Newton Hurst

Newton Hurst

Off

Victoria Street

1960's

2010

I'm sure these houses were build by the defunct Waldorf Stationary of Newton Mill, Ashton Road to house it's workers.. this company also left playing fields for the people of Hyde.

Waldorf Playing Fields were donated to the people of the Borough of Hyde in 1973 by Newton Mill Ltd. Since then, the land has been used by the residents of the Borough as a free space for Dog Walking, Horse Riding, Football, Flying Model Aircraft, etc. It is a safe place for children, situated well away from any roads. The fields occupy 9.5 acres, and the land is in a designated Green Belt area.

Taken on Waldorf playing fields

Alas the local Golf club and our no so much loved local council had other plans for this field.. and might yet still snatch it from under our feet. I would hate to see this beauty spot losts to the golf course.

Redferns Rubberworks.

Redferns Rubberworks was established in 1902. In 1914 it started the Manufacture of rubber goods. The specialities included mechanical rubber goods, cycle tyres, golf balls, rubber heels, small moulded rubber goods. 1937 saw them become rubber and ebonite manufacturers. Ebonite (a brand name) is vulcanised rubber. Its name comes from its intended use as an artificial substitute for ebony wood. Redferns is to the left of the above photo.

 

Redferns as it appears today.

Redferns Rubberworks.

Harry Turner - Artist(1920-2009) was Advertising Manager at Redfern's Rubber Works in Hyde (1949-58).

Gee Cross Methodist Church

Gee Cross Methodist Church is a small, unassuming building on Stockport Road in Gee Cross. It was built in 1882. The Church Hall hosts "Quackers" playgroup ,Weightwatchers and Karate, amongst other activities. It is also used for the local Art Group to show their talents off in the yearly Art Show which is held on the weekend of the Village Fete. It's nice to see the old Church Halls still being used for the locals benefit. It shows there is still a sense of Community felt in the Village.

George Hotel, Great Norbury Street

The George stands at the top of Great Norbury Street in Hyde. The surrounding area used to be known as "Long Cinder Croft".. This was always a good place to watch live bands. It's a shame to see it close as there aren't many good live venues around Hyde anymore.

.....................

The George gets a mention in this poem from James Leigh.

Shooting A Hare
(A True Tale Of Some Hyde Cronies)
...

Their’ used to live, some time ago.
An’ does do yet, for owt aw know,
A chap weel known as t’ Church Street ghost;
An’ often have aw yerd him boast
Heaw he on one eventful night
Two brave policemen put to fright.
.

Heawever, be that as it may
Of course, `tis not for me to say;
For this same ghost, nicknamed “Owd Nap”,
Is recon’s sich a lying chap
He’ll entertain yo’ with a skit,
An’ tell it different in a bit.
.

But one fine day, well, so I’m towd
A chap called Joss, he fairly sowed;
His other name did transpire,
And I, of course, did not inquire;
But th’ tale’s bin towd to me as true,
So neaw aw’ll try an’ tell it you.
.

One day, when Joss wer’ ceawer’t `ith George,
An he some cheese an’ bread did gorge,
Weshin’ it deawn wi’ royal fours.
Thus adding’ too his former scores;
This same “Owd Nap” went dartin’ in
An greeted Josho’ with a grin.
.

“Theaurt just the mon aw want” he cried;
“Why, what’s up neaw?” Josh then replied;
Aw’ve com’n throo’t gardens, deawn `ith Broo’,
An mind, aw’m telling’ thi’ what’s true;
In owd Zack’s garden aw declare,
Aw’ve seen a great big thumpin’ hare!”
.

“Theau doseno’ say,” Josh then cried eawt;
“It’s true,” said “Nap,” “Ther’s not a deaubt;
Awd seed it sure enough,” he said,
“On owd Zack Taylor’s parsley bed;
But com thisel’, and have a peep;
Aw think it must bi fast asleep!”
.　
　Joss look’s as sly as ony meause,
An’ focht a gun fro’ eaut o’th’ heause;
“Come on,” he said, an off they went,
To shoot that hare wer his intent;
He towd “Owd Nap” that hare he’d pot,
He awles wer a deadly shot.
.

When they wer’n gooin’ deawn t’ Church Broo,
Ses Josh “Aw’ll tell thi’ what we’ll do;
We’ll have a fost-class supper t’ neet,
An’ gi th’ Church Ringers o a treat!”
“Agreed,” said Nap”; “Aw’ll bi’ mi’ share,
That is, if wi con shoot this hair.”
.

It was a glorious Spring-tide morn,
Sweet-scented blossom deck t’ the thorn;
Scarcely a sound of aught was heard,
Except the twittering o’ a bird,
As “Nap” an Josh, with muffled tread,

Approached owd Zack’s big parsley bed.
.

“Hush,” said “Owd Nap;” “It’s yonder yet;
Theau mun creep as near as theau con get;
Joss crept upon his honds an’ knees
An’ geet behind some current trees;
And soon that hare he did espy,
And fixed on it his eagle eye.
.

Aw wish yo’d seen “Owd Nap’s” red nose
It look ‘t just like a full-blown rose;
Good gracious, heaw it shein’t it th’ sun,
Reflectin’ whiskey, ale, an rum;
His mirth he scarcely could contain,
When Josho’ took deliberate aim
.

A flash ! a bang ! The deed was done !
When Josho’ for his prize did run;
When lo ! The sight that met his gaze,
The parsley bed was in a blaze !
That hare was nothing but a skin
With hay and rags well stuffed therein !
The shot had set the hay on fire,
And caused this dreadful mischief dire
.　
　Joss waved his arms, an’ stamped abeaut,
Till th’ flames he’d partly trampled eaut;
Then turned in righteous indignation
To seek from “Nap” an explanation;
But that old bird had winged his flight,
As tho’ he’d been some fairly sprite.
.

“Owd Nap” had done it neat and clean.
And made his exit from the scene -
Vanished and in a twinkling, too,
As only ghosts are known to do -
Ta’en to his heels up Hyde Church Broos,
To tell his boosing pals the news.
.

Joss gazed around with `wilder’d stare -
First clutched his gun, an’ then his hair -
Vowed by the hare he’d shot (poor chap)
He’d bi revenged upon “Owd Nap”; -
Slunk off toart whoam, went straight to bed,
An’ stopt theer for a week, it’s said
.

So neaw mi’ tale aw’ve briefly towd
Heaw in th’ Church Broo poor Joss wer sowd;
An’ to this day “Owd Nap” will boast
Heaw he the famous Church Street ghost
Stuffed th’hare, an’ placed it theer hissel,
An’ th’ rest o’th tale yon yer’d mi’ tell.

...

James Leigh

From his book

Gleams Of Sunshine

Crown and Cushion, Victoria Road

Now here is a pub that seems to be doing quite well... I have friends that tell we it as a great crowd in at the weekend and the landlord and landlady are well liked and keep a great pint. Long may they do so.

"The King of Hyde"

References were often made to the self styled "King of Hyde". His name was Frederick Howard Whittaker and he lived at Silver Hill ,which is just off modern day Stockport Road/Osborne Road in Gee Cross,Hyde. He was the Nephew of Thomas Howard of Greenfield Mill and before that Longmeadow Mill.. Whittaker owned and ran Hunt Croft Stone Quarry which was almost opposite the Werneth Public House and just south of Cloughgate.




He was an Eccentric figure who built a tower known as "Whittakers Whim" on the site of the quarry. The "Whim" was a 5 storey narrow structure with only 2 floors being visible from Stockport Road. No -one quite knows why he built the "Whim" but it is known to have been used as a warehouse for the local hatting trade. In the early twentieth century, after the mill was lowered due to decay, it was used as a leather works. Evidence of the bottom 2 floors of the building still exists. A length of red brick wall marks the place where the building once abutted onto Stockport Road. Whittaker was a very sociable man and from all accounts ,liked to spend money. He used to frequent The Eagle and Oak public house which stood on Mottram Old Road & even built a large stage for people to dance on behind the pub. Stories tell how he was a flamboyant figure who used to wear a wide brimmed hat with ostrich feathers and ride a large horse around the area. He had visions of turning Hunt Croft quarry into a Gee Cross market place but there is no evidence this ever materialised. He died in Heysham ,Morecombe bay in around 1880 with an estate of £40,000 - a huge sum of money in those days!

Canadian Solder Buried In Newton.

H.V. ARNFIELD

I recently had cause to go into St Mary's, Newton... whilst there I came across this war grave for a Canadian Soldier.. it struck me as odd why Sapper Arnfield ended up buried here in Newton. I came across this information which I found very touching.. H.V. Arnfield was originally a Newton lad, the son of Mark and Elizabeth Arnfield. He emigrated to Canada for a better life and way of living. When war broke out he returned, to serve and help defend his country. He left his wife... Beatrice Arnfield safe in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. At the time of his death he was in England on leave, and went with his brother and his family to visit their sister in Liverpool... whilst there an air raid took place which left 6 of his family, including himself dead. He now rests here along with his brother and sister, back home in Newton.

I have seen these graves many times... seen the names, and the ages of the dead... I felt saddened as one does at these times... but to find out the story behind this one was very touching... This is the same grave yard where another soldier now lies.. 22 Year old Corporal Harvey Alex Holmes, from 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment, who was attached to 40 Commando Royal Marines Battle Group. He died in Afghanistan on the 2nd May this year. Another Newton lad back home at rest.

Town Hall Post Cards

From The Book

Gleams Of Sunshine

By

James Leigh

Opening Of Hyde Town hall Clock And Bells
October 18th 1884
Presented By
Mr. Joshua Bradley, Of Godley

.
Hark! To those sounds of jubilee
In honour of our friend J.B.;
Hark! To those sounds -
Loud cheers are heard on every hand,
Whist with the music of the band,
The town resounds

.
With joyful step and hearts elate
This noble gift we celebrate
With demonstration:
Our hearty cheers this day we raise,
The givers worthy of all praise
And emulation.

.
But now’s the time, and now’s the hour
J.B. ascends the Town Hall Tower
To play his part, -
He starts the Clock, the Bells chime out,
And with the sounds, a mighty shout
Doth thrill the heart.
.

.
And now they’re off - the Town Hall Bells,
Each listening heart with pleasure swells,
To view the scene;
Strains of sweet music fill the air,
Whilst joyful faces everywhere
With pleasure beam.
.
As to the clock our eyes we lift,
We thank the donor for his gift
With loud acclaim.
And others will in future times,
When listening to those mellow chimes
Pronounce his name.
.
That grand old spinner’s played his part,
For he with large unselfish heart
Doth noble give;
Then let this mighty concourse sing
The words that in my ears now ring
Long may he live
.
Long may he live to view with pride
The gift he as bestowed on Hyde
For many years;
And when this generation’s gone,
Those Town Hall Bells may still chime on
For other ears.

Oak Cottage, Higham Lane, Gee Cross

Oak Cottage was the home to James Miller, alias "Ewan MacColl".

Ewan MacColl (25 January 1915 - 22 October 1989) was a British folk singer, songwriter, socialist, actor, poet, playwright, and record producer. He was a dominant figure in the post-war British folk revival but during the 1930s and 1940s was involved in staging events and concerts that supported his keenly-held Communist views. A watch was kept on him by MI5 and police mounted a 'discreet supervision' of Oak Cottage in Higham Lane, Hyde, where he was living, and reports of activities and visitors are on the file. He is best remembered for his song "First time ever I saw your face" for which he won a Grammy award and "Dirty Old Town" which was made famous by the Dubliners. He was the father of singer Kirsty MacColl.

I met my love,
By the gas works wall.
Dreamed a dream,
By the old canal.
I kissed my girl,
By the factory wall.

Dirty old town,
Dirty old town.

Walker Fold

Birth Place of

'The Hyde Poet'

James Leigh

I remember, I remember,

The house where I was born.

The little window where the sun

Came peeping in at morn

...

Senior Service

You might know this as Hyde Mill, Pattreioux's, Gallahers or Senior Service it dosn't matter now as it's gone for good. It as however left behind many memories and story's for many people.

Hyde Mill, was designed by architect Sidney Scott, and was completed in 1906. The site had been acquired by Hyde Spinning Co Ltd from the trustees of C. J. Ashton. The Mill was four storeys in height, 47 bays in length and faced with bright red bricks with a water tower at its south western corner. When the mill was fully furnished with all the machinery it contained 116,532 mule spindles. Quite a cotton mill in its day.

Hyde Spinning Company closed in 1958 and the mill was sold to J. A. Pattrieouoex, makers of Senior Service cigarettes. Gallahers purchased the bussiness not long after and it continued making cigarettes for over 40 years. The factory closed in 1999 with the loss of many jobs and production was moved to Northern Ireland. The building was then taken over by Findel Education, a supplier of educational products. They are the ones who built a new office block where the Bowling Green and Social club once stood. The mill as we knew it was demolished 2009/10.

Middle Age Blues

By

Terry Ireland

Kids and tobacco, you've got to be joking.

Filter tips and low tar you don't call that smoking.

.

Do you remember Senior Service

and Capstan Full Strength?

Full of lethal potential

every inch of their length.

.

You cleared your tubes

with a good morning cough

then lit your first fag

to start the day off.

.

You could feel every puff

tearing your chest

that was tobacco

at it's very best.

.

And if you wanted to know

why your mouth tasted manky

you blew a gob full of smoke

through somebody's hanky.

.

There wasn't a tooth brush

sufficiently keen

to remove all the brown

and leave your teeth clean.

.

But a bottle of domestos

with the fragrance that lingers

took the nicotine stains

from even gnarled fingers.

.

Kids and tobacco, you've got to be joking.

Filter tips and low tar can't be called smoking ...

..........

.

Thanks Terry for letting us use the poem

Just before demolition.

Werneth Terrace, Victoria Street Newton

This row of houses is at the bottom end of Victoria Street, just before the Crown and Cushion pub. I was surprised at the name plaque at first.... but in 1900 when these were built they would have had a stunning view over towards Godley and Werneth. We are lucky in Hyde to have these name plaques, it is well worth looking up at them once in a while. If you notice any that you think we could use please let us know

The Navigation /Cheshire Ring.

The Navigation on Manchester Road.



The Cheshire Ring Formerly known as the Navigation.
A good pub for live music.

The Verge: This is a really small venue, with seating for around 50 and standing room for a few more, or the possibility of quite a few more if standing only. It has a unique stage, full PA system and lighting. It is a real ale pub, with a bar in the separate venue room. The Verge

The Lumn

The Lumm (Lumn) 1836. Note the fields around the building - so much open space. Also note Ewen Fields ,the home of Hyde United Football Club, is documented as Owen Fields! I'm proud to say that I'm connected in some way to this old building.



The Lumn in 1910. Note how Tom Shepley Street and Orchard Street have sprung up round the Lumn.




The Lumn was the home of the Shepley family. It was probably the oldest dwelling in the area and the only one to boast a chimney - hence the name "The Lumn". It was purchased from Sir Uryan Legh in 1612. Sir Uryan Legh was , according to the Annals of Hyde , "a warrior of considerable fame",who was knighted for his leadership at the siege of Cadiz , when the city was taken in 1590.



All that's left of the Lumn - A plaque on Lumn Road houses just up from St Thomas's Church.

The Werneth

The Werneth 1906.

The Werneth has changed very little in the last 100 years.

In the 1960's a band called the "Temperance 7" was a chart topping group. They played 1920s-style jazz music . The trumpet player ,Cephas "Captain, Cashiered" Howard lived in the Werneth at the time. Their biggest hit was "You're Driving Me Crazy" which hit the number 1 spot in 1961.
Groovy man!

The Bush.

The Bush Inn is probably the oldest "pub name" in existence. The Romans used to use it to "advertise" hostelries by putting a large pole with an evergreen bush hanging from it outside their premises to show passers by that they sold wine.
The first Landlord of the Bush in Hyde was a local man called John Haughton who had the street at the side of the pub named after him! The Bush used to have a roaring trade at lunch times when Norths Factory was in operation and even had a small restaurant upstairs for a short time.

Senior Service

Who remembers the neon sign on top of the mill?

The sun as completely set over Hyde Mill now, it seems strange driving past and it NOT being there. I'd like to thank Peter Parrott for stunning photograph.