Somewhere beside one of the city's rivers …........ but which one?

This was to be a simple story reflecting on the level of industrial dereliction in the city centre in the late 1970s.

It is a scene many of us will remember well, although that said I pondered on exactly where the picture was taken.

Naively I assumed that as I could identify the warehouse, it would be an easy task to locate the spot by.

So I turned to my old friend and photographer Andy Robertson who has in his possession the last Manchester and Salford Directory which was published in 1969, and given that there was just a ten year gap I reasoned if we could find the firm we had found the place.

And the firm which was “B Davidoff & Co Ltd, mantle mfrs”, was based at “6, Watling Street, Manchester 4, Tel : Blackfriars 5243”.

But then the plot unravelled, because Watling Street in the early 20th century was off Shudehill, some distance from an open water way.  

Furthermore, it has now vanished.

Of course we could be dealing with the warehouse by the river, leaving the offices where Andy found them, but there does not appear another listing for the warehouse.

Looking at the other pictures in the collection, there are possible clues including a gasometer and a pub, but the name of the pub is unclear, as is the name of another ware house which is partially legible and looks to be Parker ? Timber Centre.

I think we may be somewhere in the north of the city, but I am stumped.

That said someone will know, and even if they don’t I am guessing the search for the destination might provoke a debate.

So that is it.

There is no prize for the winner, only the promise that all the suggestions will be added to the story thread, providing they offer up explanations for their assertions.

Location; somewhere

Pictures; from  Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?