Chorlton & Manley Park Women's Guild was formed
on 6 December 1922 at the Manley Park branch stores. They would organise
a programme of weekly meetings, usually in the evening. These would feature
a speaker who would be invited to give a talk on a subject thought to be
of interest to the members. Sometimes there would be a social with music,
singing or whist. Also trips out were organised. Other districts would
have Guilds as part of the national organisation. Near by Didsbury, and
Barlow Moor both had Mixed Guilds (men and women) and there were a few
Men's Guilds.
![]() In September 1926 the Guild moved venues to the refurbished rooms over the Beech Road store in Chorlton. Very occasionally they touched on issues of social reform like this welfare for mothers meeting on 28 February 1929. "Mrs. Vaughan gave a most interesting address on 'Ante-Natal and Maternity
Welfare'. The speaker gave us facts and figures regarding the high death
rate through maternity. She felt it was the duty of guildswomen to demand
ante-natal clinics with trained nurses, where expectant mothers could go
for advice. In their district these things cannot be provided unless the
demand for them is there. A vote of thanks was recorded."
Twenty five years later, in 1947, they were still meeting at Beech Road Co-operative Hall at 7.45pm with this programme of events
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