Tuesday 19 June 2007

Hardy Lane


A photo from 23rd November 1929 at the opening of the Hardy Lane Co-op Store. Well we still have meetings there, and so do the Labour Party, Woodcraft Folk and other groups. I'm told it's the last remaining co-op rooms of United Co-op. Once there were meeting rooms above lots of co-op stores across Britain, a feature going back to the Rochdale Pioneers.

Currently making a short video / slideshow of photos about the rooms. It largely consists of snaps of it being a Committee Room in various General Elections. There is some moving footage of the steepest flight of stairs in Manchester to get to the rooms above the shop. To be shown at our film night on Tuesday 10th July and then on the web.

The shop was the 9th opened that year by Manchester & Salford Co-op Society. They signed up 105 members almost immediately.