Surprising and not so surprising scenes travelling through Stretford

If you take your inspiration from that 1946 song by Bobby Troup and plan to motor west, ….. travelling the highway that's the best, you can get your kicks on Kingsway and down Urmston Lane.*

Face at the window, Eastern & Western Boutique,2025

Well I might be stretching the credulity of even the best friends of Stretford, but on a warm sunny Saturday  walking through the township there was plenty to taken in .

Car Park, 2025

On the way I bumped into my old Facebook chum Bill Sumner and his wife who let me into the secret of that old farm on Urmston Lane, clocked the sad and lonely looking Robin Hood and took pleasure in the odd Stretford scenes, from the face in a shop window and a bit of carpark, while remembering that tip to “never point your camera into the sun”.

So istorically the farm will offer up some interesting stories and there will be lots more to find out about the  the Robin Hood.

And no doubt more than a few helpful hints about how to take pictures into the sun.

Looking in from Urmston Lane, 2025

We shall see.

“Never point your camera into the sun” 2025

Location; Stretford

Pictures; Face at the window, Eastern & Western Boutique,  car park,  “never point your camera into the sun”, Kingsway, passing farm buildings Urmston Lane, 2025, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*Route 66, Bobby Troup, 1946, version by Chuck Berry, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqhQSfFtOVE

The sights of Stretford …….. no 2. ….. the new and the old

Tuesday in Stretford, looking for the unusual, the new, and old.

Location; Stretford

Pictures; Stretford, 2022, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

The sights of Stretford …….. no 1. ….. shapes

Tuesday in Stretford, looking for the unusual, the new, and the old.

Location; Stretford

Pictures; Stretford, 2022, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

On discovering that pub, …..doing the essential walk and making it historic .... no. 4

Now, this is a view of the Old Cock I have never experienced, and it comes from another of Andy Robertson’s “essential walks with a bit of history”.

Most people will catch a fleeting glance of the pub as they whiz past on their way to or from Stretford, but Andy captured this shot as he strayed from his walk around the Duke’s Canal, coming out on a large expanse of grassland.

Alas, even if the Virus had not intervened to close the pub and thwart Andy’s need for a rewarding pint on a hot April day, he would still have been disappointed as it shut up shop some time ago.

Leaving Andy to retrace his steps and take one last picture of the viaduct carrying the canal and Metro line.

Location; Stretford

Pictures; Stretford, 2020, from the collection of Andy Robertson

The cemetery, …..doing the essential walk and making it historic .... no. 3

I have cheated here, because this was really party of Andy's second walk, but the small cemetery by Hawthorn Road on the way to Stretford is a wonderful place and deserves a story to itself.

I first discovered it in the company of my old friend Dave Bishop in 2010, when we walked the Old Road.*

Amongst the graves are those of a group of paupers.

Location; Stretford

Picture; the cemetery, 2020, from the collection of Andy Robertson


*The Old Road, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Old%20Road

Hawthorn Lane, ….. a canal and a very old building ….. doing the essential walk and making it historic .... no. 2

Now today Andy walked one of my favourites.

It once meandered down from what Hardy Lane, across the township of Chorlton-cum-hardy and by degree over Turn Moss before ending up in Stretford near the parish church.

I misnamed it the Old Road, and over the years have written about it on countless occasions.*

And for those who like me have been drawn back to the place, it has the prize of both running under the Duke’s Canal and giving access to the towpath, from where you can look across the water at the Watch House.

Andy was there yesterday for his “essential walk”, and as he always does, he took his camera, sending over four pictures and adding, “One of the pictures is the Watch House. Reputed to be the oldest building in Stretford ; once a farmhouse it was there before the canal was built

Location; Hawthorn Road

Picture; down by the Duke's Canal, 2020, from the collection of Andy Robertson





*The Old Road, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Old%20Road

Watersmeet …… Stretford ….. doing the essential walk and making it historic .... no. 1

We each take those “essential walks” in a different way, and in Andy’s case it had to be beside water, and that meant a stretch of one of his favourite canals.

And after that walk was over he shared it with me, adding, “This is where I did my daily exercise today, just happened to have my camera with me”.

Already a friend of his responded, with “Many thanks for lovely photos, keep exercising your camera”.

And I hope he does.

I could have gone into the history of the canal, but that’s been done.*

Location; Stretford

Pictures; Watersmeet, Stretford, 2020, from the collection of Andy Robertson





*Memories of the Duke’s Canal at Stretford, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2014/05/memories-of-dukes-canal-at-stretford.html

The Ghost Sign on Milton Road …….. and the appeal for help

Now, someone will know the story behind this ghost sign, which Andy thinks reads Partington.

I have to confess, we washed up here about a year ago with a dodgy tyre, took a few pictures, but totally missed the ghost sign which to be fair was on the Milton Road side of the building.

Leaving aside the sign for a minute, the building is itself rather intriguing.

Today the Talbot Road side of the building is occupied by A1 Tyres, the very place we went to, and back in 2012, they were in the property to  the rear.

That said the main building has a succession of occupants, ranging from Sunrise Windows, in 2008, to The Potters House Church for a few years, and now A1 Tyres.

All of which leaves me wondering about the origins of the building and that ghost sign, which I can now confirm was Partington.  T Paul Delaney responded to the blog with "It was Partingtons furniture warehouse, there was also a store in the old Urmston Precinct".

And Bill Sumner has added,  This one I can help with, the ghost sign is fairly recent and was for Partingtons Furniture now trading as Wreay Bros with a store in Sale. 

Previously it was the Le Bas Tube Company selling engineers piping. Previous to that, when it was built in the 1920's it was the Crittall Window Company- those steel framed windows we all know and now being conserved in buildings around the country, many feature in the TV series Poirot. 

I have complained to Trafford Council for allowing this fine Deco Office and Warehouse Building to be Knocked about so and ruined. They tried to stop some alterations but the owners went ahead anyway and no prosecutions have taken place".

So now I will continue to search for a date and a bit more information.

Location; Stretford

Pictures; the ghost sign and the building Talbot Road and Milton Road, from the collection of Andy Robertson

When Andy Robertson walked out ………….. down Chester Road

Pictures of doors remain a fascinating subject for photographers.

And so when Andy sent over this one of those two doors on Chester Road, it just had to be included.

We have already joked that there should be a day when we rename the blog, the Andy Robertson blog, given that over the  years he has contributed some excellent pictures and more importantly has created a series of story lines which have followed the transformation of bits of the city and the surrounding areas.

And he is dedicated and persistent  in his determination to record a chosen site from the time when a property is vacated or has become neglected and run down, to its demolition, followed by the moment when the builder’s break the ground and a new property begins to rise.

In this case it is those two doors, which I have passed countless times, and never given them a second thought.

In time I will go looking for their history, but I am confident someone will come up with chapter and verse, but until then I will leave you with those two doors, and the fun of speculating on the changes that have been made to the houses that share these doors.

Location; Stretford

Picture; two doors …… Chester Road, 2019, from the collection of Andy Robertson

Stretford Precinct ………… before it becomes something new and shiny

Now, in a few years from now, when the new shiny addition to Stretford Precinct has become part of the landscape, these pictures will be an important record of the history of that place.

Back when the first development was underway, I doubt that may people took photographs of what was going on.

And, many of those pictures will have long ago been lost, damaged or consigned to the back of a cupboard.

So, I was pleased when Andy Robertson began recording the changes to the shopping centre.

At which point I must confess I can’t remember what it is now called, or the details of the plans for the new ones.

Suffice to say you saw the start of it all here.

Location; Stretford

Pictures; Stretford Precinct, 2019, from the collection of Any Robertson

Looking out of Stretford

I wonder just how many people remember this bit of Stretford before the precinct.

I have only seen old pictures, and with a bit of luck, Bill and others will be prompted to post pre-precinct photographs.

What I like about Andy Robertson’s two pictures is that they capture this new bit of Stretford from angles most people never photograph.

Added to which, they were taken at moment when the area is undergoing fresh change.

All of which means that these with the others that he took yesterday will become part of the story of changing Stretford.

The fate of the old cinema is still shrouded in doubt, and I have lost count of the proposed uses for what is still an iconic building.

But happily the old Town Hall has been saved.

And just one of those memories comes from Gordon Howe, who told me, "My Mum worked in Stretford Post Office from approximately the mid 40s to the mid 50s, and I know that amongst my many boxes of family photos (which I have stored and will get round to sorting out and scanning one day!) there are photos taken around the building. I promise to share them when that happens!"

Location; Stretford



Pictures; Stretford, 2018, from the collection of Andy Robertson

Looking across a sky line ............... different uses for a car park nu 1

Now the thing about sky lines and roof tops is that you don’t often get to see them.

So unless you are in a very tall block of flats or have climbed to the top of a church tower or chimney stack you ain’t going to get a decent view over Mr and Mrs Bain’s house to the hills beyond.

And these days most church towers are just not high enough and very few of those chimney stacks survive.

All of which ushers in an alternative use for a multi-storey car park, and as someone one who never learnt to drive and doesn’t own a car that is an appealing use for those big blocks of concrete.

Andy Robertson thought so to and yesterday took these from the top of the Stretford car park.

I don’t suppose I should announce that, given that car park owners are forever finding ingenious ways of getting extra cash from people.

But I couldn’t resist these there, each of which has something to offer.

And as we have had a shed load of stories on different types of street furniture and ghost signs ............. perhaps “Skylines and roof tops I have seen” could just be the new one.

We shall see.

Location; Stretford








Pictures;  Skylines and roof tops, 2016 from the collection of Andy Robertson

Celebrating our Municipal Town Halls part 6 .......... Stretford Town Hall

Another in the short series celebrating our Municipal Town Halls which focus not only on the grand buildings but also the achievements of local government.

Stretford Town Hall is is that grand building on Chester Road which has for over a century served as a Public Hall, Municipal Library, Civic Theatre and council offices.

It also had a set of swimming baths at the rear all of which made it a focal point for those who lived in the area.

It was built in 1878 by John Rylands who lived just up the road in Longford Hall and on his death his wife gave the building to the local authority for a small annual rent.

On her death the council bought the property.

Over the last century and a bit the place has changed as new civic buildings were built.

So the library moved out when the new one was opened in 1940 and after a period as Stretford Civic Theatre it became council offices reverting to a Public Hall in 1997 while the swimming baths closed when the new Leisure Centre opened.

Painting;  Stretford Public Hall © 2013 Peter Topping
Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk
Facebook: Paintings from Pictures https://www.facebook.com/paintingsfrompictures

The Drum, Peter's painting and an excellent story from Pubs of Manchester

This was the Drum in Stretford.

Although it is equally likely that many will remember it variously as the Drum or the Bass Drum and now  it has gone.

Peter painted the place just before Derek the demolition man got going on what had become a sad and forlorn looking building.

Now I have written about the pub before as well as the Angel which had stood on the same spot for centuries and I had wondered about doing a new story on its final demolition and the rise of that fast food place which now inhabits the site.*

But that has been done already by that wonderful Pubs of Manchester, so I shall just direct you to the link below which will smoothly and with less time than it took to order a pint bring transport you to what happened as Peter’s painting was drying.**

Painting; The Drum,© 2014 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures
Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk
Facebook:  Paintings from Pictures

*The Drum on Chester Road, soon to be a distant memory along with the Angel Hotel which stood on the same spot from 1780, http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/The%20Angel%20Hotel%20Stretford

**Drum / Bass Drum, Chester Road, http://pubs-of-manchester.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/drum-bass-drum-chester-road.html