Lost in Manchester

Still lurking....

2011-08-22T19:16:00.000+01:00

....here, and here if you fancy checking it out.

The end

2011-08-22T19:12:00.000+01:00

After a couple of years blogging about weird stuff around Manchester I've decided to call it a day. It's been fun. Thanks for all your support and kind comments. I'll still be over at Twitter for Manc related stuff, beer related stuff and general nonsense. Cheers!

Footy supporters and their stickers #1

2011-05-08T16:36:00.001+01:00

Pootling around Manchester recently I've noticed quite a bit of stickering enthusiam from not only the local footy supporters but from visitors, too. They are everywhere.

Manchester United, England

l'Olympique de Marseille, France

AEL Limassol, Cyprus

FC Schweinfurt, Germany

Berner Sport Club Young Boys, Switzerland

An invitation

2011-04-28T22:02:00.001+01:00

An invitation to express your feelings (recently removed from the Mancunian Way/Oxford Road).

Stars of Brookside and many more

2011-04-17T18:28:00.003+01:00

The famous Rambo's tattoo parlour on Thomas Street and his illustrious clientele.

Fuck everybody

2011-04-14T20:06:00.003+01:00

Yes, it's Cavendish Place again. Due to the lazy approach I've been taking to this blog lately the subject matter seems to be anything I notice on my journey to work. Oh well, hopefully it will improve soon and I'll wander a bit further afield. But for now, more Hulme.

Cavendish Place. Again.

2011-04-04T19:13:00.001+01:00

I think I could probably devote an entire blog to the feelings abouth the student accommodation currently being constructed on Cavendish Street, Hulme. In fact, I almost feel obliged to keep a record of it.

Graffiti #11

2011-04-01T19:22:00.002+01:00

All hail the Big Society.

Mancunian Way crossword

2011-03-24T22:27:00.000Z

In the absence of clues we have a haven for the bored and the bad spellers.

Pub ephemera #3

2011-02-20T18:31:00.001Z

Some lovely metal advertising spotted on the walls of the fabulous Port Street Beer House.

Some more resentment

2011-02-08T19:58:00.002Z

Some more resentment spotted in Hulme today. A response to some graffiti from the recent student protests.

Gay Village graffiti

2011-02-01T18:38:00.001Z

Kitsch

2011-01-09T17:38:00.004Z

Nothing like a bit of kitsch, eh? It's acceptable now in a camp sort of way but once it represented those lower types who had aspirations relating to notions of high art. Hilda Ogden and her flying ducks springs to mind, bless her. One of my university lecturers collected flying ducks, but that was irony. And middle class indulgence. If you want some intellectual exploration of camp and kitsch you need to go here with Susan Sontag. The ducks pictured are are flying high outside The Parlour on Richmond Street.

Velo heaven

2010-12-20T09:44:00.003Z

Have a jolly Xmas, folks. See you next year.

Some resentment

2010-12-09T18:39:00.004Z

Some more resentment from a Hulme resident scrawled on a building site on Cavendish Street (more overpriced halls are being built here). On top of all those fees I'll be amazed if any student can afford to live in one of these private ventures that provide student accomodation. Whatever happened to halls provided by Universities?? And as well as this there is plenty brewing about this.

As yet there have been no comments added.

Soap

2010-11-30T20:21:00.003Z

Some nostalgia for old soap characters has been cropping up around Chester Road recently. I'm hoping Elsie Tanner and Beth Jordache will make an appearance in the near future.

Graffiti #10

2010-11-22T19:19:00.000Z

I know the feeling.

Thick

2010-11-07T18:20:00.002Z

Spotted this on Stretford Road a while ago. I'm guessing they are going directly for their target market.

Yes, I am being judgemental.

A4 rebellion

2010-10-24T21:02:00.015+01:00

Nice to see a bit of local direct action - a good supply of A4 and a printer is all you need. The Arch Bar in Hulme was closed for some time. Recently it was knocked down, and now there's just an empty plot of land. With The Salutation, Sand Bar, the Ducie, the Junction (to name a few) not too far away, I think Hulme folk are not too deprived of a place to go for a pint or three. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I'm sure there was a bloody good argument for using the property as something else, though. I'm glad The Arch as a bar has gone, and it's a shame some resort to a bit of student-bashing, but it's clear an opportunity was missed to do something constructive with the building.

Graffiti #9

2010-10-16T10:57:00.002+01:00

While I struggle to get my act together and try to produce a half decent blog post, here's some advice I found scribbled in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford.

Miserablism

2010-09-26T17:26:00.004+01:00

I was having a clear-out a few months ago and found these cassettes. They haven't seen the light of day for a long time. I used to love The Smiths but hardly ever listen to them now - finding these transported me back to a being a miserable teenager, but reminded how amazing The Smiths were. And cassettes! Such a great piece of technology. Long live the bloody miserable!!

Pub ephemera #2

2010-09-19T18:56:00.016+01:00

Whilst out on a trip to see Hyde F.C. v. Redditch United a visit to The Sportsman (Hyde) on Mottram Road was in order. A great pub with a fabulous selection of beers it also caught my eye because of the local brewery ephemera on display in the lounge. Some classic poster designs were on show and the following are just a few that caught my eye.

'The strongest of the strong'

Shaw's Brewery was born in an Ashton pub - The Red Lion on Stamford Street - and in 1865 was moved by it's owner William Shaw to Duckinfield. It produced many ales, as well as a church and a Sunday School. In 1933 Shaw's produced the ale above - Gradely Ale - a liquer ale, a winter warmer and the 'strongest of the strong'. The Shaw family owned the brewery until 1941 when they were bought by John Smith's Tadcaster Brewery.

Gartside's (Brookside Brewery), Ashton-under-Lyne

I struggled to find much information about Ashton's Gartside's (Brookside Brewery), other than that it was was bought by Bent's Brewery in 1939 then taken over by Bass in 1975.

Heginbotham's, Stalybridge

Now, Heginbotham's of Stalybridge. I couldn't find even the most basic history of this brewery so if anyone can help with this, or any of these breweries please get in touch. These are great advertisments reminding us of a fine local industry no longer here so it's great to see them on display. Cheers!!

Graffiti #8 - Our Frank

2010-09-03T19:48:00.002+01:00

Spotted this little memorial to the wonderful Frank Sidebottom outside Manchester Uni on Oxford Road. The legend lives on.

Milestone

2010-08-26T17:12:00.000+01:00

I love the simplicity of a cast-iron milestone. This one is on Wilmslow Road in Didsbury village.

Withy Grove Stores

2010-08-15T17:52:00.004+01:00

I've always loved the front of this shop that is just off Shudehill, and ever since I can remember it has looked derelict even when it was trading. What impressed me most was the lack of effort in the window display - we sell filing cabinets (cue dumped filing cabinets near window area). No pretension. It looks closed now but I love the stuff left in the window - the usual products, and some unusual too.

A walk around Hulme Playhouse/Hippodrome

2010-08-09T14:58:00.010+01:00

The Hulme Playhouse was built in 1902, next to The Hippodrome, by J.J. Alley and were connected by an arcade. They can be found on Preston Street and Warwick Street in Hulme. The theatres changed names in 1905 - one becoming The Grand Junction Theatre and the other The Hippodrome (becoming a music hall). As with a lot of theatres conversion to cinema became inevitable, and in 1929 it became the Junction Picture Theatre. The Playhouse followed in 1951, then the BBC Playhouse from 1956 until 1987 when it was used as a TV and radio studio. The Hippodrome in 1942 was home to The Second Manchester Repetory Theatre and by 1962 had changed to a bingo hall and casino (confused yet??!). In 1991 the buildings had evolved into the Nia Centre providing a stage for Afro-Carribean culture - Nina Simone was the opening night attraction. The regeneration of Hulme and lack of funding meant the Nia closed in 2000. The building is Grade II listed but now stands derelict.

Pub ephemera #1

2010-08-01T18:31:00.004+01:00

I love the artefacts you find in a bloody good pub. They are displayed there out of respect for a damn fine ale/beer/wine* And they are usually design classics - I've tried to trace what this particular bit of advertising is and where it might once have been displayed but to no avail. In the meantime it's hanging from the ceiling of the New Oxford pub in Salford - described in the Good Beer Guide as 'dedicated to the worship of quality beer'. If you've never been, shame on you.

*delete as applicable

Some more Banksy

2010-07-22T19:21:00.002+01:00

During a recent excavation in my flat I found some old rolls of film. One of which was 20 years old and full of miserable urban landscapes, and one that was about 8 years old and on this one were some possible pieces of Banksy grafitti. I know he's considered a bit past it now, but I still love the simplicity of the work. These two were around the Charles Street/Princess Street area of central Manchester.

Graffiti #7

2010-07-10T14:25:00.004+01:00

You're never more than a metre away from a poet in this city. This is at the end of Mouncey Street underneath the railway arches (off Charles Street by the BBC).

Dame Tanni at Victoria Station

2010-07-04T17:00:00.007+01:00

I've been meaning to take a picture of this for ages - you can see it on the side of a building next to Victoria Station. It's lovely to think that this has been here for eight years, and I like to think that the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games gave quite a lot of weight to the 2012 Olympic bid that London subsequently won (let's not dwell on Manchester's bid for the 2000 Olympics. Bless). Tanni Grey-Thompson is such a fine example of athletic achievement and determination (11 Paralympic gold medals) that I hope that this image can be preserved. It does seem to have been left here because no-one has been bothered to take it down, though. It would be nice to think that this an intentional act to give us all inspiration. Anyway, let's keep it there as a monument to personal belief and dedication. Let's hear it for Dame Tanni!

Disappearing Banksy

2010-06-27T18:20:00.002+01:00

The recent (relatively) publicity about the Banksy found in the Northern Quarter made me think of a similar piece of bulldog graffiti I spotted on Richmond Street in the gay village in 2007. It's been scrubbed off, though (and rather vigorously)...

but this is what was once there...

A practice run, I think.

Charlotte Bronte at the Sally

2010-06-25T21:42:00.012+01:00

I stumbled across this for the first time the other day. Now, I have been going to the Salutation for many years and have never noticed this plaque declaring such literary connections. I'm sure the world and his wife must know about this, but I'm afraid until recently it passed me by. It's quite self-explanatory when you read the plaque so there really isn't much point in me going on about it - only to point out that Charlotte was one among many to pay a visit to this wonderful place. It's on Higher Chatham Street at the back of MMU, so if you're an MMU student based at All Saints looking for your tutor they'll probably be in here. There are more illustrious vistors (your bog standard alcoholic lecturers aren't included in this category) who are more in line with the quality of the Brontes - Frank Sidebottom played here on the first day of the world cup.

click to read!

J & J Shaw, New Wakefield Street

2010-06-14T19:16:00.004+01:00

After reading this excellent post over at Manchester Photography I was reminded of a fantastic doorway on New Wakefield Street. Manchester has some fine tiling on it's buildings - this is one of my favourites.

Lindsay Anderson's The White Bus

2010-06-07T18:18:00.008+01:00

The White Bus is a short film, made in 1967 by Lindsay Anderson who adapted the story with Shelagh Delaney (it is based on one of her short stories). I saw it many years ago on Channel 4 and can only remember the surreal image of a white bus trundling through an urban landscape. This part of the film shows Kersal Flats, Salford, most of which I think were demolished in 1990.

Where oh where is this film now?

Overdone

2010-06-03T18:10:00.005+01:00

As you know I am partial to a sticker as long as it shows some imagination, and much as I sympathise with the concerns of the fans of the global brand that is Manchester United, I am sick to death of seeing this

every time I step outside my front door. They have taken over every surface available. There are 26 alone on my 25 minute walk home from the centre of Manchester. Yes, I am sad enough to have counted.

Green Man

2010-05-31T16:45:00.009+01:00

Green Men are usually found as carvings or ornaments in churches even though they are of Pagan origin. He is not alone - holy water, candles and bells are all rooted in Paganism. This particular Green Man could be said to be in a place of worship (it is also a common pub name). They are found the world over but there are thousands in Britain alone. The form represents a face surrounded by, or made of, leaves and signify fertility and rebirth. The Green Man can be found in other forms such as Jack in the Green who march ahead of the May Queen at Mayday festivals - this still happens in Knutsford, Cheshire. The legend, as with all legends, is complex and has no definitive history. This one is in Bar Fringe on Swan Street and was made specifically for the pub.

Twits

2010-05-31T11:10:00.002+01:00

I am fully embracing the technological revolution and am now on Twitter. Not entirely sure it's a great idea....

Lucky Brad

2010-05-17T20:04:00.007+01:00

It has been pointed out to me today by a very good friend that I have been neglecting this blog. And she is absolutely right. Tut tut. As I am off to the seaside this week with my bucket and spade I doubt I'll do much about it. In the meantime though, we can marvel at Brad's good fortune. This is somewhere in central Manchester but I cannot for the life of me remember where. When I get back I shall endeavour to get cracking on the old blog. Promise.

Graffiti #6

2010-04-23T16:53:00.005+01:00

click to enlarge, please!

Another sticker for you. I spotted this one in Hulme Park. FC United were set up after Malcom Glazer's takeover of Manchester United in 2005 - the final straw in a long list of issues (slaves to television, corporate football not football for the fans, ticket prices...) some supporters felt were killing the game. See here for a history of FC United.

Halabja memorial, Piccadilly Gardens

2010-04-15T19:38:00.008+01:00

On March 16th 1988 Saddam Hussein's forces unleashed an attack of such ferocity on what was considered the centre of Kurdish resistance - Halabja - that five thousand people were killed and ten thousand injured by chemical attack. An understated memorial to this horrific event can be found in Piccadilly Gardens in the centre of Manchester.

Signage #1

2010-04-01T15:03:00.007+01:00

This sign is on St. Peter's Square, directly opposite Central Library. Unfortunately there is no stationers on this site now, but just imagine what wonders were once inside. And it's a fabulous sign.

Mother Mac's

2010-03-28T18:11:00.023+01:00

Lovely boozer down an alley, on the corner of Little Lever Street and Back Piccadilly which is round the back of Piccadilly Gardens. It's described as a 'curious pub with a long and ancient history' on the Manchester UK website, and on a Manchester City FC forum someone asked 'is it a pub or more a Well of Lost Souls?' There's also a rainbow flag inside so I'd like to know what the connection to the gay scene is.

I scooted by, only popped in to take a couple of snaps (I know, shame on me) but I should go in and have a couple of pints and quiz the licensee, right? Its been a long time since I paid a proper visit to this pub, and on this evidence you are right in thinking I'm not paying as much attention to this blog as I ought to. Regular readers will know I am quite often unable to find out much information about a particular subject and this is no exception. There's some Manchester history proudly displayed on the walls - an article about Mancunian Film Studios, for example (I really ought to post about that story here). On a sad note you can see a couple of sensational newspaper stories about the fire here in 1976 that tragically claimed several lives.

I promise I'll force myself to go in and find out more about this place over a couple or three pints. You could always pop down yourself, of course...

Temple, Hulme Park

2010-03-11T22:40:00.014Z

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

2010-02-25T17:29:00.009Z

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 #5

2010-02-10T20:10:00.004Z

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

2010-01-31T19:46:00.016Z

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)

2010-01-25T21:07:00.010Z

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

2010-01-17T19:16:00.013Z

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

2010-01-08T14:53:00.007Z

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

2009-12-23T16:46:00.007Z

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.

Old Bank Theatre, Salford

2009-12-19T14:52:00.011Z

I'm guessing this building used to be an old bank, and at some point, a theatre. And by the look of the space, possibly a community theatre. I could be wrong. It could be a weird name for some old boozer. Other than that, as you might have guessed (especially if you've followed this blog on occasion), I don't know anything else about the place although I have tried to find something, anything, about it. There is a facebook group (with one member, bless) - surely other people have been to the Old Bank. I know there must be some serious history to this building.

Ghost signs #1 revisited

2009-12-15T20:05:00.003Z

Cast your minds back to this post where I struggled, despite every effort, to find any more information about this wondrous place that caters for your every desire - cuts your hair, offers you a room, shaves and shampoos. Well, having recently gone by the very same place and walked about a metre along the path to the door I could have told you that the place was probably once called Monks,and could possibly provide you with the above delights. Not much more insight, but a bit more. A little extra glimpse into what was once there. I'll make more effort next time.

Twisted Wheel postscript

2009-12-12T19:32:00.006Z

Had to add this as it shows some old flyers from the Twisted Wheel, and there are some great photos showing the transition between mod and skinhead. Enjoy the tunes.

Twisted Wheel

2009-12-11T13:44:00.021Z

If you wanted to hear black music in the 60s, the chances are you wouldn't hear it on mainstream radio. The best thing do do would be to head off to a local club. Probably the most famous soul club in Britain, after the Wigan Casino, was the Twisted Wheel at 26 Brazennose Street in the centre of Manchester. I tried to find no. 26 but it looks like it is long gone. Heron House is at no. 38, where that side of the street ends, and those of you of a certain age may remember queueing in here to haggle for housing benefit. Anyway, I'm digressing, the club was originally the Left Bank coffee bar where the house band was Dean West and the Hellions (later Herman's Hermits). In 1963 it became the Twisted Wheel and Brazennose Street was it's home until 1965 when it moved to Whitworth Street.

The DJs here imported a lot of rare soul records from the States often on obscure labels and only released in one state (Roger Eagle was a DJ here who later went on to open the legendary Eric's in Liverpool). The club became well known for playing rare soul and music journalist Dave Godin noticed that the uptempo style was particular to the clubs in Northern England therefore coining the term 'Northern Soul' which came to define not just the style of music but a whole subculture. These fast paced records were also predominantley from northern U.S. states. The Twisted Wheel closed in 1971 when it became Placemate 7. The location is still a club now, running as gay club Legends, but in 2000 the Twisted Wheel was reborn and a soul night runs here on the last Friday of each month.

Ghost signs #2

2009-12-06T18:33:00.009Z

Not as grand as the last ghost sign, but this one intrigues me. Was it once an establishment that sold the variety and mystery that are 'fancy goods'? No idea how old it is - I suspect not very - but there is just enough information to get your imagination going. This is next to Company Bar, 28 Richmond Street, where if you're a chap who likes chaps then this is the place to meet a few fancies.

Graffiti #4

2009-11-28T11:32:00.007Z

Spotted around the corner from Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter.

Balloon Street

2009-11-19T21:07:00.029Z

Whenever I go by Balloon Street in the centre of Manchester I always think of the Cooperative. I've never really thought of why Balloon Street is called Balloon Street, although I'm always aware that a street called 'Balloon' must be slightly quirky.

In 1785 a chap named James Sadler ascended in a balloon, in what was one of the the first such activities in the world, from some waste ground by a house in Long Millgate, and the alley behind this ground became Balloon Street.

Son of a pastry chef and confectioner, James Sadler became interested in science and was inspired by stories of manned balloon flights in France in 1783. He experimented with gas filled balloons in his father's laboratory and this culminated in the first Manchester balloon ascent. Mr Sadler had done this the year before in Oxford in a 170 foot hot air affair and clearly caught the bug. In Manchester he rose 13,000 feet, travelled 50 miles and ended up in Pontefract.
His final flight some time later went horribly wrong - he tried to land at Lichfield in Staffordshire whilst being dragged cross country but was never seen again. A true pioneer.

Air mail

2009-11-06T15:48:00.035Z

On Liverpool Road in Castlefield stands a blue post box. It's in service - you can post your letters here and the posties at Royal Mail will work like mad things to deliver them to any address in Britain.

It was painted blue in 1983 to commemorate the association of the Post Office (now a separate entity from Royal Mail who put your mail through your letterbox) with British aviation and also, as it it states on the plaque on the side of the box, in support of the Manchester Aerospace Museum, now the Air and Space Hall, Museum of Science and Industry.

This box was painted blue because blue post boxes did exist once, it wasn't just a fancy whim - they were in use for only eight years, from 1930 to 1938, until air services had expanded to the extent that such pillar boxes were essentially redundant. There is an original blue air mail box outside Windsor Castle, which I'm sure is lovely, but without as much love that has gone into this one. Below is a design from a poster advertising the Air Mail service (thanks to Postal Heritage for the image) - I don't know who designed this (if anyone knows please let me know) but it puts me in mind of the great Abram Games.

The blue pillar box is a beautiful reminder of a bygone era and the wonder of aviation.

Graffiti #3

2009-10-28T21:45:00.006Z

When you absolutely have to get it off your chest make sure you have a felt-tip handy.

Flippin' 'eck

2009-10-22T16:19:00.007+01:00

I'd just like to say thanks to anyone who nominated me for the Manchester Blog Awards - much to my surprise I've scooped Best City and Neighbourhood, and Blog of the Year!! My personal faves were Manchester Photography (not shortlisted) and the Zedders. I'd also like to thank Caroline's Miscellany and Unmitigated England who inspired me to do something similar about Manchester, so I pinched the idea! Thanks!! I'll be having a pint or three in celebration. Cheers everybody - here's to you all.

I'll be here. Or somewhere nearby...

406/406a Wilbraham Road, Chorlton

2009-10-17T13:32:00.034+01:00

Around 16 years ago, my girlfriend at the time used to go on about a shop doorway in Chorlton with some lovely tiling that read 'drink milk'. She was right - it is lovely, and it was thinking about things for this blog that reminded me of it. I decided to get the bus round to Chorlton this morning to see if it still existed. Much to my surprise it did.

The place was obviously a creamery once-upon-a-time. I can't remember what the building housed when I first came across it, but the 'British Hardware Federation' sticker in the window suggests that it was once a hardware shop. There's a possession notice in the window dated from May - hopefully whatever the landlord decides to do with the building the tiling will remain. Other than that, I've had no luck in dating the creamery. Never mind - just enjoy the tiles. And drink your milk.

Hacienda postscript

2009-10-11T15:29:00.009+01:00

Left outside the Hacienda on the announcement of Tony Wilson's death.

Hacienda history, Rochdale Canal #3

2009-10-01T17:48:00.024+01:00

The final part of my trip along Rochdale Canal...

"THE HACIENDA MUST BE BUILT" from 'Formulaire pour un urbanisme nouveau', Ivan Chtcheglov - activist and theorist, the man who tried to denconstruct the Eiffel Tower, inspired the Situationists and Tony Wilson and his nightclub, committed to a mental institution for 5 years (Ivan, not Tony) he survived and lived on until 1998.

Just the guy for for anyone bored in the city.

Ghost signs #1

2009-09-23T19:46:00.012+01:00

I love the way a ghost sign is like a little time warp sweeping you away into another time and place. This one is on the side of Trof, 5 -8 Thomas Street, in the Northern Quarter. There was clearly something covering up this ghost sign but now the beauty has been liberated after having been preserved for so long. I've failed to find out any more about it other than the obvious fact you could get a shave, a haircut and a bed for the night.

If you're partial to a good ghost sign, you'll love this.

Love Manchester, love Lemn #2

2009-09-13T17:27:00.009+01:00

Hopefully this one will enlarge when you click on it. I dare you to try...

Rain. Manchester. They were made for each other.

Love Manchester, love Lemn #1

2009-09-12T13:51:00.012+01:00

click on image to enlarge and enjoy the poem

Lemn Sissay is a wonder. A national treasure and of Ethiopian descent. This kind of person makes me proud to be British - to me Lemn emcompasses what a wonderful country we live in. He writes bloody good poetry too. You don't even need to look at a book to see it - this poem is on the wall of Hardy's Well pub in Rusholme. Although once you've read this I'm hoping you'll head down to your nearest library and clear the shelves of his books (please, please use your public library!!). Born in Billinge near Wigan he had a troubled childhood and he grew up in foster homes. His experiences as a black child in a white Britain are something we can all learn from. When he was 18 he moved to Manchester to work at Commonword, a publishing co-op, as a literature development worker. He is currently artist-in-residence at the South Bank Centre somewhere Down South. Power to him.

Fenian Arch, Hyde Road

2009-09-04T15:33:00.042+01:00

I'm not sure whether this arch is in Ardwick or West Gorton - it's mentioned as much in one as in the other. You can decide for yourself from this map on the bus stop that is right next to the place in question.

As you can see from the picture below it's not an arch anymore but a strapping concrete bridge over which the trainline runs from Manchester to London. William O'Mera Allen, Michael Larkin, and Michael O'Brien were members of the Fenian movement (founded in 1858 in the States with the sole purpose of overthrowing British rule in Ireland) and were executed in what has since become accepted as the last public hanging in Manchester. They were part of a group of around 40 people who attacked a police van transporting two Fenian leaders - Thomas Kelly and Timothy Deasy - to the county gaol on Hyde Road. As it passed under the arch two men appeared and demanded they stop. After a forced attempt to gain access to the van failed one of the crowd shot through the keyhole at the rear of the vehicle. A police officer, Sergeant Charles Brett, travelling inside the van, was shot dead. The event became known as the 'Manchester Outrages'. The prisoners escaped and were never recaptured. Although the accused claimed the death was accidental they were hanged at Salford Jail on the 23rd November 1867.

Sergeant Brett was the first Manchester police officer to be killed on duty - there is a memorial in St. Anne's Church. Not much more than a generation later, The Manchester Martys' Memorial Committeee was given permission to raise a monument to Allen, Larkin and O'Brien in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Moston (the Martyrs' Memorial). Every year a commemoration was held. This continued until the 1970s when the Troubles really grew and also became a target for right wing extremists.

The Manchester Matryrs March was revived but has since ceased. I remember it in the early 1990s - the pictures below are of the Manchester Martyrs March in 1991 and must have been one of the last.

above - a loyalist counter-demonstration

Unfortunately, trouble is still brewing in Northern Ireland.

Hacienda history, Rochdale Canal #2

2009-09-01T21:35:00.015+01:00

The second part of the history of one of the greatest and most influential clubs ever. For the first part scroll down a few posts, or click here

Manchester Pride #1

2009-08-25T19:07:00.032+01:00

It's that time of year again. The annual Pride in Manchester that shuts off the gay village and for the meagre sum of £17.50 you too can wallow in the ghetto that is the only Pride event in the country that you have to pay to get into. Once you're in there, you might even have to pay again to get into your bar of choice. This happened to me last year at a certain ladies-only venue and it made me very, very angry. This was just the last in a long series of experiences that has left me disillusioned with the gay scene in general, and Pride in particular.

The first event was held over the August bank holiday weekend in 1990 with the sole intention of raising money for HIV and AIDS charities. It has been known as the Carnival of Fun, Gayfest, Mardis Gras and now as Manchester Pride. This bank holiday event has been a pay-for event every year since 2003. 1999 was the year that the wristband was introduced - the year that absolutely zilch was raised for charity (2000 - 2002 were free).

There will always be criticism of Pride events, and for good reason. I feel it also applies to the gay scene as a whole - commercialised, overpriced and lacking any politics. It's even debatable what the financial contribution to charities is worth.

It is essential to question who Pride is for. Too many people are excluded or under-represented. Last year Queer Youth Network wanted to put the protest back into Pride and were told to tone down their politcal message. Outrageous. I went to the last two Pride events in Manchester and the dominant feeling was, as Reclaim the Scene put it, all about body-idealism and drinking. I don't blame people for going - it can be very liberating and there's no reason why you shouldn't have a grand old time, but the emphasis should be on community and fighting for equal rights. And when it comes to the parade I wonder why some organisations take part - this year Eazysleep Hotel and Premier Inn are joining in. This is not about community; it's not their LGBT staff showing what it means to be out and proud - it's about them trying to cash in on the 'pink pound'. It's a joke. If you want something different this year, and for free, Reclaim the Scene are offering an alternative. Get Bent did a great job offering something else in 2007 - see here for what they got up to. There is a fascinating history to the gay village and scene in Manchester - I shall be posting about this soon - watch this space.

Rant over. Normal service (whatever that is) will resume shortly!

Graffiti #2

2009-08-23T20:41:00.006+01:00

Seen in a doorway on Minshull Street, central Manchester. Some insightful people around this Rainy City of ours.

Palace Hotel / Refuge Assurance Company

2009-08-13T19:23:00.042+01:00

There's a reason why this ultra-cool guy is heading up this post. I like the Refuge Assurance Building, but what I love about it is it's appearance in the 1959 Hammer production Hell is a City. And that city was Manchester.

It stands on the corner of Whitworth Street and Oxford Road and was built in three phases. The first part, by Alfred Waterhouse, is on the corner of Whitworth Street (1891 - 5). The second part (1919 - 12), by Paul Waterhouse, is linked to the first by a 217 foot clock tower, and the third by Stanley Birkett added to the Whitworth Street facade (1932). The building is clad with pressed brick and dark red terracotta. It is beautiful and I can see the clock tower from my 7th floor flat (partly why I have such affection for it is because it's so familiar). It became the Palace Hotel in 1996.

As I said, this post is really about of one my most favourite films ever - Hell is a City - starring the late, great Stanley Baker. He plays Detective Inspector Martineau on the trail of Don Starling, an escaped jewel thief he helped put inside. He becomes obsessed with catching him and not least because he has such a miserable home life. What tough cop hasn't? Directed by Val Guest and also starring Billie Whitelaw and Donald Pleasance this film is an absolute gem. It was made in location in Manchester and it's finale is on top of the Refuge Building.

Oxford Road Station was opened in 1849 by the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway. In the background of the above still you can see the construction of the Oxford Road Station Approach (1958 - 60) that we know and love today. Below, you can see the Palace Theatre on Whitworth Street from the top of the Refuge.

Anyone else think that Morrissey is morphing into Stanley Baker?

Hacienda history, Rochdale Canal #1

2009-08-02T15:19:00.027+01:00

If ever you are walking along the Rochdale Canal, round the back of where the Hacienda once rocked, you might spot this bit of etched craftsmanship on the back of the car park of the Hacienda Apartments, or some such equivalent new build atrocity on Whitworth Street. Blink and you'll miss it - it's a potted history of the Hacienda nightclub. Reader, I photographed it...

...to be continued.....

for more on Manc Music History there is only one place to go.

Photo conundrum

2009-07-31T15:02:00.002+01:00

A bit of a plea for help here. For some reason, when I click on an image in my blog it doesn't enlarge. Not sure why this is. I've had other blogs where my uploaded photos always open in another screen when clicked on. I've trawled the settings and have hit a dead end. Any help would be much appreciated!!! Thanks!

River Mersey

2009-07-24T16:53:00.046+01:00

The Mersey runs quite a way through Greater Manchester and is formed from the Rivers Etherow, Goyt and Tame. It once formed part of the border between Lancashire and Cheshire.The Tame and Goyt merge in Stockport (the start of the Mersey) by Sainsbury's supermarket, so surely Stockport County is Merseyside's home footy club....
...anyway, as the Mersey winds it's way through Northenden, Didsbury, Chorlton, Stretford, and Sale it eventually ends up in Liverpool by way of the Manchester Ship Canal. The Mersey leaves the canal at Rixton and continues through Runcorn Gap and has it's widest point at Ellesmere Port.

If you've ever been around south Manchester, particlularly Didsbury or Chorlton you are probably familiar with the river. I was surprised when I moved to Manchester that I was so close to the Mersey (my first bedsit on Burton Road - health and safety nightmare).

Stop for one of these at Jackson's Boat at the Chorlton end of the river...

The river is a great place to walk, run or cycle. It's part of the SUSTRANS National Cycle Network (No. 62) and the Trans Pennine Trail. A great way to get away from the city there is also a beautiful symmetry in that you are never far away from the M60 and can quite often hear the hum of the motorway whilst meandering along the river. There are reminders, once you have got used used to the sound of distant traffic, that this is an urban trail. Stark concrete bridges and visible motorway signs are never far away. Fantastic.

Most of it is pretty secluded and far back from urban distractions and over 1000 acres of land is managed by the boroughs of Manchester, Trafford and Stockport. The river passes two water parks - Chorlton Water Park is an oasis for wildlife and Sale Water Park has a water sports centre for the more adventurous. For more about the Mersey Valley see here.

Cornbrook Arch

2009-07-17T18:23:00.017+01:00

The Cornbrook Arch can be found on Chester Road on the border of Manchester and Old Trafford and was the original entrance to the Kkovah Works. The arch remains on an island where Chester Road splits from the Bridgewater Way - it's easy to pass by. If you're on the pavement there is a potted history on a plinth, again easy to miss. This factory, built in 1871, produced confectionery, lemon curd and jellies - Kkovah was the brand name. After a fire almost destroyed the five storey building 1928 it soon became the Vigox fertilizer factory (you don't get brand names like that anymore).

In recent years the building was used as offices and a home and in 1998 was demolished to make way for the Bridgewater Way.

There is not much more to say except to show you the invigorating effects of Kkovah products as endorsed by The Nursing Record and Hospital World, 18 March 1899:

"...We are, therefore, pleased to be able to draw the attention of Nurses to the Kkovah preparations which have recently been brought to our notice. The Kkovah Jellies can fairly be described as delicious, and their flavour seems to confirm the claim that is made for them that they are flavoured with the actual and unadulterated juice of the fruits, by whose names the jellies are described. These jellies are not only most palatable, and, therefore, appreciated by invalids, but as they are also most nutritious they form a valuable addition to the dietary of the sick. So far as the healthy are concerned, we can only advise our readers to write to Messrs. Sutcliffe and Bingham, of Manchester, who inform us that they will be pleased to supply any Nurse with a sample. Then, they will not require any further recommendation, but will probably, to parody, an old advertisement, proceed to try the Kkovah Custard Powder, Lemon Curd, and HealthSalt, each of which they will find equally excellent..."

Granada Television

2009-07-12T17:29:00.033+01:00

Think of commercial television in the north-west of England and you think of Granada. This post is not really about the history of Granada but about the building on Quay Street. I love it. Next to the Ship Canal and a stone's throw from Salford, it's one of the first places that caught my eye when I first moved to Manchester almost 20 years ago. It's the signage that does it for me - it's fantastic. This is the original sign from the 1950s. It's beautiful - so free of pretension.

Just take a moment to appreciate the 'secondary modern school' design. Plain yet practical. These studios were purpose built (designed by Ralph Tubbs) and went on air in 1956. It could compete with anything outside of London (the BBC and Associated Rediffusion were the big players there, and were the only broadcasters in Britain that had more studios than Granada). Ralph Tubbs had also designed the Dome of Discovery at the Festival of Britain.

Did you fail your 11-Plus? Your woodwork classes were held in a building like this...

If anyone can tell me what typeface is used it would be much appreciated. For some reason this building has been voted one of the worst in Manchester. Philistines. If you're interested in the history of Granada - go here. If you're interested in the future of ITV.....

Hulme People's History #1

2009-07-02T18:12:00.026+01:00

Hulme was often used as a byword for social and economic decline, and whatever you think of it's regeneration now it has had a rich and varied history. If you want to have a gander at this history then look no further than Zion Square in Hulme Park. This amazing piece of artwork consists of engravings on stainless steel plates embedded into the pavement. The idea and drawings are by Craig Russell and includes drawings by Vibek Fussing, Caroline Jariwala and Tanya Meditzky.

The Bridgewater Canal, opened 17th July, 1761 - built to transport coal from the Duke of Bridgewater's mine in Worsley.

The Peterloo Massacre, 16th August, 1819 - the cavalry charged a crowd of around 70,000 who were demanding reform of parliamentary representation. And my favourite inclusion in this early section - Lancelot defeating Tarquin near Manchester:

Who knew? For more on giant slayers see here.
And more on Hulme here.
And for an an area that was once 100% council housing with as much community spirit as it had problems see here.

More to follow.

Daily Express Building

2009-06-23T10:50:00.025+01:00

This must be one of the sexiest buildings in Manchester built in gorgeous Art Deco style. The Daily Express Building on Great Ancoats Street was built in 1939 by Sir Owen Williams and one of three built for Beaverbrook Newspapers - the other two are in London and Glasgow. This is Manchester's only 1930's listed building (Grade II*). Express Newspapers left the building in the 1980s - once upon a time you could see the presses working through the windows at street level - an amazing sight. The building has now been converted into offices and apartments (known as Expressnetworks) and can be found just east of the Northern Quarter.

The building looks like a huge glass box and bears a strong similarity to Williams's romantically named Boots Packed Wet Goods Factory allowing the use of maximum daylight. The contrast we can see on the exterior of the Daily Express Building is stunning with the use of clear glass and a black glass called Vitrolite.

Ancoats is an amazing place to go if you love buildings - I shall be including more in the future. Or visit this brilliant site if you want to know more.

Korean War Memorial, Britannia Hotel, Portland Street

2009-06-15T17:53:00.014+01:00

We're used to seeing war memorials all over the place - quite right too although we never learn from the horrors of war, do we? The conflict between North and South Korea began in June 1950 after unsuccessful attempt to unify and the North invaded the South. It is seen as an extension of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union - the Soviets backed Kim Il Sung north of the 38th Parallel and General McArthur headed an American administration in the south with Syngman Rhee as president (who wanted a unified Korea by force). China supported North Korea to the extent that over 400,000 were killed. U.S. allies showed their support and the British responded immediately (100,000 British servicemen and women served during this conflict along with Canadians, New Zealanders, Australians and Indians who formed the 1st Commonwealth Division). There were 1,078 British killed. For a clear outline of events see here.

This is the first time I've seen a memorial commemorating Korean War dead - it is in remembrance of Ronald Sharman and can be found in the doorway of the Britannia Hotel on Portland Street in the centre of Manchester. It's very simple - just the place of conflict, the date of his death and his name. The 21 year old exports clerk from Manchester was called up for National Service and as a private with the Royal Leicestershire Regiment he served only two months before he was killed in Korea on the 17th November 1951.

Marble Arch Inn

2009-06-07T17:13:00.030+01:00

This has to be one the best pubs, if not the best, in Manchester. The Marble Arch Inn at 73 Rochdale Road was built in 1888 and is a Grade II listed building. Walk through the pub along it's amazing mosaic floor (careful if you've had a few as it slopes in a rather perilous manner), pass by the beautiful tiling and round the back to the brewery viewing room, this place is a wonderful experience. It helps, of course, if you're into your beer.

The inn is the home of the Marble Brewery, producer of gorgeous organic cask ale and if you're an animal lover all their beer is vegetarian and proudly marked as so. The brewery was designed by Brendan Dobbin; the chief brewer is James Campbell. As well as selling their own beer there is always an excellent range of guest beers on - it truly is heaven.

It's sister pub in Chorlton is the other outlet for Marble beers - The Marble Beer House at 57 Manchester Road - whilst not as stunning as the Marble Arch it is a cosy, beautiful pub again with a good range of guest beers as well as the Marble beers. Knott Bar on Deansgate also has Marble beer as a regular fixture. I'd recommend checking out any of these pubs but the Marble Arch Inn really is the icing on the cake.

Victoria Station

2009-05-29T15:49:00.030+01:00

Victoria Station was designed by George Stephenson and was opened in 1844 by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and the Manchester and Leeds Railway. 1864-5 saw an extension as did 1909 (by William Dawes) for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company. The last addition to the station was the Metrolink in the 1990s. The station serves destinations to the north and east of Manchester. This is Manchester's second busiest railway station after Piccadilly and is the place you start at if you're looking for sun, sea and sand in Scarborough or Southport.

What I love about this station is the detail - the tiled Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway map, the Edwardian booking hall and the canopies showing destinations (which were badly damaged by the IRA bomb in 1996 but have now been fully restored).

Beautiful.

Graffiti #1

2009-05-23T17:34:00.021+01:00

Bit of a lazy post this week, but I love this kind of thing. I do hate an eyesore as much as the next person, but I am partial to a bit of imaginative graffiti. I spotted this just off Ashton Old Road in Beswick. I'm sure you'll agree that anything that replaces the crass ads we have to endure is surely not a bad thing...

...and I think they've just about got it spot on.

Alan Turing Memorial, Sackville Street Gardens

2009-05-15T20:49:00.035+01:00

The sculptor of this beautiful bronze, Glyn Hughes, says:

"In being given the opportunity to consider an appropriate memorial to Turing, it was tempting to look towards some modernistic or eccentric way to commemorate such a modern thinker. But realistic bronze is traditionally the way we mark out national heroes. Unfortunately those bronzes all too often consist of some high-and-mighty figure throwing a grand gesture on top of a granite slab. Such statues, and our cities are full of them, are easily ignored. I chose rather to present Turing as a very small and ordinary man, sat in the park which runs between the university science buildings and the famous gay bars of Canal Street."

Alan Turing, the trailblazing mathematician, is considered to be a genius and the father of computer science, but in some ways, like the rest of us, he was small and ordinary. He was born in London in 1912 and studied at King's College, Cambridge where he worked on some his most significant theories. He is probably most well known for his code-breaking work (cracking the Enigma code) at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. His work encompassed philosophy and pyschology and believed that machines could simulate the processes of the human brain. In 1945 he was appointed chair of pure mathematics at Manchester University. In 1952 he was prosecuted for the 'crime of homosexuality' as it was then and made no defence as he saw nothing wrong with his actions. He died in 1954 of cyanide poisoning, a half eaten apple by his bedside. The verdict was suicide.

He sits here with an apple, a symbol of both knowledge and his demise, between Whitworth Street and Canal Street in the centre of Manchester. The jumble of letters on the bench read 'founder of computer science' as if encoded by an Enigma machine. It's fantastic that we have a memorial to someone who contributed so much to society, but also to someone who was an outsider, an athiest and gay. It's sad to say that it was a struggle to get funding. The Alan Turing Memorial Fund was set up in 1996 and not one computing computing company contributed to the project, nor by government (local or national). The British Society for the History of Mathematics made a generous donation as did ordinary people and £15,000 was raised even though the target was £50,000. You can probably guess by this general portrayal I'm not good on the maths side of things but if you would like to know more, and there is loads more, about this amazing man please visit here.

Longford Theatre, Stretford

2009-05-10T17:42:00.034+01:00

Just over the road (or under the subway) from Stretford Mall stands what is left of the Longford Theatre on Chester Road, an art deco beauty designed by Henry Alder. The cinema opened in 1936 and was pretty damn special - this picture house would be a 'super cinema'. The flooring in the foyer was marble and in the cinema itself there was air conditioning, under seat heating and sound proofing.The stalls held 1400; 600 could fit in the circle; the cafe accommodated 146. For one week out of four the cinema would be used as a theatre - when the Halle Orchestra was bombed out of the Free Trade Hall in 1940 the Longford hosted them.

The first film shown here was 'Tudor Rose' and the cinema continued for the next fourteen years as the Longford. Essoldo bought the cinema in 1950 (renamed the Stretford Essoldo) and continued to play films until around 1965 when it closed. Ladbrokes bought the building and, as was the way with many cinemas, reinvented itself as a bingo hall.

Rank took over in 1986 and the building once again saw life once again as'The Top Rank Club' and were responsible for the awful paintwork we now see, once primary colours but now a dreadful pastel hue. The building is now listed by English Heritage. Plans for any future use seem uncertain.

For more information, or to join the campaign to make sure this amazing building doesn't fall into complete ruin please go to http://www.longfordcinema.co.uk/.

Grim up North

2009-05-07T19:18:00.037+01:00

'...the most horrible spot...lies on the Manchester side, immediately south-west of Oxford Road, and is known as Little Ireland. In a rather deep hole, in a curve of the Medlock and surrounded on all four sides by tall factories and high embankments, covered with buildings, stand two groups of about two hundred cottages, built chiefly back to back, in which live about four thousand human beings, most of them Irish. The cottages are old, dirty, and of the smallest sort, the streets uneven, fallen into ruts and in part without drains or pavement; masses of refuse, offal and sickening filth lie among standing pools in all directions; the atmosphere is poisoned by the effluvia from these, and laden and darkened by the smoke of a dozen tall factory chimneys...' (Engels,1844).

So wrote Friedrich Engels in his classic study of working class life 'The condition of the working class in England'. Little Ireland was at the edge of the Chortlon Mills complex just alongside the River Medlock and symbolised the atrocious living and working conditions of factory workers; the people here a commodity. The plaque above at 8 Great Marlborough Street acknowledges the appalling conditions in which these people lived. The plaque above reads: Large numbers of immigrant Irish workers lived here in appalling housing conditions. Built c. 1827, vacated c 1847, demolished 1877.

'Many of these houses have also cellars, whose floor is scarcely elevated above the level of the water flowing in the Medlock. The soughs are destroyed, or out of repair; and these narrow abodes are in consequence always damp, and are frequently flooded to the depth of several inches, because the surface water can find no exit...it is surrounded on every side by some of the largest factories of the town, whose chimneys vomit forth dense clouds of smoke, which hang heavily over this insalubrious region...' (The moral and physical condition of the working classes in Manchester in 1832, Sir James Kay-Shuttleworth)

The area comprised of several mills which have now been redeveloped for commercial and residential use, and new buildings have also appeared of the variety you will be familiar with in Manchester - dull, cloned apartment blocks such as the one pictured below (Ormond Street). Living conditions certainly have changed around here.

Chorlton Old Mill (above) on the corner of Hulme Street and Cambridge Street (which runs parallel to Oxford Road) was built for Robert Owen in 1795 and converted to flats in the 1990s. Chorlton New Mills on Cambridge Street (below) was started in 1813 and went through various phases culminating with the chimney in 1853. Again the story of this mill continues with conversion to flats in 2000.

The above building is the Macintosh Works on Hulme Street built in 1825/6 to make waterproof fabrics. I wonder if you can guess what has become of this building?

Brutal

2009-05-01T16:57:00.044+01:00

How could I start this blog and not mention the iconic Mancunian Way (started 1961, finished 1967)? Technically the A57(M) flyover, it travels along the southern edge of the city centre. It appeared around the same time as the Piccadilly Plaza (1958 - 1965) and the Hulme Crescents (1968 - 1975) - two examples of architecture that could also be considered pretty grim. Harold Wilson opened the Mancunian Way on the 5th May 1967 and the following year was awarded the Concrete Society's highest honour - The Concrete Society Award. I should also point out the picture below is in colour - I've not taken it in black and white to give it that grim industrial edge - it manages that of it's own accord. The road was intended as a relief road for commercial traffic to the docks and Trafford Park but is now an enormous car park for those poor souls daft enough to travel by automobile.

The blind slip road (below) was never completed - it was intended that the structure should travel into the city centre but now stops in mid-air. There are many subways under the structure - perhaps the most memorable wander through Hulme and Chorlton-on-Medlock. Some readers may have fond memories of these subways and being acquainted with young men fashionably attired in colourful bandanas politely requesting monetary compensation. For further wonders of Manchester Engineering please see - http://www.mace.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/whymace/civil/trail/xml/Other%20Pages/home.html

Also, for the love of Hulme - http://www.exhulme.co.uk/

Tree of Remembrance

2009-05-01T14:36:00.011+01:00

This is a sculpture I've walked past many, many times before without stopping to look at what it signifies. It is on the edge of Piccadilly Gardens and is somewhat obscured by the wall around the area. This makes it very easy to miss which is such a shame considering it's importance. It commemorates Manchester's civilian war dead during World War Two. How many other monuments pay tribute to these people?

The monument itself is by Wolfgang and Heron who pride themselves on how their work fits in with the landscape. I do love the way it sits at the end of a row of trees in such an unassuming, dignified manner. This is not only a monument to the past as the fight against fascism still rages on. See http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/manchester/ for further information about the struggle.