Sweeping up outside Bhs

British Home Stores was founded in London in 1928. In 2009 when it became part of Green's Arcadia Group there were 193 stores employing over 17,000 people. By 2015 there were only 171 stores employing 11,000 staff. BHS was sold to the consortium Retail Acquisitions Ltd for the nominal value of £1. On 2nd June 2016 it was announced that the company would be wound down following failed attempts to find a buyer.



A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Rooftops of Stockport

The view from St Petersgate bridge over Royal Oak Yard and High Bank Side towards the car park on the top of the Merseyway Shopping Centre and Primark.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

Rosie's Coffee House

The City Daily Photo theme for today is "Scene from a Coffee House".

Well I don't generally frequent coffee houses, preferring a nice cup of tea in a friendly little tea room. I certain would avoid all the big name chains. So I found it a little hard to decide what to post for this theme.

This is Rosie's Coffee House and Kitchen on Prince's Street. It has only been open a few months and I can't tell you whether it is any good or not, but it looks promising. The premises were previously occupied by jewellers Herbert Brown. The company had been taken over in 2007 by the Albermarle & Bond group of pawnbrokers which collapsed into administration in 2014. Pawnbrokers or coffee-house? - I know which I'd prefer.

To visit the other participants to the theme click here.

Carols in Merseyway

As I walked out of M&S into the Merseyway Shopping Centre having cut through from Prince's Street I could hear a band playing and carols being sung by a choir.

It was children from Ludworth Primary School in Marple who were doing the honours and very delightful they sounded too.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

New signs on Bridge Streeet

Now that all the works have been completed around Lancashire Bridge new pedestrian signage has been erected at the bottom of Bridge Street.

Attached is a panel with a sketch of the Marketplace and a poster about events although the information was already out of date when I took this photograph.

It seems disappointingly plain and utilitarian to me.

A contribution to signs, signs.

Reflections of a pigeon

After an afternoon of heavy rain, a pigeon is pecking at puddle outside the Merseyway Shopping Centre.

Another was flying in to see what was to be had.

A contribution to
The Weekend in Black and White;
Weekend Reflections;
Scenic Weekends;
Saturday Critters;
Camera Critters.

Shadows down High Bank

The steep footpath leading from St Peter's down the side of High Bank to the Underbank.

At the top is the bridge from St Petersgate going over Chestergate to the car parks on the roof of the Merseyway Shopping Centre.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Work on Warren Street

Lancashire Bridge crosses the river Mersey around the junction of Warren Street and Bridge Street. It was constructed in 1877 and widened in 1891. A reinforced concrete widening structure was added in 1937. The bridge is a square single span arch structure which comprises three arch sections with a skewed reinforced concrete portal frame on the east side of the arch. The bridge and the river was covered over in the late 1930s and a road built over the top. In 1965 the road was replaced by the Merseyway Shopping Centre.

An inspection and assessment of the reinforced concrete portal bridge established that the concrete had endemic chloride problems, poor cover and active corrosion and needed to be replaced. Pedestrian access has been maintained whilst the work is carried out but buses and other traffic have had to be diverted. On completion of the remedial works the stone arched section will have a new stone parapet installed to a design similar to that historically located at the bridge. Elsewhere, ornate metal railings will be installed around the opening.

The work started a year ago and was due to be completed in March but there seems a way to go yet.

A contribution to Monday Mellow Yellows.

Reflections at Mersey Square

Just over a year ago I posted a photograph of Himalayas Tea who had moved into a shop on Mersey Square.

The business has now relocated to Houldsworth Mill in Reddish and these premises are empty at present. The shop window still reflects the railway viaduct across the way and the sky beyond.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections.

B is for Bridge Street

Bridge Street leads down from the Market Place and was once part of the main north-south route through the town. Traffic from the north would have descended from Dodge Hill/Lancashire Hill down Tiviot Dale to Lancashire Bridge over the river Mersey at the bottom of Bridge Street.

Lancashire Bridge is currently undergoing repair work as shown in this earlier post.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

X is for Xmas in Merseyway, Stockport

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and Wordless Wednesday.

Flowerbeds in Merseyway

Merseyway Shopping Centre has a number of large flowerbeds with benches round the sides.

A contribution to Floral Fridays and Blue Monday.

Merseyway from Level 3

From the level 3 car park on Mersey Way looking down into the shopping complex.

Merseyway Shopping Centre opened in 1965 . It consists mainly of a large pedestrianised street, where at one point there are two levels of walkways for shoppers, and there is access to both the first and ground floor of many shops. It was extensively refurbished in 1995 with the provision of level 3 parking and an area of covered mall at the western edge of the centre.

It is built on giant stilts above the River Mersey and the river runs for the entire length of the centre. The river had been first covered over in the late 1930s when a road was built over the top.

In the background is the town's iconic railway viaduct and visible under the second arch from the left is the town's modern icon the Stockport Pyramid.

A contribution to Blue Monday and Our World Tuesday.

Works on Merseyway

I posted about the repair work to Lancashire Bridge on 6th August 2014.

The work has now spread into Merseyway itself and this a peek I took behind the fences yesterday.

Beneath all this flows the culverted river Mersey. Meanwhile despite the clutter the roads and pathways around the works are being kept open.

A contribution to
Good Fences and Skywatch Friday

Shadows on the rear of Rock Row

Last week I showed you shadows in St Peter's Square.

Walk on a few feet and look left. The shadows are now falling on the rear of properties in Rock Row.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

D is for Digging up Lancashire Bridge

I posted a photograph of Bridge Street on May 13th but look at it now.

This was once part of the main north-south route through the town. Traffic from the north would have come down Dodge Hill/Lancashire Hill through Tiviot Dale to Lancashire Bridge over the river Mersey then up Bridge Street to the Underbanks and Hillgate.

Lancashire Bridge was constructed in 1877 with a reinforced concrete widening structure added in 1937. The bridge is a square single span arch structure which comprises three arch sections with a skewed reinforced concrete portal frame on the east side of the arch. Recent inspection and assessment of the reinforced concrete portal bridge has established that the concrete has endemic chloride problems, poor cover and active corrosion and needs to be replaced.

This is the view from the bottom of Bridge Street as workmen dig up the roadway. Pedestrian access is being maintained whilst the work is carried out but buses and other traffic have had to be diverted.

A contribution to
ABC Wednesday;
Good Fences;
Orange You Glad It's Friday.

Takeaways on Mersey Square

Fancy a quick bite to eat?

"Sandwich Pound" is next to "bap" is next to "Greggs" is next to "Gabbots Farm".

Take it away or sit by the tables and chairs or on one of the benches in Mersey Square.

Visit other contributions to the Takeaway theme at City Daily Photo.

Working in the Bear Pit

Apologies for lack of posting recently but I was away and then I just got busy.

At the end of May I showed you the beginning of the Deck Fill Reduction at the Bear Pit which involves the reduction of the overburden load on the deck of the Mersey Bridge structure.

The bridge is overloaded in the North West corner due to the existing build-up of materials forming the steps. This load is being removed and the fill material is being replaced by polystyrene lightweight fill material. This will reduce the loading on the deck of the bridge by over 600t.

The photograph above was taken at the end of June when the polystyrene blocks were being delivered.

This now is how it looks at the end of July.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

ZEST

Zoe, Edward, Simon and Theresa waiting for a bus on Warren Street = ZEST.

Visit other contributions to the Zest theme at City Daily Photo.

T is for Terence Paul

The Terence-Paul Hair Academy at the end of Prince's Street offers training and apprenticeships in hair dressing.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.