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SOME MORE PICTURES
straight off the Eyewitness in Manchester image 'production
line', taken during the spell of hot sunny weather which Manchester
enjoyed during mid-July 2000.
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BAR 38 is one of the most exciting and successful of Manchester's
new cafe bar developments. Constructed along Peter Steet and
overlooked by the Great Northern Railway Goods Warehouse,
this site was until recently occupied by a row of grimy buildings
which many Mancunians will remember as the home of 'the Gallery'
night club and music venue, as well as a kebab shop and an
'adult' book store.
In 1998, the buildings were demolished and a new two level
wedge-shaped glass fronted cafe-bar was built. The wedge shape
continues the line of Windmill St, leading (left) towards
the junction of Deansgate and Peter Street. The contrasting
but complementary corner towers of Sunlight House (1932) and
Royal London House(1904) form a superb classic centre piece
to this otherwise ultra-contemporary scene.
It's one thirty on Friday the 21st of July 2000, during a
long-awaited spell of sunny, summery weather, and Bar 38 is
crowded with young 20-something professionals who have come
from the surrounding offices to spend their lunchtime here.
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DUNHAM MASSEY is one of the most superb stately homes in
the UK and is owned and administered by the National Trust.
Here we see the interior courtyard and ornamental fountain,
viewed from four sides.
This precious relic of aristocratic life in past centuries
was a private home until 1978 when the owner died and left
it to the National Trust. It's situated just 12 miles (17km)
south west of Manchester near Altrincham (Cheshire/Trafford
MBC).
I captured this picture using the Nikon Coolpix
digital camera set to black and white mode.
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IT'S FRIDAY 21 JULY 2000, almost eight years to the day since
Metrolink was opened by the Queen. Today, the extension from
Broadway to Eccles has been officially opened.
For the first time, the trams are running along a road -
Eccles New Road - and mingling with traffic - for me, a tram
isn't a tram unless it does this. Most of the Metrolink system
to date uses former railway lines.
Here, an Eccles-bound Metrolink tram passes Eccles New Road
depot, currently vacant but previously used by buses and many
years before that... trams. The old tram lines can still be
seen in the side street on the right.
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THE NEW TRAM STOP at Eccles Town Centre was officially opened
for passengers on Friday 21st July 2000. This is the terminus,
and this tram will shortly be making the return trip via Eccles
New Road and Salford Quays to Piccadilly.
On the left is the The Eccles Cross pub, which like many
properties overlooking the new line, has had an exterior renovation
job.
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ARDWICK GREEN is seen here on the morning of Thursday 20th
of July at about 9.30am. It's the city centre's 'front garden'
to the south east, gateway to Manchester from Hyde and Stockport,
and yet in mid-2000, it's in a run-down state and like many
local parks, mostly deserted. The only people I saw were a
friendly early-morning alcoholic and a thoughtful pensioner
sitting on a bench.
Once a fashionable residential district, Ardwick became industrialised
in the 19th century, but remained a lively and characterful
place. In the post war years, surrounding factories, houses,
theatres and other buildings disappeared and weren't replaced.
The 1930's telephone exchange (left) and the factory building
with the square chimney, are among the buildings which have
survived. A new wine store, and two garages are just behond
the trees, across the road.
This area deserves to be fully regenerated. New housing and
business premises should be constructed on the empty patches
of grass around the Green.
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PHILIP'S PARK CEMETERY is seen here late on the afternoon
of Thursday 20 July 2000. The metal framework of the gas holder
on the opposite side of the road casts an eerie shadow over
the scene.
Though the Council have renovated the stone setts, and installed
contemporary style metal posts, the building on the left is
roofless and open to the elements.
I hope that these buildings will be restored by the time
of the Commonwealth Games, which will be taking place just
across the road.
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THIS GAS HOLDER is one of two at the gas installation at
Beswick, next to the Commonwealth Games site
Regarded by some as eyesores, I find these giant metal structures
visually fascinating.
The surrounding latticework of metal girders provides an
envelope for the giant metal cylinder, which is designed to
rise and fall as gas reserves increase or decrease. The gas
is stored underneath the cylinder whose weight also provides
a constant gas pressure.
Previously, gas was made from coal, but since the 1970's,
cleaner natural gas has been piped from under the North Sea.
Nowadays, the piston rarely rises above the level we see here.
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A LANE IN LEAFY SURREY? Or how about Wilmslow, Bowdon, or
maybe Knutsford? In fact, we are just two miles (3km) south
of Manchester city centre, only five minutes walk from inner
city Longsight, and ten minutes away from busy Rusholme, and
its colourful 'curry mile'.
This is Daisy Bank Road, Victoria Park, an area many people
have never heard of, and think is either Longsight or Rusholme.
Created in the early Victorian era as an exclusive residential
compound for the rich and influential, it's now a place with
many student halls of residences, either converted Victorian
mansions or purpose built blocks.
This Rolls Royce just happened to be driving past - that's
not the real number plate by the way.
This scene proves that 'inner city Manchester' isn't always
quite what you expect it to be.
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EYEWITNESS IN MANCHESTER FEATURED WEBSITE
Longsight
Memories
Longsight Memories, by ex-Longsight resident David Boardman,
now living in Canada, is an excellently researched and superbly
illustrated study of Longsight as it was during the 1950's
and 60's.
Old photographs are compared with contemporary views, and
aerial photographs taken in 1953 give a fascinating view of
the street layout as it was before demolition and redevelopment
of the 1960's.
A section on the neighbouring area of Victoria Park illustrates
the amazing contrast between the leafy grandeur of this enclosed
Victorian residential suburb, and the cobbled back streets
of the author's home district.
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THE EDGAR WOOD CENTRE, formerly the First Church of Christ
Scientist, is one of the most distinctive and unusual buildings
in Victoria Park, if not Manchester, and was built in the
first decade of the 20th century.
It is named after its architect, Edgar Wood, () who worked
in and around Manchester, as well as Germany. The style is
inflenced by William Morris's Arts and Crafts movement, which
rejected mass production and advocated a return to the simpler
and more robust values of the pre-industrial period. The conical
roof reminds me of a medieval palace, and yet its plain exterior
has a feeling of modernity.
The building was derelict for many years, but was restored
for use as an educational facility.
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'NEW MOTORWAY, OPENING SUMMER 2000' say the signs put up
by the Highways Agency, and yet the north eastern 'missing
link' in the Greater Manchester orbital motorway is on Saturday
15th of July 2000 still under construction.
Here we see it as it sweeps under the A635 Manchester Road
bridge, west of Ashton-under-Lyne.
Just before the Stockport to Denton section of the motorway
was opened in the late 1980's, walkers and cyclists were allowed
onto the motorway for one day. I wonder if the authorities
are planning a similar event prior to the opening of this
part of the motorway.
My older A-Z map of Manchester says this road is due to open
in 'Summer 1996', so it's way behind schedule. The way things
are looking in 2000, it seems this is likely to be the last
major motorway to be built in the Manchester region.
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THE M60 MOTORWAY encircles the central part of the Manchester
conurbation, passing through eight local authority districts.
To the north east, it runs through Tameside and Oldham MBC
before touching the City of Manchester boundary at Heaton
Park.
Here we are looking north from the A635 bridge west of Ashton-under-Lyne
towards Oldham town centre. Oldham Civic Centre can be seen
in the distance centre left, with St Thomas's Church, Coppice
standing out on the hill to its left.
It's Saturday 15th of July 2000, and the motorway is still
unfinished.
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TAMESIDE CANAL FESTIVAL happens every year in July, and is
part of the Millennium Waterfront series of festivals.
It takes place at Portland Basin, Ashton-Under-Lyne. The
top left hand picture shows the reconstructed warehouse, housing
a fascinating museum about local life in the area which became
Tameside.
Canal boats come from quite far away - this one has come
from Warwick, around 100 miles away. We are standing
on the bridge, which carries the canal high above the River
Tame.
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Many more pictures are in preparation and will be added soon.
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