Around Newton Mill,

Following on from yesterdays picture I have manage to enlarge a few sections which caught my eye and hopefully will be of interest to others.

On this section can be seen Ashton Rd, The bottom end of  Garden Street and the playing fields. The corner houses of Garden St are scaffolded out as the upper brickwork is being finished off,  the window frames are all in and what look like the roof trusses are across the road ready to go up. Garden St, Clarence St. and the bottom of Mill St are also to be seen. Daisyfield Methodist Church on Ashton Road is surrounded by Newton Mill

What were the building on Ashton Road bottom / middle across from the playing fields? The road off to the left is shown as Cundy St. on a 1910 map.

Further up Ashton Rd, first side road on the left is Irene Avenue, next left Lodge Lane, and across Lodge St. Part of Bagshaw St. can be seen centre left. Surrounded by trees and just off Lodge St. is a property that shows up as Bradley House on a 1887 map. It's nice to see that trees still exist around there.  Carry on along Ashton Rd and on the right is a 3 story building, which is the Co-op on Ashton Road /Talbot Road junction. The bottom of Talbot Rd sure looks different.

The road cutting this picture in half is Talbot Road, bottom left is mostly the roofing of Newton Mill, the bottom middle and right shows Newton Moor Cotton Mill. Between the 2 mills runs Lodge st where you can make out the corner  where The Butty Bar now sells bacon butties and pies. Follow the street up to it's junction with Talbot Road. Across the road and over to the top left  Harbour Farm.  The Reservoir  is no more, but the walled section on Talbot Rd is still there. There's a tree in front of the reservoir which is still there and on the left of the tree is a bench,  I'm glad to say there's still is one on that spot. The cluster of houses top right are on Oakfield Rd.

Further up Talbot Rd and the row of houses opposite Oakfield Rd are known as Quality Row, to the right of them is the junction of Talbot Rd and Hallbottom St, The road across is Acresfield Road,  Where the road forms a diamond shape is where Acresfield Rd,  crosses St Marys Rd and eventually turns into Bradley Green Road. Work as not yet started on the Bradley Green Road housing, and the bottom of St Marys is yet to be built on. Also no sign of Bluebell Close.   

"Eastern Bazaar" Official Handbook. Adverts from 1900

Below are three adverts taken from the Hyde Wesleyan Methodist Church

"Eastern Bazaar" Official Handbook.

The Eastern Bazaar was held at The Mechanics Hall  from Thursday Feb 28th through to Saturday March 2nd 1900.

It was a huge event for its day that was extremely popular by all accounts !

Is this who Fairbrother Street (now Grange Road North) was named after ?

Love the modern Cooker shown ;) !

Rosemount Chapel Interior

Here is a lovely postcard sent to us by Werneth Low.
It shows the interior of Rosemount Chapel in Flowery Field.
It was quite similar to the old Zion Congregational interior.

I was christened in this chapel :)



Many thanks for the loan of the postcard.
Much appreciated.

Rosemount Primitive Methodist Chapel

The following was taken from 

the Annals of Hyde and District. 

 

The church was founded in 1875.
The Chapel was demolished and the congregation moved into the adjacent former school (also merging with Trinity Methodists) in 1977.

I was christened at Rosemount and took part in a few pantomimes there in the late 1960's. I would love to see any photos of these.

I'm glad to report that the church is still going strong.
Rosemount Church

 Thanks to A M Berrell  for the photos.

MEMORIES OF GROWING UP IN HYDE Part 5

Continuing Roger Chadwicks fabulous Memories of Hyde....

My church bore the grandiose title of “the parish of St John the Baptist, Godley cum Newton Green”!   I never found out where Newton Green was but assumed it was somewhere around Newton Station.  Certainly Godley was a huge geographical parish and then included Hattersley and parts of Hoviley.  The great excitement of the year was 0900 hrs at the Sheffield Road (Church) School on a Whit Friday.  Huge banners, pretty little girls, a be-decked bible, Mothers Union members in blue veils, everyone in new Whit Walk clothes and the Church Lads Brigade resplendent in their smart uniforms and highly polished bugles.  A procession of up to 100 people would set off led, by custom, every year, by The Dove Holes Prize Band.  Choirboys were somewhere in the middle behind the Church Banner, the Churchwardens proudly bearing their staffs of office and the cheery rubicund Vicar, resplendent in choir robes, hood and mortar board or Canterbury Cap.  His eyes were usually fixed on us because we were troublesome and he was always ready to pounce! 

 

St John the Baptist, Godley

Our parish Walk was something of a marathon!  We would pass through High Street and Fountain Street, down “Sammy Spit” and up Commercial Brow, back down towards Hyde and through Hoviley and into Clarendon Place.  For some reason we never went into the market area with all the other processions.  Then the fun would begin!   Our route thence took us straight up the A57 (Mottram Rd), through Godley Arches and up Godley Hill Road to the War Memorial.  Apparently, the police didn’t like this tradition because we caused massive hold ups of local and commercial long distance traffic.  But process we did and the choir lads, by adroit timing of the walk and surreptitious hand signals, could welcome angry motorists and sometimes an SHMD Decker into the procession!  One brave lad decided to mount the rear platform of the bus on one such Walk and was hastily pushed off by the guard!  All this caused mayhem and infuriated the Vicar but we loved it.  All the way round, crowds would line the pavements of the parish and there was much banter and raillery on all sides. Our Godley Whit Walk took three hours to complete with numerous stops for “Deep Harmony”,” Lloyd”, “The Old Hundredth” (Hymn Tunes), prayers and readings.  On Whit Friday afternoon, everyone, including the Bands, repaired to Farmer Osborne’s field beside The Barmhouses for the Sports.  (The usual Olympic style fare of sack/egg and spoon races and much else). By 1700 hrs we were home, worn out but happy!

 

Clarendon Place

The Church had a striking tower with a good peal of “bells”….   These wonderful “bells” consisted of a heavy 78rpm wax record in a gramophone in the Choir Vestry and it was the task of choir boys to reset the record every three minutes.  This process usually lasted for a full fifteen minutes but we made sure that, if possible, the needle could be left playing at the centre of the disc.  A hideous sound of magnified hissing and scratching would then fill the air of the parish until an irate Churchwarden or Sidesman would come in and ask “what the hell’s goin’ on?”  I seem to remember that this record was called “Grand Sire Garters” from Westminster Abbey”.  It was a dreadful noise but caused us unforgettable merriment.

 

Sermons were quite long and the mosaic of the floor around the choir stalls was a good surface for “glass alleys” (marbles) which we could flirt across to lads on the other side.  Wax sweet papers made good darts and we carved our names in the choir stalls.  Once we were sent out for really bad behaviour but once chastised, it was soon forgotten.  We sang two services on a Sunday, “murdered” anthems and sang Oratorios on Good Friday, even Stainer’s ‘Crucifixion’ and Maunder’s  ‘Olivet to Calvary’.   The choir was raucous but enthusiastic.  I enjoyed every minute of it.

Canon May guided several lads towards Ordination and I was one of them.    In 1962 I wore the clerical collar for the first time and I can honestly say that over 37 years in the work I have always encouraged and joined in mischief and high spirits.   It’s all part of being a boy(and a man!) and in these days of political correctness it is something that they are missing.   Some years ago I was at Evensong in York Minster and the choir lads were misbehaving terribly.   In high spirits there was just no dealing with them.  

Bad with silent laughter I thought to myself – “Oh aye! Been there! Done that !

Many Thanks again, Roger ! :)

Also, thanks to Carl Rogerson for use of the photo of St Johns.

 

Mystery Photos

Below are two photographs that were taken on Old Road in Flowery Field . You can see Rosemount Church at the top right of the photos.
What we don't know is what the parade was for. We believe they were taken circa late 1970's /early 1980's.

Any ideas? Please let us know !


Love the old United Co-operative Dairies milk float !!

Rev. D R Jacobs - Zion Congregational

Today we received this wonderful email and newspaper clipping from Mary-Helen Crowe....

Over to "Mary-Helen,

"Hello:  
 I thought you might be interested in the attached clipping of Rev. D.R. Jacobs who was the Pastor at Zion and married my Grandparents in August, 1885.  He came to Manitoba in 1889 and my Grandparents came out to them in 1898.   When Rev. Jacobs retired they lived near us in Winnipeg and I remember him very well.  John Black Church they mention was my family Church and I was there when he preached  in his 90th year.  He was a great old man.

I was visiting my Granddaughter in Manchester in September, 2012 and went to Zion Congregational and met Pastor Hardiman.  He showed us archival books and I found a number of my great aunts and uncles baptismal records.  My great-grandmother was a Member of Zion, Violet Birch.   It was such a wonderful occasion for me to actually tread the spot my Grandparents did in their young years.

All the best,

Mary-Helen Crowe (age 84)"

What a lovely story !  
Many thanks Mary-Helen for sharing this with us !

The History of St Georges Church

 Here is a brief history of St Georges Church as found in the Annals of Hyde which was written by Thomas Middleton.

View of St Stephens, Newton.

A postcard showing the now defunct St Stephens Church on Lower Bennett Street in Newton. The account below was written by Thomas Middleton in 1889 in the Annals of Hyde.

St Stephens Church for Sale, Bennett Street

A sad day indeed. 
Surplus to requirements, apparently.

Kindly sent to us by David Topping.

Many Thanks, David.

St Stephens Church Lads Brigade 1953

 Another photo from Tony Downend showing the "Prefabs" in Newton.
This time it's a view of Whit Walks of St Stephens Church Lads Brigade, turning right from Carter into Dow Street in 1953. The "Prefabs" can be seen in the background.


St Stephens Whit Walks 1953


Comparative view 2011

Tony wrote this...

"The double deck houses were known (locally at least) as the  "steel houses". The "prefabs" came in kits, as name implies, and were single deck and those on Dow and Carter Streets were built in 1947. 

The 'steel houses'  were built at  much the same time, if not just a tad later, around the corner in Bushifield Close from the once prefabs of Dow and Carter Street.  

The refurb of the  "steel houses" was undertaken during this last year or so. 

 Hope this helps shed just a little light on Newton's  past."    

 Much appreciated as always, Tony :)

Pictures From Dorothy Bell

Union St Sunday School -Whit Sunday 22nd May 1959

Class 4 1960  Teacher on right is Mr Renwick, he was very strict.

 Daisyfield Sunday School Pantomimes. Probably 1936.



Daisyfield Sunday School Pantomimes. Probably 1936





Daisyfield Church Brigade 1934-1936 not sure of the year.



Union St Whitwalks 1957 taken near Hyde Town Hall.

Thank you to Dorothy for these great pictures, and making this post possible.. These are just the kind of pictures we like to feature more on the site. We can show the roads and buildings, pubs and churches and so on, I just find that the personal pictures are a unique view of the towns peoples  past. The sad thing is it is pictures such as these that tend not to survive. Please, if you have such pictures get them scanned and send them in... or get in touch with us if you need help in getting them copied, I'm sure we could help out.

More Postcards from another era

  An old postcard of St Pauls Church.


 Hyde Park Bowling Green

St Stephens Whit Walks.

 We recently received the following photo and information from Jean.

" I'm new to the Hydonian blog and attached a photograph of my brother and sister on the Whit Walks from St Stephens  in approximately 1934/35. My brother John Bradley is the nearest boy and my sister Mary Bradley is the girl in the dark coat and white veil.

I hope that this will be of interest to you."

 June.

Many thanks for the photograph , June. :)

Methodist New Connexion Chapel

The Methodist New Connexion Chapel was situated on Muslin Street (now known as Talbot Road) in Newton. It was originally known as the Muslin Street Methodist. The original chapel was built in 1815, but due to disrepair it was demolished and the building in the photo was and opened in 1884. In 1907 the church joined with the United Methodist Free Church and formed the United Methodist Church.  

Picture and information by Paul Taylor

If you have any information or memories of this building we be happy to included them here

Barry Lewis as sent in this picture which was taken in 1909... It shows exactly where the Methodist church stood on Muslin Street.. 

Union Street 1914

A charabanc outing from Union Street Congregational Church circa 1914.
The Technical school is in the background. This is now part of Hyde Library.

Thanks to Steven and Winifred Pickford for the photograph!

Union Street Congregational Sunday School

Laying of the foundation stones of the Sunday school on 4th July 1914..









There were three foundation stones laid, but you can only see two of them clearly in these pictures. You can just see part of the third one (or first one to be exact, reading from left to right) in the last picture. You can just see the 'E' of Elijah Roebuck, JP, the other two being laid by A Milne Fletcher, JP and Thomas Brownson, BA. The Union Street Congregational Church has now been demolished, but the Sunday school survives in the form of The United Church adjacent to the library on Union Street.

Thanks to Dave for the excellent (as always) information supplied.

Grateful thanks to Steven and Winifred Pickford for the above photos.

St Stephens Church

With the recent sad news of the closure of St Stephens Church we received this photo of the Altar in the church.



"Here is a Picture of the Altar at St Stephens Church in Hyde
Loaned to me by my brother Jeff and his son Mathew. Thanks, David Stafford".



I really hope that this fine church survives demolition. It is a Grade II listed building so there is a glimmer of hope.

Thanks to David Stafford & Mike Berrell for the great photographs.
Much appreciated as always !