THERE was nothing special about Chapel Street in Altrincham when the First World War broke out.

It was full of people who worked hard and played hard, usually at the nearby Rose and Shamrock Inn.

Families crammed into tiny two up and two down houses and the street was home to a vibrant Irish community.

They had come to England to look for work and the building trade was a big employer. Many of the inhabitants of the street worked as labourers, but it was also home to a shopkeeper and even a musician.

A number of lodging houses provided dirt cheap accommodation for the job hunters, with as many as ten of them sharing one room.

In fact, Chapel Street lives in local folklore as old Altrincham's Irish "colony".

Most of the inhabitants struggled to make ends meet.

Things were about to change and this ordinary street would soon achieve extraordinary status.

When war broke out 161 men from 66 homes joined the army and King George V rewarded their valour by dubbing Chapel Street the bravest street in the country.

Fifty of the men who joined up paid the ultimate sacrifice for King and country. But all of them were remembered when, on April 5, 1919, Lord Stamford unveiled a memorial outside All Saints Church.

According to the book, "Bygone Altrincham", his Lordship said "it was a proud and triumphant moment for Altrincham, but, at the same time, a sad and solemn one when they remembered that 50 of these men had given up their lives in their country's service".

The memorial was erected by public subscription. It was removed to Altrincham Town Hall when All Saints Church was demolished. It is currently undergoing restoration work and its next home will be decided by Trafford councillors.

Time has faded the names of the soldiers on the roll of honour but there are records of some of those who were killed in battle.

They include:

Private William Bagnall of the Cheshire Regiment;

Sergeant Thomas O'Connor of the Liverpool Regiment;

Private Ralph Ryan of the Royal Lancashire Regiment;

Private Joseph Booth (Jnr) of the Cheshire Regiment;

Private Albert Oxley of the Manchester Regiment.

Despite its reputation as a centre of valour, Chapel Street was pulled down at the beginning of the Second World War as part of Altrincham's slum clearance programme.

* Messenger would like to hear from anybody who is a relative of one of the Chapel Street veterans. Write to Rick Bowen, SAM, 25 Ashton Lane, Sale, M33 6TP.