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WE CROSS OXFORD ROAD and continue along Cavendish Street, which is the continuation of Grosvenor Street.

THE GROSVENOR PICTURE PALACE stands on the corner of Grosvenor Street and Oxford Road.

Built in 1915, this former cinema now belongs to the Firkin chain of pubs and has been re-developed inside on a cinematic theme.

The exterior still needs some renovation.

EWM says: Some people think this ceramic tiled picture palace from the WW1 era is an eyesore, with its sickly green and yellow exterior. Though not Manchester's foremost architectural gem, it nevertheless captures the character and atmosphere of early 20th century Manchester. Its present use as a bar at least celebrates its past.

THIS IS WHERE OXFORD ROAD meets Grosvenor Street, off the picture to the left, and Cavendish Street on the right.

In front of us is the Mabel Tylecote building, part of Manchester Metropolitan University, whose name and insignia appear on the brick facade on the right. This building dates from the late 60's/early 70's.

Further down Oxford Road on the left is the Manchester Aquatics Centre, and in the distance, Manchester University Mathematics Building.

EWM SAYS: Compare this product of the 1960's with the 1830 building below, influenced by the ancient world. Which building do you prefer?

THIS IS THE FORMER CHORLTON-ON-MEDLOCK TOWN HALL, designed by Richard Lane.

The building, with its superb Doric Portico dates from 1830 and was used as a town hall up till the time when Chorlton-on-Medlock was incorporated into Manchester. Macclesfield Town Hall (right) dates from the same era, and looks very similar though with Ionic columns.

In 1970, the original interior was removed and a new structure added to the rear, part of Manchester Polytechnic, now Manchester Metropolitan University. The former Stockport Infirmary (left) has also been modernised in this way.

Where the municipal offices of Chorlton-on-Medlock town council used to be, you'll now find a university canteen.

THESE BLUE AND RED PLAQUES adorn the front facade of the former Chorlton-on-Medlock town hall, Cavendish Street, now part of the campus of Manchester Metropolitan University (formerly Manchester Polytechnic). Cavendish Street is the continuation of Grosvenor Street.

The blue plaque bears the coat of arms of the City of Manchester, with the words: "THE SITE OF CHORLTON-UPON-MEDLOCK TOWN HALL 1830-1970 RICHARD LANE ARCHITECT fl. 1815 - 1858 HIS DORIC PORTICO STILL REMAINS."

The red plaque also bears the City of Manchester crest, with the words: "FIFTH PAN AFRICAN CONFERENCE WAS HELD HERE 15th - 21st OCTOBER 1945 DECISIONS TAKEN AT THIS CONFERENCE LED TO THE LIBERATION OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES.

A rectangular red plaque underneath has the additional words:
"PARTICIPANTS IN THAT HISTORIC EVENT INCDLUDED RAS MAKONNEN, KWAME NKRUMAH, JOMO KENYATTA, AMY CARVEY, W.E. DU BOIS, GEORGE PADMORE"

EWM says: I hope that by transcribing the text written on these plaques, people doing a search for the above will find these pictures and discover the significance of this historic Manchester location.

THE SCHOOL OF ART, CAVENDISH STREET is now part of Manchester Metropolitan University, formerly Manchester Polytechnic.

The attractive building has a typically Victorian neo-gothic ecclesiastical appearance and dates probably from around the 1870's or 1880's.

It is here that the famous artist Adolphe Valette used to teach art. His dazzlingly atmospheric paintings of fog-bound Manchester provide a precious view of the city as it looked in the first decade of the 20th century.

Below left is the blue plaque put up by the City of Manchester local council. It bears the words: "ADOLPHE VALETTE 1876 - 1942 FRENCH PAINTER AND TEACHER IN THE SCHOOL OF ART 1907 - 1920".

Lower right is the street sign CAVENDISH STREET - possibly the original one dating from the 19th century and much the worse for wear.

The junction of Oxford Road and Grosvenor Street is just off the picture to the left.

EWM says: Why do those student bill poster people have to stick their notices on every free bit of wall surface in and around the campus area, including this sign?

WE ARE STANDING ON OXFORD ROAD between the junction of Grosvenor Street and Oxford Road, and the Mancunian Way flyover, whose shadow we can see on the road in front of us.

Here are four views taken in zoom view a few minutes apart from each other.

In all four pictures we can see the Dance House Theatre, formerly Regal Twin cinema on the left, the railway bridge next to Oxford Rd station, upper left, Whitworth West apartment building under construction, staight ahead in the distance, the Central Library, on the right the terracotta exterior of the Palace Hotel (Refuge Building). This part of Oxford Road drops down where it crosses the River Medlock. The BBC building is off the picture to the right.

In the upper left picture, some students are silhouetted as they cross Oxford Road. In the photo upper right there are six buses visible, including an 86A to Chorlton operated by Stagecoach. In the lower left photo there's a Stagecoach 250 to the Trafford Centre and lower right a 44 to Gatley operated by UK North

THIS IS GROSVENOR ST looking east from the Cavendish St side of Oxford Road. On the left is the Sugden Sports Centre, on the right the white tiled facade of Oddfellows Hall, home of the UMIST English Language Teaching Centre.

Grosvenor Street is is a one way street along its full length. Here, a car waits at the Oxford Road traffic lights while pedestrians cross. Buses both on their way into and out of the city centre pass from east to west along the street.

In the distance above modern warehouse roofs on Downing Street we see the overhead gantries of the railway viaduct leading out of Piccadilly Station (formely London Rd). Rising up into the sky some two miles away in Beswick are the cranes of the Commonwealth Games stadium construction site.

So while rooted in Manchester's past, Grosvenor Street points towards the future. What changes will occur in the next two hundred years?

That's all from Grosvenor Street for now - Soon I'll be going on another walk through Manchester and presenting what I see in photographs and words.

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