Category: Cheshire
In Pictures: The 2012 Dukinfield Whit Walks
East of the M60 World Exclusive: images of this year’s Whit Walks in Dukinfield
Dukinfield’s churchgoers were treated to excellent weather for this year’s Procession of Witness. The blistering heat made for conditions more suitable for barbecues instead of brass bands and church banners. For some, this was a nice change from previous walks where wind or rain made the going less easy, more for brollies instead of barbecues. In spite of the sunny conditions, there were few onlookers, most of which concentrated around the Town Hall.
It was also an emotional Whit Walks for St. Luke’s Church’s parishioners. Owing to structural problems affecting the church, a recent quote to arrest the subsidence was deemed beyond the reach of their finances. Therefore, the church will be dissolved by the start of 2013, with this year their last appearance on Whitsuntide.
The Procession of Witness, popularly known as the Whit Walks is a religious occasion celebrating Pentecost, where all churches assemble at a central part of the town centre. Some people may choose to walk with their church, or choose to watch the churches walking and assembling. Each church is led by a brass band. Sometimes, they may opt for a reed band like Dukinfield’s very own Adamson’s Band, or (as seen on the Manchester Whit Walks) bugle bands, which some critics say run counter to tradition.
Video: St. Luke’s C of E Church:
Images of the 2012 Dukinfield Whit Walks:
Dukinfield Methodist Church
St. Mark’s Parish Church
Old Chapel Unitarian Church and Tyldesley Band
St. John’s Castle Band leading out Dukinfield Baptist Church.
S.V., 27 May 2012 (Whit Sunday)
The Lost Precinct: An A to Z of Defunct Retailers
Plus: References to branches which are now East of the M60 motorway
The Farnworth branch of Woolworths, prior to closure on the 06 January 2009. Photograph by Terry Wha (Creative Commons Attribution License).
This year and the last haven’t been a good one for retailers. This week has already seen the demise of Clintons Cards. In the last six months, we have seen Game close branches, news of fewer new Wetherspoon pubs opening the North of England and Greggs reporting a drop in sales. The rise of internet shopping may well be making a tangible affect on the retail trade as online shopping offers more convenience and choice.
Today, our streets are less diverse than they were 15 years ago. If you go back 25 to 30 years ago, they were even more diverse than in 1997. The chain stores had less than a national presence in 1982 compared with today’s high street. There was also regional chains with a clearly defined presence in certain parts of the United Kingdom.
For the purpose of this post, East of the M60 will take you on a stroll towards The Lost Precinct. The dark brown Austin Allegro is waiting outside your deck access Bison built flat. Continue reading
Farewell, Faithful Footbridge…
Disused footbridge to be demolished over two Sundays
A view of Station House photographed with a Kodak Retinette camera, taken from the footbridge of Altrincham Interchange
One of Transport for Greater Manchester’s earliest links with the Greater Manchester Transport era will be severed this month.
The bus section of Altrincham Interchange will be remodelled this year, starting with the footbridge. Its link with the Stamford Quarter shopping centre will be dismantled over two Sundays (or three if the weather’s been dire), starting from the 13th May. Shortly after the remodelling of Stamford New Road, and the installation of a pelican crossing in recent years, the footbridge had fallen into disuse, though still accessible from the precinct. Continue reading
Tameside Bus Service Changes, Spring 2012: A Very High Peak Practice
Changes to former SpeedwellBus services and electric hybrids the order of the day
Prior to the middle of this April, Stott's of Oldham's only presence in Mossley have been on school services and the 353/354 routes. From then on, their low floor buses (one third smaller and tidier than this double decker above), seen on the 41 route will be a regular feature of the 343 route on weekdays.
Spring 2012′s raft of changes [16 April 2012] will be the first ones to take effect after the Coalition Government’s cut in the Bus Service Operators’ Grant. At the moment, nothing too catastrophic (yet) in the way of service cuts have reached Tameside. Operator changes and the introduction of electric hybrid buses set the agenda. Continue reading
System One’s Big Day Out for 2012
Popular community competition returns with bigger prize fund and potential for a bigger day out
Bus denoted in graphic does not reflect upon contemporary operations. Unfortunately. (Unless you fancy visiting the Greater Manchester Museum of Transport, of course)
For our local charities, this year is set to be a tumultuous one as funding by our councils is being slashed. The double whammy of council cutbacks and a recession (which has increased demand for their services) has made 2012 and may make subsequent years tougher than before.
The person you may see at your local charity shop or food bank may enjoy their role, but behind this exterior, he or she may be rushed off their feet. Therefore, giving up some of their time to avert hunger or sell secondhand clothes could be hard work, given that he or she may only be paid travel expenses. With 27% of charities planning to cut back on paid staff and expenditure (source: National Council for Voluntary Organisations Charity Forecast 16 report, February 2012), even the fate of the local charity shop or food bank is far from steady. Continue reading
A Budget for Millionaires by Millionaires
East of the M60 on the 2012 Budget
- Pensioners pay for fat cat tax cuts;
- Top rate lowered from 50% to 45%;
- Corporation Tax lowered to 24% by next month;
- Plans for lower public sector pay outside London and South East England;
- Environmental corporate responsibility kicked into touch;
- State Pension eligibility stymied for poorer people;
- Lower rate threshold raised to £9,205 (from April 2013);
- Slight U-turn on child benefit cap;
- Hope Valley line upgrade and Northern Hub plans approved;
- 7% stamp duty on £2m plus properties;
- Usual rises in duty for cigarettes, beer (inflation+2%) and fuel.
Today saw George Osborne deliver what was a Conservative budget par excellence, even with its yellow bellied coalition partners on backing vocals. Apart from some welcome investment in the Northern Hub and the Hope Valley line, it had the usual hallmarks of a Tory budget such as handouts for the super-rich, benefit cuts and some cheaply deployed tax threshold changes. Continue reading
Brinnington’s New Buses Officially Named by Local Schoolchildren
Stagecoach Manchester’s new Enviro 200s handed over and named
Hillcrest Grammar School pupils and teachers holding on to the ribbon. Christopher Bowles (Stagecoach Manchester MD) and Councillor Philip Harding are seen moments away from cutting the ribbon.
Stockport schoolchildren were all smiles last Tuesday as they helped Stagecoach Manchester to officially name and launch six new single decker buses, all of which will be serving Brinnington’s 325 route.
The pupils from Hillcrest Grammar, Adswood Primary and St. Thomas’ Primary schools entered a competition to name the new vehicles. They were joined by Christopher Bowles, Stagecoach Manchester’s Managing Director, and Philip Harding, local councillor and Stockport’s committee member of Transport for Greater Manchester. Continue reading
New Buses for Stockport: Six Enviro 200s To Be Named By Local Schools
Stagecoach Manchester invites Stockport schools to name half a dozen new single deckers
Of course, we at East of the M60 and many other readers of this blog would recognise the side view of this bus as an Enviro 200. Let's hope the local schools could come up with something ingenious like the Brinnington Badger or the Offerton 'Opper.
As part of its £750,000 investment in the company’s 800+ fleet, Stagecoach Manchester has ordered a further six Enviro 200 single deckers for the Stockport area. This will be the second batch of Enviro 200s for Daw Bank, complementing the 16 sent to Ashton depot last May and Daw Bank’s 180 other vehicles. Continue reading
The £100,000 Question: Could Queen of Shops Save Stalybridge Town Centre?
East of the M60 asks whether Tameside MBC’s recommendation of Stalybridge as a potential Portas Pilot would be a panacea for change or a mere sticking plaster.
Armentieres Square has been tastefully refurbished in recent years offering attractive views of the canal, Wild Bank and the town centre. Alas, this view isn't one of them as these fire damaged shops and broken bus stop flag show in this December 2009 view.
Stalybridge has seen recent regeneration by means of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and a new focal point at Armentieres Square. After years of dereliction, the Longlands Mill has been restored and – thanks to the modern though controversial Pattern House – has seen extension and conversion as apartments. Elsewhere, the railway station has been attractively refurbished. Continue reading
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. Continue reading
