A NEW Century dawns - and as it does so local history expert Alan Morrison, founder and Chairman of Ashton and Sale History Society, reminds us of some of the area's milestones over the last 100 years.

20th Century Ashton & Sale

1902 - Lloyds Bank built on School Road.

1904 - Sale resident Robert Cook Murray wins gold medal in Olympics for small bore shooting.

1905 - Worthington Road School opens.

1906 - Springfield School opens.

1906 - Trams first run from Sale to Manchester.

1907 - Trams run to Altrincham.

1910 - St Paul's tower is built by Architect and author of M/C alphabet Roger Oldham.

1911 - Sale rugby became unofficial Cheshire champions.

They won 26 games, drew two, from 28 played.

This was exactly 50 years from starting date.

1911 - Sale Harriers started in garage on Cross Street.

1912 - Trams run to Sale Moor.

1913 - Sale Golf Club began.

1914 - Sale baths opened.

1914 - Sale Town Hall opened.

1914 - Savoy picture house opened and many school children went here as part of their schooling.

1919 - Ashton on Mersey built the first council houses, 58 of them at Oaklea Road.

1921 - Sale Festival started to raise funds for local hospitals.

1925 - Electricity exhibition was held at Sale Town Hall - Electricity had been available since 1899 mainly to illuminate the snooker tables of those who could afford them.

1926 - Street Lighting was installed (two separate systems on each side of the road as Sale & Ashton could not agree which was best).

1926 - Sale cenotaph is unveiled.

1927 - Tram Parcel office opened on corner of Atkinson and Cross Street.

1930 - Amalgamation of Sale & Ashton on Mersey.

1930s - Major House building within the area.

1931 - Sale & Ashton on Mersey Post Office opened on Washway Road.

1931 - Train line electrified (DC current) making journeys faster & cleaner.

1931 - Dane Road Station opened.

1932 - Tramlines removed as buses become popular.

1933 - Sale & Ashton on Mersey became a borough to stop Manchester from overtaking them.

1933 - The Pyramid cinema (renamed the Odean in 1945) - opened it was named because of the tutankahmen tomb being found.

A protest began about opening on Sundays and an organ would rise from the stage and Reginald Liversedge would play.

It was closed in 1981 and reopened as the Tatton and finally closed in 1984.

1934 - Sale choral society led by Alfred Higson win First International Eistedffod.

Mr Higson later became First Freeman of Sale.

1934 - Adrian Boult screen playwright born in Broad Road.

1935 - Sale was Chartered Mr John Clarke was the charter Mayor.

1935 - Sale Lido opened providing dancing and a swimming pool when the floor was taken back.

1936 - Many of Sale Rugby team were now international players (probably six) won Middlesex sevens this year.

1939 - Sale library opened on Tatton Road (it replaced an earlier one on the same site and that replaced the original library located at the corner of Springfield Road in 1886).

1939 - The Warwick cinema was opened in Sale Moor.

1939 - Park Road School opened.

1940 - Cecil Ave School (not yet completed) taken over for war effort and was used for a drawing office for aircraft production.

1940 - Sale Town Hall burnt out due to incendiaries.

1950 - Manchester United hold their presentation in the Sale Locarno, as the Lido became known local councillors did not know the team players they were sitting next to as coverage with photographs was not common then.

1950's - Sale Harriers provide International athletes.

1960's - The fountain in Ashton Lane taken away never to be seen again.

1961 - Palace theatre on Ashton Lane burnt down.

1962 - The Methodist church on the Avenue opened and the Wesley Methodist church pulled down to make way for the new town centre.

1968 - Sale towns centre opened.

1969 - George Best opens his first boutique on Cross Street.

1971 - Train Line changed to AC current.

1972 - Brooklands Hotel at corner of Hope Road & Marsland Road was pulled down, it was built in 1872.

Laurel & Hardy stayed there and a famous cotton agreement was signed there in 1893.

1974 - M63 Motorway opened running through Sale.

1974 - Sale Marina opened.

1974 - Sale & Ashton on Mersey became part of Trafford.

1978? - Savoy Picture house the first purpose built cinema on Ashfield Road pulled down.

1981 - Industrial School closed down (opened in 1877 for 72 girls to be taught domestic skills).

1985 - Princes Anne opened the Law Courts.

1992 - Metro Line Opened.

Compiled by Alan N Morrison - Founder & Chairman of Ashton & Sale History Society.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.