Martins Bank 1965

Image © Barclays Ref 30/1399 Courtesy Martins Bank Archive.
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The Adelphi Bank opened at 38 Market Street in 1892. It became the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank in 1899 and Martins Bank in 1928. By the mid 1960s the building had become inadequate and this new building was built in 1965.

The re-opening was heralded by local newspaper advertisements, informing customers that now the new branch is open for business, the temporary premises at 25 Market Street are closed.

Image courtesy of Jonathan Snowden from the Martins Bank archive.
(Click on image to view full-size version)
Note the opening hours in 1965: Mon to Fri 1000-1500, Saturday 0900-1130.

By 1969 Martins had merged with Barclays and lost their independent name above the branches. For more information about the banks see the Martins Bank archive.

For a look at the temporary premises at 25 Market Street see Hyde DP Xtra.

For a look at the current bank at 38 Market Street see Hyde Daily Photo.

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."

The Lumn was located in front St Thomas Church bordered by Tom Shepley St, Orchard St and Lumn Road.

A contribution to the CDPB theme day, Chimneys.

Warburton, Plant and Nash Memorials

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These photographs were taken over two years ago by Tom Wigley close to Captain Clarke's Bridge and near the site of the former St George's Sunday School Rowing Club.

Nothing now remains of a War Memorial that was erected to commemorate rowing club members who were killed in the First World War.

This memorial stone shown was added to commemorate the three club members who died in the Second World War. It is understood that the original memorial was destroyed by vandalism and the Second World War memorial was fished out of the canal at some point and set into the ground along with the one commemorating that the ground had been given by the parents of Harry Warburton.

THIS LAND WAS GIVEN
BY
MR AND MRS N WARBURTON
AS A MEMORIAL TO THEIR SON
HARRY HURST WARBURTON
KILLED IN ITALY
FEBRUARY 23RD 1946
WHILST ON ACTIVE SERVICE
WITH H.M.FORCES

ALSO TO THOSE WHO FELL
IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR
1939-1945
FLIGHT SGT R.H.NASH
FLYING OFFICER F.PLANT
TROOPER H.H.WARBURTON

More information about the men involved can be found on the Hyde Cheshire blog.

Tom Wigley's photograph of Captain Clarke's Bridge taken at the same time can be found on Hyde Daily Photo.

Archaeological Finds at Newton Hall

Newton Hall, a Grade II listed building and one of Britain's earliest cruck-framed buildings, stands on the corner of Dukinfield Road and Dunkirk Lane in Hyde, Cheshire. It eventually became used as a barn for the farm that occupied part of the site. It was encased in a brick building having a blue slate roof. When the farm buildings were being demolished in the 1960s, to make way for industrial buildings, the contractor saw the ancient cruck-framed construction and, realising it was an important ancient building, stopped demolition immediately. The other farm buildings were later demolished but the original medieval hall was preserved. Sir George Kenyon, the Chairman of William Kenyon & Sons Ltd of Dukinfield, rescued it. Browns of Wilmslow undertook the restoration work and this was completed in 1970.

During the restoration work, a large glass panel was inserted into one side the purpose of this being twofold. It allows sufficient light into the hall so that it can be used for modern purposes such as holding conferences, seminars and meetings and it also allows the construction of the building to be viewed from the outside. It now has a stone flag floor with under-floor heating, whereas originally it would have had an earthen floor.

More information at http://www.pittdixon.go-plus.net/newton-hall/newton-hall.htm

In April 2012 Tameside History Forum in conjunction with Salford University undertook an archaeological dig at the site. Over 500 photographs of the excavation can be found on their Photobucket gallery.

These photographs were taken at one of the open days at the end of the dig when Edward Montagu's Regiment of Foote were performing at Newton Hall together with their Civil War Cannon.

More photographa of the dig can be seen on Hyde Daily Photo and Hyde DP Xtra.

New website for the Theatre Royal

There is a new website now for Hyde Theatre Royal Onward, the trust set up to save this historic theatre for the town.


My own photographs, mainly from the Heritage Open Days can be found at http://www.geraldengland.co.uk/gx/royal.htm

The Crown Pole

The "Crown Pole" is not a conventional signpost. The top eight fingers in descending order point to Audenshaw, Stalybridge, Dukinfield, Denton, Ashton-under-Lyne, Mossley, Longdendale (almost invisible here as it points directly at the camera) and Droylsden. The bottom finger, presumably added to give balance, merely points "South".


It was erected in 2002, along with others in Tameside, to commemorate the golden jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II.


On the market ground opposite Corporation Street, it replaced former flower tubs.

In January 2012 it was uprooted to be moved to an undisclosed site as Hyde Market underwent extensive renovations.

See the photographs on Hyde Daily Photo (Vol.2) and Hyde DP Xtra.

Pleasant Sunday Afternoon

The PSA, (Pleasant Sunday Afternoon) was a reformer's answer to men languishing in the pubs and families left at home.


Until the day it closed it was only 1d (old penny) to get in and enjoy all the activities with a cup of tea and biscuits thrown in.


The building was on Market Street, just lower down than the junction with Union Street.


These photographs come courtesy of the Hydonian blog.


For a relic of the PSA see Hyde Daily Photo.