HYDE CHESHIRE

Harry Rutherford's
Festival of Britain Mural




Sunday 1 July 2012

Trams Galore !

 The following photos were sent by David Stafford.
I'm  not sure whether a couple of these have already featured in the past but, if so, it's a pleasure to show them again :)

HYDETRAMDEPOT
Tram Depot - Lewis Street

lewistreet
Inside the Tram Depot.

lewistreet2
Gee Cross Tram outside Depot

lewistreet3
Lewis Street Depot

shmd
Unidentified spot, possibly next to Gerrards, Gee Cross


tramhyde
Trams at Hyde Market

TraminHyde
 Unidentified place

tramshed
Tram Shed
trams
Two Trams next to Hyde Market Square

Many Thanks, David.
Great photos.

Edit.
Information from Maloney

"Tramcars never ran further along Mottram Road than the tram shed. It was in 1897 that the first tram tracks were laid between Oldham and Gee Cross by the "British Electrical Pioneer Company," the electrical tram car was the latest fad of the times. In 1896, the company obtained a provisional act for the construction of an electrical tram system from Oldham through Ashton, Audenshaw, Denton and Hyde and Gee Cross. Construction on the tramway commenced in 1897 and was completed in 1899. After the laying of the tracks was completed to Gee Cross, the regular service began on Monday June 12th 1899. Electrical tram cars, as they were called, were a convenient way for people to travel between Oldham and Gee Cross, as they made frequent stops at popular places along the route. There were sixteen tramcars and they commenced running at noon each day. The car ran the whole length from Oldham to Gee Cross. The electrical tramcar service from Hyde to Stockport commenced on January 1st, 1903. Before the electrical tramcar service the route from Hyde to Ashton was different. The section of the road from the Hollow Brow (Newton Street) past Cartwright and Rattray's (Waterlows) had not been constructed. So the horse drawn buses went up past Flowery Field Church and down Throstle Bank Street before turning on Dukinfield Road". 

Thanks Maloney.

17 comments:

Maloney said...

It is really a pleasure to see some really vintage photographs, they have both a local and historical interest. Much better than modern views of Werneth Low and closed pubs. I remember the old tram shed very well I use to play behind it on the Foundary.

Marjorie said...

The unidentified place looks like Mottram Rd. did the trams go along there? I remember the "bone shakers" as they were known. Took ages to get to Manchester on a tram and was much quicker on the bus from Greenfield St.

david said...

Hi
I think the unidentified picture is Stockport road just past the Zions heading to the cemeteruy.

Marjorie said...

You could be right, David.

Maloney said...

David you are entirely correct, tramcars never ran further along Mottram Road than the tram shed. It was in 1897 that the first tram tracks were laid between Oldham and Gee Cross by the "British Electrical Pioneer Company," the electrical tram car was the latest fad of the times. In 1896, the company obtained a provisional act for the construction of an electrical tram system from Oldham through Ashton, Audenshaw, Denton and Hyde and Gee Cross. Construction on the tramway commenced in 1897 and was completed in 1899. After the laying of the tracks was completed to Gee Cross, the regular service began on Monday June 12th 1899. Electrical tram cars, as they were called, were a convenient way for people to travel between Oldham and Gee Cross, as they made frequent stops at popular places along the route. There were sixteen tramcars and they commenced running at noon each day. The car ran the whole length from Oldham to Gee Cross. The electrical tramcar service from Hyde to Stockport commenced on January 1st, 1903. Before the electrical tramcar service the route from Hyde to Ashton was different. The section of the road from the Hollow Brow (Newton Street) past Cartwright and Rattray's (Waterlows) had not been constructed. So the horse drawn buses went up past Flowery Field Church and down Throstle Bank Street before turning on Dukinfield Road. Once again David, thank you for letting me view some real vintage photo's of the towns early transport history. They made a nice change from modern views of Apple Street and derelict pubs.

Davis said...

Top marks for the info nice to put words to the picture
Makes a nice informative post now
thanks
david

Hydonian said...

@ Maloney. The reason we include "modern views of Werneth Low and closed pubs" on the blog is because we are trying to keep all things "Hyde" together. By doing this many Hydonians from all over the world can see what was/is happening in their town now they no longer live here.

Maloney said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Werneth Low said...

Maloney, if you played behind the tram shed you must have some wonderful memories of Hyde as it looked in those days. I'd really appreciate hearing about them. As a Hydonian who has lived in the north east for the past 40 years, I am indebted to this brilliant website, I have contributed to it, learnt much from it and look forward eagerly to its daily update. Please don't ruin what is good with unkind comments, rather be glad that someone far away is being given the opportunity of enjoying the walk along Apple Street and being reminded of the stunning views from Werneth Low.
I appreciated your history of the tramway from Oldham to Gee Cross. Maybe I'm greedy, but I'd like to hear more.
The name Maloney takes me to a stationers/bookseller's shop in the Clarendon Place of long ago. Is there a connection here? If so, it would make good reading!

Maloney said...

Werneth Low, you could get behind the old tram shed and Lewis Street from the Foundary, the former site of Goodfellows Boilermakers, which covered the whole of the area from Fernally Street to Lewis Street and Mottram Road, where the old Turbine Garage stood. You could get on the Foundary from behind the row of cottages that stood on the right hand side of the urinal (looking across from the bottom of George Street) In those cottages lived an old character of Hyde who all the kids called Maggie Pettyhole, not to be confused with another local Character the kids called lollipop. She use to go in the bins on Saturday evening that stood behind the green stalls on Hyde Market, she would pick out thrown away stuff and sit on the stalls where Jock stood eating the stuff. A lad called Jackie Lever had a henpen on the Foundary, his father owned the Barbers in Clarendon Place. I those days the Foundary was full henpens, pidgeon and rabbit hutches. Facing the Prinworks there was a row of cottage by the side of an old dirt path that led behind the cottage. In this back there were other dwellings where a lad called John Butterworth lived with his mother. You could also get to the Foundary site frome there up a few stone steps. A lad called David Booth who died a couple of years ago was born in the cottage next to Maggie Pettyhole's dwelling. Another lad called Tommy Lawton lived a few doors away. You could get over the Print Works wall on Hoviley down to the stream. In those days there was a pipe coming from out of the wall that came from the former Brookside Hat Works. The water was very warm and you could put your hand in the water and catch massive cat fish about nine inches long. Another old Hoviley boy was John Brown, he lived next door the Sandra Cloak, her father was later the Caretaker at Greenfild Street School. I could go on and on about the old brick yard in Godley, Sammy's Pit, and lots more. I remember watching grown up lads on the brickyard catch frogs from a pond, one was named Nevil Rook, he had a sister called Betty. They would do a very cruel thing, shuff a hollow bit of grass up the backsides of the frogs and blow. The frogs would go like a ballon then bust open. Nevil's friend was called Leon Souter, they all lived on George Street, across from Allot's the removers, near the Brunswick pub. In Cotton Street there was a dairy run by a family called Walker,you could go and get a jug of milk anytime. I can remember going into the house on Russell Street where the axe murder took place in 1879, in the pantry there was supposed to still be blood on the wall. Except for the electrical lighting the house was no different from when the murder took place. My grandmother lived next door but one and both houses were built the same. In those days live cows and sheep would be brought to Warbutton's to be slaughtered. That stood where the plumbing merchants stands today in Russell Street. Between my grandmothers house and Warbutton's was a dirt passage where the wagons carrying the animals for slaughter were unloaded, it led to two big green gates behind the Jolly Carter.

Maloney said...

David who put the tram pictures on. Are you by any chance called Stafford? If you are, are you the same person of that name who put that article about Riskit Riley on the Belle Vue Speedway site and the defunct tracks site. I loved it, you did a good job.

David said...

Well Maloney
What a great memory you have I live in Reynard Street from 1946 to 1952
But I cannot remember anyone who lived in the next street let alone my street
A great post
Thanks
David

David said...

Hi Maloney

yes I am called Stafford
glad you liked my post
I hope it was informative for you
David

David said...

Hi Maloney
Yes you are correct I put the article of Riskit Riley on the Belle Vue Speedway site and the defunct tracks site.
But the article was compiled by my brother Jeffry Stafford.
Sorry for any confusion
David

Werneth Low said...

Massive thanks to Maloney for these wonderful recollections. I've never been familiar with that part of Hyde - it seemed like a million miles away from Gee Cross where I lived, except that I did have an honorary aunt and uncle who lived in George Street (family friends) - Harry and Alice Archer, and my mother and a friend were once thrown out of a meeting at the spiritualist church for laughing! But you mentioned two things which made me smile because they took me back. I never knew Maggie Pettyhole of course but pettyhole was a well used word in our street, where we had an outside loo in the back yard - wide boarded seat with a pile of comics to read while you were perched on the pettyhole. The word has long been lost from my vocabulary so thanks for bringing it back. I notice you say Warbutton's and I wonder if this was actually Warburton's. My mother always pronounced it like you have done and even today when I see an advert for Warburton's bread on TV I think of her.
I wonder if anyone has photos of the area around George Street to Clarendon Place and Hoviley down to Commercial Street.
Thanks again Maloney. More please!

Jenny Roberts said...

I don't want to throw a spanner into the works but I have a book about SHMD trams and there is a map of the routes at the back. The tram tracks ran along Mottram Road as far as just past Godley arches near Pudding Lane. The unidentified place is in Castle Street Edgeley Stockport. The row of houses was demolished during the construction of Mercian Way that bypasses Castle Street. I found an identical picture in 'Tramways in and around Stockport'

Hydonian said...

Thanks Jenny, nice to identify it at last !