Postbox SK14 31

Red postbox SK14 31 on the corner of Dowson Road and Grosvenor Road.

Above the posting slot there used to be a notice informing users of the "Next Collection" time but nowadays that isn't used.

A larger notice informs that the last collection on Mondays to Fridays is made at 5.45pm and on Saturdays at 11am. There is no Sunday collection.

Nearly all postboxes carry a regnal signature which in this case is that of Queen Elizabeth II.

See a wider view on Hyde DP Xtra.

For Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Corner of Stockport Road and Joel Lane

The property on the corner of Stockport Road and Joel Lane has been restored in recent months. Once upon a time it was Eric Lyne's grocers. The original stone building was involved in a fire, and it was rebuilt in brick. The ground floor is now office space and the upper storeys are presumably residential flats.

The shop next door has been unoccupied for several years and flowers are growing up a trellis from the old bay window base as can be seen in my post from July 2011. In the 1960s it was Bennett's bakers but in more recent times it has been a butchers and a sandwich shop.

The next shop along used to be Jolly & Hollingworths ironmongers. More recently it has been a pharmacists but is now a hairdressers.

A contribution to Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors.

Lamb shadows

I posted a photograph of the Lamb Inn in August 2010 and earlier in December 2008.

It was a very different place a century ago.

This is how it looked a week last Saturday afternoon. A sign says "Under New Management" but it looks closed and shadows of trees are creeping across the road towards it.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

The Weekend in Black and White: Gerrard's Hollow

A deep valley off Stockport Road, Gee Cross. A row of 12 cottages could be found here in 1872 but they are long gone.

The original photograph can be seen on Geograph.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

Skywatch Friday: Tatton Street

Tatton Street is a short street off Stockport Road, Gee Cross that once led to a row of terraced cottages called Farmside but now serves modern bungalows at the rear of Spouthouse Farm on the right behind the wall and high trimmed hedge.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Hyde Indoor Market

A new sign for Hyde Indoor Market was unveiled on the wall of the Clarendon Shopping Centre on 6th April 2013. The artwork is the product of the Community Arts Project and involved various community groups who worked on the different letters. Each of the letters represents in some way or another one of many stalls within the market.

This is a collage of the three parts presented vertically for easier viewing.

See how it actually looks on the wall on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: O is for Oops...

I was crossing the western footbridge to the bus station over the M67 motorway last week. I noticed a car parked on the hard shoulder just past the slip round and near the eastern footbridge.

I zoomed in and saw that the occupants were out of the car waiting by the barrier with a spare tyre and a car-jack. Presumably they were waiting for one of the breakdown services to come and change a flat tyre.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

St George's, Hyde

A view of the church from the east. Read something about its history on Old Hyde.

A contribution to the CDPB St George's Day theme and Our World Tuesday.

Bouncy Castle in Hyde Civic Square

This bouncy castle was set up in the Civic Square a couple of weeks ago. It hadn't started taking customers first thing but it was quite busy later - you can see it in the background of my recent post about Stockport Steel. If I recall correctly they were charging £1.50 for a 5 minute session.

A contribution to Mellow Yellow Monday.

That spiral ramp leading to a footbridge over the M67 again

As it is a while since I photographed this footbridge I though it was time for another in the series.

Earlier photos of or from the footbridge:

• 060505 M67 Junction 3
• 070627 Footbridge over M67
• 080119 M67 Looking East
• 080205 Clark Way Bridge over M67
• 090330 End of March Quiz
• 090406 The Answer is a Spiral Ramp
• 090413 Ramp to Spiral Footbridge
• 090527 Inside the Spiral
• 090928 That Spiral Ramp Again
• 091006 Footbridge Underview
• 091023 Spiral Skywatch
• 091030 Along to the Spiral Ramp
• 091106 Not the Spiral Ramp but ...
• 100103 Another Look at the Spiral Ramp Footbridge
• 110717 Shadow Shot Sunday/Sunday Bridges: The Spiral Ramp
• 120729 The man on the spiral footbridge
• 120729 Accessing the spiral footbridge

A contribution to Sunday Bridges at San Francisco Bay Daily Photo

Weekend Reflections: Stockport Steel

The Pantonic All Stars Steel Orchestra performing 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. Visit their website for more information.

There are two more photographs on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections.

Friday Fences: Roadworks on Market Street

Market Street is disturbed by roadworks again. This photograph was taken a couple of weeks ago before I went on holiday to Blackpool. Then the disruption was confined to the pavements.

The work is still ongoing and is now affecting the junction with Union Street and causing traffic jams.

Take a look at the uncovered pipes and cables on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Friday Fences.

Gateposts at Norbury House

The former care home on Great Norbury Street is starting to look somewhat distressed, but these gate posts recall a grander past.

For signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: N is for News Pot

The "News Pot" in Clarendon Mall is just one of a number of newsagents to found in and around town. As well as newspapers and magazines they also sell sweets and confectionary.

For ABC Wednesday.

Hyde Dawah and Education Project

The Hyde Dawah and Education Project is the current occupant of the former Borough Inn.

I don't know anything about it but they do have a Facebook page.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

Mellow Yellow Monday: Dwarf Daffodils

Dwarf daffodils were for sale recently on Hyde Market - £2 a pot or three for a fiver.

Same price as last year.

For Mellow Yellow Monday.

Shadows across the path

Shadows across the path leading from Grosvenor Road to Church View.

For Shadow Shot Sunday.

Mona Street

A street of terraced houses off Nelson Street.

Six Shops on Grosvenor Road

This was originally a group of six shops when the estate of private houses around Grosvenor Road were built (probably around the 60s or 70s). The second from this end used to be an "English chippie" in the 90s. The middle four have been converted into houses. At the bottom end what was a hairdresser's in November 2009 is now a kitchen design shop. At the top end is Yogi's convenience store but even that was closed on New Year's Day when this photograph was taken.

Boston Terrace

If memory serves me correct, this group of shops on Mottram Road are called Boston Terrace and were part of an urban renewal area about ten years ago when the upper rear parts were converted into flats with access from Boston Street. They now appear to be in need of renewal once again. I recall the "Butty Box" being a flourishing concern in the mid-1990s.

This photograph was taken November 2012 so it may look a bit different now.

ABC Wednesday: M is for Mount Street

From Ridling Lane towards Travis Street.

For ABC Wednesday.

Buxton Inn

The Buxton Inn on Mottram Old Road is now under new management.

Pigeons in the planter

There are pigeons among the flowers in the planter at the corner of Clarendon Street and Market Street. The newly planted tree obscures the telephone kiosk behind. The Town Hall is on the left and on the right is Greenfield Street.

Easter shadows

Easter Saturday on Clarendon Place. The weather was cold but the sun cast long shadows. The carpet shop and the butcher's were open but the Willow Wood hospice shop was closed for the Easter period.

For Shadow Shot Sunday.

Weekend Reflections in the White Lion Window

Reflected in the etched window of the White Lion are one side of the Clarendon Square shopping centre and the century-old children's carousel.

For Weekend Reflections.

Friday Fences: Shrubs on Greenfield Street.

Back in July 2006 there was a flower bed with some lovely sunflowers outside the Town Hall toilets on Greenfield Street.

By August 2007 the flowers had been replaced by shrubs and the toilets closed.

Now the toilets are still closed, the shrubs have matured and been enclosed by a low ornamental fence.

A contribution to Friday Fences.

Textiles Direct Closing Down

Textiles Direct in Clarendon Mall has had closing down sales frequently since 2007 and earlier but this time it may actually be the final one.

It is understood that the firm went into adminstration at the beginning of March and a buyer is being sought. Last week their website was showing the only listed branch as Accrington in Lancashire but the google-map pointed to Accra in Ghana!

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: L is for Lion on the Loose

There was a lion on the loose in the inside market the other week.

I caught it on my phone and haven't seen it since.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Track to Godley Reservoir

There is a private access track to Godley Reservoir leading off Mottram Road. The gates are padlocked. There is a small building behind the wall. When the wall was being repaired in May 2011 the building was completely hidden in the trees.

It is in a fact a meter house. Godley reservoir is part of series of waterworks that were built originally to take water from the Longdendale Valley to Manchester.

See a map of the waterworks and aqueduct on Old Hyde.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

Pedestrians crossing

The crossing links the shops and bus stops on Market Street with the market and the mall and so is probably one of the busiest in town.

I captured a view of this same crossing from the other side (whilst sitting in Subway!) back in May 2007.

The CDPB theme for today is Pedestrians Crossing.