A thank you ................ to everyone who makes the blog work

Now the blog has been going since November 2011.

I could wax lyrical about the numbers who read it, the countries where it is read and the fact that there is only one continent where it isn’t browsed but I won't.

Instead it is more about all the people who have helped make it a bit of a success.

They range from Andy Robertson who must be unique in his persistence in recording the changes to the buildings and places around Greater Manchester to David Harrop whose vast collection of memorabilia from the Great War medals to Blitz gas masks and Victorian pillar boxes is always at the disposal of the blog.

Added to these are a whole shedload of contributors, some like Tony Goulding who now writes regularly for the blog and Tricia Lesley who is always at hand to do research from that part of London where I grew up and rolls through to the occasional story or picture from lots of people.

Of these I would just like to thank Sally, Bill Jones and Bill Sumner, Neil, David from Rochdale who once lived in Chorlton and offered up scary stories of Chorlton Brick works and so many more.

Not forgetting of course Peter Topping whose paintings continue to provide an alternative to the photograph.

And because I now am firmly based in the North I rely so heavily on Ryan Ginn and our Colin and Chrissy as well as Jean and Larissa to send me pictures of Eltham and other bits of London.

Not that I shall leave out all my Canadian friends from British Home Children and a lot more from New Zealaand who continue to show that co-operation and a love of research helps us all.

To them and to lots more a thank you.

All of which just leaves me with Andy’s picture of the Opera House in Manchester and Ryan's crane taken on a very early trip to work.

Pictures; Quay Street Manchester2016, from the collection of Andy Robertson and London from Ryan Ginn