Looking down on the Peak Forest Canal

The Peak Forest Canal, viewed here from the Manchester Road bridge, was built at the turn of the 18th/19th centuries. On the right are 19th century warehouses. On the left are 21st century houses built on the site of the former Automasters Enginering Works.

Previous views of the Peak Forest Canal from Manchester Road:

• circa 1980
• December 2007
• October 2008
• March 2009
• April 2009
• August 2009
• January 2010
• June 2010
• October 2010
• March 2011
• February 2012
• June 2012
• October 2012
• March 2013
• August 2013
• November 2013

A contribution to Water World Wednesday.

Skywatch Friday: Some roofs on Market Street

On the left is moza, a curry/kebab takeaway next to which is Cat's Cake Emporium and The Old Bakehouse Bistro.

On the right are the offices of two estate agents "Taylor & Wood" and "Reeds Rains".

Want to see the shop fronts? Check the original wider view on Geograph.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Barclays Bank for sale

Barclays Bank is apparently for sale. Actually it is just the building. It isn't that the bank is moving out - they lease the building and pay a yearly rent which presumably the new owners would collect. Details of the sale are on the Prideview Property website

The building was built for Martins Bank in 1965. Martins merged with Barclays in 1969. See how it used to look on Old Hyde.

A contribution to Blue Monday.

T is for Towpath

The towpath of the Peak Forest Canal approaching Manchester Road.

On the left is a grade II listed former canal warehouse now used as offices.

On the right are new houses built on the site of the former Automasters engineering works.

Compare with the view in 2008 before the works was demolished - Hyde DP Vol.1, Automasters and with the view in 2011 before the new houses close to the canal had been built - Hyde DP Vol.1, Moorside Place.

A contribution to
Outdoor Wednesday;
Water World Wednesday;
ABC Wednesday;
Good Fences.

ABC Wednesday: N is for Nortons and a New shop Next door

Nortons solicitors at 181 Market Street was established in 1882.

Next door on the right at 183 is a new shop called Candy Couture who sell ladies clothes and jewellery including necklaces. I know nothing about them beyond what I've read on their website.

Number 183 was a ladies hairdressers, Katz Cutz, for numerous years. After that it was briefly an equestrian tack shop but now has a new tenant.

Next door on the other side of Nortons is what used to be Bob Butler's vets until his retirement. Someone opened a florists in the premises but it closed after three days and about nine months later the signage disappeared.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

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.

Weekend Reflections in Black and White at Robinson and Jordan

Reflections in the window and doorway of Robinson and Jordan Funeral Service on the corner of Market Street and Dowson Road.

A contribution to
The Weekend in Black and White;
Weekend Reflections.

Flowers outside Santander

Flowers in the new planter outside Santander on the corner of Market Place and Hamnett Street.

See how this looked in 1999 on Old Hyde when the bank was the Abbey National.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Reflections in a solicitor's office window

A contribution to Weekend Reflections.

Shadows across the former Bradford & Bingley

The building on the corner of Market Place and Russell Street is now empty.

This was formerly a branch of the Bradford & Bingley Building Society.

Compare with the photograph from April before its closure.

The bank Santander acquired their retail branches and savings business in September 2008.

In November 2004 they also acquired Abbey National plc and the Abbey had become part of the Santander Group.

In January 2010, the branch networks of both Abbey and Bradford & Bingley were rebranded as Santander.

For four years two branches of the Santander bank have co-existed only a few hundred yards apart, but now the former Bradford and Bingley branch has closed down and staff and accounts have all moved to the former Abbey branch.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Weekend Reflections and Shadows in Black & White on the Peak Forest Canal

The Peak Forest Canal from the towpath just above Manchester Road bridge.

See how it looked in April 2009.

See the view in the opposite direction on Hyde DP Xtra.

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

Lifeboats and ice cream

A week last Saturday was a hot day on Hyde Civic Square.

Behind the charity stall for the RNLI is Madge's ice-cream van (established 1897). That business is about as old the children's carousel glimpsed on the right.

In the background are bookies William Hill and the Santander Bank (a former Abbey bank and the only Santander in town now the former Bradford & Bingley has been closed).

A contribution to Blue Monday.

Through a Square Window

On a day of heavy rain, looking through the window of Lady Lavender's Tearoom outside Clarendon Square Shopping Centre across Hyde Civic Square (formerly referred to as the market ground) towards the offices on the other side with their square windows.

A contribution to the City Daily Photo theme Squares.

Shadows across Santander

This branch of Santander Bank was formerly a branch of the Bradford & Bingley.

Santander had acquired Bradford & Bingley's retail branches and savings business in September 2008.

In November 2004 they had acquired Abbey National plc and Abbey had become part of the Santander Group.

In January 2010, Abbey and the branch network of Bradford & Bingley were rebranded as Santander.

So for the last four years two branches of the bank have co-existed only a few hundred yards apart, but now the former Bradford and Bingley branch is being closed down and staff and accounts are all moving to the former Abbey branch.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

People reflected in the street

Reflections in a plate glass window of people and buildings in the Market Place including a puddle that is itself reflecting.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections and the City Daily Photo theme People on the Street.

I'm taking a short break from blogging for perhaps a couple of weeks but will still be around one way or another.

Clarendon Place from Service Yard 2

From Service Yard 2 of the Clarendon Square Shopping Centre looking across into Clarendon Place. On the left is the Queens, then the Willow Wood Hospice Charity shop, Hibbert's butchers (with the office of Hyde Cars above) and Paul's Carpets.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

Lloyds Bank

In September 2013 the Lloyds TSB Bank split off its former TSB (Trustees Savings Bank) branches pending sale/transfer to another banking group in 2014. The Hyde branch of Lloyds TSB reverted to being simply a branch of Lloyds Bank.

A contribution to signs, signs.

Shadows outside Santander

This is one of two branches of Santander on Market Place. This one was formerly the Bradford & Bingley. The other (ex-Abbey) is just two streets away.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Reflections at Barclays

I posted a photograph of the cash machine at Barclays bank on January 2nd. I had cropped the original photograph in order to show the signs above and to the right of the ATM.

This is cropped from the same original and shows the shops across the street reflected in the bank's windowblinds.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections.

Not a cigarette bin

The bin next to the Barclays Cash machine is accompanied by the sign: "Not a cigarette bin".

The sign above the ATM has clearly been there some time as it says "We welcome customers of other banks and building societies, including:" and lists The Woolwich (part of Barclays since 2006/7) and the Abbey National which changed to simply the Abbey in 2003 and has been Santander since 2010.

A contribution to signs, signs.