One car, one camera, and three pictures of the changing landscape.

Now the trip in along Chester Road into town continues to be one dominated by new build, most of which is unremarkable and pretty standard.

And then just after passing St George’s the skyline id dominated by those new towers which rise from the ground, almost as if they had been planned to keep the Beetham Tower company.

What is all the remarkable, is that just three years ago only the Beetham scraped the sky, and that transformation has been recorded by Andy Robertson, almost level by level as the towers moved upwards.

Nor has he been alone, because Cathy Robertson regularly also chronicles their development.

And earlier in the week she took four pictures in quick succession, as if to re emphasis the size of the buildings.





Location; coming into Manchester

Pictures; three pictures of the new towers, 2019, from the collection of Cathy Robertson

The moment Manchester became New York

Historians will look back on the rapid transformation of the city’s skyline and debate the point when those towers started to change forever the character of Manchester.

The date it all began is also open for argument with some going for when Sunlight House was built, with others offering up the CIS building, and much later the Beetham Tower.

Of course the early 20th century saw the Refuge Building and before that the steady expansion of the Royal Exchange and earlier the new Town Hall.

But as big and magnificent as all these were, they were still on a human scale which can’t be said of those towers which dominate the skyline and can be seen miles away.

And I think Cathy Robertson has caught their overbearing presence.

Location; driving into Manchester

Picture; driving into Manchester, 2019, from the collection of driving into Manchester, from the collection of Cathy Robertson

Stories of our industrial past .......... when Andy and Cathy returned to Hulme Hall Road

This is a story which goes back four years, and involves a warehouse, a fire and a new development.*

It began when Andy Robertson spotted a news item about a fire in a building in Hulme Hall Road, hard by the Duke’s Canal in the summer of 2015.

And quick as a flash, he was down there with his camera, and so began another of those remarkable projects where Andy s regularly revisited the site, recording the changes, which began with the demolition of the old building, the moment when the construction gang broke ground, and has continued ever since.

And now, his daughter Cathy has joined in, taking these pictures from Andy’s car earlier this week.

Together the catalogue of images is a fascinating insight into a tiny part of our history, and as ever I am in awe of both Andy and Cathy who turn out in all weathers to make the passing of little bits of our heritage, and the shiny new things that take their place.

And in the process, I must thank all those who over the years have added their recollections of the building, and I have every confidence that this will continue and in time there will be many more from those who inhabit the new apartments.

Location; Hulme Hall Road




Pictures; Hulme Hall Road, 2019 from the collection of Cathy Robertson


*Hulme Hall Road, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search?q=hulme+hall+road

From a window ........ Castlefield on a Sunday

Now I am just going to let the picture say it all.

This was the view from a window in Castlefield yesterday.

Location; Castlefield


Picture; Looking out over Castlefield, October, 2018, from the collection of Cathy Robertson

The cranes of Salford ........ number 3 .... Chapel Street

Now you do have to look for the crane but it is there and with open spaces still to be filled on Chapel Street I think it will not be too long before more of them will make their appearance on this stretch of road.

That said I like Cathy Robertson’s picture which neatly captures that old Salford that many will remember with both the present and the future.

But some eagle eyed observers will no doubt point out that the crane actually looks to be in Manchester.

Ah well.

Location; Salford





Pictures; Chapel, 2017, from the collection of Cathy Robertson

In the company of the Manchester Bees ..... no. 6 the Hacienda Bee

Now I thought it was time for a rest, having shedloads more in the collection.

But I couldn't resist Cathy Robertson's Hacienda bee.

Location; Manchester

Picture; the Hacienda Bee, 2018, courtesy of Cathy Robertson

The continuing story of an unloved 19th century warehouse on Hulme Hall Road ......... "now totally JCB clear."

I keep thinking we will soon come to an end of the story of that warehouse on Hulme Hall Road.

It was partially damaged by fire last year, was the subject of an article  in the Manchester Evening News and regularly appears here on the blog.

It was a pretty unremarkable building not particularly liked by some who worked there and I doubt will ever be even a foot note in our industrial history.

But that has not stopped Andy Robertson charting its story from the day after the fire through the various stages of its demolition.

And yesterday his daughter Cathy added this picture to the story to which Andy added, “this was taken by Cathy today. The land is now totally JCB clear.”

All of which promises a new set of pictures from the both of them as the builders get to work, breaking the ground and creating something new.

I haven’t had time to search the Corporation’s online planning applications to see what that might be but from memory there is already an application in for a new residential development of 164 apartments at Pomona Wharf/Pomona Island.

So we shall see.

Location Hulme, Manchester

Picture; the site of the warehouse, 2016 from the collection of Cathy Robertson