A Morning Moon over Hyde

A morning moon over Hyde.

Snow in Newton

Snow in Newton?

Well, yes, but not right now. This is from last winter and is by guest photographer, Frank Bennett.

It has certainly been bitter cold and I'm sure it won't be too far into the New Year before this scene is reality again.

Wall of Cards 2007

Just like last year we hung the majority of the Christmas cards we received on the wall.

At one time we displayed about five strings of cards, but the number received gets less each year.

We've had a some late arrivals and will probably get a few New Year cards in the next few days.

Voting for Hyde Photo of the year closes at midnight GMT so please visit Hyde Photo of the Year 2007 now and cast your vote. Anyone can vote so please do so.

Theatre Royal behind trees

One of the bonuses of multi-pixel cameras is that a large original photograph can yield a surprise. The intended object of this photograph simply didn't turn out as intended. I was, however, able to extract this crop [or do I mean crop this extract?].

Behind these trees is the corner of the Theatre Royal. You can see the corner and more, without the trees, on the Theatre's own website, which includes news of the ongoing efforts to eventually re-open the theatre.

Disabled Parking

Special parking bays for disabled drivers and for parents with infants are common at most supermarkets and retail outlets these days. Regretably as Ovelikos in Athens recently showed, their provision is often abused.

Boxing Day

After Christmas Day comes Boxing Day.

Holly

This was growing just above the wall I showed you earlier in the month.

Happy Christmas to all our readers.

Take a look at the lights on Hyde Town Hall 1998.

Christmas Eve Jewels

Following on from yesterday's carol singers, if you look up into the roof of the Clarendon Shopping Mall, this is what you see.

The little tree is on top of the kiosk belonging to Stafford's the jewellers.

Yew Tree Singers

The last Saturday before Christmas was busy as always. Carol singing in the Clarendon Shopping Centre was led this year by the Yew Tree Singers from Dukinfield.

A Touch of Frost

A touch of frost.

Help choose Hyde Photo of the Year.

Please help me choose Hyde Photo of the Year 2007.

I have whittled the choice down to twelve contenders. The thumbnails above don't really do them justice. I've posted the original photos at The Best of Hyde Daily 2007, where there are links to the original postings that carry explanatory text and comments.

Anyone and everyone is free to cast up to 6 votes for the pictures of their choice. You can use the form on that page to vote. You all have six votes which you may distribute as you feel fit. You can give all six votes to one picture; one vote each to six; three to one and three to another; two votes each to three pictures; or any combination provided the total votes you cast adds up to six.

Voting will close at midnight GMT on December 29th 2007.

Still with Christmas in mind

With Christmas in mind, here is a sideways-on close-up of the one of the decorations in town.

At the end of the Wall

Here is the end of the wall I posted a close-up of last week.

OCC correctly guessed it was near Stonepit Reservoir. In fact it is the wall opposite the speed camera on Stockport Road. At the top of this picture you can see the back of the old OSTPITAL sign and down on the ground is another of those painted footprints marking a school walking route.

Domestic Decorations

This house gets well decorated for Christmas every year. These on the garage roof are only a part of what is here. There are more on the side and front of the house as well as in the garden.

I've no idea whether or not these lights are being entered in the Christmas Lights Competition being sponsered by the local council. That is the same local council which is also planning to dim streets lights in order to save money and reduce the borough's carbon footprint.

And before you ask, no I won't be posting a picture of the display actually lit up. It is too darn cold to go out in the dark!

Keeping Warm this Winter

Last week there was a stall in Clarendon Shopping Mall selling Polo Panchos.

It is made of fleece and is a kind of cross between or combination of a hat and a scarf. Essentially it consists of a tube and two flaps. It comes with an instruction leaflet detailing some of the different ways you can fold and wear it. Well I bought one for a tenner [you can have three for £20] and I can attest that it is very warm and I'm well satisfied with it.

Mine is the same design as the one being worn by the salesperson. She is wearing hers as a hat, but I've been wearing mine more like a balaclava and covering my ears, neck and chest. I've had a few strange looks from folk who think I look like a hoodie but it has kept my ears warm from the cold icy blasts that are currently blowing around these parts. Every time I cough though my glasses steam up, but that's another story.

Great Norbury Street again

You've seen Great Norbury Street before but this picture is a different season and taken from lower down below Hyde Central Station near the railway bridge.

Super Market Sign

There aren't many vantage points from which you can see the whole of this sign.

You can see the building on this earlier picture. The front has an Art Deco facade which also carried the words Super market, but it is very faded.

Towards the back is an elevated section with a steep pitched roof. This sign is on the other side of overlooking Borough Arcade.

Originally a cinema. It was never a supermarket in the Asda/Morrisons sense but was more like an indoor market with a host of different traders. The top floor used to house one of the best cafes in town. Now only the bottom floor is used and it is home to a discount store that sells all kinds of things, but you can never be sure what you'll find there.

Willows by the Peak Forest Canal

This is looking North at the Peak Forest Canal from the Manchester Road bridge.

The roving bridge is on the South side of Manchester Road.

On the left of this picture is the Auto-Masters factory and at the far end is where the canal takes a left hand turn by the end of Canal Street.

Santa's Grotto

Here is Santa's Grotto in Clarendon Mall before it gets busy.

Wall

I don't expect anyone will be able to tell me exactly where this wall is, so there'll be no prizes for guessing.

I'll reveal its location next week.

Clustrmap 2007

Our Clustrmap has just been archived so I've made a copy of the old one and posted it here for interest.

I've always been fascinated by maps and the distribution of dots is much more interesting than the actual numbers.

Now is perhaps a good time to remind everyone that the theme for January 1st will be "Photo of the Year". Instead of creating permalinks on the day, this month I intend listing the contributing blogs [those that sign up on the portal/forum before the last minute] in order of the date they started their blog.

In order to find Hyde's Photo of the Year, I've posted twelve contenders at Best of Hyde Daily Photo 2007.

You all have six votes which you may distribute as you feel fit. You can give all six votes to one picture; one vote each to six; three to one and three to another; two votes each to three pictures; or any combination provided the total votes you cast adds up to six.

Voting closes at midnight GMT on December 29th 2007.

More Handbags for Sale

Our idler friend Kaz recently did a piece about handbags.

I don't know if she got into Hyde on Saturday, but if she did, she may have seen this lot on sale inside Clarendon Mall.

Hyde Chapel Steeple

I took this picture of the steeple of Hyde Chapel from close by the stone edifice at the end of Dowson Road.

Auto-Masters across the Canal

This is the third of the photographs I took from the end of Canal Street looking across at the Auto-Masters factory.

Xmas wreaths for sale

These Xmas wreaths and other decorations were for sale on the market last weekend.

Nearing Completion

There are still some finishing touches to be added to the new building on Reynold Street whose construction we have been following.

Previous pictures in this series

• JNH store to be demolished
• Ready for demolition
• Demolition on its way
• Old building gone altogether
• Foundations down
• Work proceeding
• Scaffolding
• You have been warned
• Building rising up
• Work on Reynold Street
• The Court Rises
• Mortar delivery
• Roof goes on
• Flats rising up behind the Church
• Where is my wheelbarrow?
• New Apartments Taking Shape

The Price of Petrol

The price of petrol is a common theme that raises its head from time to time on the CDPBs. Here it is has now gone over a pound a litre, which by my reckoning is about US$9 per gallon and over there they are complaining about it costing $3!

With currency fluctuations and the difference between litres and gallons, it is hard to make comparisons: here a few posts I came across

• 13 Jun 06 Vancouver (Canada) [dead link removed] CN$1.20 per ltr.
• 20 Oct 06 Seoul (Korea) US$1.50 per ltr.
• 25 Jan 07 Hyde (UK) 86p per ltr.
• 05 Apr 07 Stavangar (Norway) NKr11 per ltr.
• 02 Nov 07 Accra (Ghana) GP98 per ltr.
• 12 Nov 07 Albuquerque (USA) $2.75 per gal.
• 12 Nov 07 UK £1 per ltr.
• 20 Nov 07 Silver Spring (USA) $3.05 per gal.
• 28 Nov 07 Silverdale (Canada) CN$1 per ltr.

Stone edifice

Set back from the corner of Dowson Road and Stockport Road, Gee Cross is this stone edifice. There are some semi-circular wooden seats at either side. As one can tell from this old picture it has always been a spot for folk to sit and talk, although then it was just round the corner.

The stone doesn't seem to have any inscription, and so far as I can find out, it isn't a memorial of any kind. Very clear in the background of the old picture but now obscured by trees is the steeple of Hyde Chapel.

Diggers

Don't you just dig these diggers?

Milk Bottles

Do you still have your milk delivered, come rain, or shine, or snow?

More importantly, do you rinse and return the bottles. I used to pop ours in the dishwasher until we had a note from the milkman saying we shouldn't. It seems the chemicals in dishwasher detergent does something to the glass and they have to be thrown away.

Captain Clarke's Bridge

Today's CDPB theme is "Bridges".

We don't have any big or spectacular bridges in Hyde. Those that have appeared here previously include the railway viaduct at Godley; the railway bridge on Great Norbury Street complete with a pigeon and with a yellow flower; footbridges over the M67 and over the canal at Raglan Street; the bridge taking the disused railway line over Brookfold Lane, looking up and looking down.

Perhaps the most unusual ones are the roving bridges over the Peak Forest Canal. One is on Manchester Road; the other is known as Captain Clarke's Bridge.

Here is another picture of the latter showing the path as it curves back round to the towpath on the opposite bank.

Over 120 CDPB blogs registered to run with this theme. Below are permalinks to their bridge posts including some to unregistered blogs who also posted on the theme. One blog registered to run the theme posted off-topic. Five registered blogs failed to post before 10pm GMT Dec 2nd. One blog failed to post anything on the 1st but has posted [not a bridge] on the 2nd.

1. Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur ~~ 2. Petaling Jaya ~~ 3. Wellington ~~ 4. Rainbow, Niagara Falls ~~ 5. Margit Hid, Budapest ~~ 6. Islands, Vanuatu ~~ 7. St Kilda ~~ 8. Bolte, Melbourne ~~ 9. Geelong Rd, Melbourne ~~ 10. Captain Clarke's, Hyde ~~ 11. Björklundsvägen, Haninge ~~ 12. Guitars, Newcastle ~~ 13. Clingendael, The Hague ~~ 14. Naples (FL), USA ~~ 15. Honeybourne, Cheltenham ~~ 16. Negril River, Jamaica ~~ 17. Swamp Rabbit Railroad, Greenville ~~ 18. Changi Airport, Singapore ~~ 19. Maui ~~ 20. Longfellow, Boston ~~ 21. High & Mighty, Saint Paul ~~ 22. Neponset River, Quincy ~~ 23. Gorbio Valley ~~ 24. Monte Carlo Grand Prix ~~ 25. 25th Street Musical, San Diego ~~ 26. Bruelandparken, Stavanger ~~ 27. Royal Opera House, London ~~ 28. Golden Ears, Oliver ~~ 29. Enderby, North Okanagan ~~ 30. Geeting Covered ~~ 31. Tallyrand Park, Bellefonte ~~ 32. Setúbal ~~ 33. Villigen ~~ 34. Auckland Harbour ~~ 35. Brickell Ave, Miami ~~ 36. Rock Creek Park, Silver Spring ~~ 37. River Vistula, Toruń ~~ 38. Toulouse ~~ 39. Bir Hakeim, Paris ~~ 40. Dunedin Causeway ~~ 41. Memorial Causeway, Clearwater ~~ 42. Sand Key, Clearwater Beach ~~ 43. Smith Avenue, Minnesota ~~ 44. Pont-passerelle de Giffaumont ~~ 45. Ponts de Radonvilliers ~~ 46. Ponte Isabella, Torino ~~ 47. Jordan, Stayton ~~ 48. Badgers Creek, Melbourne ~~ 49. Stockholm ~~ 50. Remembrance, Christchurch ~~ 51. Little Rock ~~ 52. Stanley St, North Bay ~~ 53. Mỹ Thuận, Saigon ~~ 54. Stone Arch, Minneapolis ~~ 55. Shopping Mall, Port Elizabeth ~~ 56. Queensborough, New York ~~ 57. Veteran's Memorial, Cleveland ~~ 58. John Mack, Wichita ~~ 59. Montréal ~~ 60. Erasmus, Rotterdam ~~ 61. George Washington, Seattle ~~ 62. Korean War Memorial, Nashville ~~ 63. Ben Gill Park, Terrell ~~ 64. Norwich ~~ 65. Grunwaldzki, Wroclaw ~~ 66. Millenium, London ~~ 67. Davil's, Montpellier ~~ 68. Chateaubriant ~~ 69. Le Guilvinec ~~ 70. Tower, West Sacramento ~~ 71. Bono, Arradon ~~ 72. Rabaul ~~ 73. Mainz ~~ 74. Hlavkuv, Prague ~~ 75. Subang Jaya ~~ 76. Akmeņu, Riga ~~ 77. Albuquerque ~~ 78. Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis ~~ 79. Nihonbashi, Tokyo ~~ 80. Bowen, Hobart ~~ 81. Cape Town ~~ 82. Bonaventura Blvd, Weston ~~ 83. Edmund Pettus, Selma ~~ 84. Anderson ~~ 85. Saint Louis ~~ 86. Mt. Bonnell Road, Austin ~~ 87. Jones, Manila ~~ 88. Paderborn ~~ 89. Coral Gables ~~ 90. King Street, Adelaide ~~ 91. Fort Lauderdale ~~ 92. Midtown Greenway, Minneapolis ~~ 93. Moscow ~~ 94. Mexico City ~~ 95. Sanjo-oohashi, Kyoto ~~ 96. Joensuu ~~ 97. Sydney ~~ 98.Sesimbra ~~ 99. Bogor Botanical Gardens ~~ 100. Château-Gontier ~~ 101. Paradise Valley, Durban ~~ 102. Canyon Lake, Phoenix ~~ 103. St. Claude Avenue, New Orleans ~~ 104. Missouri River, Jefferson City ~~ 105. Nelson ~~ 106. Hannibal & Broadway, Kansas City ~~ 107. Konitsa ~~ 108. Ocean Township ~~ 109. Port Angeles ~~ 110. Tower, London ~~ 111. Narrow Marsh, Nottingham ~~ 112. Orlando ~~ 113. Kanaka Creek, Maple Ridge ~~ 114. Great Okhta, Saint-Petersburg ~~ 115. Zakim, Boston ~~ 116. Grenoble ~~ 117. Vansu, Riga ~~ 118. Belle Isle, Detroit ~~ 119. Venetian, Las Vegas ~~ 120. Japanese, Joplin ~~ 121. Ben Franklin, Philadelphia ~~ 122. Miami ~~ 123. Eagles, Sofia ~~ 124. Nantes ~~ 125. Flagstaff ~~ 126. King Fahd, Manama ~~ 127. New River, Fayetteville ~~ 128. Glasgow ~~ 129. Budapest ~~ 130. Baziège ~~ 131. Roosevelt, Arlington ~~ 132. Big Orange, San Franciso ~~ 133. American Fork ~~ 134. Blackhorse Ranch, Cypress ~~ 135. Hawthorne, Portland ~~ 136. Route 7, Sharon ~~ 137. Saratoga Spgs. ~~ 138. Jackson Park, Chicago ~~ 139. Barcelona Port ~~ 140. LaPush, Olympic Peninsula ~~ 141. New York Botanical Garden ~~ 142. Truxillo ~~ 143. Darmstadt ~~ 144. Brussels