'I wouldn't live anywhere else': The island village in Greater Manchester surrounded on all sides by water
It's just after 1pm on a Monday and three old friends are attempting to dredge a section of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal by hand. It's dirty, smelly, back-breaking work, but Carol Garner, Sarah Greenhalgh and Lynne Curley are happily giving up their free time to do it.
Prestolee's valley setting at the confluence of the Irwell and Croal meant that it was the ideal spot for industry. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the wider area was home to cotton and paper mills, coal mines, chemical works and iron foundries. Now Grade II-listed, it's home to the headquarters of the Ruia Group, producing socks and home textiles, and still a major employer in the village. And picturesque Prestolee has also caught the eye of a number of TV and film crews over the years.
"You get some when they are growing up who can't wait to get out of the village, but they nearly always want to come back. The problem is it's hard to get property round here now." "It's a typical village," he says. "Everyone knows everyone, which is good thing I think, and everyone looks out for each other.
"I was always going to stay here," he said. "When I left the RAF there was never a question of going anywhere else.
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