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Sharing our memories of Heald Green
Last Updated 5th Nov 2024
From Pillar to Post Box
Finney Lane Post Office
By Helen Morgan
Published on Facebook 2023
Last Updated 18/09/2024
The Finney Lane Post Office has moved around, but at least we still have one
The Original Site
The Post Office was originally at 219 Finney Lane, where Hung Wan Chinese chippy now stands. The Kelly’s directory of 1929 showed that Misses Emily M. and Minnie V. Bell ran a tobacconist and Post Office. On the photo the post box and telephone kiosk can be seen on the pavement outside it. The lending library idea would carry on well into the 1950s when the shop became Cardwell’s tobacco and sweet shop.
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Fig. 1 Photo from Joan Heinekey's book,
Heald Green in Wartime c 1930
© Joan Heinekey
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Fig. 2 Advert in the Sale of Work programme, Heald Green Methodist Church, November 1935
© HG Methodist Church Archive
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By 1939, James Wilkinson ran it, as the shopkeeper of sweets and tobacco along with his wife, Alice.
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Fig. 3 Advert in The Review magazine, September 1947
© Ratepayers' Association
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The postcard below shows the newer Post Office building, in between GS Burling’s Estate Agent and John Williams the grocers, supermarket. It had opened there in 1956 and was extended in September 1967. Its address to begin with was just Finney Lane and then it became 140A Finney Lane. There seemed to be a lot going on outside it, so I asked residents for their memories of it.
Fig. 4 Postcard of Finney Lane, 1967
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“I remember the Post Office being there in 1957. I
remember going there with my mum and my brother in his
pram.”
- Lynda Jackson, Facebook, 2021
“There was a cigarette machine there. As a kid I pulled the
drawer and a packet came out. I gave them to my mum,
who smoked at the time. Needless to say, she made me
take them back to the shop.”
- Les Clough, Facebook, 2022
“You could buy jubblys or milk in a carton from the vending
machine.”
- Janet Woolf, Facebook, 2022
“It was an ice cream machine. Choc ices there in 1964.”
- Chris Hall, Facebook, 2022
“I think the small red box was the stamp machine. But don’t know what the big white one was.”
- Marilyn Connolly, Facebook, 2022
Even into the early 1970s the telephone directories gave the address as 140A Finney Lane, but once Beech shopping parade had been built, the even numbers on Finney Lane were renumbered. 140A became 248 Finney Lane. By the early 1960s the postmaster and his wife were E and M Middleton.
“I remember the people at the Post Office called Middleton had a son called Howard.”
- Steve Yates, Facebook, 2021
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Fig. 5 Advert in Ratepayers Contact magazine,
February 1963
© Ratepayers' Association
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Fig. 6 Advert in Ratepayers Contact magazine,
September 1964
© Ratepayers' Association
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After the Middletons came the Milks, Dennis and his wife.
“K Milk of the Post Office was definitely related to Milk’s Garage (On Wilmslow Road where the new Coop is going). I worked at both venues in 1967/8.”
- Jean Taylor, Facebook, 2021
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Fig. 7 Advert in Ratepayers Contact magazine,
June 1965
© Ratepayers' Association
Click On Image To View
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“I think K Milk was Pownall’s daughter who had the garage where the car wash is next to the Waggon and Horses. I have a feeling that Jack Males’ brother may have had it after Milks?”
- Phil Jones, Messenger, 2021
My recollection of the Post Office was in the 1980s when the premises had been split into two inside. There was only one door in, but the post office ran along the right hand side and a florist was straight ahead. You queued up for stamps around pillars, the floor was uneven and it was very cold in there.
“My first memory of the Post Office was a door where the Tanning Salon is now (now Halo), with the PO on the right with access between the posts of the building, which is now the sandwich shop. Then in the back part, which became the florist, was a sweet shop with a massive counter, I have no idea who ran it, but I remember being really disappointed when it closed. It remained that way for a long time before the florist opened. I would have been really young, so I would guess at the early 80s.”
- Richard Groom, Facebook, 2021
It would be a florist called The Flower Shop that took over that left hand side of the building by at least 1985 and was still there in 1996.
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“I worked for David Greenwood at the little Post Office. 1992-94 and then came back to work for Dillon’s (T&S Stores) when he sold it to them, definitely late 1997. My sister in law was the Post Office manager at the time of transition and I took over as manager about 2002.”
- Sharon Matthews, Facebook, 2022
Fig. 8 Advert in the Rose Queen Programme, 1986
© St Catherine's Church
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In 1997 the Post Office was on the move again. This time further up Finney Lane and into the back of Dillon’s newsagents that later became One Stop. By this time the florist had become Going Dutch.
“It was a florist when the Post Office moved out, she moved to where the Brew is now. I remember how cold it was. The Post Office back was warmer as we had heating.”
- Sharon Matthews, Facebook, 2022
Going Dutch remained there until moving over the road by 2002.
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Fig. 9 Going Dutch Florist, 2009
© Google Maps
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Once the florist and Post Office moved out, the premises would become 2 separate businesses operating out of 248A and 248B. Now, there may have been other businesses in between, but by 2011 Ultraviolet Tanning UK was there with Voodoo beauty, in 248A.
Fig. 10 Ultraviolet Tanning UK, 2011
© Google Maps
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In 2022 this premises became Halo. They operate on both the ground and first floors. Indeed, upstairs is like Dr Who’s Tardis, there is so much that they do up there!
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Fig. 11 Staff at Halo, 17/9/2023
© Helen Morgan
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In 2022 this premises became Halo. They operate on both the ground and first floors. Indeed, upstairs is like Dr Who’s Tardis, there is so much that they do up there!
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Fig. 14 Staff at Perfect Sandwich, 17/9/2023
© Helen Morgan
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In 2024 the shop became Panino. In June 2024, I spoke to the staff there, who told me that the shop has been sold, so watch this space for what comes next...
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Fig. 12 Staff at Halo, 17/9/2023
© Helen Morgan
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Fig. 13 Perfect Sandwich, 2019
© Google Maps
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Fig. 15 Panino, 28/6/2024
© Helen Morgan
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Today our Post Office on Finney Lane is in the back of the new Jannah cash and carry shop. A rather large post box is outside, swamped by fruit and vegetables being sold there now, to make it as obvious as possible.
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Fig. 16 Post Office at Jannah, 27/9/2023
© Helen Morgan
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Fig. 17 Post Box 13/10/2023
© Helen Morgan
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With Lloyd’s Bank going in November 2022 and NatWest in July 2023, this is what we are left with to do some of our banking. As their sign says, support your local Post Office. Use it or lose it...
September 2024 : Building use continues to change. Jannah changed to Al Madinah and Lloyds is to be Mega Mart. The former NatWest bank building is on the market for £3000 per month rent.
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Fig. 18 Al Madinah, Sept 2024
© Helen Morgan
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Fig. 19 Mega Mart, Sep 2024
© Helen Morgan
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