X marks the time

A close-up view of the NW quadrant of the clockface on the south side of the tower of St Mark's church at Woodley.

A contribution to the letter X at ABC Wednesday.

Woodley Tunnel

At Woodley the Peak Forest Canal passes through a 176yd (153m) tunnel. The towpath also passes through, protected by a handrail.

This is taken from just inside the southern portal. I'm informed that halfway along the tunnel the towpath is very muddy so I haven't actually made the journey through.

A contribution to
Our World Tuesday;
Water World Wednesday.

Woodley Methodist Church

The original Primitive Methodist Church in Woodley was built in 1868. It was replaced by this modern building in the 21st century.

My thanks go to Mark Bradshaw for this photograph of the original church in 1996 and for the one below which shows Woodley Methodist church with Woodley British School behind and what would be Bankfield Road School to the right of the Methodist Chapel which was on Chapel Street.

Here is a link to the Church website.

A contribution to Inspired Sunday.

The Quietest railway station in the country

I wrote all about Reddish South Station back in May 2013 so I'll refer you back there for more information. I was back there again a week last Friday and noticed that the Friends of Reddish Station have erected a new picket fence and sign in front of the mural.

As the timetable indicates only one train a week stops at Reddish South on the line from Stockport to Stalybridge and there is no return service. I had arrived at 10.10 to catch the 10.20 train.

The platform has been extended over the line that ran on the right where the "Friends of Reddish South Station" have planted a garden. No one else was waiting for the train and there isn't even a bench to sit on. At 10.45 I gave up and went to catch a bus.

I posted details of the individual panels of the mural in June 2013.

  © Copyright Peter Whatley and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

This is how the station looked in 1989.

A contribution to
Shadow Shot Sunday;
Blue Monday;
Monday Murals;
Our World Tuesday;
signs, signs;
Good Fences.

St Joseph's RC Church, Reddish

St Joseph's was founded in 1882.

According to "Salford Diocese and its Catholic past", a survey by Charles A. Bolton, a Priest of the above Diocese. Published 1950 on the First Centenary for the Diocese of Salford and quoted on the Genuki website:

Before the building of the church here, the Catholic people were dependent on St. Mary's, Heaton Norris, or St. Mary's, Levenshulme. Reddish owes much to the generosity of John Higginson, who bought land and on it built a church and schools. The church was opened by Bishop Vaughan in 1882. Fr. J. Harrison was the first Rector. Several priests were here for a short period-Fr. Pius de Witte, Canon McDermott Roe, and Fr. Paul Dootson were here in the early years of the mission. The present century has been largely covered by the lives of two priests-Fr. Henry Welch, who died suddenly in the street after the consecration of St. Mary's, Mulberry Street, in 1926; then Fr. Hugh Morrissey, well-known to many former students of St. Bede's College as a respected professor of Classics, and as a genius with unexpected flashes and turns of wit and imagination. He became an almost legendary figure in the diocese, and it is a pity that his studies on the canonisation of Henry VI were never published. As a violinist he rivalled his friend and classmate, Arthur Catterall.

A contribution to Inspired Sundays.

Richard Street, Portwood

In the background is the M60 motorway and beyond that are the tower blocks on Lancashire Hill.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

Caution No Fishing

A warning about overhead power cables by the Peak Forest Canal.

A contribution to signs, signs.