Foggy Richmond Hill

As 2008 draws to a close, I wish all my visitors a Happy New Year.

Except for the owner of the site with windows7th in the URL who is ripping posts from various sites including London, Rotterdam and Sydney Daily Photo in violation of our copyright.

Update: It appears the rip-off site has now been closed down.

A December Day on the Peak Forest Canal

Remember my recent picture of the Joseph Adamson's Mills?

Here is the view in the opposite direction. In fact I took this picture first and then turned round to take the one of the mills.

If you are reading this on a site with windows7th in the URL please be aware that the site is ripping posts from various sites including London, Rotterdam and Sydney Daily Photo in violation of our copyright. Thanks to Kim of Seattle DP for alerting us to this abuse.

Update 31st Dec: It appears the rip-off site been closed down.

Hatton's Gym Under Construction

At the corner of Market Street and Queen Street construction of the Hatton Health and Leisure Gymnasium continues.

Graveyard at Hollingworth

As I was wandering around Hollingworth earlier this year I came upon this graveyard.

It appears to be well tended but is not attached to any church so far as I can tell.

High Street Terraces

These terraces on Godley High Street close to St John's are dated 1860 but have quite evidently been much modernised in recent years.

Four from One for Boxing Day

On my Boxing Day 2006 post I explained how I could get three separate posts from a single photograph.

So this year I'm showing you how to get four from one.

On 10th Nov 2008 I cropped it and posted the Alternative Route sign.

On 26th Nov 2008 I highlighted the mini-roundabout.

Finally on 14th Dec 2008 I gave you Rosemount church.

Today I bring you the full picture.

Does anyone else regularly get several different posts out of the same photograph or am I the only skintflint?

Final reminder: Voting for Hyde Photo of the Year closes at noon GMT tomorrow. Please visit Best of Hyde Daily 2008 before it is too late.

Joy to the World

In Clarendon Mall last week we were treated to a carol concert by the Belle Vue Brass Band.

It is perhaps ironic that in the background are two closed units, Max Spielmans (20 Mins Photos) and BB's Coffee & Muffins whose tables and chairs previously occupied the space in which the band are performing.

As a bonus today, here is a short video of the band. The assistant conductor is my son Craig.

winter web waiting

Inspired by the "winter's day" prompt at One single impression

More W posts can be seen on the ABC Wednesday Anthology blog.

Others can be found via the ABC Wednesday with Mister Linky which carries a registry of participants.

Please also visit Best of Hyde Daily 2008 and vote for your favourite photographs. Votes close at noon GMT on Saturday 27th December.

Adamson's Mills 2008

These are the mills belonging to Joseph Adamson (Hyde) Ltd.

I showed you the side of one the mills, dated 1885, in October 2007 from the other side of the canal. If the Raglan Street Bridge hadn't been still closed, I wouldn't have been on this very muddy section of towpath.

Compare this with a view from the canal taken in 1981 on Old Hyde.

Cattle on the Low

This was taken about ten past ten one Wednesday morning on Werneth Low Road.

"Low" derives from the Old English word hlaw meaning "round hill" - which is why Werneth Low is the highest not the lowest place in Hyde.

If you click for the bigger picture and look at the cow on the left, you might be able to see the spire of Hyde Chapel to its left and the tower of St George's Church to its right.

Autumn view of St John's

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of the tower of St John's, Godley.

Today I am showing you a little more. This view is looking Westwards from across Sheffield Road.

Sheffield Road was once a busy thoroughfare, but it was cut in two by the building of the M67, so now this section is a leafy cul-de-sac of large houses across from the church.

In answer to questions made in previous comments; it was built in 1847 and is still a very active community church.

Will the Royal Mail Get Through?

No, this isn't a post about whether your Christmas cards and presents will arrive on time.

I recently showed you the M67 underpass near Westwood Farm.

Here we see the entrance to it from the North. The two diverging lanes below are quiet cul-de-sacs leading to farms and open countryside. Above, on the motorway itself, is standing traffic queuing for about a mile from the end of the M67 at Hattersley.

Don't worry about the Royal Mail shown here though; this photograph was taken in early October and the traffic will have cleared long ago.

Barmhouse Lane

Barmhouse Lane is a narrowish, steepish lane leading off the A57.

It is shared by both heavy wagons heading for the Water Treatment Works at Godley Reservoir and horse riders making their way to the Godley Bridleway.

Hence the need for a warning sign.

Penguins at the North Pole

It would seem the world has been turned upside down at Santa's Grotto in Clarendon Mall this year.

The "North Pole" is a helter-skelter of snow-like polystyrene populated by penguins who seem to be very anxious to return to the South polar regions.

Victoria Street Railings

The War Memorial at Cartwright Street, Newton is actually on Victoria Street, the former street bending round to the left, whilst Victoria Street carries on towards Matley.

The streets are separated by these wrought iron railings.

More V posts can be seen on the ABC Wednesday Anthology blog.

Others can be found via the ABC Wednesday with Mister Linky which carries a registry of participants.

Market Street, Hollingworth

Looking along the A57 from near Hollingworth Post Office.

This was taken on a quiet Wednesday afternoon. There are a couple of heavy goods vehicles coming towards us. At peak times traffic can be at a stanstill here, backing up from the Gun Inn to all the way past Tintwistle.

Gone Fishing

Whilst the bulldozers were busy knocking down Automasters these two were busy fishing on the Peak Forest Canal.

I don't know what kind of fish you will find in there.

Rosemount

Rosemount, aka Trinity Methodist Church, lies at the junction of Bennett Street and Old Road.

It was built in 1885 and is part of the Hyde & Denton Methodist Circuit.

Danger at Godley Reservoir

When I posted a photograph of the sluice gates at Godley Reservoir, someone asked if I could get a shot of them in action.

I don't think so because they are out of bounds to the public beyond this barbed-wire fence and warning notice.

In any case, there are nicer views to be had on the other side by the Godley Bridleway.

Up To Something at Woolworths

Woolworths is one of the victims of the recession. With an uncertain future and probable demise of the 99 year old household name, there is currently a 50% sale on.

At least that is what is says on the posters. Look very very closely though and you'll see those two tiny two-letter qualifying words - UP TO.

It was quite busy when I was in there yesterday but anything at 50% off was hard to find. The discounts were mostly 10% on things like chocolate selection boxes, DVDs and games. Another notice said that the recent reduction in VAT was included in the discounts, so hardly many huge bargains to be found.

Hardware and children's clothes seemed to be either 20 or 30% off.

Check out the BBC News report Woolworths closure sale kicks off.

See what was here before Woolworths on Old Hyde

Under the M67 at Westwood

The lane past Westwood Farm leads to an underpass that seems to be popular with dog walkers.

This is the view looking back towards the farm.

Pitfield Cottages 1869

Pitfield Cottages lie on Wellington Street off Manchester Road, Kingston, next to an industrial plant.

Behind those trees runs the M67 motorway.

A footpath leads behind what was once the Automasters Factory to the Peak Forest Canal.

In 1869 when they were built, the occupants probably worked at Hyde Colliery.

Contenders for Photo of the Year 2008

On 1st January 2009, the CDPB theme will be "Photo of the Year".

Now I can't decide myself which one I should use, so have selected twelve contenders for the honour, and I am asking readers to vote for their favourites.

The full photographs and a voting form can be found at Best of Hyde Daily Photo 2008.

All readers will have 6 votes at their disposal. You can put all six on one photo or spread them out giving one each to six separate photographs, three each to two, two each to three or any combination you choose so long as the total votes given is a total of six.

Voting will close at noon GMT on Saturday 27th December 2008.

The winning picture will be posted at Hyde Daily Photo on the 1st January 2009. The runner-up and full details of the results will appear on Ackworth born, gone West.

Foggy Bank

Sometimes our minds are like this foggy bank - a photograph taken a few weeks ago.

But even though the fog obscures the bigger picture, the foreground remains and comes to the forefront of our minds.

Don't we all have days like this?

Things will be clearer tomorrow.

St John's Tower

I showed a distant picture of St John the Baptist at Godley in January.

Here now is a much closer view of the tower taken from just behind the church.

Godfrey Mill

Look back, if you will, at my post of January 19th 2008 and click on the photograph to view the bigger picture.

On the left is the ABC Wax factory and just beyond is Godfrey Mill, which has been converted into apartments.

Road access is via Commercial Street. Access to town is via the footpath to Clark Way, the tunnel under the M67 to Morrisons or the footbridge over the motorway.

Hollingworth War Memorial

Hollingworth War Memorial is at the bottom of Mottram Moor just by the old signpost.

It was erected by public subscription in 1925.

Godley Brook in Godley Vale

I recently showed you the footpath from Mottram Road down to Godley Vale.

At the bottom you cross over Godley Brook as it flows West towards the ABC Wax Factory.

Westwood Farm

Westwood Farm lies off the A57 opposite the New Inn.

It is down the lane to the farm that I discovered the Poop and Scoop sign.

Lamb Inn

The Lamb Inn is on Stockport Road in Gee Cross.

I haven't been to see, but I suspect by now the hanging baskets may have been replaced by Christmas decorations.

It certainly looked very different a century ago as seen in this photograph on Old Hyde.

The Roving Bridge

The first of December is a Monday. The first Monday of the month is when I contribute to Broer som Binder [Bridges between]. The City Daily Photo Blog theme is Circles or Spheres and so how should I combine the two themes?

Clearly there is a bridge in this picture. It is the Manchester Road Roving Canal Bridge on the Peak Forest Canal.

Now the question is: how does a horse towing a boat perform a circle and cross to the other side of the canal without being unhitched?

The answer is: at a roving bridge.

The towpath here is on the right hand side. Approaching the bridge, the horse climbs up, crosses over the bridge and as the towpath passes to the other side it turns in a circle and passes under the bridge on the opposite side.

An earlier picture on Old Hyde shows the left hand side more clearly.

You can see the approach from the other side here and how the towpath exits in this picture.

There is another, perhaps more famous, roving bridge on this same stretch of canal: Captain Clarke's Bridge, of which you can see more on Old Hyde.

More details of and links to other participants to Broer som Binder can be found on Visual Norway.

To view thumbnails for all participants to the "circles/spheres" theme, visit the CDPB portal.