ABC Wednesday: C is for Common Chicory

Common chicory, (Cichorium intybus), is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant usually with bright blue flowers. When flowering, chicory has a tough, grooved, and more or less hairy stem, from 30 to 100 centimetres (10 to 40 in) tall. The leaves are stalked, lanceolate and unlobed. The flower heads are 2 to 4 centimetres (0.79 to 1.6 in) wide, and usually bright blue, rarely white or pink. There are two rows of involucral bracts; the inner are longer and erect, the outer are shorter and spreading. It flowers from July until October.The achenes have no pappus (feathery hairs), but do have toothed scales on top.

It grows wild on the Trans Pennine Trail.

See the flower close-up on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday.

Ashton House on Ashton Road

Ashton Road is an unclassified road but is part of a busy alternative eastern route to Ashton under Lyne bypassing the centre of Hyde from the south.

Ashton House on the right is supported housing consisting of 34 flats, bungalows, built in 1968 and renovated in 1997. It is managed by New Charter Housing Trust Ltd with a main entrance on Victoria Street.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

A hidden mural in Godley

A colourful piece of graffiti on the side of a brick building that remains near the turntable on the former Godley to Apethorn railway. The building may have been the base for a signal box.

For a wider view see Geograph.

A contribution to Monday Murals.

Sunday Shadows: Adamson Band at Gee Cross Well Dressing

As the Adamson Military Band set off to lead the 2013 Gee Cross Well Dressing the sun cast a lot of shadows on the ground.

Two more photos from the day can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.

For information about the Well Dressing visit Gee Cross Well Dressing 2013.

For more information about the band visit their own website.

For more shadows visit Shadow Shot Sunday.

Weekend in Black & White: Entrance to Gower Hey Woods

This is the entrance to Gower Hey Woods from the Trans Pennine Trail at Swains Valley.

At the end of May I showed you the opposite view looking out of the woods.

Now visit other contributors to The Weekend in Black and White.

Friday Fences: Watch this space

Previously this space on Market Place was occupied by two old benches, a flowerbed, a small tree, a lamppost and a litterbin. A tree and two flowerbeds that were located on the other side of the telephone boxes were removed during the 2012 refurbishment of Hyde Market. The removal of the slabs has revealed the cobbles of the original road which was part of the A57 Lincoln to Liverpool highway.

A contribution to Friday Fences.

Signs at Green Lane junction

After passing under Green Lane bridge (out of sight on the left), the Trans Pennine Trail leaves the route of the former Apethorn to Godley railway line to follow Green Lane via the path behind the photographer.

The wooden finger post on the right points out the route. See the insets for a closer view of how it looks now and how it looked in 2007 when it showed the distances to Stockport and Broadbottom.

A pair of notices on the left give information about the trail and carry a warning about the use of unauthorised motor vehicles. Similar ones are located at Donald Avenue and you can read what they say on Hyde DP Xtra.

A footpath follows the old railway track to the right for about another mile until it is blocked off just before the junction with the main railway line at Godley. I'll be posting some photographs from along that section at a later date.

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: B is for Buskers

They were playing "Bill Baily won't you please come home?" outside Clarendon Mall last Saturday.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Inside the Bus Station

The present bus station in Hyde was opened in 2005.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

War on Hunger

Supporters of the Islamic Relief Organisation charity in Hyde.

A contribution to Blue Monday.

Shadow Shot Sunday: Crossing Dowson Road

Sharp shadows crossing Dowson Road at its junction with Market Street.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Weekend Reflections: Gee Cross Well Dressing

Last Sunday was Gee Cross Well Dressing. The procession around the seven wells was led by the Adamson Band. The crowds gathered by the Grapes Hotel and across the road are all reflected in the bandsman's instrument.

More photographs and information about the event can be found at Gee Cross Well Dressing 2013.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections.

The Gardeners Arms

Viewed from behind the fence on the corner of Lumn Road and Walker Lane is the Gardeners Arms.

The pub has a long history, having been the headquarters of Hyde FC from 1898 to 1906.

It was boarded up in March 2010 but re-opened later in the year - see how it looked then on Hyde DP Volume 1.

It has recently undergone a facelift.

A contribution to Friday Fences.

Ralph Fold Well Dressing

Another photograph from last Sunday's Gee Cross Well Dressing.

Although well-dressing is a custom mostly confined to Derbyshire, it can be seen in adjacent counties too. Well dressing celebrations were held regularly in Gee Cross from the 1820s until 1878. The custom was revived by the local Women's Institute in 2000.

Gee Cross Methodist Church stands on land which was once part of Ralph Fold. The farm's well was located behind the present building. This year's image depicts a rainbow which symbolises God's promise to Noah that "Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth".

There are seven stops on the parade around the wells (not all are genuine old wells) and 16 photographs from the event can be found at Gee Cross Well Dressing 2013.

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: A is for Arnold Hill Well

Although well-dressing is a custom mostly confined to Derbyshire, it can be seen in adjacent counties too. Well dressing celebrations were held regularly in Gee Cross from the 1820s until 1878. The custom was revived by the local Women's Institute in 2000.

Arnold Hill Well was dressed by the children of Gee Cross Holy Trinity Primary School who considered how lucky they were compared to people in poorer countries and created a jigsaw depicting the importance of "Making it fair and showing that we care".

Two more photographs of Arnold Hill Well are on Hyde DP Xtra.

Information and 16 photographs of this year's event can be found at Gee Cross Well Dressing 2013.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Penny Meadow 1877

In a row of red-brick terraced houses on Lumn Road, an archway under the name/date stone "Penny Meadow 1877" gives access to the rear of the properties.

Nowadays it is mainly used for storing wheelie-bins.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Booth's Well 2013

Yesterday was Gee Cross Well Dressing.

Although well-dressing is a custom mostly confined to Derbyshire, it can be seen in adjacent counties too. Well dressing celebrations were held regularly in Gee Cross from the 1820s until 1878. The custom was revived by the local Women's Institute in 2000.

The WI dress Booth's Well. Their 2013 theme was Newton Hall. Built around 1380 it is one of the earliest timber framed buildings in the region. For many years it was encased in brick and used as a barn. When the farm buildings were being demolished in the 1960s the ancient cruck framed construction was revealed. Demolition was stopped and the building is now preserved. Excavations took place at Newton Hall in 2012 - see some of the things found there on Old Hyde.

There are seven stops on the parade around the wells (not all are genuine old wells) and 16 photographs from the event can be found at Gee Cross Well Dressing 2013.

A contribution to Monday Mellow Yellows.
Blue Monday and
Monday Murals.

Mind the Step: Rose Hill train at Hyde Central

The train for Rose Hill (Marple) arriving and departing at Hyde Central station.

A contribution to Scenic Weekends.

Weekend in Black & White: More Hot Shadows

Last week I showed you the shadows in the Market Place taken from the old tram shelter bench.

These shadows were to be seen in the opposite direction.

The wider, coloured view can be seen on Geograph.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White and Shadow Shot Sunday.

Friday Fences: Behind Cheetham Hill Road

On Monday I showed you a view of the junction at the end of Cheetham Hill Road.

Today's view shows what is behind the new fences there. Compare it with the same scene in July 2011.

Hyde Mill, designed by the architect Sidney Scott, was completed in 1906. The site had been acquired by The Hyde Spinning Co Ltd from the trustees of CJ Ashton at a rent of £10 per annum, with free water rights. The Mill was four storeys in height and 47 bays in length and was faced with bright red brick with an Italianate water tower at its south western corner. When the mill was fully furnished with all the machinery it contained 116,532 mule spindles.

Hyde Mill closed in 1958 with 250 jobs being lost. It was sold to J. A. Pattrieouoex, manufacturers of Senior Service cigarettes. The Gallagher group purchased the mill for £110,000 in 1959 from the Hyde Spinning Company. The Mill continued to be used as a cigarette factory for over 40 years with considerable extensions being carried out. In 1999 the factory was closed by Gallaghers as production was transferred to Northern Ireland.

It was bought by the Findel Education group of companies, who erected new offices on the site. Demolition of the old mill began in September 2009.

Work on building an estate of new houses known as "Cotton Mills" began in 2011. So far between half and two-thirds of the site has been built on.

For more photographs of Hyde Mill see Geograph.

A contribution to Friday Fences.

Signs, Signs: Shepherds Call, Tower Street

I posted a photograph of the old name sign for Tower Street back in May 2006.

Back then the Shepherds Call had an old if rather worn pub sign which has since disappeared. In fact it had gone by November 2009 when I published a photo of the Shepherds Call.

I wonder how long it will be before they manage to acquire a new sign.

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: Z is for Zensation Firecrackers

I've never heard of Zensation Firecrackers but that's what it says these flowers are on the label in the pots on Hyde Market.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Golden Crafts

Fair trade gift shop on the corner of Croft Street and Henry Street.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Monday Mellow Yellows: Dukinfield Junction

Compare this view, if you will, with the one I took from the same point in June 2010.

The bus stop on Birch Lane has gone and the whole layout of the junction redesigned with traffic lights and dropped kerb crossings for pedestrians. On the left the trees that hid Hyde Mill from view have gone. The mill has been demolished and an estate of new houses built on the site.

Compare it too with the photograph taken by Alan Young in June 1990. There was then no shelter by the bus stop and the building at the top of Ashton Road was still the Junction Inn.

See the same scene in the opposite direction on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Monday Mellow Yellows.

Shadows on the Hottest Day

Yesterday was said to be the hottest day of the year so far, which doesn't say much for the year so far. It wasn't quite sweltering but it was a pleasant change from earlier in the week. There were plenty of shadows to be found. This one was in the Market Place. The arc at the bottom is from the roof of the old tram-shelter on a bench underneath which I was sitting.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

The Very Top Of The Town Hall

The Town Hall ends in a metal spiked cross on the top of the cupola above the clock.

Its purpose is not so much decorous as being an effective lightning conductor.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

Old Dairy Mews

Off Dukinfield Road.

A date stone reads "2000".

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Amalgamated Signs

This business on the corner of Stockport Road and Meadow Street was originally part of the Redfern's Rubber Works.

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: Y is for YT Electronics and Yet another new business

YT electronics is a new shop that has opened in the former carpet & flooring saleroom next door to the Multisaver off-licence that occupies what were once the offices of the Philanthropic Mutual Life Assurance Collecting Society.

On the other side is the former Crown public house which closed in 2009 and was converted in 2010. In February 2012 it opened as a Ladies only gym. By January 2013 the ladies had moved out and the premises were occupied by Ta Tech Solutions. Now, however, it is vacant and searching for a yet another new tenant.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Town Hall Chimney

A close-up view of the red-brick chimney on the Corporation Street side of the Town Hall.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Onward Chambers: Market Street Facade

In Kelly's 1914 Directory, Onward Chambers at 34 Market Street was listed as being the offices of the Brittanic Assurance Co. In 2011 it was home to the restaurant, "Taste of India" - see Hyde DP Xtra.

When I took this photograph a few weeks ago, the restaurant signage had been removed but a notice in the window declared that "Am-Maa's Tearooms" was now opened. When I went past a few days ago I noticed that the old "Taste of India" signage had been re-erected but covered over with a banner saying "Am-maa's". The restaurant shares the three-storyed redbrick building, on the corner of Cross Street, with "Pound Zone".

A contribution to the CDPB theme day Facade.