Borough Arcade & the Old Supermarket

The Old Supermarket or Quality Save as it is now known started life as a cinema or picture house as they were so named ,called The Hippodrome. It was one of many picture houses in Hyde.It was built on the site of Longmeadow Mill.

As it looks today.



The view from the Market Place (Norfolk Street side) showing the UCP cafe on the corner of Hamnett street and the Supermarket in the left background. Note the old wooden stalls.

The old Supermarket sign still proudly displayed.

In the book 'A History Of Hyde' by Thomas Middleton is states the following ;

"Stansfields Hippodrome was originally commenced in a large room of an old mill abutting Clarendon Street, in which Mr. Wilbraham Stansfield, the proprietor, for several years presented varied programmes of Drama, Opera, Musicals, Comedy, Variety and Pictures. The present handsome building was opened on Wakes Saturday, 1914, by Alderman Kenny, a former Mayor of Hyde. Since then, its success has been such, that the building has been largely extended, and it is now one of the best equipped theatres in the district."

Borough Arcade at the side of the old Supermarket.

The bottom part of Market Street showing Borough Arcade to the far right. Dean and Noble electrical shop on the corner.

Showing the view from Market place with The Old Supermarket in the background and the White Lion to the right. This is before "Curleys" fruit shop was erected.

You can still make out the old "Supermarket" sign on the front if you look carefully.

How it would looked with the neon lit up

The Astoria Bingo Hall

The Astoria Bingo Hall is a very familiar sight in Hyde. It seems to have been there forever but sadly the "To Let" sign may mean it's days as a Bingo hall are numbered. It started life as a picture house called "La Scala". One of the many cinemas that Hyde enjoyed. It's sad that there isn't even one working cinema left in Hyde now.

This was during the last bus station revamp .Before they built the new modern bus station building.

This photo shows the Astoria before the heart was ripped out of Hyde - when the motorway came through - See the old Bus station and George Street to the left. The Astoria has changed very little indeed! Still the same colour, too!

This map is from before the bus station was built. It's taken from an Ordnanace Survey Map of 1897... Center of map shows George Street/Clarendon Street.. what a differance then.