Down on the Old Road at the Seven Stars

It would be a full seventeen years after these pictures of the Seven Stars Hotel were taken that we moved into to a flat just off the Old Road and another forty-three before Andy Robertson photographed the same pub.

And in that time there has been acres of change.

First the clearance of some of the old terraced property and the decline and final abandonment of the workshops and other industrial units along the road then the brave new experiment of the decks followed by more gentle social housing followed by the  development of private residential estates.

Nor did pubs stay aloof from those changes.

There used to be a saying that in many inner cities areas there would be a pub on every corner and even with clearances of the 1960s and 70s they would be left in an expanse of open land like some sea litter left after the tide had gone out.

But as Andy’s series on lost pubs shows many have also vanished from the scene.

Some went after the departure of their customers shutting up shop and left as empty and decaying buildings.

Others were found new uses, from restaurants, to offices and some to residential use.

A few clung on and as areas were redeveloped so they

flourished once again as places to get a pint, swap stories and just relax.






Pictures; the Seven Stars Hotel, 1955 m12492 and m12494, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass and the Seven Stars 2015 from the collection of Andy Robertson