Church Inn, Alburn Street

Church Inn, Albion Street, Miles Platting. (c) Chris Crookes with kind permission. 

The Church Inn stood on the corner of Alburn Street and Thomas Street in Miles Platting. This fine looking Cornbrook Ales house was No.88 Alburn Street and it survived until 1970 or 1971 before it was demolished. Mr Joseph Crookes was born in the Church Inn and the photograph above comes from his grandson.

Of particular interest in this wonderful, historical photograph, are the various people included. There are three at the neighbouring shop doorway, five in the pub doorway (the landlord's family - including two kids, with possibly Joseph on the right), another slightly older child on the far right, plus a ghostly figure as a result of slight overexposure. 

The Cornbrook Ales signage is also notable for the "C Ales" and "Invalid Stout" (low-alcohol sweet stout) adverts. The Church Inn is shown at the archives in 1958 looking far less grand than it used to. This whole area was swept away for redevelopment of Miles Platting in the early 1970s. Alburn Street used to run south-east off Oldham Road around Hulme Hall Lane, putting it not far from where the Spanking Roger stood - indeed, there's an Alburn Court on the Sawley Road estate.