A choice of images on Red Lion Street and the story of a lost church

From Red Lion Street, 2014

I am always fascinated at how a photographer chooses an image.

The best capture something about a place and time and leave you admiring the photo but also wondering about the stories that sit there.

This is Red Lion Street on the corner with Catlow Lane and we are looking at one of Andy Robertson’s pictures and instantly it drew me in.

He had been out by Church Street and “had passed lots of lovely buildings but was particularly interested in this one” and I can see why.

A sorry state

This is the rear of the place and it fronts on to Union Street.

Back at the turn of the last century it belonged to Harrison & Co who were carpet factors, and I should be able to follow its ownership back  another half century or more.

Today it is empty, and pretty forlorn.

What had once been a grand entrance is bricked up and painted over and the neglect is pretty apparent from the picture.  Some of the windows are broken, the warehouse doors look to be on their last legs and at least one window frame is in danger of collapsing.

Not a promising prospect.  But that said the building next door has been renovated and has a new purpose.

So in time and with some money so might this one.

The area in 1844

Of course a developer might just pull it down and fill the space with something new.

Now I could rail against this but this little bit of the city has constantly been pulled apart and rebuilt.

The property on the other side of our old carpet warehouse was in 1911 the Bulls’ Head and Commerical Hotel and there was a pub here as far back as 1844 and perhaps longer.

In this warren of tiny lanes and back streets there have always been those smaller enterprises whose fortunes have waxed and waned but were always central to the business life of the city.

St Paul's Church from Turner Street, date unknown

And it is important that people like Andy continue to capture the changes to an area which is often neglected.

That said of course we are on the edge of the Northern Quarter a place which once thrived, went through a pretty shabby period and has emerged as an exciting part of Manchester.

As you might expect the area has always been changing, and back in 1844 Catlow Lane was called Church Lane and continued across Red Lion Street to link with Chapel Street which ran beside St Paul’s Church.

This 18th century church faced onto Tib Street and had “an unprepossessing appearance; it is built of brick, with stone dressings, there is a tower at the west end, the top of which is entirely of stone.  

The interior is very handsomely decorated.  

There are three galleries, the pillars supporting the roof, are gilt, as well as the back of the altar, organ case, pulpit, &c.  

The church has lately been much improved by the addition of a handsome coloured window over the altar.  The choral service is performed here on Sundays at half past ten and half past six.”*

Interior of St Paul's

But it had gone by 1894 and today both this stretch of Church Lane and Chapel Street are buried under the car park.

So on the turn of a photographer’s choice of image comes a a jumbled collection of half stories with the promise of more to come.

Picture; from the collection of Andy Robertson and detail of the area in 1844 from the OS map of Manchester & Salford, 1842-44, courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk/ and St Paul's Church, m80323, & m80324, date unknown,courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass 

* The Strangers Guide to Manchester, The Strangers Guide to Manchester, 1850

Changing Deansgate …..

There will be many who were pleased when the Crown on Deansgate reopened.

2019

But for those who haven’t been to the spot for some years there will be a few surprises.

And those surprises will depend on just how long ago the visit was.

So the old ambulance depot closed along time ago to be replaced by the Beetham Tower and more recently the building which was variously a car show room and Boss Furniture show room, is now an open space.

I will leave you to look up what tall 21st century development will rise from the ground, by checking on the City Council’s planning portal.

2023

But be assured Andy Robertson will be there with his camera to record the progress.

Location; Deansgate

Pictures; Deansgate, 2019 and 2023, from the collection of Andy Robertson

Cranes, cranes and more than a few high rise developments

Yet again Andy Robertson has captured the changing skyline of the city.

And in years to come this image will be one of those used to document how Manchester changed.





Location; looking towards the city



Picture; Cranes across the city, 2020, Andy Robertson

It’s what you miss in the big picture ......... ghost signs and abandoned interiors

Now I always welcome a new selection of photographs from Andy Robertson.

Andy spends a lot of time recording the changing landscape in both the twin cities and beyond.

It will begin with an image of a derelict building or industrial site and will follow the development of the place from demolition to new properties.

Along the way he captures some fine scenes like this one with the City pub and the new build in the background.

But as ever his prime purpose is to chronicle those changes and in this case it is the building that ran along Whitworth Street West.

It has excited lots of interest over the years not least because of those designs in the windows.

And it is a building I looked at, briefly thought about and then moved on.

But Andy in his pursuit of recording the buildings demise caught some interesting detail of the interior, from the old fire place to the ghost sign above the door.

And that is history.

Sadly the sign it’s almost impossible to read and has now gone with the rest of the building, leaving just a hole in the ground for Derek the Developer and of course a whole new series of potential pictures for Andy to take.

And that as they say is coming soon.

Location; Manchester







Pictures; Whitworth Street West 2016 from the collection of Andy Robertson

What a difference three months can make ............ from August to October in the story of a building

Now as ever Andy Robertson continues to be on hand to chronicle the changes to the city’s skyline.

And here in just two pictures is the story of one building.

Looking down from the metro stop across Whitworth Street West.

There is a history to the building but for now I will leave you with the two images.

Location; Manchester

Pictures; changing Manchester 2016, from the collection of Andy Roberston

Changing Manchester .......... nu 2 working on the Second City Crossing

Now in the digital collection of Manchester Libraries there is a set of photographs dating from the early 20th century showing tram lines being laid around St Mary’s Gate.

And following on from those historic records here is one Andy Robertson took during the weekend of work on the Second City Crossing close by.

All of which is a nice bit of continuity.

Picture; work on the Second City Crossing, near Exchange Square, 2015, from the collection of Andy Robertson 

Changing Manchester ............... no 1 crossing from Knott Mill Station to the Metro

Now I haven’t been down to the new bridge that spans Whitworth Street West, but Andy Robertson has and recorded the event.

Now I liked the old bridge when it was first erected back in the 1980s but it had become tired and in need of lots of tender care.

But I suppose it was better to replace it with something new which reflected what was going on all around, and I have to say I like it.

Which just leaves me to add that Andy carried on down Deansgate so there are more pictures to come, and apologise to anyone who thinks I should of course refer to Deansgate Station but the last time I wrote about it someone pointed out that he knew it as Knott Mil which of course it what it was called and even has the sign to show it.

And just one correction which I added after the story was first posted .................. to be accurate as my old friend Neil Simpson points out "they removed all the perspex covers and refurbished the original bridge" which of course makes sense.

Picture; the new bridge over Whitworth Street West, 2015 from the collection of Andy Robertson.

The old gas works site at Albion Street

At the junction of City Road East and Albion Street,  2014

I like this picture.

We are at the junction of City Road East and Albion Street and it captures perfectly  one of those moments of change.

The building site was once the Gaythorn Gas Works and has for a while been an open area of land awaiting redevelopment.

And judging by Andy Robertson’s picture the development has arrived.

It was taken on March 14th and pretty soon that landscape with its mix of buildings, will be obscured.

In the meantime it is one to treasure.

Picture; from the collection of Andy Robertson