S is for Scotch Bob

This wood carving of Scotch Bob by sculptor Andy Burgess is on Cheadle Green.

According to Choose Cheadle website, James Telford, known as "Scotch Bob" came to Cheadle from Dumfriesshire in 1871. By 1879 he was driving the red, horse drawn buses of the Manchester Carriage Company, a job he proudly held for over 35 years.

In 1908 he set a British record for driving over 60,000 miles from Manchester and Cheadle. He sometimes drove three horses abreast, quoting Robbie Burns as he went. He knew everyone along the way and his whip was constantly raised in greeting, even when the rain was streaming down.

In 1913 he was given the job of motor-bus time keeper at the White Hart terminus. By then he was reckoned to have driven a record 937,000 miles on one route. He lived with his family at 8 Gatley Road, close to the White Hart where his horses were stabled.

When he died in 1929 he was buried in St Mary's Churchyard behind the White Hart stables, where a small stone stands in memory of James Telford.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

C is for Charles Cummings' Commemorative Cross in Cheadle Churchyard

In St Mary's churchyard, Cheadle is the stump of a 14th/15th century sandstone cross It was restored in the 19th century as a memorial to Charles James Cummings as described on a copper commemorative plaque.

The plaque reads:

THIS CROSS WAS RESTORED BY LOVING FRIENDS
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN MEMORY OF CHARLES JAMES CUMMINGS, M.A,
FOR 26 YEARS RECTOR OF CHEADLE.
HE DIED 10th OCT.1873.AGED 52 YEARS.

It is Grade II listed and described as

Red sandstone. Square shaft with chamfered corners with bar stops at base. Each face has a small niche with cusped head and continuous hoodmould. The upper stage diminishes and is terminated by a weathering. The top is missing. Moulded square base with copper commemorative plaque.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Forecourt not a Highway

The notice on the front of the BT Telephone Exchange on Cheadle High Street reads:

BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS PLC
THE OWNER OF THE LAND AND FORECOURT
IN FRONT OF THESE PREMISES, HAS NOT
DEDICATED AND DOES NOT INTEND TO
DEDICATE AS A HIGHWAY, THE SAID LAND
AND FORECOURT OR ANY PART THEREOF
OR ANYWAY THEREUPON OR THEREOVER.

So that's you lot told and don't you forget it there!

See a view of the location on Geograph.

A contribution to signs, signs.

A is for Ashlea

The Ashlea is a Chef and Brewer pub on Manchester Road, Cheadle.

I don't know anything about its history and I suspect the coat of arms featured on the pub sign is a modern made-up image and not some proper family crest.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and signs, signs.

Loose Change Buskers on Cheadle Green

The Loose Change Buskers performing at Cheadle Makers Market on Cheadle Green and raising money for Cancer Research UK.

Cheadle Makers Market is a monthly event on Cheadle Green organised by The Makers Market. Some 70 artisan traders showcase the very best of local food, drink, art and craft. There is award winning food and sauces made from old family recipes, hand crafted jewellery, handmade soaps, fresh herbs and flowers, candles and vintage inspired sideboards and tables.

More information about Loose Change Buskers can be found on their Facebook page.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday and Blue Monday.

Horse on Manchester Road, Cheadle

Having photographed the George & Dragon last week in Cheadle, I spotted this horse being led along Manchester Road past a used-car showroom.

A contribution to
Saturday Critters;
Camera Critters.

The George & Dragon at Cheadle

The George and Dragon Hotel is a Grade II listed public house and former coaching inn dating from 1753. According to the Cheadle Civic Society it started life as a cottage cum alehouse by the name of "Gibbon's cottage". In 1778, it was bought by an inn owner, together with the newly built house next door. By the 1790s the property was known as the "George Inn" and was kept by a Mr and Mrs Royle, who also ran a profitable sideline in stay making. As coach traffic became increasingly busy, the inn was steadily altered to accommodate a growing influx of travellers. A carriage entry was made through one side of the property, and the cottage on the other side was raised to the full height of the main building.

Towards the end of the 19th century a bay window was added, while the arched, canopied entrance was an early 20th century addition. The "George" became the "George and Dragon" (probably when the king appeared to be losing his mind), and the erstwhile sign of a bunch of grapes was eventually replaced by a colourful representation of St. George and his adversary. In 2012 it was boarded up and for sale but now it is back in business.

A contribution to signs, signs and Skywatch Friday.

Cheadle Bridge

Cheadle Bridge was built in 1861 across the river Mersey connecting Cheadle in Cheshire with Didsbury in Lancashire.


Nowadays both sides are in the modern county of Greater Manchester and the boundary is between the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport and the City of Manchester.



A contribution to Sunday Bridges at San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Looking through the lych gate

Looking through the lych gate of Cheadle Parish Church towards the High Street.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

A coloured version can be viewed on Geograph.

The (Old) Star Inn, Cheadle

The pub sign on the old inn in the centre of Cheadle that serves "Hydes Queens Brewery Ales" says simply "The Star Inn".

Curiously though the design on one of its etched windows declares "Old Star Inn".

A contribution to Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors.

St Chad's Roman Catholic Church, Cheadle

St. Chad's is part of the Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury, comprising the adjoining villages of Cheadle and Gatley.

St Chad was Bishop of Lichfield in the 7th century and Cheadle would have been part of his diocese. In 1874 a medieval preaching cross was found near the Parish Church of St. Mary. It is in the distinctive form of the cross of St. Chad, which is also found in the arms of Lichfield Cathedral.

St. Chad's Parish began as a Mass Centre served from Edgeley. Mass was first celebrated in 1900 in a private chapel at Cheadle Old Hall which stood between Cheadle Institute and what is now Queens Gardens. Fr. Abram, the priest at Edgeley, purchased an area of open ground on Stockport Road between Bank Street and Jackson Street. A corrugated iron chapel was constructed on the site as a Chapel of Ease, dedicated to St. Chad. It was blessed on 2nd October 1904 and was served by the priest at Our Lady's Edgeley - first Fr. Abram and then Fr. McGreever.

In 1928 Fr. Peter Lancelot Pears was appointed to Cheadle as the first resident priest. He quickly realised that a new church was needed to house the growing congregation. Bishop Hugh Singleton laid the foundation stone on 24th August 1930, and the church was completed and opened on 15th February 1931. At the same time Fr. Pears built a presbytery beside the church and he lived there until he left the parish in 1938.

Fr. Peter Morgan replaced Fr. Houghton and continued to implement the changes of Vatican II. To encourage the participation of the whole congregation in the liturgy he brought the choir down from the loft into the main body of the church. By the 1980s the old iron church had passed its sell-by date and it was decided to build a new hall in front of the presbytery. This opened in 1984.

In 2007 Bishop Brian grouped the parishes of the Diocese into Local Pastoral Areas, so that parishes could co-operate more effectively with each other and share resources. St. Chad's was linked again with its daughter churches, St. Ann's and Christ Church.

The information here is mostly gathered from the Church website.

A contribution to Inspired Sundays.

Red Lion, Cheadle

The Red Lion is a Robinson's pub on Stockport Road, Cheadle.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

North West Mountain Bike Centre Mural

This mural is at the North West Mountain Bike Centre on Stockport Road, Cheadle.

This photograph was taken Saturday, 27 June, 2009, so I don't know for sure if it still looks the same now as it did then but a look at their website and Facebook page suggests it probably does.

A contribution to Monday Murals.