The M60 is:
- The first three digits of a Manchester city centre postcode (the Castlefield area);
- An orbital motorway surrounding Greater Manchester which took 30 years to complete.
The name of this blog ‘East of the M60’, as well as being the official blog of Stuart Vallantine, refers to the area east of the motorway. As well as my personal thoughts, any news and views will be relevant to that area. This means links to local newspapers and the odd local issues.
The area, east of the M60 refers to the section between Prestwich (M62/M66/M60 interchange) and Denshaw in the north, to the Traveller’s Call pub in Bredbury to Glossop. On odd occasions, we may wander into Buxton or central Manchester, as both places are within the EM60 travel-to-work area.
The motorway itself is an aggregation of three different motorways, the M62, M63 and the M66, which was amalgamated and reopened as the M60 in October 1999. The last section, between Hollinwood and Ashton-under-Lyne opened in October 2000.
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Image Credit
M60 motorway from Windmill Lane, Denton image by Rept0n1x (2012). Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
East of the M60 
Interesting format Stuart and another aid in the fight,but as a keen lover of the countryside especially Derbyshire,spare a thought to Denton West in Tameside where we have already lost “all” habitat,views and even the facility to walk somewhere other than around the streets.
Our area has been systematically raped for 14 years and an aerial shot of the M67/M60/A57 area including the Windmill Lane area also adjacent to the M60
will tell its own story.
Persistant raping and exploitation of existing Urban locations is also as important as degredation of “our” countryside.
Hope your site becomes another focal point for all those knowing the truth,and those still ignorant or apathetic to the facts.
Cheers
John Hall
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Hi John and welcome to the site.
I too can remember at first hand how Denton West in the last 25 years has changed from a rural pocket of Tameside to a traffic ravaged part of the borough since the Tameside section of the M60 (then M66) opened in 1989.
From 1987 – 90, the school I attended at the time involved travel via Denton into Dane Bank and Reddish. Back in ’87, I first saw the hulk which was to become a realigned section of Windmill Lane (for the benefit of the motorway). That part of Denton was (till the M66/M60 came) picturesque, afforded views of Denton Wood and Reddish Vale.
By 2005 I had seen a resurrected Kingswater on Ashton Moss (which is set to become our answer to Colorado) and the growth of Denton Island as Tameside’s traffic blackspot. The only part of our borough which remains rural is the area east of Stalybridge and north of Mottram – the latter part under threat because some people believe a bypass would cure their congestion problems.
Wrongo! The M60 since 1999 became a traffic jammed doughnut almost immediately. As proof of this, I was enroute to Southport yesterday watching the mighty ‘Bridge and held up around the Ashton-under-Lyne and Worsley ends of the M60. The return journey was 40 minutes less than the 2 hours it took on the outward route. I have also seen it for myself on the odd bus into Manchester.
I also back Gwynne’s proposals for a Manchester route from Denton, though this should be augmented with much improved facilities like wheelchair/buggy ramps, lighting and a waiting shelter. In the long term, I think the station should be moved to the opposite side of the motorway, but there should be first and foremost improved interchange facilities with the 201, 204 and 170 bus routes – as well as a decent frequency on the rail service.
Thank you for calling, hope to see you again,
Stuart.
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Hi, Google keeps “finding” page on your website with words including “Penultimate band of the night at #Stalybridge Labour Club: Arnfield Brass, playing Mephilstophiles.” but when I follow the google linkto you site I can’t find such a page. Am I being stupid is or is Google? If you do have a page with those words could you point me at it please? (An Arnfiled Brass memeber).
Cheers, Chris
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Hi Chris,
I can fully explain the phenomena regarding ‘Mephilstophiles’ on my blog. On the right hand side column of my blog is my Twitter feed. On Whit Friday, I was using Twitter to tweet highlights of the Stalybridge Labour Club’s Whit Friday Brass Band Contest. Within WordPress, there is an option where persons can read your Twitter feed via your blog. I did the same last year with the Greenfield contest.
Therefore, the results on Google relating to my blog that night were the Twitter feed, as this was [then] the most recent ‘story’ on ‘East of the M60’. Once I add another article on the blog, Google would replace the former set of results with the most recent article.
Bye for now,
Stuart.
P.S. The weather left a lot to be desired this year, though nowhere near as bad as the downpour in 2009 (the first Whit Friday where I had to take the golf umbrella). If you wish to follow me on Twitter, I post under the name of ‘Atlantean7001’.
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OK, thanks for explaining.I was just intrigued about what you’d said about us; I’ve looked at your tweet and I see you were just noting what we were playing. We had a brillliant night and didn’t do badly at all weatherwise. Also we hardly had to queue all night!
Hope we contributed something to your enjoyment of the evening.
Cheers, Chris
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Many thanks Chris,
My calendar’s incomplete without Whit Friday and the Sunday before then, having seen the Whit Walks (both Sunday and Friday) since I was a toddler, and the Whit Friday contests since I was old enough to start school. I’ve been to the Stalybridge contest since 1990 (including SIDS/Castle Hall) and the Greenfield one since 1993. My late Granddad (Frank Vallantine), played soprano cornet for Tintwistle.
The only problem I find with Whit Friday is that it goes so quickly. Those few hours standing on Chew Valley Road or Acres Lane seem like minutes!
Bye for now,
Stuart.
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Looking for an experienced writer to contribute to our new website launching Feb 6. Need at least 5 stories a week covering Manchester relevant topics, trending features and sales lead advertorial. Please get in touch with any interest for more info: chris@ilovemanchester.com
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Hi Stuart
Sorry to ask for the following charity to be promoted on your blog, however I hope you’ll agree it’s well worth shouting about. Love Hope Trust is a very new charity set up to raise funds for cancer sufferers who wish to begin the long treck looking at private based treatments the NHS won’t offer. The charity aims to help sufferers pay for an initial private consultation and will also advise individuals on how to raise funds themselves. Please go to http://www.lovehopetrust.org or search for Love Hope Trust on Facebook.
Many thanks and hope you can help
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Sorry Stuart, website should read http://www.lovehope-trust.org
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