We take our commercial history for granted.
If asked most people will talk happily about Manchester’s textile history, remembered in that simple one word description “Cottonopolis” and if pushed will be able to name one of those huge engineering works on the east of the city and may even remember that we had our own coal mine.*
But the countless small offices and warehouses are pretty much ignored.
Most have long since vanished, leaving nothing more than a few memories, the odd business card and an entry in a trade directory.
A few of their buildings still stand but as many of these are in those parts of the city which are fast being developed I doubt that they will be with us for long.
So I was intrigued by a series of pictures taken by Andy on a slow meandering walk from Victoria Station and up around Oldham Road and off towards Rochdale Road in 2015.
This was always one of those busy but shabby parts of the city, full of small commercial enterprises and a few bigger businesses.
Marshall Street and the surrounding streets are just one of those areas which you know will soon catch the eye of the developer.
With luck some of the more interesting buildings will be saved and converted into residential but others already old and too tired will vanish.
So Mr Swift's building I think is safe but I wonder about the future of the Marsden Harcombe Company building.
The later was home to the Greater Manchester County Archives before its move to Central Ref and now like its neighbour is empty, boarded up and waiting the future.
Already a planning application is in for the area on the corner of Marshall Street, Oldham Road and Goulden Street for a mixed development, part residential, part retail and including a pub and restaurant.**
And I expect our little bit will soon attract the attention of a developer.
All of which means that the Marsden Harcombe Company building should be viewed soon.
Pictures; Marshall Street, 2015, from the collection of Andy Robertson
*Bradford Colliery.
** Manchester City Council online planning, http://pa.manchester.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=IMJTXWBC62000
Images of our commercial past
But the countless small offices and warehouses are pretty much ignored.
Most have long since vanished, leaving nothing more than a few memories, the odd business card and an entry in a trade directory.
A few of their buildings still stand but as many of these are in those parts of the city which are fast being developed I doubt that they will be with us for long.
So I was intrigued by a series of pictures taken by Andy on a slow meandering walk from Victoria Station and up around Oldham Road and off towards Rochdale Road in 2015.
This was always one of those busy but shabby parts of the city, full of small commercial enterprises and a few bigger businesses.
With luck some of the more interesting buildings will be saved and converted into residential but others already old and too tired will vanish.
So Mr Swift's building I think is safe but I wonder about the future of the Marsden Harcombe Company building.
The later was home to the Greater Manchester County Archives before its move to Central Ref and now like its neighbour is empty, boarded up and waiting the future.
And I expect our little bit will soon attract the attention of a developer.
All of which means that the Marsden Harcombe Company building should be viewed soon.
Pictures; Marshall Street, 2015, from the collection of Andy Robertson
*Bradford Colliery.
** Manchester City Council online planning, http://pa.manchester.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=IMJTXWBC62000
Images of our commercial past
Also in the John Swift building was a potato farmer from Dumplington called Brundrit.
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