Down Our Street #3: Melbourne Street, Stalybridge
How one of Stalybridge’s shopping streets got its name.
No visit to Stalybridge is complete without calling in The Tripe and Sandwich Shop. Marginally bigger than a disabled superloo, its butties are cheap, cheerful and fresh. Ditto the above with the tripe, available in honeycomb and cord varieties.
There are three main streets in the centre of Stalybridge. Prior to the last two decades, Market Street was its main one, with Grosvenor Street and Melbourne Street almost equal in status. Recent pedestrianisation saw most of the retail trade move to Melbourne Street and Grosvenor Street. Owing to the present day paucity of shops, the former has become the main one.
Road access, overzealous parking wardens and a Kafkaesque one-way system have conspired in the demise of Stalybridge as Tameside’s second shopping destination, even with recent reopening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The opening of TESCO in February 2001 sucked in what little life its triumvirate of shopping streets had. (I shall elaborate on these aspects in a future post, though not within the realms of this one)
The story of Stalybridge in the last 15 years could well be the story of many other small towns in the shadow of retail giants and similar parking peeves. Instead of a good old fashioned gripe about how the centre has changed, I shall focus on one of its streets and the history. I may even mention references to former shops along the way.
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Melbourne Street
In the 1830s, Stalybridge was experiencing a boom spurred on by the Industrial Revolution. The opening of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and turnpike roads improved communications with the town. In 1828 it became a fully fledged town with its own market and a police force following five years later. The following year [1834] would see the opening of an iron bridge. Astride this bridge is the bottom end of Melbourne Street.
Melbourne Street is so called after the then Whig Prime Minister of that year Viscount Melbourne. William Lamb, the 2nd Viscount Melbourne had a privileged upbringing and cared little for the middle classes and working classes. He was taught at Eton College, hostile towards the Tolpuddle Martyrs, rural and urban trade unions, and relied an alliance of Whigs, Radicals and Irish MPs. A similar parallel today could be the opening of a new bridge astride a future Cameron Street! (Which is highly unlikely given his current unpopularity North of Altrincham)
Three years after the opening of Stalybridge’s iron bridge, a small settlement on the south eastern part of Australia was bestowed the same name as our street. Today, Melbourne, Victoria is Australia’s main cultural centre and has one of – if not, probably – the biggest railway station in the Southern Hemisphere in the form of Flinders Street.
A walk along Melbourne Street
The best way to explore Melbourne Street is by going uphill from Market Street. The beginning of our street is punctuated by a mortgage shop and an estate agent. The former shop on the left hand side was in its recent past Bridge Cycles. Before then, it was a Boots the Chemist. Further up, we have The People’s Gallery. Over three floors, it moved to its present site in 2008, following the closure and demolition of its previous premises. Opposite is the Riverside café, which has occupied the same unit since 2001.
Over the bridge we see the H2O Bar. This has been closed for the best part of two years after being a ‘fun pub’ selling homogenous lagers. Prior to that it was The Riverside, a name given to the pub by Vaux Breweries in the early 1990s. It was hitherto a Wilson’s pub under the alias of The Commercial, famed for its rock music. The pub had suffered after Vaux’s demise in 1999.
Opposite was George Dean’s furniture, which is today’s Lloyd’s Chemist, having moved two doors down. Beyond the chemist, the next 200 yards are dominated by banks and building societies. Barclays Bank moved to its current unit following acquisition of Martin’s Bank in 1969 (the unit was previously occupied by the Westminster Bank). Directly opposite is William Hill Bookmakers. Prior to moving from smaller premises on Market Street, this was formerly the North Western Gas Board showrooms.
We also meet up with Dean Street, which takes us to the Astley Cheetham Library and Art Gallery, then Castle Street on the right, which takes us to the canal, Phoenix City Chinese Restaurant, and the emerging Pattern House. The latter includes the recently renovated Longlands Mill and a new modernist – and controversial – block of flats. Immediately opposite is the NatWest bank, formerly the Manchester and Salford Bank.
Next door is our second public house (or first one which is still open), Blanca. Prior to the entrance of ‘Staly Vegas’ into local vernacular, it was formerly The Friendship, and a bog standard Bass house. Today, it plies its trade to the younger crowd – nicely placed opposite the Lloyds TSB bank, built in 1973. It is next to the present day Quality Save score which was, till 1996, the NORWEB showrooms. The showrooms were originally on three floors with electricity bills paid at basement level.
At this point, the last few yards of Melbourne Street are pedestrianised. The late 1970s saw the pedestrianisation of this section and Grosvenor Street, with through traffic on the latter road using the High Street bypass. The start of this section is marked by Broscombe Jewellers on the right and new flats on the left. The unit occupied by Broscombe has been in its recent history a carpet shop, restaurant and P&C Sports.
On the site of the new flats was The Emporium, a rather imposing building dating from 1856. Prior to its demolition, The Emporium was the home of Bottom Dollar, a discount store which took up two units and also – at one time in the mid-1980s – a basement floor. Next to it on the left hand side was the original unit of The People’s Gallery. Prior to then, it had been the base for Stalybridge Credit Union, a regeneration project office, and a wallpaper shop. Next to it was Henry’s Books and Consoles, whom had moved from Stalybridge Market Hall on closure at the end of 1999. This was previously Victoria Wine’s unit.
The new flats are – architecturally – a poor substitute for the 1856 units; typical 1980s – 1990s style post-modern Barrett-esque. A bookmakers occupies the sole retail unit below the flats.
Past the recently restored canal bridge, a hairdressers occupies the former Bradford and Bingley Building Society. On the left hand side is a walkway leading to Armentieres Square. Right of this unit is a beauty shop. At one time, this was formerly Audrey and Les Smithies’ newsagents. The late Les Smithies always had an opinion and answer for all things of a Stalybridge Celtic or transport nature. It was also a booking point for Stalybridge Celtic Supporters’ Club away coaches and the newsagent also had a good selection of bus and train magazines. I used to like how it was suspended in time, yet harked back to a simpler age when ‘online’ was a Northern way of saying ‘I’m on the telephone’.
Opposite is Pet’s World, which occupies a unit hitherto owned by Melia’s Farm Foods. Melia’s shop – when I went in the early noughties – was stuck in the 1950s, yet had a comforting air about it. Their bacon and sausage muffins were superb. Further up, the first of Stalybridge’s three charity shops. The Age UK shop was at one time SupaSnaps’ film processing studio, and a National Coal Board shop. Further up is a taxi office, which was formerly Stalybridge’s last shoe shop, Shoe Fayre, next door to The Village Café.
After The Village Café, our last two units of the Victorian terrace variety kiss a dour 1960s one. Among the last two are The Chicken Barbecue and the Tripe and Sandwich Shop. Both are good places for pies and sandwiches with the latter being of great interest. The Tripe and Sandwich Shop is probably one of the last remaining tripe shops in the North of England. Though a purveyor of the said food stuff, it also does good oven bottom muffins.
The left hand side sees the town’s chain stores with the usual Thomson and Greggs stores. By then we have seen the last of the Victorian terraced units and some dour grey late-1960s ones. The first floor – now occupied by a night club, was originally offices for the DHSS. A carpet shop hugs the end unit.
By then, Melbourne Street meets Grosvenor Street. The modern day Grosvenor Square was redeveloped in the late 1960s with Finlay’s Newsagents alone in occupying its same unit since construction. To our left, five units hitherto occupied by Broscombe Jewellers, Walter Wilkinson Butchers, a Chinese takeaway, Marvic’s shoe repairs and Bowden’s TV and Radio – have been swallowed up by Ladbrokes bookmakers. On our right is Finley’s, a bargain shop occupying two units (Town Shopper) and a Superdrug.
The centre unit of Town Shopper was at one time The Golden Gander. Superdrug’s unit started life as the Maypole Dairy’s supermarket before becoming a Liptons store. This later became LoCost, Lloyds Supersave and Savers, progressively turning towards cosmetics instead of food. On the site of Superdrug was the original Q Inn; on the site of a fair chunk of the new Grosvenor Square was Back Grosvenor Street. Part of that road forms part of today’s Armentieres Square, starting at Trinity Street.
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So, this concludes our tour up Melbourne Street. If you have any memories or anecdotes on the joys of Melbourne Street, or wish to add to this article (i.e., other lost shops, or present day shopping experiences), feel free to do so.
S.V., 20 February 2012.
You appear to have missed out No.49, ( on the right hand side of your journey) which is a closed down butchers unit, formerly owned by T L Cartwright. It had been operated by that family for many years and before that was Hillier’s Pork butchers, operated by a member of my mother’s family.
The shop is painted maroon and used to advertise Stalybridge Celtic games.
Hi Buspilot,
Yes, obviously a glaring omission on my part. Always looked like a throwback from an earlier time. It had a British Pork sticker on the window with a silhouette on. (For a TV Times guess the celebrity competition – who was it by the way?)
Bye for now,
Stuart.
I seem to recall a record shop at the top Melbourne street in the early eighties, I could be wrong though. It was closing down just as I started to buy records and remember getting a copy of the not the nine o’clock news album half price.
I walked down Melbourne street last Saturday afternoon, it seemed like a ghost town and far removed from the busy street I remember.
Also Bottom Dollar was the cheapest by far to get your TDK blank tapes from and cheap headphones.
Hi Lee,
Would that have been Soundtracks by any chance, or was that the one on Trinity Street?
Bottom Dollar always used to be good for the odd things you couldn’t find in Wilkinson, Woolworth and (cough!) TESCO on the side of the canal. The same people have – under a different name [Yu and Me] – a smaller unit which used to be a furniture shop on Market Street, opposite Swift Radio Cars’ office.
In yesterday’s Manchester Evening News, Tameside MBC has put Stalybridge forward as a potential town for a share of Mary Portas’ £1 million scheme. I think a share of that million would be a mere sticking plaster, and I think Ms Portas may have her work cut out! Even so…
Bye for now,
Stuart.
Soundracks was on trinity street, that survived a few years into the nineties but was never a shop for saddo music obsessives like me, more a casual chart friendly pop shop. It briefly turned into a second hand bookshop that had some interesting stuff in.
I can never really figure out why Stalynridge is so run down now, when Hyde has stayed relatively busy. My theory is the closure of the market and then the building of Tescos. My Dad still won’t go in Tesco as he worked at the Delta Cable factory they shut and knocked down.
Hi Lee,
My answers to the question as to ‘Who and What Killed Stalybridge as a Bustling Shopping Centre?’
1) A Kafkaesque one way system which contravenes all avenues of common sense for a small town centre;
2) Utility companies: though necessary, recent works have lasted in excess of six months and effectively closed the town centre;
3) Free parking provision: also true of to some extent Ashton and Hyde – superstores’ free parking a bigger lure – thus meaning a greater likelihood of staying in the same retail park or superstore;
4) Overzealous traffic wardens;
5) The run down and closure of its market: though the farmer’s market is a welcome recent move, it is still nowhere near as good a replacement for its indoor and outdoor market;
6) Fire damaged buildings – still derelict years after the fire;
7) The movement of the Local Studies Library to Ashton Central Library: unsuitability of facilities at Stalybridge owing to dampness led to its move.
Points three and four are congruent to the reason why TESCO has prospered at the expense of the town centre (and undoubtedly other parts of Tameside with similar developments). The centre is close enough for shoppers to wander around Melbourne Street or Grosvenor Street as well as park their car at TESCO for the two hours allotted.
Till the late 1990s, it used to be cheaper for most Dukinfield folk to get the bus into Stalybridge compared with Ashton. Fares for Stalybridge now cost the same as those to Ashton from the Albion Hotel stop, despite only being two-thirds as long a trip as it is to Ashton. Daytime bus service levels between the Albion Hotel and Stalybridge have fallen with 2 buses per hour compared with 8 per hour to Ashton. That may be one factor albeit a small one.
Thanks for correcting me on the record shop.
Bye for now,
Stuart.
The Emporium that was on Melbourne street was dated 1868.There was a stone stating this near the end of the building before it was demolished. I have a photograph of it. Robert
Cheers for the correction, Robert.
I remember seeing the foundation stone, it was directly above the first floor windows.
Warmly,
Stuart.
Thanks Stuart, really enjoyed that installment – indeed I was only wondering what the connection with Melbourne AUS was but seems like we were trailblazers in this case. I have many childhood memories of Melbourne Street, getting dragged around Manweb and Norweb (now Home Bargains) and pining for that often elusive detour down Corporation street to Hardcastles toy shop in the hope of obtaining a new Action Man or the like. Do you remember the elevated flower bed (with benches) that sat roughly in-between P&C Sports and the Wallpaper/painting and decorating store? I also remember Bernard Wallis’ shoe shop (of “weal wevver uppers/he’ll grow into ‘em” fame – bit of a Dickie Davies look-a-like, a real character)? I also vividly recall a small confectioners opposite what may have then been Burneys Bakers, (oh how I miss those Continental Slices) I remember getting Liondt chocolate from the block but nobody seems to remember this place, not even my Mum! Did you ever get dragged upstairs in A&A Separates (subsequently ASK 38) whilst your Mum tried underskirts on? – Harrowing! Do you remember the stone crushing machine that resided in a glass box outside Paul Dean’s bookmakers adjacent to the Jubilee clock (maybe one for a Grosvenor St. installment). Finally, if I remember correctly, the row of shops opposite Quik Save went (from right to left…) Dowser’s Newsagents (Finlays) Cellar 5 (The Booze Box) Golden Gander.
A bonus fact for you is that the owner of the famous Grandma Pollard’s chippy in Walsden was the owner of The Golden Gander! He worked between the two for years.
Here’s a couple of clips of the place (and around) circa. 1986.
06.40 – 07.22 http://bit.ly/wwwHCy – 405 to Guide Bridge? Hmm, one for you Stuart?
02.08 – 03.36 http://bit.ly/wJYEGz – Fake Bookies in what was the Owl’s Hoot Cafe? (better view at 05.12)
07.05 – 08.00 http://bit.ly/zsKact – Chase up Melbourne St, (Lo Cost visible on this one)
04.05 – 05.29 http://bit.ly/ynx8pw – Great shots of Grosvenor Square including Wetherspoons disguised as a retro Co-Op! Oh the memories…
Anyway, I’m at work here so must get on Stuart, there’s loads of internal shots of Copley Rec, including an external at 04.05 here: http://bit.ly/x9N9G9
…and probably more if you can be bothered scrubbing through the other episodes!
Take Care,
Alex
Hi Alex,
Thank you for the comments, much appreciated. I do remember Hardcastles before it became a taxi office (then a burnt one before becoming another unit), and the fact that it had buggies on the first floor. It used to be quite good for Airfix models and Humbrol paints, as well as Playmobil, Sylvanian Families and Lego toys.
The flower bed at the end of Melbourne Street was there prior to 1999. A similar one at the western pedestrianised end of Grosvenor Street is still there. Like yourself, I have been dragged upstairs to A&A Separates (only once though)!
I vaguely remember the Cellar 5/Golden Gander/Finlays bank of shops, and of course the LoCost store. Around 1984-85, I fled the Kwik Save store for the then quieter Liptons store opposite, much to the chagrin of my mother. (The store was too noisy)
I remember Jossy’s Giants (where the clips came from), though this was before I was interested in football; I only watched the programme as an excuse to see Stalybridge on the telly!
The service in question [405] actually reads ‘Lord Lane’, a terminus point in Failsworth on the corner of Day Drive. In 1986 – and on today’s Sunday service – the 52 service terminates there. Though there’s never been a direct route to Failsworth from Stalybridge, the number for that area is more or less right as services within the 400 series were allocated to local routes from Oldham garage. Another one of the clips also exorcised one other memory besides the clock and the stone machine: the mural above LoCost!
Take care,
Stuart.
Wayne.
Where did you get that haircut?
Born during the latter part of WW2, I have lived in Stalybridge for 60 of my 70 years (left but came back).
My first recollection of being allowed to go for an “unsupervised” haircut was at age 8ish; this was to Declan Gough’s shop facing the Market Hall on Trinity Street, later the business was taken over by Joe Calaghan.
Other venues of the tonsorial artists of the 50′s/60′s were to be found on Market Street (The Don – prop Jack Bates), opposite Boots Chemists, and further along Market Street where the bus station/Bingo Hall now stands
was “Puggy” Dentons.
Other long lost Barbers were Jack Ball originaly in the wooden fronted shops to the left of Grosvenor Square
where Broscroft Jewelers / Walker Wilkinson Butchers subsequantly stood, latterly on Grosvenor Street (now Fishing Tackle shop I think); and last but not least the legendary in his lifetime Greenwood Doodson in Castle Hall.
Does anyone else remember them in the days when hair was styled, not shaved off?
Hi Wayne,
I only need to go back as far as 2010 to find a barbers where hair is styled instead of shaved off. Sadly that place was some distance from Stalybridge, in Altrincham! I had my hair done at a barbers there [Flanagans] and they too didn’t advocate heavy use of the clippers. The haircut would have normally been £20 but I knew the barber and had it done for free! I think the shift towards clippers also means less bored children and more haircuts done.
A most interesting piece of history on Stalybridge barbers. Not least the fact there seems to be, in the present day, a shift towards the unisex barbers/hairdressers. I would that assume that The Don’s shop would be today’s Gino’s.
Bye for now,
Stuart.