Bandstand Hyde Park

Tom of Wiggers World has today supplied us with the following photo and accompanying text from Hyde:

Over the last few years more than £2m has been spent bringing Hyde Park into the 21st century, Hyde Park dates back to the beginning of the 19th century. It was built by a local mill owning Ashton family, who offered the estate to Hyde Corporation in 1897.

Thank you, Tom!

RuneE - temporary caretaker.

Hearse House

Keystone of the Hearse House belonging to St Georges Church.

Gerald is still waiting for his ISP and British Telecom to sort out his connection to the Internet. In the meantime, Tom of Wiggers World has kindly supplied this post from Hyde.

RuneE - temporary caretaker.

Broadbottom Scarecrow

Today's picture is by guest photographer, Tom Wigley and first appeared on his blog Wigger's World.

It is of one of the entries in last month's competition run by the Broadbottom Community Association.

You can view all 58 entries on the Broadbottom Village website.

Rockets Galore

Between the 14th century Newton Hall and the weird chimney-pot at Dunkirk Farm, you'll find the technology of the future.

Starchaser began life as an experimental rocket test programme set up in 1992 by Steve Bennett from Dukinfield.

A few years ago the rocket was on show at Gee Cross Fete. Now they are busy recruiting astronauts.

This picture is by guest photographer Peter Parrott.

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.

Shaw Hall Post Office

This photograph of Shaw Hall Post Office in Newton is by guest photographer Frank Bennett.

Many sub post offices in the UK are under threat, especially in town suburbs. Several in Hyde have already gone, but this one appears to have a more certain future. An ATM (aka cash-point, aka hole-in-the-wall} has been established here. Alterations have been made since to the roller-blinds so that the ATM can be accessed 24 hours a day.

Good news for the residents of Newton, but why I wonder is the machine operated by an Irish Bank which doesn't have a branch anywhere nearby at all?

Quiet Sign

This photo is by guest photographer Martin Chadderton, who wrote

I'm a big fan of your Hyde daily photo blog, and I thought I'd send you this picture of possibly the funniest sign in Hyde, it's from Ogden Court just off John Shepley Street opposite Morrisons.

It's not the best quality since it was taken on a mobile phone from a distance, but the wording on the sign about the elderly is extremely funny. I very often walk past it and I chuckle every time. Maybe the signmaker should think twice about the wording next time?

You may have to click on the photo and view the enlarged version in order to read it clearly. It says

ELDERLY PEOPLE NEED TO BE QUIET

Do they indeed?

Hyde Lads Club

This photograph by guest photographer Frank Bennett shows all that is left of Hyde Lads Club on Beeley Street. The club was demolished and Beeley Street lost to create a car park.

According to Thomas Middleton's History of Hyde (1932)

The Hyde's Lads' Club is one of the most novel social ventures of the day, and has excited interest throughout the country. It was founded by Mr. J.W.A. Danby, Chief Constable Of Hyde, and was opened on October 5th, 1928 in a room in the Town hall. As the membership rose to 316 in the first three weeks, the club was removed to the Wesleyan School on Water Street, where it continued to flourish. Then Mr. Danby acquired the Old Police Buildings and site in Beeley Street; the building was transformed; games rooms, library, reading-room and small lecture rooms were adapted from existing rooms; a large assembly room was made out of the old court room, and a billiards room was arranged beneath it. A large hall and gymnasium was erected on part of the site; and when completed the premises provided for every phase of work associated with such a club.

The new buildings were opened by H.R.H. Prince Henry, Duke Of Gloucester, K.G., on February 6th, 1930, and were inspected by the Home Secretary, the Right Honrable, J.R. Clynes, M.P. in 1931. The club has received the warm commendation of some of the leading social reformers of the day. The main purpose of the Club is the prevention of juvenile crime, and to rescue those who are criminally inclined by bringing them into contact with clean-living boys, and transferring their inclinations into a more healthy channel. The principal features of the Club are games, physical training and gymnastics, classes in First Aid, Library, Dramatic Society, and other educational agencies, and each Sunday evening a short service is held. The boys are in the hands of fully qualified instuctors, whose services are voluntary. The Chief Constable's hope was that the Club may be looked upon as a place where boys may spend their spare time away from the streets, and improve themselves physically, religiously, and morally.

The notice above the name-slab mentions nothing about the good Mr. Danby but reads

TO COMMEMORATE HIS HONOUR JUDGE THOMAS HUGHES AUTHOR OF "TOM BROWN'S SCHOOLDAYS" WHO USED THIS BUILDING AS COUNTY COURT JUDGE DURING THE YEARS 1882-1896

Path to Apethorn Mill

This picture by guest photographer Tom Wigley is of a footpath that leads off Apethorn Lane, down to the river Tame, past the site of Apethorn (aka Gee Cross) Mill.

When the mill boiler blew up it landed here!

A picture of the explosion is on Old Hyde.

Bower Court

This photograph of Bower Court near St Mary's Church, Newton is by guest photographer Frank Bennett.

Footpath in Newton

A footpath in Newton by guest photographer Frank Bennett.

Ashton Bros Mill demolition

I earlier posted a photo of Ashton Bros Mill by guest photographer Frank Bennett.

This is also by Frank and shows the mill actually in the process of being demolished.

It was probably taken from more or less the same vantage position as my recent photo of the Funfair leaving town.

Ashton Bros Mill

Today's picture is by guest photographer, Frank Bennett.

This was taken about five years ago and shows Ashton Bros Mill. It used to be just behind the wall you can see on my recent picture of Flowery Field Church.

It has since been demolished and the site is an estate of private houses. You can see some of them from the other side in my picture of the funfair leaving town.

Bus Shelter on Market Street

This picture taken in 1999 is © Frank Bennett and republished here with his permission.

I wonder how many users of this bus shelter are aware that it is a Grade II listed building. Originally built as a tram shelter it is a cast iron structure with glazed canopy. Four columns support the long canopy which has semi-circular ends. Intermediate columns support a timber and glass screen which runs longitudinally between the main columns. The main columns have moulded braces, crocket capitals, and naturalistic enrichment to the pierced spandrels which support the canopy.

Fuller details are given on the Images of England website.

The small shelter opposite the Post Office which I showed a detail of on July 8th is similar but a later design.

Flooding in Newton

photograph © Frank Bennett, 2007

Yesterday it was raining heavily all day, so I thought now might be a good time to post this picture from our guest photographer, Frank Bennett. It shows flooding on the footpath from Darwin Street to Dukinfield Golf Course.

This photograph is from sometime last year, but I wouldn't be surprised if it looked very similar today.

Gas Main on Hough Lane

This is the third of three photos by guest photographer Frank Bennett showing the work of laying a new gas main on Hough Lane, Newton.

First photograph

Second photograph

More Work on Hough Lane

This is another photograph © Frank Bennett showing the Work on Hough Lane where they are laying a new gas main.

Work on Hough Lane

They are laying a new gas main on Hough Lane in Newton.

This photograph is © Frank Bennett and used here with his permission.

Bandstand 1999

A few months ago I showed a picture looking down on the bandstand in Hyde Park. Later I showed another picture looking up at the bandstand.

This picture was taken in August 1999 by Frank Bennett ARPS and is reposted here with his permission. It first appeared on the Images of England website, run by English Heritage. The site has lots of photographs and details of listed buildings.

I shall be using more of Frank's photographs over the coming months.

Flat on Fire

What do you do when your neighbour's flat goes up in flames?

Well if you are a photographer, you grab your camera and take pictures.

Frank Bennett is a retired professional photographer who lives in the Newton area of Hyde. I shall be posting a number of his pictures here over the coming months.

The winner of last week's Caption competition is Ex-Shammickite for

"Stay in line please... for the world famous canine finger lick blessing."

Runners-up are Julia for

"When's my turn? I'm being very good"

Isabella for

"Hey, I'm counting here...He's got two more pieces than me!"

and Kaz for

"So this is why we got down from the mantelpiece?"

Contact me privately with your snail-mail address and a postcard will be on its way.

Frank and his wife Edna are now back in their flat which only suffered smoke damage.