Holiday warning 1950s-style

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Cancel the papers and milk. Lock your windows and doors.

All good advice for the holidaymaker of the 21st century, and back in the 1950s Oldham Borough Police issued a film urging people to take care when they were leaving home.

Greater Manchester Police Museum unearthed the reel of film in the archives. Take a look at it on the right - you can either be Mr Careful or Mr Careless.

The museum, in Newton Street, Manchester, features original Victorian cells with wooden pillows and the charge office that was in use 120 years ago.

Exhibitions containing historic police equipment and uniforms are displayed alongside forensic science discoveries and there is also a genuine Magistrates Court from 1895.

A range of vehicles shows how officers used to go about their business and there is an extensive photographic archive allowing visitors to see just how crime was controlled in the last century.

Meanwhile, the Crime Room invites you into the world of forgery and forensic science while the new audio-visual gallery allows visitors to immerse themselves in history with footage from the archives.

Located in the historic Northern Quarter of Manchester, the Police Museum was one of the city’s earliest police stations and has been lovingly restored to reflect the reality of policing in the late 1800s and 1900s.

General open days are every Tuesday 10.30am-3.30pm (last admission at 3pm). There are additional Thursday open days during school holidays (Manchester Council term dates), and privately booked groups and educational visits other weekdays, subject to availability and by appointment only.

Archive research is on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday by appointment only. The museum is closed at weekends and on public holidays.

Admission is free, but advanced booking is essential for groups of six or more people.
Due to the age of the building, there is restricted access for pushchairs and prams.

Click here to visit the museum's website