An ancient town, a proud Cheshire town, a town of contrasts still capable of taking the unsuspecting visitor by surprise. That's Altrincham, portrayed here in scores of photographs that give us fascinating glimpses of its rich and varied past at work and at play. A market town in an agricultural county; a desirable dormitory for wealthy merchants from the great, brooding city just up the road; an industrial centre in itself, turning out everything from prams to mangles to motor bodies - Altrincham has been all of these things and a great deal more, and these pages aim to capture just a hint of the flavour of this well-loved, multi-faceted community. What is certain is that Altrincham, from both sides of the tracks, has produced a host of sons and daughters for whom this absorbing collection will unlock memories if a treasured past. At the same time, for the town's more recently arrived residents it will serve as the perfect introduction to a rich Cheshire heritage undiluted by the local government vagaries of the last quarter of the twentieth century.