ROGER IVENS takes a trip down memory lane looking back at old history of The Junction in Oldham.

THIS photograph from October 1969 shows The Junction, at the junction of Ripponden Road and Huddersfield Road.

A beer house on the site can be traced back to 1860. It consisted of two rooms at the front with four cottages behind, in one of which lived the tenant and his family, shown here in the older photograph.

In 1895 the cottages were knocked down and a new Junction Inn was built across the site of the cottages and the old beer house.

Then in 1968, Wilsons, the owners, embarked on a major transformation of the pub as described in this article form 1969:

Originally designed on the traditional pattern of two small rooms divided by a passage leading to the licensee’s quarters, the interior of this house has been changed beyond recognition.

Walls have been knocked down to make the old taproom and kitchen into a big spacious lounge, with the accent very much on comfort and colour.

The attractive furnishing scheme is based on a warm brown and orange carpet, with comfortable new eating upholstered in gay orange, backed by restful green walls and gold curtains.

Effective copper-trimmed lights complete the welcoming impression. An interesting feature of the room is a large mural depicting scenes from the coaching era.

The compact well-stocked bar is fronted with fibreglass in abstract patterns and finished with a comfortable well-padded leaning edge.

It is planned as an island to serve both the lounge and the taproom, which is now where the old lounge used to be.

This room again has been given a bright fresh atmosphere in which it is hard to recognise the original tiny dark room.

The exterior of the Junction has also been re-designed to match the high standard of the interior. There will be improved car parking facilities – a valuable asset in this built-up area.

Mr and Mrs Wright, who have been the licensees at the Junction for the last five years, are delighted with the transformation.

As the ground floor is now devoted to customers, their living quarters are all on the first floor. Mrs Wright plans to introduce snacks, and possibly a morning coffee service to cater for local demand and to attract passing travellers.

It is good to know the Junction is still going strong in 2022, so why not pay it a visit.