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ELEMENTS OF MANCHESTER'S SKYLINE at dusk are picked out in these four photographs taken in zoom view.

Top left: Sunlight House, Highland House and the new extension to the Great Northern development, on Deasngate; Top right: No 2 Barbirolli, Portland tower with the Commonwealth Games insignia, and a new apartment building under construction on Whitworth Street; Bottom left: The Granada TV Building, with blurred Metrolink tram; Bottom right: The curved outline of GMEX, former Central Station and behind it, the Arndale Centre tower, and just visible, the top of the CIS building and Town Hall tower.

EWM says: There are more cranes visible on the city centre skyline than at any time I can remember. NB, the structure rising from the Granada TV building is their transmitter tower, not a crane!

A GREEN GODDESS helps to tackle a fire at the old police station on Goulden Street off Oldham Road Manchester. The police station was used as a fireworks warehouse. On the afternoon of 14 Nov, the first day of the firefighters strike, some of the fireworks caught fire causing a display to erupt over Manchester. With the help of their so-called 'green goddesses' - Bedford fire appliances from the 1950's, the army fought the blaze and by the early hours, it was extinguished.
EWM says: It was quite disorientating to see a 1950's fire appliance in 2002, with its distinctive look and oily smell.
THE OLD POLICE STATION on Goulden St is a building dating from the mid-19th century, when the poice force was created by Sir Robert Peel.On the facade are the words 'Manchester B Division'. Recently the building has been used as a fireworks warehouse and on 14 November, the first day of the firefighters 8 day strike, it caught fire.
EWM says: It was disturbing to see another example of Manchester's past threatened by fire. Several buildings in the Ancoats area have been lost through fire in recent years.
THE REAR FACADE of the Central Library rises up above Mount Street - we are looking from the steps of the Friends Meeting House. My attention was attracted by the full moon, visible through a thin layer of cloud. The Central Library's exterior stone was recently returned to its original pristine statue and is now lit up with coloured lights. An empty statue alcove is lit up from inside.
EWM says: No matter which angle you look at it from, the Central Library is a fascinating building - with overtones of ancient Rome, it was built in relatively modern times - There are plenty of people around who remember the opening in 1934.
THE INDUSTRIAL CITYSCAPE of inner Salford and Manchester looks much as it has done for decades, despite the modernisation in progress in Manchester city centre, just five minutes walk from here across the Irwell. On the left is HMP Manchester (Strangeways Prison), on the right St Chad's RC church on Cheetham Hill Road, with part of Boddingtons Brewery visible on the far right. This is the Greengate District, the oldest part of Salford. Photo taken from painter Liam Spencer's stuido at MASA on Blackfriars St Salford Saturday 16 November.
EWM says: This is a wonderfully dreary, depressing and atmospheric view, of the type that has made Manchester such a fascinating subject for painters and photographers.
THE VIEW OVER MANCHESTER'S MILLENNIUM QUARTER from Blackfriars St Salford features four major landmarks: Century Hall, The CIS Building - after 40 years still Manchester's tallest building - The Urbis Centre, opened earlier this year - and Manchester Cathedral. In front of us is site of Exchange Station, closed in 1969. The railway line and bridge from Victoria runs across the photo. The River Irwell runs below the Cathedral, dividing Salford on this side from Manchester on the other.
EWM says: This view gives us a remarkable perspective on the city centre - This is probably the only viewpoint where we can see the Urbis Centre and its sloping roof.
More pictures and articles from Eyewitness in Manchester will follow soon.

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