Brookfold Farm and Valley

The farm lies between Godley and Hattersley.

Horses graze in the valley between the farm and the railway line from Manchester which is hidden behind the curving line of trees.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

Shell at Shell

A Shell tanker delivering to the filling station on Dowson Road.

A contribution to Monday Mellow Yellows.

Inside St George's Church

Compare this with the view shown in the Annals of Hyde.

The gallery has been removed and the whole nave remodelled. All of the stained glass in the church was lost when a bomb exploded in Church Street in 1940.

Four of the windows on the south side of the church, celebrating apostles, have since been restored. Matthew and Mark were re-instated in 2003 and Luke and John in 2009.

It is hoped to install a restored east window in 2014/15.

Tablets in memory of some church worthies and others, including the Rev Alexander Read, Richard Gilbody, George Middleton, Joseph Artingstoll and John Critchley Prince used to adorn the walls but have not survived.

You can see John Critchley Prince's grave and read about him in our post from 18th September 2013.

A portrait of and copy of the memorial to Joseph Artingstoll can be found on Old Hyde.

A contribution to Inspired Sundays and Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors.

Weekend in Black & White: Hoviley Brow

Hoviley Brow, now Commercial Street, used to be one of the main roads into Hyde leading from Newton (for Hyde) station. Behind the wall on the right flows Godley Brook alongside what was a dye works and is now "ABC Wax". Ahead the street led to the Market Place. That end of Hoviley Brow has been renamed Clarendon Place. Now it is a dead end for traffic. A footpath leads to John Street and Clark Way whilst a spiral ramp leads to a footbridge over the M67 motorway. On the left there used be rows of terraced houses and shops. Now there is only the motorway. A tunnel known as Cheapside underpass leads into the car park of Morrisons supermarket.

View the opposite direction on Hyde DP Xtra.

See the original photograph on Geograph

View Hoviley Brow as a Sepia Scene in July 2011.

Hoviley Brow as it looked in the 1950s can be seen on Old Hyde.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

Flowers for Friday

A contribution to Floral Fridays.

Signs from WWI

Posters from WWI on display in St George's Church for the Heritage Open Day.

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: K is for Kentucky Fried Chicken

Well it won't be much longer now - the new KFC outlet on the site of the former Clarendon Square multi-storey car park is taking shape off Union Street.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

The Foxholes Oak has lost a branch

Since I posted a photograph of the oak tree by the Trans Pennine Trail at Foxholes on 24th March 2013 one the large branches has finally broken off and is lying on the side of the old railway embankment.

Compare this with the view in
January 2013;
February 2012;
June 2009

See a wider view of the tree on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

Classic Cars on Hyde Civic Square

Two members of the Tame Valley Vintage Classic Car Club displaying their vehicles on Hyde Civic Square on Heritage Open Day.

The Austin 7 Ruby on the left was last seen at Ewen Fields - read all about it in our post from 2nd November 2013.

See another classic car on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Blue Monday.

The former St Andrew's Mission

Earlier this week I showed you the northern remnant of John Street.

This view is looking across Clark Way from the exit from the M67 to the former St Andrews's Mission.

Now offices for C&L Systems, only the windows at the top betray its former use. St. Andrew’s Mission Church was built on John Street in 1875 as an offshoot from St Thomas the Apostle. It closed in the 1960s.

In the 1970s much of this area was demolished for the construction of the M67 and only a small remnant of John Street was left on the north side.

A little more information about St Andrew's can be found on Old Hyde

A contribution to Inspired Sundays.

Steel Reflections

Reflection in a steel drum belonging to the Pantonic All Stars Steel Orchestra who were performing recently on Hyde Civic Square.

Based in Stockport and founded in November 1985, they play regular gigs and collect for their charity, The Royal Manchester Children's Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Trust.

For a wider view of Orchestra see Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections.

Flowers of Remembrance

These bright flowers were on the remembrance table at St George's Church for the Heritage Open Day last weekend.

On the left is a WWII memorial which reads:IN MEMORY OF

FELIX N ALEXANDER
ALFRED J AXON
THOMAS N BERRY
ARTHUR BOOTH
W LEONARD BOWDEN
HAROLD BUNTING
HAROLD R CULLEN

GEORGE IBBOTSON
JOSEPH LAWTON
HAROLD MONKS
RONALD H NASH
FRED PLANT
JOHN ROWBOTHAM
HARRY H WARBURTON

KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE 2nd WORLD WAR 1939 - 1945
"FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH"
On the right is another memorial which reads:IN MEMORY OF
F STANLEY SHARPE
JOHN J SUDLOW
MARGARET A SUDLOW
ERNEST WADDINGTON

KILLED BY ENEMY ACTION
LEAVING DIVINE SERVICE
22nd DECEMBER 1940
"IN GOD'S KEEPING".
This refers to a bomb which fell on a house in Church Street. The bomb shattered all the windows in the church and many in surrounding houses. These people were killed on their way home from the evening service.

The WWI memorial which is on the wall above these can be viewed on Old Hyde.

A contribution to Floral Fridays.

Placards at Hyde Library

These placards were left outside Hyde Library following a demonstration on Saturday by people fighting to save the library.

A Tameside council spokesman has said: "The library service is due to be moved into the town hall within the next year. As is the case with all the council's buildings that are no longer in use, the library building will be marketed for alternative use. We will always consider any serious offers as and when they are submitted to us."

Karen Garner is leading a campaign to keep the building in community use and has applied to English Heritage to have it considered for listed status.

There is growing concern that Tameside council based in Ashton-under-Lyne is gradually eroding the heritage of surrounding towns in the metropolitan borough in order to support grandiose schemes in Ashton and have been doing so for many years.

See a wider view of the library on Hyde DP Xtra.

See a video report of the demonstration on the Manchester Evening News.

A contribution to signs, signs and Good Fences.

ABC Wednesday: J is for John Street (Northern remnant)

When the roads on the north side of the centre of Hyde were demolished in the 1970s to make way for the M67 motorway, this small remnant of John Street survived. The four terraced houses at the end lie back-to-back with the former St Andrew's Mission which closed in the 1960s.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Red sports car on Hyde Civic Square

One of a group of cars belonging to the Tame Valley Vintage Classic Car Club on display as part of the Heritage Open Day.

LPR 238H is an RMB Gentry, a kit car based on the Triumph Herald but with MG wheels.

See side views on Hyde DP Xtra and sithenah.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

I Love Where I Live

"I Love Where I Live" is a mural that stretches along the wall of the passageway to the toilets in the Clarendon Square Shopping Centre.

It was commissioned by the centre and created by young people from Alder Community High School, Godley Community Primary School and Flowery Field Primary School alongside tenants of the shopping centre.

Groups worked with artist Jacqui Symons to draw, sketch, paint, collage and print the buildings and houses of Hyde to create this 15 metre long artwork that features over 300 pieces of art.

Its positioning makes it difficult to photograph. This is the leftmost panel nearest the entrance.

Photos showing the length of the mural can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Monday Murals.

St George's Roofspace

12 months ago St George's Church was having a new roof fitted - see a photo of the work on Hyde DP Xtra.

For a photograph of the new roof from the outside see our post from November 2013.

Yesterday was a Heritage Open Day and I managed to climb up the steep stone steps into the "ringing room". Access to the roof space is normally covered up but I was kindly allowed to take a look through and this is how it looks.

Other photographs of the ringing room and some of the church memorials and displays will have to wait for another day.

A contribution to Inspired Sundays.

Scenic Weekend Reflections in Godley Brook

Godley Brook viewed from the entrance to the textile mills at Hoviley.

Compare with the same view in
March 2013;
July 2011;
September 2009;
March 2009;
May 2007.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections and Scenic Weekends.

A sideways view of Minerva on Hyde Library

On the top of Hyde Library is a statue of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and sponsor of the arts, trade, and strategy, holding a book.

Hyde Library was originally Hyde Technical School and Free Library. It opened in 1897 replacing the former Mechanics Institute.

In recent years the building was shared between the library and Tameside College but after the college moved out the library was extensively refurbished between 2006 and 2010 and a gallery to local artist Harry Rutherford was opened. However in 2012 the gallery was moved to the Central Art Gallery in Ashton under Lyne.

In the first round of "council austerity cuts" the public were presented with three "choices" regarding the future of library services. Smaller local libraries were closed in the light of promised improved facilities at main libraries such as Hyde. Now, in a new round of service cuts, the proposal is to move library services to the Town Hall.

The plan is then to sell the library building.

Petitions opposing the move of library services and the selling of the building are being presented to the council by local people opposed to what appears to be a growing centralisation of services in Tameside Metropolitan Borough in Ashton-under-Lyne and the stripping of assets in Hyde and other towns.

See another view of Minerva on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Old signage revealed

Google Streetview imagery dated 2011 shows the shop between Bennett's Staff Bureau and Zeenath's (two long established businesses) on Market Street as "The Jewellery Bar".

A year later it was Stin-Arch Ventures (a mobile-phone shop) - see this post from October 2012.

Another year on and it had changed to Muscle Freaks - see this post from October 2013.

Now it is closed again and part of the old signage of an even earlier business "The Boutique" is visible.

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: I is for Ice Bucket Challenge

Looking out last Saturday from the entrance to Clarendon Square Shopping Centre past the "key-cutting" stall towards Corporation Street with the RBS bank on one corner and the Town Hall on the other. The stall is advertising an "Ice Bucket Challenge" event taking place later that morning involving some of the traders from the Indoor Market. By 12 noon it was pouring down with rain so everyone was wet anyway. I wasn't able to stay and watch it but I have seen the video on Facebook.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Cone and broken bench

A broken bench on Hyde Civic Square taped around and marked with a cone.

Vandalism, accident or excessive wear and tear?

Take a look at it when it was new back in September 2012.

A contribution to Rubbish Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Hattersley Station Mosaic

On Friday I showed you the approach to the entrance of Hattersley Station.

This mosaic on the side of the entrance was completed by children from Pinfold School.

A contribution to Monday Murals.

Shadows at the Jolly Carter

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Weekend in Black and White: Hattersley Station

Yesterday I showed you the approach to the entrance to Hattersley Station.

The station has an island platform and lies in a cutting so access from the entrance is down a sloping covered footbridge which crosses the eastbound track then turns a right angle to reach the platform.

This view is looking westbound past the footbridge and along the track towards Godley.

See how it looked six years ago on Hyde DP Volume 1.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

Hattersley Station Approach

This is the approach to Hattersley Station. The large car park on the left had been cordoned off for drainage work.

The station on the Manchester Piccadilly to Glossop/Hadfield line opened in 1978.

A contribution to Good Fences and Skywatch Friday.

Onward at Hyde Library

The frieze above the entrance to Hyde Library on Union Street features the coat of arms of Hyde Borough. Hyde Borough coat of arms was granted in 1882. It is based on the design of the arms of the Hyde Family and to these are added articles of local industries of that time, namely a hatters' bow, cotton sprig and shuttle, Davy lamp and two picks. The motto is "Onward".

The foundation stone for Hyde Library was laid in 1897 by Elizabeth Ashton and the building was opened in 1899 by Letitia Mary Ashton as Hyde Technical School and Free Library.

See the foundation stones on Old Hyde.

It replaced the former Mechanics Institute.

I posted about the library in January 2014 and published further photographs of the library on Hyde DP Xtra.

I reported then that whilst in the first round of "council austerity cuts" the public were presented with three "choices" regarding the future of library services. Smaller local libraries were closed in the light of promised improved facilities at main libraries such as Hyde, but now, in a new round of service cuts, library services are being moved to the Town Hall and the council want to sell the library building.

An e-petition opposed to those plans can be found at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/62460.

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: H is for Hippodrome

The side of what was originally the Hippodrome.

It closed in the 1960s and the building was converted into a "Supermarket" though actually it was more like an "inside market" with various independent stalls on two storeys and included a very popular café which was located in the smaller building jutting out with four windows visible. Although this part is now accessed from Long Meadow car park via a fire escape there were originally steps inside leading to the café.

That closed in the 1990s and was vacant for a few years before opening as "Quality Save" but only the ground floor is used for retailing and is accessed from Clarendon Street.

The top storeys at this end are now occupied by Powerhouse Gym and accessed from Borough Arcade on the other side of the building.

For some more history and old photos see the Hydonian blog.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Wilko and the Town Hall

Opposite the Town Hall used to be the Hyde Equitable Co-operative but it later became KwikSave and then Wilkinson's. Now the name has been shortened simply to Wilko.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Old Tractor

This old tractor has lain abandoned at a farmyard for many years now.

As I only know some of its story and not how much of that is mere speculation I am saying nothing.

A contribution to the CDPB Rust and Ruin theme and Rubbish Tuesday.