Safely grazing sheep

On a sunny Sunday in September, sheep graze on a Southern meadow off Mount Road.

Welcome to Hyde Park

There are three entrances to Hyde Park. The one nearest to town is off .... Park Road ... now who would have thought that?

St Thomas' Rose Window

A close up of the rose window above the East window of St Thomas the Apostle on Lumn Road.

A Broad Path

Leading off from the Broad Mills Heritage site is a part-cobbled path that takes one back up into Broadbottom village.

Mosque under Construction

Last week I showed you something new in the sky over Hyde.

Someone said

Would it be possible for you to show me/us more of this mosque please

and here we have some more.

I shall doubtless be taking more photographs as the work progresses.

Harrop Edge

Harrop Edge as seen from Garnett Road.

Hidden from view, behind the building on the left, is the terminal roundabout of the M67.

The A57 is on the other side of the hedge, and leads down to Mottram Junction.

Plans for a bypass around Mottram, Hollingworth and Tintwistle from the roundabout have been drawn up and hotly debated for more than thirty five years. If it ever does get built, those green fields will look somewhat different.

The Three Bob Entrance

Lying on Tinker's Passage at the back of Ewen Fields, the home of Hyde United, is this old entrance to the ground.

The disused turnstiles are probably rusted shut. Going by the inscription on the lintel, this was the three-bob entrance!

Last year the advertised entrance fee was £9 adults, £3 OAPs and children.

A bob is a shilling in old money (5 new pence); there were 20 shillings in a pound and 12 pence in a shilling; a 6 penny piece (half a shilling) was a tanner.

The UK went decimal in 1971 so I wonder how long ago this entrance was last used.

Bankfield Hotel

The Bankfield Hotel on Mottram Road has been closed for a few years now.

I really don't know anything about its history.

Stockport Road Bus Stop again

This third shot of the threatened-with-closure bus stop shows the view looking up Stockport Road.

Traffic sweeps around the bend by the Werneth Hotel at the bottom of Treacle Brow, which makes crossing the road to the stop on the other side rather hazardous.

On the right-hand side of the picture is a gatso or speed camera.

I think the camera is set to capture traffic coming in the opposite direction.

A zebra crossing here would seem to make sense. It wouldn't affect the siting of the opposite stop and on this side there is already a stop going up Stockport Road only about 50 yards further down near the Big Tree Memorial.

Broad Mills Pond

This pond was constructed in the 19th century to feed the waterwheel that drove the cotton mills at Broadbottom.

Within the Broad Mills Heritage Site, today it is a pleasant respite for ducks.

Lloyds TSB or Halifax BOS

Lloyds TSB and Halifax BOS are merging.

The Halifax Hyde branch was originally the Halifax Building Society before it merged with the Bank of Scotland. It is next door to the Post Office.

Ironically the advertising board opposite is promoting the Royal Bank of Scotland, who have their branch on Corporation Street. The RBS (who took over Williams & Glynn's) should not be confused with the Bank of Scotland.

The Lloyds Hyde branch was originally the Trustees Savings Bank until TSB and Lloyds merged. When the Clarendon Mall expanded, the bank became incorporated into the building so that the entrance is inside the shopping centre. The cash machines (ATMs) are outside. They often have queues of people outside waiting to withdraw.

It seems inevitable that one of these branches of the merged banks will close, but I wonder which one.

Something New in the Sky

Go down Corporation or Greenfield Street and you'll notice something new on the skyline.

The Jamai Mosque used to be an unpretentious building next to Asda.

Now it is being expanded into something larger and grander.

Discover what else is in the skies at Skywatch Friday.

The Tree and The Church

Two weeks ago I told you about the Hattersley Monkey Puzzle Tree.

From across Stockport Road, only the telephone wires spoil the view and now the houses on Garnett Road are not there, you can see beyond to St Michael's and All Angels church in Mottram.

Heritage Open Day at Hyde Theatre Royal

As I reported on Old Hyde, the Theatre Royal was opened up as part of the Heritage Open Days.

I went on Friday and have now added an additional 12 photographs to my Theatre Royal album.

A Glimpse of Broadbottom Station

From Moss Lane, if you look through the trees you can get just a glimpse of Broadbottom Station.

I'll show you more at a later date.

Bus Stop on Stockport Road

I reported recently on the Bus Stop to Go in favour of a zebra crossing.

Someone asked for a wider view and here it is. Across the road is Gee Cross Social Club on the corner of King Edward Avenue.

Someone else commented on the paucity of buses stopping here.

Monday to Friday the 206 stops here twice, shortly after 6 and 6.30pm on its way back from Manchester. (In the morning it travels to Manchester just after 7 and 7.30am).

The 304 stops here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays just after 10am and 12.30pm en route to Marple.

The 346 is a half-hourly service from around 6.30am to 5.30pm Mondays to Saturdays. Additionally there are four buses, numbered 346 but run by a different company, in the evening (including on Sundays), one per hour from 8pm to 11pm.

The yellow notice has since disappeared. Whether this means the idea has been shelved or just that the time for consultation is over, I don't know.

Inside St Thomas the Apostle

The 2007 Photo of the Year was of St Thomas the Apostle.

Yesterday as part of the Heritage Open Days I was able to go inside, take photos, have a cup of tea and chat to some folk.

The East Window features the figure of Christ as Love a design which first made an appearance in 1895 in Albion Congregational Church, Ashton under Lyne.

Look out for more pictures from this 1868 built church over the next couple of months.

September Answer

The answer to last weeks quiz is a Gas Holder.

It is part of Broad Mills Heritage Site in Broadbottom.

Broadbottom Mills were originally a collection of several textile works established by William and George Sidebottom in the early 1800s employing 1,200 people by 1860.

The mills closed during the cotton famine of the 1860s but re-opened in the 1870s under new management. The name was changed to Broad Mills in the early 20th century. The mills suffered during the 1930s depression and fire damage in 1949 resulted in their final demolition.

A program of excavation and conservation carried out since the 1980s has revealed a number of key elements within the mill complex. These include the late 19th century gasholder (built between 1872 and 1896), the sluices and channels which fed the water-wheels of the early spinning mills and the remains of an engine house of the 1830s.

Today's photograph shows the water culverts which led into a shed housing a water-wheel.

The area is part of Etherow Country Park.

Thanks to all who tried to guess what it was. I expected some (like chadders and outhouse) to go for a railway turntable as I've shown something similar before. My favourite wild guess is babooshka's elephant's birthing pool and if she lets me know (privately) her mailing address I'll send her a wee prize.

Skywatch Friday: Hatton's Dream

The old printworks on Queen Street is set to open in the new year as the Hatton Health and Leisure Gymnasium.

The Gymnasium is the brain-child of champion boxer Ricky Hatton.

Discover more watchers of the heavens at Skywatch Friday.

Garnett Road

Across Ashworth Road from Chain Bar Lane, where one row of houses remains, is Garnett Road where all the houses have been demolished. Only the monkey puzzle tree remains.

Already the weeds are growing over the footpaths.

Route 66

Originally it was the Church Inn.

For a short while it became Tylers.

Now it is Route 66 but don't ask me why as I don't know.

It looked much better back in 1902.

Cemetery Garden

Just past the entrance to Hyde Cemetery is a little garden of remembrance.

Scattering of cremated remains here costs £50; supplying and fixing a brass memorial plaque is £135 with a £55 fee for renewal every ten years.

Road, Rail and Bus-stop

I've shown you the bridge to Derbyshire and also the border post supporting the Broadbottom viaduct over the river Etherow.

Today I am by the Besthill Quarry bus stop on the Derbyshire side looking at both bridges.

The road bridge dates from 1683 whilst the viaduct was built in 1859 replacing a wooden structure from 1846 which burnt down.

Old Tombstone Marker

This large tombstone in the graveyard of Hyde Chapel predates the current building, built in 1846.

It is present in a picture of the 1767 chapel. Its position and that of the tree is what enables historians to map out the whereabouts of the previous building.

September Quiz

It is quiz time again.

What is, or rather was, this?

There probably wasn't as much (if any) grass nor trees around when this place was working.

Answer in a week's time and I may give out some prizes to correct, near correct or amusing answers.

New cars for sale

I was going to show you a transporter full of new cars, but by the time I'd taken my camera out of its bag, it had driven off.

The dealership shown here is Stonecraft who sell new Citroen & Fiat cars. So far as I am aware they are now one of only two new car showrooms left in Hyde. The other is Smith Knight Fay who sell VWs at the top of Apethorn Lane, Gee Cross.

Bell's Garage (British Leyland) is now a retirement housing complex. The Daihatsu dealer on Market Street has been replaced by a domestic appliance retailer. Two Ford dealers, Tucson Motors and Quicks no longer exist. The Lada dealer near the Village Hotel turned into a carwash and now is something else. There used to be a Skoda dealer near Newton Station; I couldn't find it listed in the phone book.

There are plenty of new car showrooms on out of town sites within a few miles, not to mention lots of used car sale places.

On the left-hand side is the Hyde Little Theatre.

[due to inappropriate comments from online car dealers, comments for this post are now closed]

Monkey Puzzle Tree

Last week I showed you the houses on Chain Bar Lane, Hattersley, awaiting demolition.

On the other side of Ashworth Lane was Garnett Road and Garnett Close. That area was cleared several months ago. The backs of some of the houses looked out on to Stockport Road.

This monkey puzzle tree was in the garden of one. Whether it was built on a pet cemetery or whether it was a memorial to a tenant's wife, I'm not sure. Whatever the reason, it was spared and now stands behind these bars waiting to be incorporated into whatever development scheme takes place here in the future.

Street Clutter

For once I'll just let the title speak for itself.

The Bush Revisited

I last showed you The Bush in February 2007.

Since then it has acquired a new inn sign, not to mention some baskets of flowers.

A Bridge from Hyde to Colmar

The CDPB theme for 1st September 2008 is "Sister Cities" which is the American term for what we generally call "Town Twinning". It is a concept whereby towns or cities in geographically and politically distinct areas are paired, with the goal of fostering human contact and cultural links. It acts as a cultural bridge which is why today's post is also our contribution on the first Monday of the month to Broer som Binder [Bridges between].

I thought the signpost here on the A560 was the only place where mention was made of Hyde being twinned with Colmar, but recently I saw a similar sign greeting motorists exiting from the Eastbound carriageway of the M67.

The Tameside MBC website informs us that

• Tameside is twinned with Bengbu in Anhui Province, China.
• Ashton-under-Lyne is twinned with Chaumont.
• Dukinfield is twinned with Champagnole.
• Denton is twinned with Montigny-le-Bretonneux.
• Droylsden is twinned with Villemomble.
• Mossley is twinned with Hem.
• Stalybridge is twinned with Armentieres.
• Longdendale is twinned with Ruppichteroth.

but there is no mention of Hyde and Colmar.

According to Wikipedia Colmar

is a town and commune in the Haut-Rhin département of Alsace, France. It was founded in the 9th century and was the location where Charles the Fat held a diet in 884. Colmar was granted the status of a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire in 1226. During the Thirty Years' War, the city was taken by the armies of Sweden in 1632, who held it for two years. The city was conquered by France under Louis XIV in 1697. The Treaty of Nimwegen ceded Colmar to France. With the rest of Alsace, it was annexed by the newly formed German Empire in 1871 as a result of the Franco-Prussian War. It returned to France after World War I, was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1940, and then reverted to French control after the battle of the "Colmar Pocket" in 1945.

This picture of Petite Venise is by Infrogmation and used here under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation license

Colmar is 64 kilometers (40 miles) south-southwest of Strasbourg, at 48.08°N, 7.36°E, on the Lauch River, directly to the east of the Vosges Mountains. It is connected to the Rhine by a canal.

The North-West Film Archive has a 16mm film of the CEREMONY OF TWINNING BETWEEN THE BOROUGH OF HYDE AND THE TOWN OF COLMAR, FRANCE produced by G. Wain in 1963. Lasting 4 mins 54 secs it includes brief exteriors of Hyde Town Hall, followed by interiors featuring participants from both towns, speeches and ceremony.

A number of George Wain's films have been featured on Old Hyde, but we have been unable to locate a copy of this one.

I did manage to find a little extra information in the Tameside Local Studies Library and you can read those findings 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 CDPB participants to the theme, visit the City Daily Photoblog portal