Quarry Bank Mill, Styal

Alex and I went on a little jaunt to Quarry Bank Mill in Styal last week (19th Aug.), it being the place where the Gregs made their fortune in producing and trading cotton. We entered the mill with the main aim of seeing the ‘Greg Room’ (of course, we got distracted by all the other exhibits and it took us an age to even reach that room!), and who should be our guides but Thomas and Mary!

our guides, Thomas & Mary

Ok, so it wasn’t our Thomas and Mary, but still a nice coincidence!

It was a really educational trip and we found out loads about the Greg family (and about cotton!) From what the costumed interpreter told us it seems Samuel Greg was quite a nice master and treated his workers well (i.e. he never beat them), but while that’s good to know, how much of it is actually true we will never know!

We also discovered some living family members. At least, we assume they are living, since they loaned some portraits for display in the Greg Room. Are we going to track them down? Yes, I think so!

Mari

Studio Magazine

I was having a flick through the letters and came across this:

“I am in receipt of a letter from Mr. C. G. Holme of the Studio who informs me that the Special Winter Number is to be devoted to ‘Children’s Toys of Yesterday’, and that in course of search for illustrations he wrote to you and you told him that part of your collection was given to Manchester and suggested that he should apply to me for the loan of some photographs made at the time of presentation”.  (from Mary to William Batho, 16th June 1932).

…and then after lots of faffing over quality of photographs…

“We have received from The Studio their very fine book on ‘Children’s Toys of Yesterday’… It is a wonderful production and my Committee are greatly interested in it. The reproductions are very fine, and your examples hold their own and should help to draw attention of the outside public to the collection at Heaton Hall”. (from William Batho to Mary, 12th December 1932).

Intrigued, I had a little dig around and found a copy of this edition of The Studio (winter 1932) for sale! here:

http://www.antiqbook.co.uk/boox/ray/19440.shtml

Any takers?

(Mari)

Man’s best friend

Hello! I’m new to Mary-land and was just browsing the letters when I came across something a little bit horrible.

“I am sending the engraving of D Law from the Church as you kindly suggested, also one or two odds & ends from the museum & the two dogs which were Mr & Mrs Gregs’ pets”.

(To Mr Batho, from Mr Hummerstone, 13/07/1925)

The Gallery was sent a pair of bygone dogs?? Where are they now? Batho doesn’t mention them in his reply to Hummerstone. The thought that these dogs might still be lurking in some dark storage room creeps me out a bit. Good luck to the person that finds them!

Mari