A late change of speaker gave the society the opportunity to hear about the history of Trafford Park industrial estate from David George.

When the Manchester Ship Canal brought larger numbers of the public near to the Trafford estates, the family decided to sell up and move away leaving 1,800 acres of land which was bought for industrial development and, in 1896, the largest, but not the first, industrial estate in Europe was started. Along with it, one of the last industrial villages was built for the workers with 600 houses. A major selling point of the estate to industry was the railway that linked it all together and to the docks.

Familiar names there from the earliest days are Westinghouse who were bought out by Metro Vickers; Royce (of Rolls Royce fame); and the Ford Motor Company. Others were important companies then but are not known now, such as Glovers Cables.

During The Second World War the estate became a centre for munitions works: Metro Vics produced radar equipment, torpedoes and, in a new factory, made Manchester and Lancaster bombers. Rolls Royce Merlin engines for these planes were made in a factory managed by Ford.

A visible tribute to the variety of work that has been carried out on the estate can be seen in the mural painted by Harvey Kershaw on the end of a warehouse.

This shows, among other views, a Lancaster bomber, a Model T Ford, a Metro Vickers turbo-generator and Denis Law.

The next meeting is on Monday, March 19, at Friars Green Independent Methodist Church, Cairo Street at 7.30pm pm. Dr Roger Philpott will speak on the Archaeology of the Slave Trade in the West Indies.

New members and visitors are warmly welcome to meetings; further information from the Secretary, Miss A Podmore, on 813669.