Presentation to the chorlton good neighbours history group (Tues July 8th 2025) about Trafford Park, Manchester. I grew up there in the 1950s and memories of Trafford Park and Metropolitan Vickers have stayed with ever since, This is a shortened version of the talk and I have made 5 short videos about aspects of TP history that I didn’t have time to go into in this talk which included several people who had worked in TP or live in the area
Trafford Park Housing
Metrovick’s own railway!
The famous watertower and workers going home (aren’t they well dressed!)
Trafford Park was surrounded by the Bridgewater Canal and the Manchester Ship Canal
Map highlights where Westinghouse built its factories
Five ways roundabout in the 1950s, as workers head home on foot, bike and buses. The road on the left is Davyhulme Road East where I lived as a child
End of day rush home from north entrance
The adaptability at a time of national crisis of MV to switch to making aero engines & aircraft is memorised in these plaques
The Metrovicks logo (I’ve always thought the VW logo looks similar to this)
The original Westinghouse offices building
GEC’s decision to end turbine manufacturing at Trafford Park in the early 1990s led to the demolition of the Metrovicks building’s through out the 1990s, By 2002 there were only a few remnants remaining
Frank Matiusssi’s icecream van in Trafford Park in 1932
I loved Matiussi’s icecream, best of all the Italian Icecreams
Chorlton Good Neighbours 