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The transcript is an interview with Tony Ashworth as transcribed by Microsoft Word and summarised by ChatGPT and subject to errors.
It is an interview with Anthony (Tony) Ashworth, born in 1978, about his memories of school and the Crawshawbooth/Ramsbottom area.
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Schooling: He attended the local school from age 4 until 1989. At the time, there were around 80–90 pupils. Teachers included Mrs. Chamberlain (headmistress), Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Ramsden, and Mrs. Isherwood. The school had movable partitions dividing classrooms and also doubled as a dining hall.
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Shops & Community: Tony recalls a local general store at numbers 17–19 Crawshawbooth, which sold groceries and alcohol. It was run by two different owners (Trevor, then Martin Humphreys) before closing, partly due to the rise of supermarkets like Kwiksave. Other shops and a bakery once existed nearby but most closed.
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Changes in the Area: House number 25 was demolished in the 1980s due to being unsafe and later turned into a garden. Overall, he feels the area has changed little in 20 years but has lost some of its community spirit.
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Closure of the School: The school was due to close that year, which saddened Tony as it held strong memories for him and many residents. He noted it had been central to community life.
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Future of the Building: There was talk of it being converted into communal living quarters or a hall for the local mosque, but definitely not continuing as a school.
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Local Life & History: Tony recalls research projects at school into the area’s history, which sparked his interest. He feels Crawshawbooth has lost its “edge” due to traffic problems and less neighbourly interaction compared to the past.
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Personal Reflections: He has a strong sense of nostalgia, recalling how people used to know each other well, and he finds local history fascinating—especially uncovering who lived in houses and how the street looked in earlier times.
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