Power lines towards Brinnington

The land in the immediate foreground at Lower Bredbury is used for grazing.

In the middle distance are allotments.

Shielded from view by the trees is the M60 motorway.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

I is for Images of Stockport

This piece of artwork recently appeared in St Peter's Churchyard. I couldn't see an artist's signature on it. It features St Mary's church, the Market Hall, a sign to the Underbanks and some more esoteric images like a balloon, a chicken laying eggs and a pair of headphones, the relevance of which I don't fully understand. I have been unable to find out any information about who may have painted this nor why it has been placed here. People I spoke to in the church didn't seem to know.

In the background over the railings is the roof of the former Co-op (now Primark) on Chestergate/Merseyway.

A contribution to
ABC Wednesday;
Outdoor Wednesday;
signs, signs.

Postboxes on St Peter's Square

This double-fronted postbox is located outside the former Prudential building in St Peter's Square. The postboxes are labelled SK1 386 (left) and SK1 385 (right). On the right is a postbox for "franked mail" only.

This view is from the other side looking past the statue of Richard Cobden towards St Peter's Church. For more information about St Peter's Church see our post dated 16th June 2013. For more information and a better view of the statue see my photograph on Geograph.

The distinctive business postbox for franked mail was introduced in the mid-1990s. Before the advent of such boxes, franked mail could not be posted in a letter box and thus had to be handed in at a post or sorting office unless the business had a visit from the postman. (The reason for this is that ordinary stamped mail would be sent to the sorting office and postmarked, whereas franked mail is already dated by the sender's franking machine.)

Because it is designed for business mail, it is found usually in business parks and industrial estates or in areas of town which are heavily occupied by businesses – and has relatively late final collection times.

It is opened by pulling down the black handle on the sliding opening, and when the final collection of the day is made it will be locked shut and reopened the next weekday morning (including Saturday if the box has a Saturday collection). This is because, as franked mail is dated by the customer rather than at the sorting office, it must be posted on the same day as the date indicated on the franked impression. By accepting later items which would not be collected till the following day, it would give the false impression that Royal Mail had taken a day longer to deliver the item. Information courtesy of Chris Downer.

More information about "franking" can be found on the Royal Mail website.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Stained glass at St Thomas's

A fortnight ago I showed you the outside of St Thomas's and then last week the inside of St Thomas's.

This week I am showing some of the stained glass windows.

One of the four windows on the south wall no longer exists.

There are at least two more stained glass windows in the church but their placements make them very difficult to photograph.

Since 2012, St. Thomas has been placed on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk register, and the group "Friends of St. Thomas" was set up in 2013 as a way of securing the future of the church for generations to come.

Visit the Church website for more information.

A contribution to
Inspired Sundays;
Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors;
Monday Murals.

Stockport College: Phase 1 building

Designed by architects Austin-Smith:Lord and completed in 2010, this new building on Wellington Road South is part of the Phase 1 development of the college.

"Phase 1 provides Stockport College with new, state of the art workshop accommodation as part of a multi-phase redevelopment strategy that encompassed the entire city centre campus. To maximise built accommodation on this relatively small site the buildings front the edges of the site around a central service yard, incorporating plant space, classroom accommodation, specialist workshops, cafeteria and changing facilities.

Bold cantilevered forms are used to maximise the floor space above ground floor and allow access into the adjacent street whilst opening up routes through the campus. The blocks are clad in a limited palette of robust materials to reflect their workshop use and create a commanding presence along a major route in to the centre of Stockport. Anthra zinc and precast concrete provide solidity, whilst long elevations of glass channels provide abundant, glare free natural light."

See the architect's website for more photographs.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday and Weekend Reflections.

H is for Hillgate Pharmacy, Holt Street

Hillgate Pharmacy is located at 50 Higher Hillgate on the corner of Holt Street. It has the look of an old Co-op building but in fact the Co-op pharmacy is two doors away at #54 with a sandwich shop between them.

According to the date plaque the building was erected in 1869.

The arms supporting the lamp beneath have horseshoes attached. Does a pharmacy need luck?

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and signs, signs.

The end of Heaven & Hell

The Heaven & Hell nightclub in the Grand Central complex was closed in 2006 but not demolished until 2012.

The site is now a car park.

A contribution to
the Rust and Ruin theme at City Daily Bloggers;
Blue Monday;
Rubbish Tuesday.