Looking for a building still standing after half a century and a bit

Now there are lots of upsides of being retired, ranging from not having to face a packed rush hour tram to no longer having to be told what to do by someone who knows less than me.

When it was still new the College of Commerce, 1965

But one downside is the vast number of buildings I have known which have vanished over the years.

Of these the largest chunk are the schools I attended, along with the ones I taught in and the various colleges that had the privilege of entertaining me as a student in the early 1970’s.

From 1954 till 2008 of the eight educational establishments which I wandered through, all have gone bar one.

Oldwood Secondary Modern School in Wythenshawe is marked only by a gate post, which Derek the Developer chose to leave as my memorial, and Didsbury Teacher Training College has become an exclusive estate with properties I am told, topping the million mark.

Of course I won’t be alone in counting so many demolished homes, schools, shops and picture houses, but in my case they do count for a fair few.

And some of them have gone up and come down in the space of my life time.

Most were ready to go, but a few I am sure had a few extra years which brings me to the old College of Commerce Building on Aytoun Street.

Hall, Oldwood Secondary Modern, 1958

It was built in the mid 1960s by Manchester Education Committee, became part of Manchester Polytechnic and then the M.M.U.

I passed it last week and while the tower block was still standing the later additions including the car park have gone.

I did look up the plans for the site and must go back to jog my memory.
The good news is that it has revealed the canal side of an old warehouse which faced onto an arm of the Rochdale Canal.

All of this I have written about on the blog* and in the book on Manchester Pubs.**

Picture; the new College of Commerce in construction, W Highham, 1965,and Oldwood Secondary Modern School, 1956, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass

*Lost and forgotten streets of Manchester ...... nu 66 Back Canal Street and Mr Thomas Griffiths, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/lost-and-forgotten-streets-of_16.html

**A new book on Manchester Pubs, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/A%20new%20book%20on%20Manchester%20Pubs