ABC Wednesday: P is for Post Office

Mottram Post Office, like the vast majority of UK post offices, is located in a convenience store.

On the opposite side of the road, the former public house, The Junction, has been converted into residential property.

Previously the post office in Mottram was located in a seventeenth century farmhouse on Back Lane.

For ABC Wednesday.

Halloween at Mocha Joe's

Although we don't normally celebrate Halloween in the UK with same vigour as those in the USA, this year there seems to have been quite a few releted displays around the place.

This is Mocha Joe's coffee shop inside Clarendon Mall, duly decorated for the season.

For Our World Tuesday.

Yellow Scaffolding

Scaffolding is being erected around the Zeenath building on the corner of Market Street and Port Street. Not only are the scaffolders wearing high-visibility yellow jackets but so are the bottom pieces of scaffolding.

For Mellow Yellow Monday.

Pumpkin Shadows

A rack full of pumpkins on sale for Halloween cast shadows outside the "Strawberry Garden" greengrocer's.

For Shadow Shot Sunday.

The Weekend in Black & White: Muslin Road, Newton

A monochrome view of Muslin Road, or Talbot Road as it is now called.

See the coloured view on Geograph.

For The Weekend in Black and White.

Skywatch Friday: A clear view of Corporation Street

I took this a few weeks ago following the end of the refurbishment work on Hyde Market.

There is a clear view from the market ground across the road and down Corporation Street.

See how it looked in January 2010 under a blanket of snow; in August 2009 with the sun shining, and in 2002 before and after the erection of the Crown Pole which was removed in January 2012 at the start of the renewal work.

Since I took this photograph a row of retractable metal bollards have been placed across the entrance so the view is already not as clear as seen here.

For Skywatch Friday.

signs, signs: road to close for a week

The yellow sign on the lamppost at the corner of Dowson Road and Kirkley Street warns that from next Sunday the part of Dowson Road from there to Market Street will be closed for eight days.

The 330 bus to and from Stockport will be diverted through Gee Cross but will not stop at any of the stops on the diversion route - if it did we could at least to cut through to one of them but as it is we'll be effectively isolated for a week.

for signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: O is for Oaklands Hall

Oaklands Hall was built in 1838 as a residence for local business men and was once occupied by Daniel Adamson – an engineer, involved with the digging and opening of the Manchester Ship Canal.

For more about Daniel Adamson, see Old Hyde.

In 1881 it was occupied by Deane Stanley, who ran his father's Turkish Towel business in Gas Street, Hyde. He was married to Flora, who is believed to be their resident ghost. There are occasional sightings of Flora, when she is regarded as a being friendly and to be a good omen.

Deane Stanley was also a mining engineer. Unfortunately, he was reputed not to have a good head for business and he eventually lost his fortune. He died in 1894 after falling off a horse whilst working in the South African Transvaal.

Oaklands Hall was purchased in October 1924, for use as a Masonic Hall. The building, now run by Oaklands Masonic Club, is a place for Weddings and Celebration parties and an approved venue for Civil Marriages. Website: http://www.oaklandshall.co.uk/.

For old photos of Oaklands Hall see Hyde Cheshire.

Oaklands Hall is reached via Beech View off Oaklands Road. See photos of Oaklands Road and Oaklands Wood on Hyde DP Xtra.

For the letter O at ABC Wednesday.

Fancy Dress and Fish and Chips

A diverse group of shops on Clarendon Street.

Creeping in on the left is "Headzaklys", one of Hyde's numerous Gent's Hairdresser's.

Next is "Homefair Blinds".

"The Lingerie and Fancy Dress Shop" used to be called lingerie bliss and before that it was Frilly Milly's.

Currently it has a Halloween display in its window.

"Bosuns Fish Restaurant and Take Away" looks much the same as it did in August 2006 although I understand there has been a change of ownership since then.

Above "Bosuns" is a "Tanning Studio".

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

Mellow Yellow Monday: Mottram Road, Godley

A brief traffic-free moment on Mottram Road looking towards Hyde just down the road from Godley Arches.

It is normally a busy road, hence the double-yellow lines all along each side. In the UK double-yellow lines mean strictly NO PARKING.

It isn't as busy as it would have been before the building of the M67 bypass around Hyde in the mid 1970s. Before then this was the main road (A57) running from Lincoln to Liverpool by way of Worksop, Sheffield, Glossop, Hyde, Manchester, Irlam and Warrington.

A contribution to Mellow Yellow Monday.

Shadow Shot Sunday: Hyde Market

Yesterday I showed you a photograph of the market in the pouring rain.

Today for contrast I bring you autumn sunshine and shadows.

In the background, Madge's ice-cream van is parked in front of the White Lion.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Weekend Reflections: The Town Hall on the Civic Square

On a day when the rain came down in lumps I captured this reflection of the Town Hall in the flags of the new Civic Square from behind the stalls by the Mall.

A smaller but wider/taller version of this, showing the Town Hall itself, can be seen on Geograph

A view of the market stalls from the opposite direction can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections.

Mottram Play Area

Behind the fence on this green space between Ashworth Lane, Mottram Fold and Broadbottom Road is a children's play area.

This was taken the same day after I'd been escorted by a policeman past the nearby scene of the murder of Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes.

Turn right to see Mottram Library on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Friday Fences and Green Days on Raindrops & Daisies.

Sign of the Clarence

The writing on the side wall of the Clarence on Talbot Road is long-standing but the sign is relatively new. It wasn't there in 2010 when the pub was closed and looking for a new landlord. Unlike other pubs in the area it found one and is still open.

I don't know for sure but it seems possible that the Clarence referred to is the Duke who became King William IV after whom the pub across the road is named - see my post of two weeks ago.

See the pub itself on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: N is for Newton Street

Newton Street was the main road out of Hyde towards Ashton before Dukinfield Road was built. Alongside is Carrfield Mill which was the home of "Christy Towels". It used to stand under the shadow of the adjacent Ashton Brothers Mill until that was demolished in 2007.

See how it looked in 2002 on Old Hyde.

Founded in 1851, Christy is the world's oldest towel manufacturer and is the UK's leading towel brand. Christy invented the first loom to mechanically weave what remains today the basis of the modern towel and is the exclusive supplier of the towels to the world famous Wimbledon Tennis Championship.

The 1 billion USD Welspun Group acquired an 85% interest in Christy for a business valuation of GBP 15.6 m, in July 2006.

In 2008 they closed the dyehouse and making-up departments at Hyde and transferred the machinery to a specially designed site at Welspun's Anjar facility in India.

Their UK HQ and sales office remained at Carrfield Mill until 2012 when they took over 12,000 sq ft of offices and showroom facilities at Orbit Developments' Park Square complex in Cheadle.

The old mill is now in the process of being demolished.

More photos of the area behind Carrfield Mill can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Lindley House

A red-brick Victorian property on Mottram Road in contrast to its modern neighbours.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Blue Monday: Take a Fresh Look

A fresh looking Hyde Market, with the Town Hall in the background, on a sunny day following the recent £1.2 million refurbishment.

There are many moaning-ownies decrying the changes but at least Hyde still has a market unlike neighboroughing Denton so long may it flourish.

I just hope they are going to re-paint the stall roofs in the bright colours they used to sport.

See how it looked under construction in July

A contribution to Blue Monday.

Long Shadows on Market Street

Another view from last Saturday week when long shadows were being cast across Market Street.

Behind the brand new litter bin is the Victorain bus (formerly tram) shelter which is a Grade II listed structure and is therefore a survivor of the recent £1.2 million revamp of the market.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Weekend Reflections: South of Dunkirk Bridge

Last week I posted reflections on the Peak Forest Canal at Dunkirk Bridge.

This week I'm posting reflections south of the bridge.

Reflections north of the bridge can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

Discover other folks' reflefctions on Weekend Reflections.

Friday Fences: Cobbled path to the river.

Fence posts above the cobbled path that leads from the towpath of the Peak Forest Canal down to the River Tame.

I discovered this path back in January 2008 when I photographed it from the opposite direction. That photograph was voted Best of Hyde Daily Photo 2008.

A contribution to Friday Fences.

Opening Hours at Newton Library

This week's contribution to signs, signs features the opening hours at Newton Library.

Alas, as from October 12th, every day will be a Wednesday.

Why? See the view of the library on Hyde DP Xtra.

ABC Wednesday: M is for More Tea Vicar

Another photograph from the Heritage Open Day at St George's Church.

The vicar is Jo and she was the one serving tea.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Two takeaways in Newton

There are two takeaways together on Talbot Road in Newton. The Mandarin does Chinese and fish-and-chips while the Redfood offers Bangladeshi cuisine. The entrance to the latter is via the framework of an old red telephone kiosk.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Blue Monday: Alice round the bend

My contribution to Blue Monday features Alice going round the bend on the Peak Forest Canal.

"Alice" is a 32-foot long narrowboat used for day hire and based at the Portland Basin Marina.

This view was taken with a zoom lens from the Manchester Road Bridge. See a longer shot on Hyde DP Xtra.

Shadow Shot Sunday: I Love Hyde

Following last week's official opening the Hyde Civic Square the sun was out yesterday.

The baked potato stall and Madge's ice-cream van were already there as a team from I Love Hyde were setting up stalls for a community event here and on the nearby Croft Millennium Green.

An hour later and the place was packed as you can see in the photographs on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Weekend Reflections at Dunkirk Bridge

Dunkirk Lane crosses bridge #4 on the Peak Forest Canal.

The Peak Forest Canal runs for 15 miles between Ashton under Lyne and Whaley Bridge. It was built to link the Ashton Canal with the tramways that brought limestone from the Peak District quarries.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections and Sunday Bridges at San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Newton Hall after the dig

This photograph shows the grounds of Newton Hall restored after the archaeological dig in April and was taken at the recent Heritage Open Day where some of the finds were on show. Behind the fence lies the main road from Hyde to Ashton.

See the hall itself on Hyde DP Xtra.

Newton Hall, a Grade II listed building and one of Britain's earliest cruck-framed buildings, stands on the corner of Dukinfield Road and Dunkirk Lane in Hyde, Cheshire. It eventually became used as a barn for the farm that occupied part of the site. It was encased in a brick building having a blue slate roof. When the farm buildings were being demolished in the 1960s, to make way for industrial buildings, the contractor saw the ancient cruck-framed construction and, realising it was an important ancient building, stopped demolition immediately. The other farm buildings were later demolished but the original medieval hall was preserved. Sir George Kenyon, the Chairman of William Kenyon & Sons Ltd of Dukinfield, rescued it. Browns of Wilmslow undertook the restoration work and this was completed in 1970.

During the restoration work, a large glass panel was inserted into one side the purpose of this being twofold. It allows sufficient light into the hall so that it can be used for modern purposes such as holding conferences, seminars and meetings and it also allows the construction of the building to be viewed from the outside. It now has a stone flag floor with under-floor heating, whereas originally it would have had an earthen floor.

More information at http://www.pittdixon.go-plus.net/newton-hall/newton-hall.htm

In April 2012 Tameside History Forum in conjunction with Salford University undertook an archaeological dig at the site. Over 500 photographs of the excavation can be found on their Photobucket gallery.

A contribution to Friday Fences and Green Days on Raindrops & Daisies.

King Bill's sign

The King William IV on Talbot Road, Newton is affectionately known by locals as The King Bill.

The landlord in the 1980s was Derek Quinn who was the guitarist in the 1960s group, Freddie and the Dreamers.

View the whole pub on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: L is for Long Meadow Car Park

Car park on the site of Long Meadow Mill (demolished 1900). On the left with the tree in front is the Donnybrook Medical Centre. On the right behind the back of shops on Clarendon Street is the Job Centre. In the centre of the background is the now closed Astoria Bingo Hall.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Official opening of Hyde Civic Square

The official opening of Hyde Civic Square following a £1.2 million revamp of Hyde Market took place on Saturday.

These girls (there were actually five of them) from the Tameside Centre for Performing Arts were doing the "Time Warp" song as part of the entertainment provided.

For another five photographs and more information on the event please visit Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

October Theme: Silhouette

The October 1st theme at City Daily Photo Blogs is Silhouette.

So what silhouetted Hyde icon should I show you?

The top of the Town Hall tower and its distinctive chimneys.

No contest.

See what others have come up with on the CDPB Theme Day blog.