Temple, Hulme Park

In 1904 Henry Royce and Charles Stewart Rolls started a business after meeting at the Midland Hotel in Manchester. They were enthusiastic about the new-fangled motor car and decided to make them in a factory in Hulme and by 1908 demand was so high that production moved to Derby. Their memory lives on in Hulme though, in such places as Royce Road and Rolls Crescent. And a sculpture in a park.

I know the road to this sculpture's existence was paved with good intentions, but unfortunately any imagination that showed it's face was discarded somewhere along the way. The sculpture, by George Wyllie, entitled 'Temple', is essentially the radiator grille and the Spirit of Ecstasy figure. Although it was inspired by the memories of local people he could have made a bit more effort, perhaps by introducing some subtlety, for instance. If you want to see it in all its glory get down to Hulme Park.

Albert Kennedy

There are quite a few of these rainbow mosaics around Manchester city centre. They form specific points on the LGBT history tour. This one on Sackville Street next to Chorlton Street multi-story car park is particularly poignant as this is where Albert Kennedy fell to his death running away from homophobic thugs. He was 16 years old. When he died he was resident in a care home in Salford from which he regularly absconded. His life and death highlighted the inadequacies in a system that was, and is, meant to help young people. There is still confusion over what happened the night he died but whatever the truth he represented thousands of young people struggling with the consequences of admitting their sexuality to their families. The Albert Kennedy Trust was set up in 1989 as a response to this. See here for an article about remebering Albert Kennedy.

Graffiti I love #5

Not strictly graffiti, I know. It's a sticker. But it counts. It's on Hulme Arch, Stretford Road.

Mr Thomas' Chop House and The Tempest

Never let it be said that our finest public houses aren't frequented by he great and the good. And the bad. Has this royal visit to one of Manchester's best pubs something to do with the fabulous Royal Exchange, which is just down the road from the Chop House?

Mr Thomas' Chop House deserves a post of it's own, of course, so I suppose I'll have to go back and investigate further. It's a hard life, isn't it?

Granada Television revisited (sort of)

On my last visit to Granada Telly I mentioned that I loved the typeface used on the side of the building. Philip Wilkinson commented that it may have been cut specially for the Festival of Britain. I recently spotted two more examples of this (or something similar) on Bridge Street, off Deansgate. Albert Bridge House, H.M. Revenue and Customs (E.H. Banks) was built 1958 - 9 for tax offices and is eighteen stories high. I don't have much to tell you about Granada Cleaners, I'm afraid...

St. John's Gardens

St. John's Gardens is on the the site of one of Manchester's lost churches. Built in 1768/9, St. John's Church was built for Edward Byrom, a local landowner and businessman. It was demolished in 1931.

Some notable people buried in the church yard - William Marsden, who successfully campaigned in the 1840s for an early finish on Saturdays (introduced in 1843) much to the dismay of mill owners.

John Owens, founder of Victoria University. Owens College opened in 1851 with the aim of being able to provide a classical education similar to that of Oxford and Cambridge. Student numbers rose when the college began setting exams (run by the University of London). As a result of this the college on Quay Street was too small to deal with the increase. This resulted in a commission to build in 1880 what would become Victoria University. Owens College was the first college of this new university, now the University of Manchester.

St. John's Gardens can be found on Byrom Street, near Castlefield.

Boredom

Suffering from some slight ennui lately I haven't bothered to update this blog. Although, on my travels in and around Greater Manchester I keep seeing things that immediately strike me as something I must post on my blog, suggesting the tedium has not quite won. In the meantime, have a look at this treasure. See you soon.

Lost pubs #1

If you like some Polish nosh, a good pint and/or worked at Arts About Manchester in the mid-nineties you will have heard of the Pot of Beer. Situated on New Mount Street the pub has been closed for some time now.