The Gorton Tank
In some ways we felt that we’d started fifty years too late. Anyone who might have worked at Gorton Tank at the time it closed down would have had to have been at least sixteen in 1963, meaning that they would now be nearly eighty now. But we hoped to find them nevertheless or perhaps folks who remembered them or who were related to them. So we started our search.
We looked among ourselves first and found that some of our own presenters remembered the Tank and other big works, such as Beyer Peacock, also through stories from their parents and grandparents. Amazingly our presenter of the science history show Gurbir Singh discovered an ex-worker from the Tank itself. The show that he created as a result of an hour’s interview with Kenneth Hague, was broadcast on 19th October 2024.
We put an advert out about our project on the air and found our volunteers locally, all of whom have a keen interest in anything locomotive related. This created a team with shared experiences as steam enthusiasts to bind them, and a willingness to learn how to gather the oral histories as we encountered them. Several conducted and recorded the interviews, while others were happy to just give their stories but all were very much part of creating the podcasts for our website.
We received a phone call, a Gorton lad through and through, previously a magistrate, a well-known footballer, and now known as Mr Gorton MBE, Allan Grafton. He invited us to meet him at the Royal Oak on Cross Lane, an absolute hive of community activity. We turned up with our recorders and were greeted by a lovely group of Gorton people who devote their spare time to making positive changes in all sorts of ways and who all had a lot to say about the industrial past of their neighbourhood. Various meetings and recordings followed, including the 2-hour live show on 17th October 2024.
We invited people who were interested in local history to come and train as broadcasters and community journalists. This was Louise Wong and her team. They researched the industrial history of Gorton, gathering as much evidence of the Tank as they could, and used it as content for a dedicated Gorton Tank live show, broadcast on 24th July 2024. The interesting twist to this training was that they were all, bar one, Cantonese speakers, and used both English and Cantonese during their broadcast and in making their podcasts.
The Gorton Tank is a fascinating story. We hope the shows and podcasts give listeners an insight. It’s also been a catalyst for bringing people together, learning new skills, creating a mosaic and the radio shows and podcasts.
Thanks Heritage Fund for supporting us. Thanks to our partners, Inspired Taskforce and Gorton Visual Arts, and thanks to all those who volunteered, talked to us, created the mosaic and remembered and loved the Gorton Tank.
Gorton Tank Podcasts
July 2024 Don Berry Podcast (15mins)
Don shares his memories of his grandfather Ernest born 1880, who worked in Gorton Tank, and the life and homes of Tank workers. He remembers the beginnings of the New Smithfield Market, built on the site of the old locomotive works, the old Co-op building and the shops on Cross Street and surrounding areas– including Sivori’s the ice cream shop…
August 2024 Frank Boyle with Jane Goetzee Podcast Parts 1 & 2 (24 mins)
Frank chats to Jane, about his life as a postman and keen trainspotter. He talks about the days of steam trains, and his love of them. He recalls the closure of some of the main lines and how it changed life in south Manchester - and the terrible accident in Smedley Viaduct in the 1950s…
August 2024 Louise Wong and Co Podcast 1 (17 mins)
Louise Wong, Gigi Leung, Edwin Chung and John Gradwell have a close look at the early days of the Tank and the life of Richard Peacock, this time using English to chat about what life must have been like as a founder of a huge locomotive works…
October 2024 Louise Wong and Co Podcast 2 (13 mins)
Louise Wong, Gigi Leung, Edwin Chung and John Gradwell provide a translation of their findings and material that they discussed in Cantonese during their Gorton tank special show, featuring Fred Yeomans and his memories of the Tank. They ponder on the advantages of rail travel…
September 2024 David Horrocks & Maurice Walsh’s Mini Roadtrip Podcast (20 mins)
David and Maurice (Moz) – a Gorton lad born and bred and keen local historian - drive around Gorton as they chat about the area’s past – from Nico Ditch of the 700s to the growth of the locomotive works in the 19th century, including the day in 1949 when he fell over and really hurt his hands… (more from Moz in Gorton Tank Broadcast 2)
Gorton Tank ‘Pub Chats’
Allan Grafton joined the ALL FM Gorton Tank Project after hearing our advert on the radio. Allan is a life-long community activist, a footballer, a JP and an MBE. How lucky were we to get his call. He invited us to his local pub, the Royal Oak on Cross Street in Gorton. Not just a pub as it turns out but an amazing hive of creative thinking, community activity and a font of local history. Allan introduced us to a lot of Royal Oak regulars, all being his friends and co-pioneers of many a fundraising venture. We recorded nearly two hours of conversation, here are some snippets…
Gorton Tank Broadcasts
July 2024 Louise Wong and Co Gorton Tank Broadcast (58 mins)
Louise, Suzanna N, Suzanna, Sally, Gigi, John, Edwin and Poling took part in our training using the history of Gorton Tank recordings and researched material to learn about broadcasting and making podcasts. They went live on 1st August 2024 using their new skills to produce a special Gorton Tank Cantonese show. They then went on to produce 2 podcasts (see above) using their editing skills, providing translations of a potted history of Gorton Tank…
October 2024 Gorton Tank Live Broadcast Part 1 (56 mins)
Volunteers David Horrocks and Ian Ford present the broadcast special with Jane Goetzee to mark the end of the Gorton Tank project. Special live guests include Allan and Doreen Grafton and Maurice Walsh. In this part we hear Ian’s concise history of the Tank, and further memories from Allan, Moz, and Don Berry…
October 2024 Gorton Tank Live Broadcast Part 2 (1hr 4 mins)
Starting with the memories of Fred Yeomans, the show looks at how prosperity rose with the industrial development of Gorton in the late 19th and early 20th century, only to fall drastically in the 1960s with the demolition of huge stretches of housing and the displacement of the community to Hattersley and Longsight – and then - the gradual rebuilding of Gorton through the hard work and dedication of many local people including Andy Palmer, Jason Daly , Les and Lynn Parke, Ash Latham, Brendan Bell, Cllr Julie Reid, Cllr Rosemary Cusack and Cllr John Hughes. Meet them here…
Oct 2024 Gurbir Singh: Gorton Tank Broadcast (59 mins)
In Gurbir’s recording, Ken recalls his memories of Ashton-under-Lyne and Hurst including his grandfather helping his father to find work at Gorton Tank and his father working the night shifts, the accidents there, and the work trips. He recalls also his own first trip in a car on Christmas Eve 1944, aged 4…