Swaine Street

Between the viaduct and the bus station.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White and Scenic Weekends.

Post Boxes on Exchange Street

Exchange Street leads from Wellington Road South into the Bus Station past the sorting office. Across the road by the side of a disabled parking bay is a pair of postboxes (SK1 999) one for stamped mail and one for franked mail only. In the background is the Hat Museum, its chimney flanked by adverts for office space.

A contribution to
Ruby Tuesday;
Our World Tuesday;
signs, signs.

The Hatters

Artwork on the wall next to the western entrance to Stockport Station.

"The Hatters, Stockport County Football Club, started in 1883 as the Heaton Norris Rangers at the Wycliffe Congressional Church, they became Stockport County in 1890 and moved to Edgeley Park in 1902. Their grounds are close to the former site of Sykes Bleaching Company, located on the edges of Alexandra Park, whose reservoirs were formed to service the mill. The Sykes family originally owned most of the land in Edgeley, and employed many people. Much of their wealth was invested back into the local community."

"The Hatters" is one of a number of Town Centre Artworks produced as part of an initiative by the Stockport Youth Offending Service

The others are:
Glass Umbrella;
And The River Runs Through;
Having Your Cake;
11 Million Bricks - this one was apparently stolen before I could take a photograph of it.

A contribution to
Blue Monday;
Monday Murals.

Thursday Challenge: Architecture - former Don Cinema

The Don Cinema on Bramhall Lane was opened on 25th September 1913. It had seating in stalls and balcony levels, and had a 30 feet wide proscenium. Independently operated, or occasionally operated by small independent chains, the Don Cinema was closed on 29th June 1957 with Norman Wisdom in "Up in the World". It was never equipped to screen CinemaScope wide screen films. It was sold to John Blundell Ltd. for use as a furniture store and has since become a Majestic Wine Warehouse store.

A contribution to Thursday Challenge: Architecture.

S is for School Crossing Patrol

This school crossing patrol is on Bramhall Lane at Heaviley near St George's Church of England Primary School.

The patrol man, commonly known as a "lollipop man" stops the traffic to allow people (especially the children) to cross safely in the morning on their way to school and in the afternoon on their way home.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Having Your Cake

I've shown you the Glass Umbrella and And The River Runs Through", two of the artworks around the town created by a group of young people, working with the Youth Offending Service.

"Have your Cake" focuses on the architectural design of Stockport Town Hall and celebrates some of Stockport's sporting successes. The Town Hall, nicknamed the wedding cake, was designed by architect Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas,1908. Stockport is the birthplace of tennis player, Fred Perry winner of the Men's Singles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open 1936. Stockport Metro has enjoyed a long history of podium success and is one of the most successful swimming clubs in British history.

You'll find it on the wall of Life Leisure Grand Central Pools which provides fitness and swimming facilities. The gym has the latest fitness equipment and a dedicated performance zone and aerobics studio with weekly programmes of classes. Grand Central is also home to Stockport's only 50m swimming pool and is home to Stockport Metro, the UK's most successful swimming club and learn to swim programme. For details see their website

A contribution to
Blue Monday;
Monday Murals;
Ruby Tuesday;
Our World Tuesday.

Sorry some trees have gone

Sorry some trees have gone
But we'll be back to plant more.

So says the poster on the side of the United Utilities construction site at Bredbury.

United Utilities are building an underground storage tank at Bredbury which will be used during periods of heavy rainfall to hold storm water which can be pumped back into the sewer network when the storm subsides. A construction site and compound has been set up within the grounds of Morrisons supermarket car park and adjacent private land. The tank will be connected to the sewer pipes on Stockport West. The car parking spaces will be put back once the work is completed.

A contribution to signs, signs.

And The River Runs Through

Back in September I posted a photograph of an artwork that had appeared in the garden of St Peter's Church which I later discovered was called The Glass Umbrella, one of five artworks around the town created by a group of young people, working with the Youth Offending Service.

And the River Runs Through, highlights the importance of the local rivers to Stockport's Industrial Heritage. The Rivers Tame and Goyt converge in Stockport, to form the River Mersey, that runs beneath Merseyway shopping centre. The artwork uses repeat patterns created from photographs gathered around Stockport Town Centre to indicate the complex nature of the local industry, especially hatting, textiles and engineering.

This one is on Chestergate and it took me two walks down the street before I actually found it somewhat tucked away behind a litter bin near the taxi rank.

I'll show you two of the other artworks at a later date. I never found the fifth and after some inquiries discovered that was because it had been stolen. I have been informed that work on a replacement is in progress.

A contribution to
Blue Monday;
Monday Murals;
Our World Tuesday;
ABC Wednesday.

The top of the "Wedding Cake"

Stockport Town Hall is often colloquially known as the "Wedding Cake".

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

The Queens on Great Portwood Street

Since I last showed you The Queens in May 2013, the Robinsons pub on Great Portwood Street has lost its satellite TV dish and gained new signage, window boxes and hanging baskets of flowers.

A contribution to
ABC Wednesday;
signs, signs;
Floral Fridays.

Stockport No.1 Signal Box.

The 96 lever signal box (type LNW4) on the south side of the station was built in 1884. Along with four other boxes in the area it was due to be closed in the 2000s when a new signalling system was being installed as part of an upgrade to the West Coast Main Line.

However, the Italian system would not work on the complex Stockport line and was shelved, although it has since been used successfully at Cheadle Hulme.

Instead, Network Rail decided to improve the existing line, along with five Victorian signalboxes at Stockport, Edgeley and Heaton Norris - renewing the points on the tracks and the mechanical lever operation.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Stockport's landmark railway viaduct

Stockport railway viaduct is a landmark structure. This first view is from the M60 motorway Eastbound looking South towards the viaduct; the motorway itself is elevated so it is nearly level with the roofs of buildings that nestle under the viaduct's archways.

The viaduct was built in 1839/40 by the engineer George Watson Buck under the architect John Lowe.

This view is taken from outside the bus station. The motorway is somewhere near the farthest arch to be seen in this photograph. Note how it towers over the double-decker buses in the garage.


This view is from the other side above Daw Bank near to where it reaches Stockport Station.

In 1887-89 it was widened to four tracks, 27 arches, 111 feet high and 1786 feet long, comprising 11 million bricks.



This is the view across the bus station from Wellington Road viaduct.

A contribution to the Landmark theme at City Daily Photoblogs.