Harry Rutherford's Festival of Britain Mural

This photo is © Dave Williams and shows the mural painted by local artist Harry Rutherford for the Festival of Britain 1951.

It is to be found inside Hyde Town Hall on the wall above the entrance.

A good biography of Harry Rutherford (1903-1985) can be found on the Clark-Art website. They have some of his work for sale at prices from around £1-4000.

A contribution to Monday Murals.

Painted Milepost at Swains Valley

I showed you the Sustrans milepost on National Cycle Network Route #62 and Trans Pennine Trail at Swains Valley shortly after it was erected in May 2014.

This is how it looks now that it has been painted.

1000 Millennium cast iron mileposts were funded by the Royal Bank of Scotland to mark the creation of the National Cycle Network, and are found along the cycle routes through the UK.

There are four different types of posts, "Fossil Tree" by John Mills, "The Cockerel" by Iain McColl, Rowe Type by Andrew Rowe, and "Tracks" by David Dudgeon. The four artists are from each country of the UK though all posts can be found in all four countries.

For some close-up views see Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to signs, signs.

Painted Fossil Tree Milepost

In my post of 17th July 2014 I showed you the "fossil tree" signpost near Stockport Road.

It is one of several erected by Sustrans on the former Godley to Apethorn railway line, now Trans Pennine Trail and National Cycle Network Route 62. 1000 Millennium cast iron mileposts were funded by the Royal Bank of Scotland to mark the creation of the National Cycle Network, and they are now to be found along the cycles routes through the UK.

Since then work has begun on painting the signs. This one probably still has a little more work to be done on it yet.

A contribution to signs, signs.

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.

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.

Murals at Hattersley Station

At the top of the footbridge leading to Hattersley Station are two murals. The one on the left is by Alisha Fairlee of Pinfold School. The one on the right is by Shauna Poole of St James School.

A contribution to Blue Monday and Monday Murals.

God's Garden

The Methodists' theme for the 2014 Gee Cross Well Dressing is based on a verse from Dorothy Frances Gurney's poem "God's Garden".

"The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's Heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on Earth."

Dorothy Frances Gurney "God's Garden" lines 13-16
(London, Country Life, 1913)

This card was part of the display. See the full display on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to signs, signs and Floral Fridays.

Village Green Well 2014

The Village Green Well 2014 celebrates 100 years of the Brownies.

In 1914, 4 years after Baden Powell agreed to start the Girl Guids, younger sisters clamoured to become useful guides too. The Guide Association set up Rosebuds for younger girls aged 7-10 years. They didn't have a programme to follow like the Brownies of today but contributed to their local community by doing such things as collecting clothing and household items for the war effort. A rosebud was expected to know how:
The Union Jack is made up and how to fly it
To tie a reef knot, sheetbend, clove hitch, bowline, sheepshank and fisherman's knot

Three years later their name was changed to Brownies who were led by the "Wise Brown Owl". The journey has evolved, following footpaths to various interest badges, challenges and adventures. The motto "Lend a Hand" has been watchword for Brownies throughout their 100 years and they are still helping in their community. The promise has changed several times but the core of it remains the same "To do their best, and to help other people."

The symbols on their picture represent different aspects of Brownies:
The original Rosebud
The rose is for the Gardener badge
The dolphin for Friend to Animals Badge
The Hand for "Lend a Hand"
Everyone remembers jumping over the Toadstool!
Brown Owl
The modern Brownie

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.

For photographs from earlier years and links to more information about well dressing see this link.

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

Booths Well 2014

LEST WE FORGET

The Gee Cross & District Women's Institutes's 2014 theme for decorating Booths Well is commemorating the centenary of the First World War.

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.

For photographs from earlier years and links to more information about well dressing see this link.

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

The Bike "n" Hound on New Beech Street

This is a view of the Bike 'n' Hound pub taken from New Beech Street and shows the very old brick/stonework contrasting with the "newish" paintwork.

The Bike n Hound was originally The Royal Albert commemorating Prince Albert, the Consort of Queen Victoria, who died in 1861. The beerhouse licence dates back to around 1850. The first owner and licensee was Thomas Bridge, who was there for around ten years. After 1890 the Royal Albert was bought by the Philanthropic Burial Society of Hyde.

A commentator on the Hydedonian blog in 2010 referring to a similar photo wrote

Just to let you know - the left hand opening was a back door into a yard, then a window and then next opening was to the outside gents toilets the last opening was the window for the ladies loos - I lived there when these where knocked down to make the road that runs at the side of the pub, and the toilets were moved inside. The pool room (if its still there) was originally the living quarters and where the toilets are now was the kitchen, upstairs what now is the kitchen and living room was a single large "concert" room. I was around 11 when all this happened so it is over 35 years ago - god I feel old!!

When I took this photograph a few weeks ago a new piece of artwork had started to appear on side - see what has become of it on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors.

Free Library

Engraved above the Union Street entrance to Hyde Library are the words "Free Library".

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.

More photographs of Hyde Library can be viewed on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to signs, signs and The Weekend in Black and White.

Crib figures at St Thomas the Apostle

Folowing up yesterday's photograph from the Heritage Open Day at St Thomas the Apostle here are the Christmas Crib figures on display near the Lady Chapel.

The windows for which the church is noted are three William Morris windows which can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors.

St George's crockery detail

These pieces of crockery were on display at the recent Heritage Open Day in St George's Church.

I don't know their date but the image of the church shows it before the graveyard around the church was flattened and grassed over.

A contribution to the City Daily Photo Blogs October 1st theme - details.

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.

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.

The creative artisan and her coconut pyramid

Clare Booth creates cupcakes and other gorgeous goodies.

When we visited her Lady Lavender tearoom last week, there was just one coconut pyramid left on the display counter.

Needless to say we ordered a pot of tea and a toasted teacake to go with it.

See a closer view of them on Hyde DP Xtra.

See more creative artisans on the CDPB May theme page.

See more "P" posts on ABC Wednesday.

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.

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.

Signs, signs

In a corner of the bottom of the inside market in Clarendon Mall is a unit that sells photoprints and signs.

These were on display last Saturday.

A contribution to signs, signs.

Easter bonnets

Last Saturday in the inside market in Clarendon Mall there was an Easter bonnet competiton on and these were some of the entries on display.

For Mellow Yellow Monday.