Always make a record ……. Shudehill before a tram or the bus

How easy it is to forget the more recent changes to our city.

The tram stop, 2023

I don’t mean that time before the rise of the giant towers which now dominate the skyline in almost every direction and are very striking scene as you travel in by tram from Cornbrook into Deansgate Castlefield.

Or for that matter the journey in to the city centre along the Oxford Road corridor or Rochdale Road from the north.

I am thinking instead of the bits in between like the entrance to Victoria Station, and the tall development at Nicholas Croft.

Into the bus station, 2023

All of which is an introduction to the Shudehill Interchange, which happened while I wasn’t looking.

My Wikipedia tells me that is a “is a transport hub between Manchester Victoria station and the Northern Quarter in Manchester city centre, which comprises a Metrolink stop and a bus station.

The tracks through the site were opened in 1992; however, the tram stop did not open until 31 March 2003. 

The bus part of the interchange opened on 29 January 2006.

Construction had initially started on the bus station in 1998 and it was planned to have been completed and fully operational by 2000, but several disputes over the ownership of the site along with two public inquiries over the course of five years resulted in the construction work on the station being halted until 2003”.*

The lonely wait, 2023

Now given the date 1992 there will be those that matter I must have had “my eyes closed for a long time”.

Which is of course possible but in reality had more to do with the simple fact that during the 1990s I rarely went to Victoria Railway Station or Shudehill.

When two trams meet, 2023

But perhaps I just wasn’t that observant to the point that when our Ben talked about getting a bus from Shudehill bus station I was a tad puzzled.

All of which has now been rectified, and as an alternative to the Second City Crossing, I will take the tram from St Peter’s Square via Market Street through Shudehill and onto Victoria.

Earlier in the week Shudehill was my go to destination, which I used as the staring point for a wander up to the Rochdale Road across to Swan Street, Eagle Street and round to High Street into the heart of the Northern Quarter.

So that is it, leaving me just to post some of the “interchange" pictures and one courtesy of John Casey when the tram tracks were in the making on their way to Victoria.

That said I have to confess that there were buses on Shudehill before the Interchange and even a horse drawn mail coach service to Ashton Under Lyne at the start of the 19th century from the Hare and Hounds.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Location; Shudehill

Tram rails in the making, 1990s

Pictures; Shudehill Interchange, 2023, from the collection of Andrew Simpson, and tram rails in the making, 1990s courtesy of John Casey

*Shudehill Interchange, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shudehill_Interchange

A little bit of Manchester nearly 30 years ago ......... building the First City Crossing

I am looking at another one of John Casey’s photographs.

It dates from the very early 1990s when the construction of the First City Crossing was well under way, and this is the section by Victoria Station.

We tend to overlook more recent pictures of the city and yet they can be as revealing as any of those old black and white images from the early 20th century.

And this one is no exception.

It starts with that bus in the distance in the old livery, moves onto the actual track bed being prepared and finishes with those buildings one of which I still remember visiting when it was a Post Office.

In the last year or so they have vanished while the ones to their right behind the bus went in preparation for the construction of the Urbis which is now the National Football Museum.

Equally fascinating are the images of ghost buildings.

John took a series of pictures along the route of First City Crossing and with some stunning ones of Chapel Street around the same time and I am so pleased he has given permission for them to be featured on the blog.

Location; Manchester

Picture; down by Victoria Station circa early 1990s from the collection of John Casey

Stories from a Didsbury picture ….. no 4 …. a railway ticket, a trail .... and the tram

Of all the images Andrew shared with me as part of the picture challenge, this in some ways is my favourite.

A tram, a trail, and the ghost of the railway, 2013

Here is the newly opened Metro link, which follows the route of the old railway line and offers up access to the TransPennine Trail.

So in one one spot we have a shed load of Didsbury’s history.

The railway line dates from 1880, and ran from Central Railway Station out to Didsbury and on via Heaton Mersey, Cheadle Heath and Hazel Grove to Derbyshire and finally London.

Sadly, it closed for passenger traffic in 1967, followed two years later by freight trains, and the track was lifted in 1970.  The railway station lingered on till 1981 when it was demolished for the present small shopping precinct.

And at this point the purists will point out that the station was not here, where Andrew took the picture.

But I shall pass over that observation and record that when the railway station opened like others along to route back into town it proved very successful.  So that "by 1900 over 200, 000 passengers bookings per year were being made at Didsbury and the South District train service was running at a ten minute frequency during the busy time periods”.* 

Locomotive-45602 and train heading north to Manchester in 1954

And the introduction of a tram service using the old route has proved equally successful, even if at times those of us further down the line in Chorlton can sometimes find that there are no seats left when the East Didsbury service to  town rolls in.

Which I fully accept is a churlish observation, especially on a Didsbury story so I shall conclude with that reference to the TransPennine Trail, which “is an exciting route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders linking the North and Irish seas, passing through the Pennines, alongside rivers and canals and through some of the most historic towns and cities in the North of England.

The Trail from coast-to-coast between Southport and Hornsea is 215 miles (346km) long.

A north-south route connecting Leeds and Chesterfield, a spur to York and a spur to Kirkburton means there are approximately 370 miles (595km) of Trans Pennine Trail available to explore”.**

Didsbury Railway Station in 1951

And according to another source is the Trans Pennine Trail "is a long-distance path running from coast to coast across Northern England entirely on surfaced paths and using only gentle gradients (it runs largely along disused railway lines and canal towpaths). 

It forms part of European walking route E8 and is part of the National Cycle Network as Route 62 (referencing the M62 motorway which also crosses the Pennines).

Most of the surfaces and gradients make it a relatively easy trail, suitable for cyclists, pushchairs and wheelchair users. The section between Stockport and Barnsley is hilly, especially near Woodhead, and not all sections or barriers are accessible for users of wheelchairs or non-standard cycles. Some parts are also open to horse riding.

The trail is administered from a central office in Barnsley, which is responsible for promotion and allocation of funding. However, the twenty-seven local authorities whose areas the trail runs through are responsible for management of the trail within their boundaries. 

Didsbury railway ticket, date unknown 

The idea originated from Barnsley, where the head office is now based. Work on the trail started in 1999. Early development was boosted by a £5 million investment by the Millennium Commission. The trail was officially opened in September 2001. 

However, the route was not fully completed until late 2004. It cost £60 million to construct”.***

Which just leaves me to thank Andrew, and point out that no originality was damaged by my overuse of sources which I plundered for the story.

Andrew is the Labour Councillor for Didsbury East on Manchester City Council please contact me at cllr.a.simcock@manchester.gov.uk

Location; Didsbury

Pictures; The day the TransPennine Trail and Metrolink opened in May 2013 looking south east from Didsbury Station with the Sandhurst Road overbridge in the background, from the collection of Andrew Simcock,  Didsbury Railway Station in 1951, m63442 and Locomotive-45602 and train heading north to Manchester in 1954, m63444, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass, and Didsbury Railway ticket, courtesy of Disused Stations, http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/d/didsbury/index.shtml

*Didsbury Railway Station, Disused Stations, http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/d/didsbury/index.shtml

** the TransPennine Trail, https://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/?doing_wp_cron=1613039562.5268790721893310546875

***The TransPennine Trail, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_Pennine_Trail

The unseen bit of Cornbrook Metro stop …………. all in a day’s tram travelling

Now Cornbrook is one of those tram stops most of us just pass through, or because it is a switching point for a number of services, the place you might use to make a change.

In winter it can be an inhospitable spot with the wind cutting through you.

But it is also the stop that I have often pondered on, not least because of the location of the entrance.

Not that I have ever fallen prey to the adventure of finding out.

But Andy Robertson, did just that recently, and in the process discovered that the entrance is having a make over.

And I am indebted to him, because it is just the sort of pictures that will feature in our new tram book later in the year.

Which in turn might well provoke a tranche of stories.


As it was, as soon as I showed Andy this story, he nodded, thanked me, and took advantage of that extra hour created by the clocks going back and wandered off back to Cornbrook and the entrance to the Metro.

In the space of just over 24 hours the Metro chaps had been busy and completed the sides of the entrance.

And not wanting to short change them or Andy's early morning efforts, here is his latest picture.

Location; Cornbrook









Pictures; Cornbrook Metro Stop, 2019, from the collection of Andy Robertson

The one that didn’t quite work .......

I thought I was being very clever and could catch the reflection on the glass roof of the information sign at the metro stop.

2018

And yesterday on a very grey day with the threat of rain it looked as if it could work, but it only sort of did.

So perhaps the image and the story should be parked in the series on Street furniture, and not “Four clever photographs from Andrew in St Peter’s Square”.

And if I am lucky there will be more than a few better pictures posted to accompany the story.

1981

We shall see.

But in my defence against those who mutter what’s this to do with history?

The answer is that it wasn’t that long ago when we only had two metro platforms which were situated elsewhere in the square, and there will be many of us who remember a very different place.

Location; Manchester

Picture; at the metro stop, 2018 and almost the same spot, 1981, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

Tram 1013 ...... and the little question of that urban myth

Now here is a coincidence, which matches what seems to be an urban myth with a photograph from my old friend Ron Stubley.

A few days ago I was talking to Peter about our new tram book,when Peter mentioned a story he had heard about tram 1013, which he had been told never left the sidings because of its unfortunate number, leaving him to ask “why didn’t they just miss out the number and jumps straight from 12 to 14?”

Neither of us was sure whether this was just one of those silly superstitious stories, and Ron seems to have proved us correct, because here is a picture tram 1013, which Ron took on “the third day of the Manchester Victoria-Bury service, on April 8th, 1992 when 1013 was on driver training duties at Victoria”.*

At which point someone will point out that a training run is not the same as being in passenger service, which is true, so we will just have to wait to for someone come up with evidence of travelling on 1013, or the powers that be admit that the said tram never carried a collection of people in possession of a valid tram ticket.

Either way I rather think Ron’s picture will feature in the book which, will explore the history of Greater Manchester using the Metrolink tram stops as starters.

Already we have had a souvenir ticket from Geoff Ankers, Ron’s tram picture and a request from Bill Sumner to look into the history of Holt Town,which is on the East Manchester line between New Islington and Etihad Campus.

Bill commented that “whilst for me the Stretford stop has an interesting history with its goods yards coal wharf etc, the one that I would like to learn about is the at present unprepossessing Holt Town which I have discovered on old maps must have been a very different place back in the day”, which of course it was.

Following on from that, if there is anyone who wants to share their story of their stop, along with the treasured photograph or piece of memorabilia we would be happy to include them.   Just add a comment on the blog or on facebook or by following the link below and leaving a message.**

And no sooner had the story gone live and, Steven commented "as someone who remembers the introduction of the T68's very well I do not remember an issue with 1013 and I am sure it entered service as normal along with the rest. I do seem to remember that 1014 & 1015 entered service a lot later than the rest though. 

One of them could clearly be seen at the back of Queens Road depot, but the other was missing for quite sometime"​.

Which just leaves me to thank Fran who added "as a tram driver, I've copied the link onto our closed page to see if some of the former T68 drivers can help you out".

Pictures; tram 1013, on driver training duties at Victoria, April 1992, from the collection of Ron Stubley and tram 1001, from the collection of Andy Robertson

*Ron Stubley, December 17, 2017

*The History of Greater Manchester ..... By Tram-The Stories At the Stops, Andrew Simpson and Peter Topping will be published during 2018, for details of this book and all the others written by the two authors, go to,http://www.pubbooks.co.uk/  

Reflections from a tram window ....... in St Peter’s Square in May 2014

Now here is one of those indulgent moments when I feature a picture I like and wonder if it will set off a series of pictures in the same vein.

And it would be fun to have a story to go with it.

So here I was on in St Peter’s Square watching countless trams going off in every direction except the one I wanted.

The stop will soon be moved as part of the new Second City Crossing and this spot will slide into transport history along with Central Station, the old Corporation trams and the horse drawn bus.

So in the meantime I bet there will be plenty of pictures using glass, reflective images and people.

Picture; in St Peter’s Square May 2014 from the collection of Andrew Simpson

Waiting in St Peter's Square for the tram and pondering on the future

Everyone has their favourite metro stop in the city centre.

For me it is St Peter’s Square surrounded by Central Ref, the War Memorial and with clear views across to the Midland Hotel, the Bridgewater Hall, and down Oxford Street with the City Art Gallery thrown in as an extra.

By comparison Market Street is too busy and Piccadilly will forever be scarred by that concrete wall which leaves Shude Hill and Deansgate Castlefield.

Now I will concede there is a lot to see from the elevated platform facing Central Station and it runs St Peter’s Square a close second, but my first choice pretty much calls the tune.

That said I wonder if I will feel at home after the completion of the Second City Crossing and the relocation of the platforms.

“The existing stop in St Peter's Square will be relocated to the northern end of the Square, near the Mosley Street/Princess Street junction and the existing tracks will be realigned between Elisabeth House and the Central Library. 

This will provide the opportunity to create a major civic space.”*

And given that “St Peter's Square is anticipated to contain the busiest tram stop on the Metrolink network”


I can see the logic of moving the Cenotaph “which would provide better opportunity for contemplation. The area of the square by the Cooper Street entrance to the Town Hall provides an appropriate setting for this hugely important memorial, with strong civic focus and much improved views from around the square.”

We shall see.  Certainly this fits with the artist’s impression of how the new area will look when finished.

After all the traffic flow and the present metro can be pretty distracting for anyone wanting just to sit in the space around the memorial, while its new location in front of the eastern entrance of the Town Hall seems fitting.

In turn this will free up the space opposite the Ref as a broad open area free of all traffic save the tram.

Well we shall see.  With all such open spaces there is that real danger they become wide expanses full of litter and devoid of any beauty.

On the other hand Albert Square works so perhaps will St Peter’s Square.

Pictures; from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*The Second City Crossing, Manchester Metrolink, http://www.tfgm.com/Corporate/Consultations/Metrolink2cc/Pages/second_city_crossing_stops.aspx

Waiting for a tram and planning journeys across the city and beyond

Now I rather take the Metrolink for granted.

It has been with us since 1992 and its tram lines connect the city centre with Altrincham, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Bury, Didsbury, Eccles and Rochdale, and plenty of places in between.

And soon there will be that extension to the Airport and the Second City Crossing with firm plans and bright thinking to extend the service into Stockport, more of Salford, Trafford, and east to Stalybridge with the prospect in the future of tram-trains over the existing heavy rail network out to Hale, the Hope Valley, Marple, Glossop and Hazel Grove.

All along way from the old Pic-Vic idea and the call for an integrated and efficient system of public transport which in 1968 aimed to improve the north south links and make it easier travel between Piccadilly and Victoria Stations which were unconnected and at opposite ends of central Manchester.

The rest as they say is history and while there can be the Sunday closures and signal faults from time to time, the network is pretty neat, and much faster than the bus.

At which point there will be those that point out that if you don’t live along or close to the track it still has to be the bus, and on certain services the failure to add extra units’ results in overcrowding and the risk of having to stand for part of the journey.

Still I like it and it remains my preferred way of getting into town even if it means first walking from Beech Road down to the metro stop at Morrisons.

What I didn’t know was that our network was the first modern service of its kind in the country beating Sheffield by two years and only preempted by Blackpool’s.

All of which was uppermost in my thoughts as I waited St Peter’s Square for my Jill and Geoff to arrive from Altrincham.

During the wait I clocked the frequency of trams and their different destinations and the sheer number and variety of passengers passing through.

Pictures; from the collection of Andrew Simpson