Category: Stalybridge
Down Our Street #5: Park Road, Dukinfield
A wander along a historical road of industrial importance
Park Road, Tame Valley, Dukinfield:
- Distance: 0.85 miles;
- Start: Crescent Road/Riverside, Dukinfield;
- Finish: Tame Street, Stalybridge;
- Bus: 346 (alight at Crescent Road).
Though with its semi rural origins, Park Road became an important connection with two major town centres at either end. It links the Tame Valley part of Dukinfield with Ashton-under-Lyne at its most westerly point, and Stalybridge in the east. In miniature, it documents the story of Tameside during the industrial revolution, its rise and its fall. 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
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
Down Our Street #1: Stamford Street, Ashton-under-Lyne
The start of a new regular feature on East of the M60
In 1999, there used to be two free newspapers cluttering up our buses. As well as today’s Metro, there was also the Manchester Metro News. Just to confuse things, there was already a Manchester Metro News doing the rounds in South Manchester before becoming the South Manchester Reporter – incidentally, both printed by the Guardian Media Group. For a brief period, the Metro published by Associated Newspapers was known as News North West (bearing the moniker of Northwest Tonight’s lunchtime bulletin back when Northwest Tonight was Look North West). As a compromise, the Manchester Metro News morning freesheet was merged with Associated Newspapers’ title with the GMG’s adverts and jobs sourced from the Manchester Evening News.
The defunct free newspaper had an excellent feature which looked at the history behind local streets. In each edition, readers were treated to 100 words or so of prose on, for example, Hanging Gate or Withy Grove.
Today, almost 13 years on, East of the M60 thought it was a good idea to revive this feature. Whereas Tameside, Oldham, Stockport and Rochdale street names were under represented in the aforementioned journal, EotM60 has decided to right this wrong.
Our first street was partly modelled on one in London. Continue reading
Bye Bye Connorrrrrrr
Undisclosed fee sees Connor Jennings move to Scunthorpe United
After nearly four seasons from junior to first team level playing for Stalybridge Celtic, Connor Jennings has accepted a move to Scunthorpe United.
The 20 year old forward passed a medical and will be seeing out the rest of this season at Glanford Park. Following a rejected offer and deals from other Football League sides, the Irons made an improved offer which he accepted. The revised deal also includes a sell-on clause.
With the Irons having a free week due an earlier F.A. Cup exit, his first game for the NPower League One side is likely to be an away trip to Colchester United on the 14th January. His home début may be on the 21st January against Stevenage.
Connor Jennings was a product of the ‘Bridge’s youth policy starting out at junior level. He marked his first team début with a goal on the 3rd March 2009, in a 7-1 home win against Hinckley United. His move to Scunthorpe United makes him the first ‘Bridge player to join a Football League side since Lee Trundle.
His undisclosed fee is a club record, eclipsing the ‘transfer fee’ paid by Kidderminster Harriers for Harvey’s predecessor Steve Burr, and way ahead of the £15,000 accepted for Lee Trundle. Fans on Stalybridge Celtic’s message board have accepted his move and wished him well on his transition to Football League level. An independent Scunthorpe United fans’ forum are eagerly awaiting his appearance with emphasis on his height. Others are more sanguine hoping he’ll end a succession of previous below par forwards.
For one last time before he leaves Bower Fold. Altogether now…: “CONNORRRRRRRRR…!“
S.V., 06 January 2012
(Twelfth Night)
East of the M60′s Other Road to Wembley #2: F.A. Trophy Second Round Proper Draw
Groundhog Day for Stalybridge Celtic (or another new ground for County to visit)
You couldn’t make it up! One wonders if the F.A’s competitions are drawn at random at all, if recent draws are anything to go by. At the top, Manchester United are drawn to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the F.A Cup Third Round, months after City’s 6 – 1 drubbing at Old Trafford.
Lower down the footballing pyramid, there is one inevitability along with death, taxation and The X Factor winner’s attempts to stitch up the Christmas Number One spot of the singles chart.
East of the M60′s Other Road to Wembley #2: F.A. Trophy First Round Results
Poor attendances amid scalps by lower league opposition
The F.A. Challenge Trophy is the Football Association’s premier non-league competition featuring clubs from Steps 1 to 4 of the non-league pyramid. With the Conference National side, one would expect some fairly good attendance figures at this stage. Alas this wasn’t the case.
Perhaps some sides (particularly those demoted from the Football League in the last decade) perceive the F.A. Trophy as a ‘Mickey Mouse Competition’, even though they have more chance of getting to Wembley than the F.A. Challenge Cup. That may be true to some extent, but I think the real culprit lies with hosting the First Round ties close to Christmas, when attendances from the F.A. Premier League down to the Manchester League are depressed by Christmas shopping. For those of you stood in the aisles of TESCO Extra, you missed a few crackers. (Before you ask, they are not close to the wines and spirits aisle, going off my rudimentary knowledge of the one in Altrincham which I used to frequent)
East of the M60 Advent Calendar: 11 December 2011
11. Hyde Bus Station
This time, not a bus image, though today’s picture offers a cryptic clue to the eventual fate of our Bus Route of Christmas Past.
The present day Hyde bus station is the third incarnation. The first one had toilets at the George Street end and bus information at the same end as the health centre and taxi rank. Hyde bus station Mark II saw a revised layout owing to the construction of the M67 motorway and the closure of George Street. On one side were stands A – D (B was used for National Express services and excursion coaches), a newsagents, SaverSales and information offices. Stands E and F shared a shelter with a third shelter housing G – K stands.
The third and present one opened in December 2004 with fewer stands (A – F) though much improved passenger facilities. The newsagents, TfGM’s Travelshop, toilets and information point are under the same roof as the bus stands. Designed by Aedas Architects and built by Sisk UK, its automatic doors and roof provide superior cover from the elements. In spite of these credentials, it is still a bit draughty.
Bus Route of Christmas Past: A more local route this time, the 11/11A from Stalybridge Grey Street/Brushes Estate to Ashton-under-Lyne and Newton. From Stalybridge, both the 11/11A would call at Tame Valley, after passing the SHMD garage at Tame Street. At Ashton it would change course at St Michael’s Square (and the bus station from 1969), continue to Dukinfield, Albion Hotel and terminate Newton, Lodge Street. The Stalybridge section of the route became the 341, then 351 and in that form, part of circular routes 33 and 35. Tame Valley ceased to be served in February 1999 with services diverted to the Albion Hotel (renumbered 349 in August 1999). That too was discontinued in 2008 with sister route 348 upgraded.
The Ashton to Newton portion became the 346 by 1974 and took over the former 15 route (Hyde – Shaw Hall Circular) in 1978 (its GMT service numbers 350 and 351 were reallocated for the 217 and 341 routes to Mossley and Carrbrook). Today, the 346 now terminates at Gee Cross, though in previous years it had been extended to Droylsden (1979 – 1985) and Stockport (1993 – 1994, replacing Saturdays only service 334).
Bus Route of Christmas Present: Here’s another cryptic link for our 11 BRoCPres. One of the Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley and Dukinfield Joint Board managers had moved over to Stalybridge from the predecessors of the operator running this 11 route. Equally spooky is that the 11 from Middlesbrough to Lingfield Park (via Acklam Hall) has the same frequency and ultimate operator of the 346 (SHMD 11′s forerunner). Stagecoach in Teesside’s version of the 11 operates every 20 minutes on Monday to Saturdays. Like the 346, Stagecoach doesn’t operate a Sunday service along this route. Instead the 12, 610 and 611 are entrusted with that role.
Fictitious Bus Route of Christmas Past: Luxton Garage to Cemetery Gates. Both the fictitious and real life 11 stopped near crematoria. Therefore, today’s 346 route has one thing in common with On The Buses!
S.V., 11 December 2011
East of the M60 Advent Calendar: 06 December 2011
6. A creative use or abuse of a MCW Metrobus indicator? Judge for yourself.
Manchester United fans will be in no hurry to forget the scoreline of this particular match. For the 6th December we have Mark Amis’ lovingly preserved MCW Metrobus, seen at the Greater Manchester Museum of Transport’s Deregulation 25 event. His bus [5120], and fellow GM Buses stablemate 1466 (preserved by Dave Birchall, not seen in this picture) used the numerical indicator to display the scoreline of the Manchester Derby.
Greater Manchester Transport’s MCW Metrobuses compensated for the delivery delays which affected their order for another integral bus: the Leyland Titan. Instead, they turned to Washwood Heath, with 189 others and this fellow built between 1979 and 1983. This beauty was a regular on the 236 and 237 routes, working from Tameside and Glossop depots. It is Mark’s nostalgia for this vehicle and similar examples which led him to preserve a MCW Metrobus and opt for the 1991 version of the GM Buses livery. Most definitely a good choice.
Bus Route of Christmas Past: Manchester – Ashton-under-Lyne – Glossop. SHMD’s route offered a limited stop service between Lower Mosley Street Coach Station to Glossop, following much of the present day 236 service. Following the closure of that station, its terminus was shifted to Deansgate Station, entering Piccadilly Gardens via Albert Square. It was renumbered 236 in 1973 operating a half hourly service. In 1978, half of its journeys were rerouted via Hadfield and Tintwistle and renumbered 237 to reflect this.
Bus Route of Christmas Present: Once more, we turn to Birmingham for inspiration for our BRofCP. This time, Travel West Midlands’ 6 route from Birmingham to Solihull. It is one of three 6 services operated by National Express owned subsidiary. The service operates every 5 – 10 minutes throughout the daytime with a more modest 12 – 20 minute frequency service on Sundays, Bank Holidays and evenings.
S.V., 06 December 2011
