The Astoria Bingo Hall is a very familiar sight in Hyde. It seems to have been there forever but sadly the "To Let" sign may mean it's days as a Bingo hall are numbered. It started life as a picture house called "La Scala". One of the many cinemas that Hyde enjoyed. It's sad that there isn't even one working cinema left in Hyde now.
This was during the last bus station revamp .Before they built the new modern bus station building.
This photo shows the Astoria before the heart was ripped out of Hyde - when the motorway came through - See the old Bus station and George Street to the left. The Astoria has changed very little indeed! Still the same colour, too!
This map is from before the bus station was built. It's taken from an Ordnanace Survey Map of 1897... Center of map shows George Street/Clarendon Street.. what a differance then.
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My mum worked here when she was younger and this was a picture house... I'm sure she worked at another pictures as well... I'll have to ask my Auntie about this...
I recall the bus station being like this and in fact catching the 90 bus which ran from here to Marple... the bus stop was either the top one or the next one down.. the building but the second shelter down was the toilets.. but before those were there I'd have to run across George street to the 'pis stone' at the side of 'The Woodman'..
This area was known as Donnybrook which is were the Doctors Surgery gets it's name from..
Donnybrook had quite a reputation at one time and I have heard and read a few story's about the place.
One story I must tell, which I'm reminded of concerns The Woodman Pub...
Two well known local rouges.. one who is still living so both shall remain nameless decided one snowy winters night to rob the pub... One was to hide in the pub when it shut, the other to get transport to carry away there illgotten gains. They'd planned on taking the till which was known to be left full, bottles of Spirits, and cigarettes and cigars. On this cold winters night with snow falling heavy they visited a few pubs that night in the area and made their to The Woodman for last orders... by this time both were worse for drink... one left to get the transport while the other hid in the pub... the landlord went to shut the pub and retired to bed... from his hiding place came thief number one... he went about getting their illgotten gains into a pile and awaited a prearranged tap on a certain window...
Thief two had gone out into the cold, called at the local chip shop and went to get transport... he was a lazy chap, not known for his brains and at the given time returned to the pub with said 'Get Away' vehicle... he said he couldn't get the car started because of the cold weather.. so he returned with a big old Silvercross pram... Tap Tap on the window Thief one opened the door to be met by thief two with the pram.. You can imagine that words were said... anyhow the till was loaded into the pram along with the rest of the swag and away down to a house on Cheapside to share out the proceeds of the robbery.
Not long after they left the scene of the crime two local bobbies, one who had been taken short and needed the use of the 'pis stone' at the side of The Woodman noticed a load of footprints outside the door.. on checking the door was ajar and it became apparent the pub had been robbed.. It did not take the likes of Sherlock Holmes to solve the case.. the two bobbies simply followed the tramlines left by the Silvercross in the snow.. A quick look through the curtains told them all they needed to know and the front door was kicked open and the two two villains were locked up over night to await the magistrate at Hyde Court the following day...
haha good story Tom - I've often heard a story very similar to this from Duncs Mum. The rogue in question robbed Seftons bookmakers on Lumn road and pinched the till. Same snowy footprints were followed to Cheapside and he was apprehended - he couldn't work out how they'd caught him so quickly! Hardly the brains of Britain but by all accounts not a thoroughly bad bloke.
Ha!.. excellent Nancy
I wonder if this a urban legend with names and locations changed... or maybe that old Silvercross was a well used tool of the trade.. Both story's mentioned Cheapside as well... The chap I mentioned in mine who is still living as had his leg pulled many a time about this story.. which either makes it a true story or he as just gone along with it to gain some sort of notoriety.. Either way it's still a part of Hyde's history and true or not shouldn't be forgot as it's very funny and 'Hyde-Like'.
BTW I'd forgot about the bookies on Lumn Road
"Seffies" was the first bookmaker that I was aware of in Hyde. I believe he used to run illegal betting in conjunction with the Gardeners Arms - He was a nice old bloke - but couldnt say the same for his daughter who was a school teacher of mine at Leigh Street school who made my life hell along with her husband who was also a teacher there.How teachers got away with the beatings they gave out,I'll never know. They'd be jailed for assault in this day and age. Dont get me wrong,Tom, Im not saying discipline is a bad thing but some of them were positively sadistic in their treatment of kids!
I never knew the name of the bookies Nancy, I recall the blacked out windows. I think a lot of pubs made a 'bit extry' doing a book.... When I ran the 'Red House' Onward Pools was right next door and the side door was forever opening and closing while punters went back and forth to put bets on or collect winnings. Betting was something else I am glad I didn't get into... I had the odd one or two but it was and still is few and very far between.
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As for schooling methods or teaching methods I agree completely... I was on the wrong end of a cane many a times, or a beating at times from certain teachers. I've seen awful stuff as well done to others... and yes now the teacher would have been dragged before the courts and rightly convicted.. I was picked on to some extent at Enfield Street School for being left handed... it was very much frowned upon there.. I was wrapped across the knuckles and told it was a sign of the devil being left handed.. That wasn't told to me by a teacher but by the head mistress. I was around 5-6 when that happened and those things said and done to me but I've never forgot them.
I'm sure that many our age and older suffered terrible abuse at certain schools.
I recall standing up to certain teachers at Greenfield street when I thought I was being caned unjustly.. they went mad and would resort to hitting you around the head and body at times... then when I hit back it was 'I' that was classed as violent...
Yes certain methods left a lot to be desired Nancy.
What great memories and stories to read:) Loved the photo of the bus station. My sister went to Leigh Street, I must check with her about the teachers. I'm left hand but was never forced to change but my younger brother was:(
I recall the Scala with happy memories. I had one sister worked there as an usherette and got complimetary tickets to get in free then sis would give me an icecream at the interval.I also had a sister doing the same job at the Theatre Royal and the same arrangment applied there. So all inall I had it made,often took a short cut through Donnybrook and never had a problem, maybe because I was just a kid.
Thanks for commenting Harry...
I remember as a teenager we all used to go to the star pub just round the corner from the Astoria. We had a few drinks then to the Astoria which at the time in the 60s was a dance hall.They just ripped out the seats and switched the lights off and there it was a dance hall.
Anon.... thank you for commenting and adding your memories. I hope there's more on the site to jog your memory as well.
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