ABC Wednesday: C is for Cordwell's Café

Cordwell's on Market Place is an amusement arcade cum café. There is another amusement arcade belonging to Cordwell's in nearby Clarendon Street but this one includes a café. At one time it was very smokey but after smoking inside was banned it was revamped and includes a toilet with disabled access. It seems though that the premises have been sold and the café is soon to close and be replaced by yet another bookies. To the left is £-stretchers in what used to be Woolworth's and is still referred to as "Woollies". To the right is the Albion public house.

Cordwell's Amusement Arcade on Clarendon Street can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

For more C posts visit ABC Wednesday

Work at the Theatre Royal

I recently showed you the boarded up doorway to the Theatre Royal 2 Cinema on the corner of Henry Street and Onward Street. The old notice-boards and sign had been removed.

I was passing there again last week and saw these builders at work on the building. Some plastering has been done and the window-frames are being fitted with metal shutters and vents. I don't know on whose behalf the work was being undertaken.

The Theatre Royal Onward Trust have been working since 1999 to acquire the building and restore it. Getting there is not easy but the fight is not lost. One day it will re-open.

More of my own photos of the theatre can be seen on Theatre Royal Hyde Photographs.

Sunday Bridges: Knott Fold at Sunset

Only a fortnight ago I posted a photograph of Knott Fold bridge looking East towards where horses change side.

Today's view was taken from that point looking Westwards under the bridge with the twilight of the setting sun lightening up the scene beyond.

For more Sunday Bridges visit San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Weekend Reflections: Cash Converters

This weekend's reflections are in the windows of the offices above "cashconverters" on Market Street.

See more reflections on Weekend Reflections.

Skywatch Friday: Hatton Grange

Hatton Grange is a residential care home on the site of the former Hyde Police Station. It occupies the land bounded by Oldham Street, Croft Street, Henry Street and Onward Street. It is named after local boxer Ricky Hatton.

On the day in question a bright winter sun was shining in the afternoon but storm clouds were gathering in the East.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Sweets & Treats

A confectionary stall on Hyde Market set up next to the roundabout (children's carousel).

ABC Wednesday: B is for Broken Branch

One of the branches of this tree at Foxholes is breaking off the trunk. Whether this is due to old age, storm damage or the effect of local kids swinging therefrom I couldn't say.

For more "B" posts visit ABC Wednesday.

All aboard the 344

A "Stotts of Oldham" Optare bus on the #344 Backbower circular route is picking up passengers at the heritage bus stop by Hyde Market on Monday afternoon. Stotts took over the route last week following the collapse of previous operator Speedwells.

The same bus on the #342 route (the Backbower circular in the opposite direction) can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

Back entrance to HBS Pharmacy

A new pharmacy opened on Market Street recently. HBS have taken over a former furniture store.

There are already two pharmacies (Lloyds and a Co-op) in the same block. This makes three now and there are a another three (two Boots [one ex-Nupharm] and another Co-op) within the town centre.

Like the other two they have a main entrance on the front of Market Street and a rear entrance onto the Long Meadow car park.

You can view the front entrance on Hyde DP Xtra.

For more Monday Doorways visit San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Shadow Shot Sunday: Behind Waverley Road

There is a little triangle of land behind the houses on Waverley Road and Laburnum Avenue (out of sight on the right). The third side of the hypotenuse is a footpath leading between the two and skirting the back of houses on a couple of cul-de-sacs.

These shadows were captured on a sunny day a few weeks ago.

For more shadows visit Shadow Shot Sunday.

Weekend Reflections in the rain on Hyde Market

The key-cutter's stall sells umbrellas. In front of him is a mobile coffee-shop and behind him is a burger/sandwich van. What more could you need?

For more reflections visit Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday: Looking past the Crown Pole

A view from the South end of Hyde Market looking down Corporation Street.

Immediately on the left is the Midland Bank. Across Market Street on the corner of Corporation Street is the Royal Bank of Scotland. Further down Corporation Street on the opposite side of the road can be glimpsed the domes of the Jamia Mosque. Nearer is the Town Hall from which a flag is flying.

In the foreground on the left is a board showing details of the plans to revamp the Market ground. Behind it lies the Crown Pole erected in 2002 to commemorate the Queen's golden jubilee. The pole is to be re-sited but the plans do not say where. The telephone box is to be retained.

More about the revamp on Hyde DP Xtra.

For more skies around the world visit Skywatch Friday.

National Cycle Network Route 62

This is the entrance to the Trans Pennine Trail and NCN route 62 from the corner of Stockport Road and Osborne Road.

The Sustrans website describes the NCN Route 62:

National Route 62 of the National Cycle Network will link Glasson just south of Lancaster with Selby in Yorkshire via Blackpool, Preston, Southport, Stockport and Doncaster.

The main part of National Route 62 forms the Trans Pennine Trail between Southport and Selby. The route from Southport to Penistone via Liverpool and Stockport is 96 miles, mostly traffic-free.

Although signed as part of the National Cycle Network, the Trans Pennine Trail is a separately managed and funded project. The Western section includes the Liverpool Loop line and the Cheshire Lines path and passes through the Peak District National park.

The home page of the Trans Pennine Trail says

The Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) is an exciting route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders linking the North and Irish seas, passing through the Pennines, alongside rivers and canals and through some of the most historic towns and cities in the North of England.

The Trail from coast-to-coast between Southport and Hornsea is 215 miles (346 km) long. A north-south route connects Leeds and Chesterfield and a spur to York means there are approximately 350 miles (560 km) of Trans Pennine Trail available to explore.

The Trans Pennine Trail is mapped and signed all the way, mainly traffic free and is surprisingly level considering the dramatic scenery along the way. Easy gradients and surfaced paths make many sections suitable for families, gentle exercise and people using wheelchairs and pushchairs.

You couldn't get down just here on a horse and you'd have to dismount your cycle. Nor is it accessible to a wheelchair user. A sign bans motorcycles but I've seen more than the occasional one on this section.

ABC Wednesday: A is for Ashworth Lane

Ashworth Lane runs through Hattersley.

On the left is Mill Hill Green on which stands the Monkey Puzzle Tree which was moved in 2010 to make way for a new Tesco supermarket. The land behind it off Chain Bar Road is being used as a works unit for the construction work.

The Tesco is been built on the right-hand side of Ashworth Lane.

For more A posts visit ABC Wednesday.

Where horses change sides

Just East of Knott Fold bridge on the Trans Pennine Trail, horse riders must jump the low double trough and change from the left hand side to the right hand side. On reaching Dowson Road bridge in the distance they must change sides again. Cyclists and walkers need to use the squeeze stile to get past the barrier across the track. This section which doubles as National Cycle Route 62 is along the line of the former Godley Junction to Apethorn railway line.

The coloured original can be seen on Geograph.

Royal 2 Doorway

The boarded up doorway to the Theatre Royal 2 Cinema on the corner of Henry Street and Onward Street.

The old notice-boards and sign have recently been removed highlighting the distressed state of the building.

The Theatre Royal Onward Trust have been working since 1999 to acquire the building and restore it. Getting there is not easy but the fight is not lost. One day it will re-open.

More of my photos of the theatre can be seen on Theatre Royal Hyde Photographs.

For more Monday doorways (and hopefully prettier ones) visit San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Sunday Bridges: Knott Fold

Another photograph from my walk along the Trans Pennine Trail on Christmas Day.

Horses on the left, cyclists and walkers on the right here but just after Knott Fold bridge the equestrians move to the right until they reach Dowson Road bridge where they change sides again.

For more Sunday bridges visit San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Weekend Reflections: Tree on Dowson Road

The morning after a very stormy night. There are large puddles on the footpath. A tall tree is reflected in the puddle. Several of its smaller branches have been blown down and are lying in the roadway.

See more of the tree on Hyde DP Xtra.

See more reflections on Weekend Reflections.

Skywatch Friday: Clouds over the Hare & Hounds

I posted a view of the sky over the Hare & Hounds on Werneth Low back in October 2011. For Skywatchers though it is an ever changing view. This is how it looked on Thursday at 10am with birds flying around and the sun just trying to peep out under the clouds.


About twenty minutes later the clouds had mostly gone, the sun shone and the sky turned blue. This is how it looked another three hours later with sheep grazing in the field below the inn.

For more from around the world visit Skywatch Friday.

Sepia Scenes: Chapel Court

Chapel Court is a westward extenstion of Chapel Street off Albert Road.

Around the bend and out of sight lie a clutch of both private and "social" housing.

For more sepia shots visit Sepia Scenes.

ABC Wednesday: Z is for Zeenath

I did Z is for Zeenath back in July 2008. I've no compunction about doing it again. That time I showed a view of the side window on Port Street.

This time I'm showing the front of the shop on Market Street.

Household domestic spares, fancy goods, small DIY and electrical goods. The windows and walls of the shop are stacked with all manner of stuff, yet there's just enough room for a few customers to go in and turn around.

A closer view of the front windows can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

For more "Z" posts visit ABC Wednesday.

Carousel in the Rain

On the last Friday before Christmas, a butcher's van is set up between the carousel and the White Lion. The carousel has operated on Hyde Market for over 100 years and will be retained when the market is extensively renovated in 2012.

More about the renovations on Hyde DP Xtra.

Leatherworks on Lumn Road

On the corner of Lumn Road and Townend Street is leather & grindery merchant, D Sharpe & Son, suppliers of aprons, belts, straps &c. It is almost opposite the site of the former James North factory which produced leather products for worldwide distribution.

See their sign on Hyde DP Xtra.

Christmas Day Puddle

Yesterday I showed you the reflection in the puddle under Dowson Road bridge on Christmas Day.

Today I show you a picture of the puddle itself looking under the bridge towards Knott Fold.

Compare it with the views in February 2011 and in February 2010.

For more Sunday Bridges visit San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Weekend Reflections: Under Dowson Road on Christmas Day

There was a big puddle under Dowson Road bridge on Christmas Day and as I walked along the Trans Pennine Trail I captured this reflection.

A wider, coloured version can be viewed on Geograph.

Another reflection from that day can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

More reflections can be found on Weekend Reflections.

Looking over the Shell garage

The view over the Shell garage on Dowson Road. On the right is the tower of St George's church. To the left can be seen houses on Woodend Lane. The trees between hide the deep-sided valley of the Gower Hey Brook.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Astoria Bingo Building

It was originally a cinema called La Scala; rumour has it they used to turn the heating up towards the interval in the hope that people would buy more ice cream. It was also used as a dance hall.

Comments made when I posted a photo of the Astoria Bingo Hall in 2007 include

"astoria bingo is ok its free every monday afternoon and evening, and its half price on tuesday. the money is not up to scratch like the big bingo halls,but its ok for the dear old ladies and the food is great too and it doesnt cost an arm and a leg."

"it may be small but all it needs is a lot more people to get the prices up.the staff and the people that go to astoria bingo are great to get on with you make new friends.and the atmosphere is nice too."

Obviously it was well loved by its clientelle but not very profitable and it was closed down in 2010. The cladding on the wall is coming off and the disused building is clearly deteriorating.

This is a crop of a wider view which you can see on Geograph.

ABC Wednesday: Y is for Yellow

The bright yellow on the roofs of the stalls on Hyde Market is very distinctive.

In 2012 an extensive revamp of Hyde Market is to take place. The £1.2m redevelopment will begin in January and will see the creation of a civic space for events and a change in the layout of stalls to improve access. Key elements of the proposed scheme include the use of high quality materials, removal of street clutter, changing the lay-out of the stalls to improve access to Clarendon Square shopping centre, and the creation of a civic space. The work will take place in two phases so that half of the market will remain open and in use whilst work takes place on the other half. The whole work should be completed by September 2012. The trees such as the one seen behind the stalls will be removed and new permanent stalls provided. Whether their roofs will still be so colourful remains to be seen.

Another view of the Market at the end of 2011 can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

For more "Y" posts visit ABC Wednesday.

Jolly Carter open again

A couple of weeks ago the Jolly Carter was shut down and not so jolly.

Although the "To Let" sign was still up on Saturday, it seems to have opened up again just in time for New Year.

2012 Twilight

A view over the rooftops towards the Hare and Hounds on Werneth Low.

This was taken just before dawn on New Year's Day.

Best of Hyde Daily Photo 2011: Winner

The winner of the Best of Hyde Daily Photo 2011 is this shot of reflections in the Peak Forest Canal by Captain Clarke's Bridge.

Who, you might ask, as people do, was Captain Clarke? Find out on Old Hyde.

The runner-up shot and full details of the voting can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.

Full size versions of all twelve contenders can be found on Best of Hyde 2011.

Other daily photo-bloggers are today publishing their best photo of the year. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Finally I would like to wish all my visitors a Happy New Year. There could be a lot happening in Hyde during 2012 and I hope to record at least some of it.