ABC Wednesday:X is for Xbox

I've no idea what an Xbox is but you'll find a number for sale at "GAME" in Clarendon Mall.

For more X shots visit ABC Wednesday.

Friends of Sam Redfern Green

Another shot from this year's Gee Cross Fete.

The Friends of Sam Redfern Green, a group of parents who met through local mums and tots groups, aim to create a play-area on the Green.

The green was originally the site of the Queen Adelaide reservoir, which was built, in the late 1860s. See Old Hyde. The reservoir was well used by the community until the middle of the 20th century, older residents recall children swimming in it and picnics being taken there. The site was also home to angling clubs.

In the mid 1980s, local Rotarian George Wagstaff thought the area would be better used as a Green for the village of Gee Cross. Talks took place with Tameside MBC and EEC grants were obtained for drainage and sewerage though no money for embellishments. The Rotary Club of Hyde offered the use of some money left to them out of the estate of the late Samuel Redfern. The council approached the Countryside Commission who matched the money pound for pound. In exchange for their monies the Rotary Club entered into a covenant whereby they could use the Green one day a year for the annual fete.

See the Friends of Sam Redfern Green website for more details.

You can see an extensive collection of my photographs from the fete at Gee Cross Fete 2010.

4th Hyde Scouts

The scout hut for 4th Hyde St George's is on Albert Road.

According to the group's website, it was founded in May 1927 and the present group H.Q. was built in the 1950s. In 2006 new secure boundaries were put in place and new footpaths and driveways laid.

You can see a closeup of their logo on Hyde DP Xtra.

Shadow Shot Sunday:Gee Cross Fete

Another shot from last Sunday's Gee Cross Fete.

The girls here are from Dynamite Dance, a streetdance & hiphop dance school based in Hadfield.

You can see a collection of photographs from the fete at Gee Cross Fete 2010.

For more shadows shots this Sunday visit Hey Harriet.

The busker and his dog

They are to be seen regularly outside the Co-op pharmacy in the Market Place.

The busker plays a mouth-organ and children stroke the dog.

Gower Hey Gardens

New houses at the end of Osborne Road on the site of Gower Hey Bank, a large house once the home of Thomas Middleton, one time Mayor and author of the Annals of Hyde. See a view from the 1950s on Old Hyde.

Hyde Mill Wasted

Hyde Mill was demolished last year and now the site has been cleared.

The trees in the background hide from view three schools off Yew Tree Lane in Dukinfield.

Another photo of this wasteland can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.

Which Way to Walk?

This signpost, similar to many others in the borough, is on the corner of the Market.

I've not really noticed it before but it seems to be somewhat outdated.

One finger points to "Superstore" and obviously refers to Morrisions. There is however another superstore, Asda, in the opposite direction and only half the distance.

That of course is an omission rather than an error.

Another finger points to the Police Station, but the old station on Onward Street past the Town Hall was demolished years ago. The new one is on Clarendon Road, past the bus station and a good ten to fifteen minutes walk away.

For more W shots visit ABC Wednesday.

The Longest Day

Yesterday was the summer equinox which started for me shortly after sunrise at 5am BST (4am GMT) when, still rather bleary-eyed, I leaned out of the window and aimed my zoom lens at the Hare & Hounds up on Werneth Low. I then went back to bed.


This is how it looked at noon GMT (1pm BST).


Sunset was at around 21:45 BST (8.45pm GMT) which is when I took this third shot of the day.

See how it looked at the same time last year.

Gee Cross Fete 2010

Yesterday was Gee Cross Fete.

It was a nice sunny day, not too hot.

This photograph is just a taster.

You'll find another 21 photographs from the day at Gee Cross Fete 2010

Hyde Cemetery Chapel 2010

The chapel in Hyde Cemetery lies just North of the Beeley Tomb.

Some old Ordnance Survey maps appear to show three chapels inside the cemetery but I've only ever been aware of the one.

Compared with the photograph I took ten years ago which you can view on Old Hyde. The roof and drains appear to have received attention and the doors have been strengthened and double-padlocked.

Ironwork Reflections

At the Market Street entrance to the bus station, the iron railings which surround the colonnade of shops that stretch up Market Street are reflected in the bathroom showroom window.

For more weekend reflections visit Newtown Area Photo.

Union Street Clinic

Union Street Clinic is run by the Tameside & Glossop Primary Health Care Trust.

Services that are accessed here include Dentistry and Pediatrics.

RNLI Charity stall

There is a charity stall most Saturdays on Hyde Market.

Recently the stall was manned by these ladies supporting the Royal National Lifeboat Institute.

One of the stallholders recognised me and said she was a fan of this blog so of course I had to take a photo.

Vernon Street

Vernon Street off Market Street is a street of typical Victorian-built terraced properties.

For more V posts visit ABC Wednesday.

Out in the Sun

Remember the wet Saturday shot I posted on 1st June?

Well the following Saturday it was back to bright sunshine and this was taken from the same vantage point.

Someone has already pointed out on another forum where both photos were posted that in the rain most of the people are male, whilst in the sun, it is the female of the species that abound.

Lumn Hollow

Somewhere around here was one of the ancient settlements that existed before Hyde itself.

As I posted on Old Hyde, The Lumn was the homestead of the Shepleys from the early 17th century.

The street in the background is Tom Shepley Street. Behind it can be seen the bell tower of St Thomas the Apostle on Lumn Road.

On the left is Frank Street leading to Orchard Road and John Shepley Street.

Shadow Shot Sunday:Kensington Gardens

Last weekend I brought you shadows from inside Hyde Cemetery.

This time we are outside the cemetery by Kensington Gardens and Stockport Road. Now there is a single tree on the corner. There used to be three trees in a row. Once I caught the reflection of one in a puddle.

A recent addition to the corner is a GATSO aka speed camera. I assume it is a replacement for the one that used to be higher up Stockport Road on the B6458. That would have gone after the bus stops were closed to allow the installation of a new zebra crossing.

The coloured version of this photograph can be found on Geograph.

For more shadow shots, visit Hey Harriet.

Weekend Reflections:Hyde Market

On a bright Saturday Hyde Market and specifically the second-hand-books stall is reflected in the window of Bright's store getting all mixed up with the flat-screen TVs and leather sofas.

You really need to click on the image to see the larger-size photograph to appreciate it at its best.

For more Weekend Refelctions visit Newtown Area Photo.

Swindells Fold

The white house here on the footpath continuation of Brookfold Lane at Godley is Swindells Fold.

The house below, Beech Cottage, has a plaque dating it as 1927 and it seems probable that it was built on land that was originally part of Swindells Fold.

Up the Junction 2010

I recently took this photograph of the junction of Cheetham Hill Road with Birch Lane/Ashton Road from outside the former Dukinfield Arms.

Compare this with the photograph on Old Hyde which Alan Young took twenty years ago from the same spot.

The building on the left of which we can see just the gable end is no longer the Junction Inn. Like others it has been converted into a private residence.

There is now a shelter by the bus stop.

Apart from these changes it looks very much the same now as it did then.

Umbrellas for Sale

Another shot from the rainy Saturday before Spring Bank Holiday.

The key-cutter on Hyde Market has a new sideline selling umbrellas.

There were still queues in the rain outside the Post Office and another queue of umbrellas leading to the cash machine at the Halifax, which you can see on Hyde DP Xtra.

For other U posts visit ABC Wednesday.

Smith Knight Fay at Gee Cross

At the corner of Apethorn Lane and Stockport Road can be found the VW dealership of Smith Knight Fay.

Once the site was occupied by a row of cottages and a clock tower. Take a look at them on Old Hyde.

John Shepley Street (looking North)

This is John Shepley Street which runs between Orchard Street and Mottram Road.

On the right are mid-19th century terraced houses so typical of many Northern towns.

On the left is modern sheltered housing for the elderly.

Across Mottram Road at the end lies Morrison's supermarket.

You can see the view in the opposite direction on Hyde DP Xtra.

Shadows in Hyde Cemetery

This part of Hyde Cemetery towards the North end seems fairly empty with what appears to be two old gravestones and three relatively recent burials at this end.

Some new graves appear to be being prepared at the far end.

Do be sure to click on the photograph and enlarge it to fully appreciate the shadows being cast here.

For more shadow shots visit Hey Harriet.

Reflections in Pole Bank Pond

A close-up shot of the stone island in the pond at Pole Bank.

A fuller photograph of the pond which is currently undergoing restoration can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.

For more weekend reflections visit Newtown Area Photo.

Spring has Sprung

Six weeks ago we were wondering what had happened to spring.

Compare this view with the one I posted in April on Hyde DP Xtra.

The Beeley Tomb in Hyde Cemetery

Shane Sawyer who now lives in Australia recently sent me an old photograph of the Beeley Tomb which can be seen on Old Hyde.

I found the tomb in Hyde Cemetery. It sits alone from the rest of the graves just North of the chapel.

The railings are now covered in vegetation precluding any view beyond.

Additional photographs can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.

ABC Wednesday:T is for Tower Street

Leading, should it needs saying, to St George's Church.

This is taken from the corner of Thornley Street.

For more T posts visit ABC Wednesday.

Fruit Loves This Water

It does does it? Well I don't.

The CDPB theme is "Funny Signs". Until Saturday my proposed post was something not so much "funny ha ha" but "funny peculiar" but that can wait now for a later day.

Just a week after splashing sun blocker all over as temperatures soared, this Saturday the rains came down with a vengeance. I took this quick photo of the rain in the Market Place as I fought to keep my umbrella intact. Only later did I see the advertising sign.

All those pots lined up outside the front of £-stretcher (formerly Woolworths) were hoping to be sold to bank-holiday gardeners.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants to the theme day.