Bandstands ……no.5 Jubilee Gardens ……..Middleton

Now it’s been a while since a bandstand featured on the blog, which is a shame given that they are one of those wonderful inventions.

They owed much to the 19th century’s fascination with the Orient. 

The basic design may have been copied from “the raised –platform kiosks seen in Turkey and across the Ottoman empire” but was overlaid with influences from Indian palaces and temples.*

The French had shown one of these Turkish stands off at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1855 and what followed was a succession of developments over here with the first unveiled at the Royal Horticultural Show in South Kensington and later moved out to parks in Southwark and Peckham where I came across them as a young boy in the 1950s.

By then many were in a state of disrepair, victims of years of neglect and changing fashions.

But not so any more.

Location; Middleton

Picture; the bandstand Jubilee Gardens, 2020, from the collection of Andy Robertson.

*A Walk in the Park, Travis Elborough 2016, pages 155-56

A Walk in Middleton … a story from Andrea

Now this is the Middleton Bandstand which Tony Goulding photographed last week and was featured on the blog.  

Middleton Bandstand, 2021

And today I am back with a story by his friend Andrea who accompanied him on the visit. 

“After having my family tree researched, I found out that my great grandparents were married in Middleton at St Leonards Church so I took a trip to Middleton to take a picture of this church.

I have some very good memories of Middleton as a child, my grandma and grandad lived on Durnford Street just next to the Boars Head public house another long standing piece of history in Middleton.

After getting off the 17 bus from Shudehill to Middleton,I then continued to walk up Long Street, just off Long Street is the Boars Head public house and St Leonards Church 

St Leonard's Church, 2021

The church was up a very steep hill through Jubilee Park where the library is and a very old band stand. 

It was cold and raining but at the top of the hill was St Leonards church, Middleton a church built over 900 years ago. 

The view from the church was breath-taking you feel like you’re on top of the world.

I can’t imagine what type of wedding it would have been between my great grandma and grandad".

Location; Middleton

Pictures; Middleton Bandstand, 2021, from the collection of Tony Goulding, and St Leonards Church, 2021, courtesy of Andrea Martinez

Waiting for the band to play ..... Middleton

Now it's been a year since I visited the story of the bandstand, and so I was pleased when Tony Goulding sent this one over.

Tony is a regular contributor to the blog and tells me "I have been busily engaged in researching a friend's (rather complicated) family history. 

In connection with this we took a trip today out to Middleton. 

I took a newish digital camera with me and took a few pictures, one of which was of this bandstand which stands in the grounds surrounding St. Leonard's church. 

I seem to recall that you have an interest in surviving bandstands so I thought I would send you this picture"

And that is all I am going to say, other than to thank Tony and invite you to read all the bandstand stories.

Location; Middleton

Picture; Middleton Bandstand, 2021, from the collection of Tony Goulding.

*Bandstands, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandstands

Walking Middleton's Golden Cluster of Heritage

Now, I have Andy Robertson to thank for reigniting my interest in Middleton, and in particular its Golden Cluster of Heritage.

Old Boar, 1632

It started with his picture of the timber framed Old Boar, which appears to date from 1632 but has bits that go back into the 15th century.

And from there Andy wandered across a mix of Middleton’s past, which he duly recorded.

So, having got the pictures I then discovered the site Middleton’s Golden Cluster of Heritage, which I instantly plundered.

Jubilee Library

“The Golden Cluster is an area of outstanding heritage focused on Middleton, Greater Manchester.  They are vivid reminders of the area’s fascinating history and the outstanding people who came from there, figures such as Cardinal Thomas Langley, Julia Schwabe, Ashton Lever, Samuel Bamford and Lydia Becker. 

Capping it all off, is the Arts & Crafts heritage of Edgar Wood, the pioneer of art deco architecture.”

Added to which are the  “historic buildings in the Golden Cluster, including the Samuel Bamford obelisk in the Old Burial Ground, the National School on Long Street and the old Police Station on Market Place. There are also many Edgar Wood designed buildings including Manchester & Salford Bank, Market Place, Redcroft and Fencegate, Rochdale Road and 36 Mellalieu Street”.*

So that’s it.

Location; Middleton

Picture; the bandstand Jubilee Gardens, 2020, from the collection of Andy Robertson.

*Middleton Heritage,  https://middletonheritage.co.uk/