if one of the girls could do her cooking badge in Sheila's home at 21 Church Street, to which she readily agreed. From here they became very close friends and spent many an afternoon drinking coffee and having a good old chat. Sadly, Marian died at the early age of 46 on the 8th January, 1983 (born 31st December, 1936) and her ashes are interred in Ainsworth Church yard, Plot 102 Section "Ca". Marian's husband, Jeff, died 10 years later in May 1993 aged 56 (born 27th January, 1937). They left three children, Gillian (Gill), Rosslynne (Roz) and Valerie (Val). Gill currently lives near Smithills in Bolton and has two children, Neil aged 20 and Nina aged 15. Roz has a daughter, Hayley, aged 16 and lives off Manchester Road, Bury whilst Val, the youngest sister, lives in Heywood and works at PC World.

Another friend of Sheila's, was Freda Heywood, whom she met through Freda's husband Walter, who used to take their children to school. He asked Sheila if she would go and visit as Freda had lost a baby and would really welcome a visit, the rest they say is history. Freda died in Salford in June, 1996 aged 64 (born 18th December, 1931).

Sheila spent many happy evenings with Marian, Norma Ann Kirkman (nee May) and sister-in-law, Peggy Barlow (nee Walsh) at the local Mecca Bingo hall on Bolton Road, Bury, usually every Monday and Thursday evening.

It was in 1978, at the age of 45, that she joined Hampsons in Heymarket, Bury as a sandwich maker, making Cheese Cobs etc. After only a short while Sheila moved onto the counter and learned the art of baking, eventually becoming Manageress for 13 years. She was later transferred to Hampsons in the Arndale Centre, Bolton as 1st Sales and then the company moved these premises to the Market Hall, where she worked with Mary Chadwick, until her retirement in 1992.

Sheila, suffered a heart attack early in 1992 whilst staying at her son Mark's, at his home in Blackpool and after several months convalescing with her children, she moved into sheltered accommodation at Constable Lee Court, Rawtenstall in 1993, never returning to 21 Church Street, Ainsworth, the old family home, where she had been living alone, having separated from Peter several years previously and all the children had flown the nest.

Several months after Sheila's heart attack, the family gave her a surprise 60th Birthday Party, which was held at Bob Priestleys, a close friend of her son Mark's, "Hollywood Apartments" on Wellington Road, Blackpool. The evening was attended by many of Sheila's relatives, friends and old work colleagues and was a great success, as can be seen from the photographs. Above, Sheila and her son Mark, below, from left to right son Mark, sister Jean Chadwick, brother Brian Gore, Sheila and Mark's partner, Peter Holland. Below that, Sheila can be seen again with her brother Brian and sister Jean, to the bottom right of the photograph is her ex husband Peter, in the foreground is also Jean's husband, Eric Chadwick although unfortunately only a back view.

Sheila had a very active retirement whilst living at Constable Lee Court and it was here that she met her new partner, Pieter Denherder in 1994. Unfortunately their relationship lasted only 4 years, as Peter died on the 27th April 1998. But during these 4 years they certainly had a happy time and enjoyed each others company immensely. A couple of years later, Sheila was very sad to leave Constable Lee Court to move to Ainsdale Court, Bolton, but the building was found to be unsafe and unfortunately had to be demolished, so there was no alternative. However, she has made many new friends, as usual, at Ainsdale Court and fitted right in.

During her time at both Constable Lee Court and Ainsdale Court, Sheila was a member of Irwell Valley Housing Association, firstly as a Tenant Member then later voted as a Board Tenant Member, looking after the interests of the residents and future residents for the associations many premises and also having an avid interest in the associations hostel for young people, consisting of 14 flats.

This probably brings us up to Sheila's 70th Birthday Party, which was a grand affair, attended by more than 100 guests and held the evening before her actual birthday on the 7th June, 2003 at The Last Drop Village, Bolton in the Holcombe Room in the Pennine Suite. Cabaret was in the form of a balloon modeller, who was fantastic with the kids and a Rat Pack Tribute singer, Malc Perry and music supplied by DJ, Pete Smith, all from Superb Functions and we could not have wished for a better nights' entertainment from all of them.

 

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