Now in the great sweep of history the opening and closure of the bus garage at Parrs Wood is but a blink and I guess not the most significant of events, and yet for over 45 years it was a place of work for many and a landmark for countless more.
It was opened in 1926 and could hold fifty motor buses and with hindsight was one of those markers which pointed to the end of the old Corporation trams.
Not that I suspect any would have seen that coming. In 1928 at its peak there were 953 trams running 46 routes along 292 miles of track.
During the previous decade there had been a huge expansion in tram services with new tracks still being laid as late as 1929, but already the Corporation had increased its fleet of buses from 16 in 1923 to 53 three years later.
And from the late twenties onwards buses and trolley buses began to replace trams on routes across the city.
And when I washed up in Manchester the bus garage at Parrs Wood was still going strong, but the amalgamation of the county’s bus services and the inevitable rationalization of depots meant that it closed in 1971.
I have to admit that its closure passed me by and for years afterwards I continued to suppose it was still in operation which is not unsurprising given that the buildings and the clock tower were still there to see.
And while the garage has gone at least the clock tower remains which offers up one of those small bits of continuity.
Of course those looking for more in the way of history might well pause in the Tesco store and pick up a copy of Didsbury Through Time which was on sale there and which I am the first to admit is outrageous self promotion.
I wrote the text and Peter Topping sourced a series of old photographs matching these with some modern pictures and a selection of his own paintings which together tell the story of how Didsbury has changed over the last century and a bit.
Now in time I think we will revisit East Didsbury’s past and look more closely at some of the events, the people and the buildings surrounding the old clock tower.
And for want of a better title it will simply be called East Didsbury.
Peter has already begun a collection of paintings of the area and I will come up with the stories.
They will appear in the blog over the next few weeks and in the fullness of time become another of our history trails culminating in a set of Didsbury Walks.
Painting; Clock Tower at Tesco’s Didsbury and Tesco Didsbury from the series East Didsbury, © 2014 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures
Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk
Not that I suspect any would have seen that coming. In 1928 at its peak there were 953 trams running 46 routes along 292 miles of track.
During the previous decade there had been a huge expansion in tram services with new tracks still being laid as late as 1929, but already the Corporation had increased its fleet of buses from 16 in 1923 to 53 three years later.
And from the late twenties onwards buses and trolley buses began to replace trams on routes across the city.
And when I washed up in Manchester the bus garage at Parrs Wood was still going strong, but the amalgamation of the county’s bus services and the inevitable rationalization of depots meant that it closed in 1971.
I have to admit that its closure passed me by and for years afterwards I continued to suppose it was still in operation which is not unsurprising given that the buildings and the clock tower were still there to see.
Of course those looking for more in the way of history might well pause in the Tesco store and pick up a copy of Didsbury Through Time which was on sale there and which I am the first to admit is outrageous self promotion.
I wrote the text and Peter Topping sourced a series of old photographs matching these with some modern pictures and a selection of his own paintings which together tell the story of how Didsbury has changed over the last century and a bit.
And for want of a better title it will simply be called East Didsbury.
Peter has already begun a collection of paintings of the area and I will come up with the stories.
They will appear in the blog over the next few weeks and in the fullness of time become another of our history trails culminating in a set of Didsbury Walks.
Painting; Clock Tower at Tesco’s Didsbury and Tesco Didsbury from the series East Didsbury, © 2014 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures
Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk
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