Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, June 2015: The Ashton Review of Shops

All the latest changes to our borough’s retail landscape

• Tameside Food Festival well received;
• Five Guys opens;
• Cult TV stall joins Ashton indoor market.

If the way to one’s heart is through their stomach, the last month was pretty good. Even more so if gourmet burgers and Doctor Who’s more to your liking.

“Anything can happen in the next half hour…”

This could be true of my sporadic visits to a fine coffee shop in the borough. Sharing the same roof as the said establishment is Ashton Market’s latest addition. The “Time Tunnel” stall in the indoor market opened today, selling a wealth of cult TV and film merchandise. From now on, you can pause for a brew and treat yourself to a Millennium Falcon or miniature TARDIS.

Fun at the Food Festival

Last month saw the Tameside Food Festival gain good support. As detailed in our last Ashton Review of Shops, the Stalybridge festival had excellent support due to its Farmers’ Market. This was surpassed by great turnout at Hyde and Ashton markets. The Droylsden event seemed to have had less support. Perhaps the windy aspect of Villemomble Square won few friends in spite of its excellent position by the trams and bus routes.

Throughout the Tameside Food Festival, its plethora of street food stalls won plaudits. Entertainment was available at each event with the Pantonic All Stars Steel Orchestra serenading shoppers at the Ashton event on the 30 May. D’Oro’s position in the market hall proved advantageous enough for its barbecue – also neatly adjacent (for yours truly perhaps) to Tweed Brewing Co.’s stall, selling the “2” American style pale ale (4%).

Five Guys opens

Thursday saw the opening of Tameside’s coolest burger joint in Ashton Moss. Five Guys, pitched price wise at the premium end for discerning burgerphiles, began trading on Thursday. It is close to the Cineworld multiplex cinema and next door to Prezzo.

On social media sites it has had mixed reactions, given that Five Guys’ competition includes the nearby KFC, McDonalds and Wetherspoons. Price has been the biggest complaint though its wealth of choice has wowed customers. (As soon East of the M60 gets chance to visit, expect to see a review).

Carphone Warehouse changes

Many of you may understand that Carphone Warehouse had been taken over by Dixons Stores Group with the merged company known as Dixons Carphone. This month sees the Warrington Street branch’s closure with business transferred to Crown Point North, Denton. Therefore, the Carphone Warehouse’s sole Ashtonian outlet is in Currys on Snipe Retail Park.

Pub and club update

One of the three Astleys in Dukinfield and Stalybridge has succumbed to the aluminium boarding. The Astley Arms on Tame Street, Stalybridge, has been tinned up in the last month. Known as “Little Astley” (“Top Astley” and “Bottom Astley” both in Dukinfield on Old Road and Astley Street respectively), it was a former Boddingtons house.

Though a few yards uphill from Tameside, the Half Way House in Bardsley (in the pre-1974 Ashton-under-Lyne licensing boundary) has seen its depubification completed. It assumes its new guise as a branch of Elizabeth Way Funeral Directors.

On the other hand, another former Boddies house has had a better time. The Lodge Hotel (corner of Lodge Lane and Cheetham Hill Road in Dukinfield) is being refurbished. The success of The Harewood Arms in Broadbottom has seen the owner of the Green Mill Brewery put in a Change of Use planning application. This entails the conversion of a side office into a 2 bedroom holiday apartment. Great if you’ve had too many pints of Old Git!

This month also sees the end of the 2014-15 season for the Tameside Quiz League (where yours truly, your reporter is a key member in one of the twelve teams). The Finals will take place on Tuesday 09 June at The Wheatsheaf, Birch Lane, Dukinfield starting at 8.30pm (41, 343 and 346 buses stop nearby).

First to start will be the Plate Final between Lowes Refugees and The Sycamore (questions set by the Tame Valley “B” team). The Handicap Final follows this with Pack Horse “A” team pitted against The Wheatsheaf (questions set by the Lowes Refugees).

The season will be rounded off at Denton Cricket Club on the 16 June at 8.30pm (345 and 347 buses stop nearby). There will be a special quiz as well as the Presentation Night.

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Next Month:

We wonder if Five Guys is worth the hype and as to whether The Wheatsheaf lift the Handicap Final winners’ trophy. Well, more to the point, we eagerly await this month’s despatches.

S.V., 06 June 2015.