Old Hyde

Old Hyde
Pole Bank 1910 ----------------------------------------------------------Town Hall 1937 --------------------------------------------- Cenotaph 1990

Wednesday 28 October 2009

Orlando Oldhams Cork Cutters Factory


Janet Howie's photograph from 1984 is of the Orlando Oldhams cork cutters factory, latterly Ashworth's bag factory. The white building on the right is the Queen Adelaide.

The factory has since been demolished and an estate of modern houses, called Queen's Close, has been built on the site, as can be seen on Hyde Daily Photo.

More O posts at ABC Wednesday

Sunday 25 October 2009

Saturday 24 October 2009

Whittaker's Whim


About a hundred years ago in the old quarry below the Werneth Hotel on Stockport Road was found what was known as Frederick Whittaker's Whim.

I've been unable to find much out about this, but it is mentioned in an obscure, rambling spoof poem by James Leigh.
...
Just take a walk up o'er Werneth Low, and there you will behold
That grand and noble structure at the foot of yonder hill
An ever lasting monument of architectural skill.

We then besieged the palace of King Frederick the Great.
That tumble-down old building on the Back Bower Estate
But not a Godl(e)y soul we found in that ungodly place,
So we razed the building to the ground and left of it no trace

We then marched through the city of Gee Cross, but, strange to say,
The city's ancient glory has long since passed away;
The only ancients that we saw, beside old Freddie's whims
Was Robin and his brother Jam, the famous Gee Cross twins.

We halted on Mount Pleasant, and as we gazed around
We felt that we were standing upon historic ground,
For the foot of Treacle Hill stood gloomy, dark and grim,
The ruins of a temple, His Majesty's first Whim.

Each warrior bowed his crested head above Stone Pit wall,
And thus each one soliloquised upon the city's fall.

Oh, city of the ancients, we gaze upon you now,
Shorn of thy former glory how desolate art thou;
Thy Market Hall, without a roof, is crumbling to decay
Thy public park and pleasure grounds have long since passed away

But soon we noticed that the sun was sinking in the west,
And weather it was time or not, of course the sun knew best,
But we ourselves were very weary, though only half-past nine,
The heat is so oppressive in that Oriental clime.

We sought a refuge for the night at Doorbar's famous inn
...
Stone Pit is a reference to the reservoir now used for fishing and Doorbar's is a reference to the Grapes Hotel.

Now the old quarry is full of modern houses which you can see on Hyde Daily Photo and the quarry wall can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

Wednesday 14 October 2009

The Lumn


This image is from The Annals of Hyde according to which
Probably the oldest house in Hyde is "The Lumn" homestead of the Shepleys. Purchased in 1612 from Sir Uryan Legh, of Adlington, "The Lumn" estate became the property of Richard Shepley, whose direct descendants continue to hold it. This estate is said to have received its somewhat uncommon cognomen from the fact that the homestead erected thereon was then the only house near that boasted a chimney. On that account it was named "The Lumn."
Precisely where it was located I don't know but the name survives in Lumn Road which runs from Mottram Road to Stockport Road, a length of which can be seen on Hyde Daily Photo.

Friday 9 October 2009

Grapes Hotel 1982


This photograph of The Grapes was taken by Janet Howie in 1982.

Compare how it looked in

Wednesday 7 October 2009

Werneth Bredbury Boundary Stone


Another photograph from Janet Howie taken in 1984.

In the wall outside what is now the Joshua Bradley a stone marks the boundary between the ancient townships of Werneth and Bredbury.

Now it is the boundary between the Metropolitian Boroughs of Tameside and Stockport.

You can see the wall in context from across the road on Hyde DP Xtra and a 2009 closeup by Gerald England on Hyde Daily Photo.

Friday 2 October 2009

Gee Cross Post Office 1982


Another photograph by Janet Howie showing Gee Cross Post Office at the corner of Stockport Road and School Lane.

It is no longer a Post Office, falling foul of the general closure of numerous sub-offices, despite a concerted campaign against it. When I posted a photograph of the former Post Office someone asked "Is the new one near?". Well no you have to go all the way into town to the Main Post Office.

Someone else remarked "At least they kept the post box." In this shot the post box is behind the two ladies. It has since been moved round the corner into School Lane.

One thing hasn't changed - there is still a newsagents next door.

Thursday 1 October 2009

Contrasts on Joel Lane


This is another photograph from Janet Howie showing Joel Lane in 1983.

The white stone cottage was built in 1738 and whilst it has been modernised it still stands as can be seen from the photograph I took in 2008 which you can view on Hyde DP Xtra.

The later brick-built house below it in Janet's photograph has however been demolished and replaced by a newer property although I don't have a photo of that to show you.

The CDPB theme today is "Contrast": Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.
Related Posts with Thumbnails