Mrs Bell's Fish & Chip Shop

An old advert for Mrs Bell's fish and chip shop at 49 Dowson Road.

It is still a takeaway - see Hyde Daily Photo.

Godley Hall Inn

This photograph taken in August 1999 by Frank Bennett and reproduced here with his permission, first appeared on the Images of England site.

A grade II listed house which is now a public house.

"ICE 1718" on door lintel. Squared rubble with graduated stone slate roof and brick stacks. 3-bay 2-storey plan, the original door position, (now on the rear) suggests a baffle-entry. A 2-storey stair wing at the rear (now the front) is used as a porch and C20 additions have been added to each end. 3 window openings on each floor totalling three 2-light double-chamfered mullion windows (2 with hoodmoulds and all with mullions removed) 2 plain casement openings and a round-headed light. The porch has 2 similar round-headed lights, projecting plinth, an off-centre door, and a coped gable with kneelers and a ball finial. 2 ridge stacks and a later door to the right. The blocked door to the rear has a moulded surround and finely carved dated lintel. 3-light double-chamfered window and a single storey wing of a slightly later date. Interior much altered.

Recent photographs of Godley Hall Inn can be found on Hyde Daily Photo and Hyde DP Xtra.

Queen Adelaide's Donation

"The Highland Shepherdess" is one of nine pieces of needlework worked by Queen Adelaide herself and donated to a bazaar held in 1835 to raise funds for a school in Hyde. It was purchased by a member of the Tinker family and passed down through the family into the possession of Margaret (Peggy) Tinker. She has generously passed this artefact into the custody of St George's Church.

The church hope to have it restored in due course.

Queen Adelaide was born in 1792. She married William, Duke of Clarence in 1818. He reigned as King William IV from 1830 until 1837. Queen Adelaide died in 1849.

An enriched photograph of the tapestry can be found on Hyde Daily Photo.

Details from the frame can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.

For more "Q" posts this week visit ABC Wednesday.

Mechanics Intitute

Hyde Mechanics Institute was founded in 1850. It was built on the former site of Hyde Lane Independent Chapel, which was purchased by Mr. Benjamin Goodfellow (the founder of an engineering works on Mottram Road), and converted into a Mechanics' Institute and then generously handed over to trustees. Classes for teaching elementary subjects were held regularly every winter. There was also a reading room and a small library attached, lectures were given at intervals by noted men.

The old building was succeeded in 1861 by the building shown above. Part of the expense of the new building was met by a public subscription and a series of Penny Readings helped to wipe off the debt of £1,200 with which the building opened. The Mechanics' Institute played an important part in the development of old Hyde, particularly in the education of general knowledge among the working classes. In 1894 it was transferred to Hyde Corporation, and became the precursor of the Technical School and Library.

More information can be found on Hyde Cheshire.

The present building was opened in 1897, see Hyde Daily Photo.

St George's 1840

The earliest known picture of St George's dates back to 1840. It was found recently in a distressed state and fragments were carefully pieced together and stuck on a mount.

I took a photograph of this and then used PaintShop Pro to remove blemishes and restore the colour. Here is the result.

In the foreground is a horse-drawn barge on the Peak Forest Canal. Midground is the valley of the Gower Hey Brook before it became filled with trees, houses and allotments. The artist appears to have taken a little license with the tallness of the tower.

You can view the original distressed picture on Hyde DP Xtra.

A modern view of the church is on Hyde Daily Photo.

J & T Fowden - Undertakers on Hamnet Street

I found this old advert in a book. It must date from the 1890s as a notice in the London Gazette [pdf file] dated 28th June 1901 states

NOTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership heretofore subsisting between us the undersigned, James Fowden, of 57, Brook-street, Hyde, in the county of Chester, Funeral Undertaker, and Thomas Fowden, of 3, Hamnett-street, Hyde aforesaid, Funeral Undertaker, carrying on business as Funeral Undertakers at 3, Hamnett-street, Hyde aforesaid, under the style or firm of "J. and T. Fowden," has be«n dissolved by mutual consent as and from the 24th day of June, 1901. All debts due to and owing by the said late firm will be received and paid by the said Thomas Fowden, who will continue to carry on the said business at the same address in his own name only.—Dated this 24th day of June, 1901.
JAMES FOWDEN.
THOMAS FOWDEN.

The water board were recently digging a hole outside but I don't know how deep they dug.

You can view the hole on Hyde Daily Photo and the roadworks on Hyde DP Xtra.

Hattersley Cutting 1951

Photograph © Ben Brooksbank.

Taken on 28th July 1951 at Hattersley Cutting, with the Cleethorpes - Manchester express passing through.

The view is Eastward towards Broadbottom, Woodhead and Sheffield along the ex-Great Central Manchester - Sheffield main line, which since July 1981 was cut back to a local line just to Hadfield. The masts for the electrification had been erected in 1939 but electrification was not complete until the New Woodhead Tunnel was opened in June 1954. The very deep cutting used to be two tunnels until they were opened out in 1931. The train is the 09.27 Cleethorpes - Manchester London Road, headed by B1 4-6-0 No. 61160.

See how it looks nearly 60 years later on Hyde Daily Photo.