Hyde Pays Tribute To The Mercian Regiment 08 November 2010

Heroes March Through Hyde

Hyde gave a fantastic welcome today to the soldiers of the The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire), as they marched through Hyde centre this morning to mark their return from a tour of Afghanistan. The troops gathered and prepared for the march past on Travis Street,  before parading at 10am. They were led by the Band Of The Prince Of Wales Division.  They started off marching along Union Street, Market Street and Manchester Road. Soldiers from the area were then invited into the town hall to meet Tameside mayor, Councillor  Jean Brazil who must have felt honoured to be in their company. The soldiers, all members of the 1st Battalion of The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire), commanded by Lt Col Andrew Hadfield did Hyde proud today. During their tour in Afghanistan the battalion, which recruits from the Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside areas - lost 12 soldiers including Corporal Harry Holmes..

Above Pictures Curtesy Of Beryl and Dave Williams

If you have any pictures to add then please feel free to send them in to us... and we will gladly so them.

Above Pictures by Tina & John Roberts

Above pictures from Wendy Hurst

Thank you Wendy 

Greater Manchester Police

Excellent  

Above pictures sent in by John T

Thank you John

Above set of Pictures were taken by

John Hopwood

The Sportsman

When I walked down to Morrisons yesterday I was really happy to see work in progress on the Sportsman pub. It had become very tatty and tired looking over the last few years and I was beginning to think it might be closing....not any more!



The Sportsman has always been a place to enjoy good beer with a great selection of real ales on sale.It has long been a member of CAMRA.



Two Cuban sisters, Belen and Cangui run a Cuban Restaurant called "El Cuba Libre" in the Sportsman. They have converted the former function room into a great place full of the sites and sounds of their homeland.

Old Street Signs 2

Recently Nancy showed us two old street signs... one from Tower Street and the other from Nelson Street.. True to form it led to one of our regular contributors Dave Williams sending in some photos of the street signs on Tower Street...  cheers Dave.

I would like to see if that can be beat... or equalled for that matter, 4 street signs through the ages is surely a record... but I'm sure if there's a street out there to compete we will be showing it here soon ha! 

Hyde Jubilee Coin.

Hyde Jubilee Celebration Coin.
June 13th - 22nd 1931


The front depicts the Town hall Building which was central to the majority of the celebrations.


The back shows the Hyde coat of arms plus the names of the two men who were Mayor on the dates 1881 and 1931 - Alderman Thomas Ashton and Alderman Thomas Middleton.

Leigh Street School.

Leigh Street Council School was opened on 7th November 1908.
According to Thomas Middletons "History of Hyde" the cost of the building and site and furnishing was £18,230 12s. 7d



It was a school that comprised of Infant , Junior and Senior buildings.
It replaced St Thomas C of E School which was located on Thomas Street.
My Grandma was in the first intake when it opened and was in the same class as Harry Rutherford - Hydes own esteemed Artist!



The Junior and Senior buildings were joined by a door in the hall - This door was behind the stage. I once had a go at opening it but was disappointed to find it was locked. Probably for the best! If I had been caught by the Senior headmistress ,Miss Knowles or "Fang" as she was nicknamed ,I would have been in a lot of trouble!

The Infant building was in grounds of its own. The little infants used to gaze through the raiIings at the "big" junior kids in the playground next door in wide eyed wonderment.I have strong memories of the first year class - Miss Shaws - It had a coal fire burning in it - that definitely wouldn't be allowed today! We used to sit round this fire for story time in the afternoon. We were also made to have a little nap in the day where all the little kids used to put their head on their hands on the desk and shut their eyes....great stuff!



In a council leaflet from 1983 there was an announcement that Leigh Street, Greenfield and Flowery Field High Schools were planned to be closed at the end of the summer term 1983. A new High School was planned to be open in September 1983 on the site of the existing Flowery Field School, at the time no name had been chosen for the new High School. High Technology School was the name they eventually decided on.

Leigh Street School closed due to old buildings and being on a cramped site with no room for expansion.


Aerial View of Leigh Street from the 1970's.

Thanks to Carl Rogerson and Beryl and Dave Williams for these photos - Appreciated, as always :) Also thanks to Sarah Lamb for additional info.

Hallbottom Gate Inn, Talbot Road.

 Updated 03 November 2010

Last Orders At The Bar Please....

GOING GOING GONE

Thanks goes to Viki Davis for thESE picture which shows the demolition of another Hyde pub. 

The original pub

The pub is due to be pulled done soon, it as had a large number of landlords in the 25+ years I have lived in Newton. Here is a pub surrounded by housing but cannot make the money needed to make the venture worth while.... if pubs like this go then there really is a problem for many others.

My Very Own Cotton Queen

Here is a picture of three Hyde Cotton workers... the one in the middle is my mum... I think I was told this was taken at Slack Mills.. I know she also worked at Hyde Mill and of course Ashton Brothers... She might not have won a 'Cotton Queen' contest like Hyde's Frances Lockett, but she will always be my very own Cotton Queenie...

Alfred Beames

When I saw this bus on Ebay the other week I just had to place a bid, and has no one else did I was both pleased and a tad worried about being a sad-sack... ;o). Jane thinks my 'ebaying' is mad.... but then she's only a honorary Hydonian... she's only lived here 25 years or so.

The advert is what caught my eye and led me to part with some money... Alfred Beames Ltd, DIY and Timber was on George Street.. as a small boy I would go here with my dad for bags of sawdust for his pigeon loft which was on Church Brow..... we also kept and bred rabbits, and Chickens, so a supply of sawdust was always needed.. Dad would take fresh eggs down to Alfred Beames as payment... and we were never refused sawdust.

I cannot remember when Beames closed down... I know one or two of the lads moved over to Sherwood Timber on Clark Way... this was then taken over by Illingworth and Ingham... Bob, Roy and Mick (Paddy) still work there now... Hyde Means Beames.. what a catchphrase... ha! borrowed from Heinz Mean Beans

TIMBER

UPDATED


On a side note, the 210 bus was famous - here's one of its starring roles in the series "Life on Mars" starring John Simm and Philip Glenister which was shown on the BBC!

Newton Mill & Newton Hurst

The Newton Mill factory which stood on the corner of Ashton Road and Lodge Street Newton, produced stationery and greetings cards, it was founded in 1895 by a Thomas Owen Jacobsen and  Stanley Welch (who later served as the Mayor of Hyde in 1914-16), it initially traded as “Jacobsen and Welch”.  

Newton Mill specialised in stationery and was renowned for it's early experiments with colour notepapers and other gift stationery. This company did quite a bit for the people of Newton and Hyde,..The War Memorials in Hyde Town Hall bearing the names of the dead were presented by Stanley Welch, when he was Mayor, and his partner  Mr T. Owen Jacobsen. They were erected annually for the duration of the great war, and the final one was unveiled by Mrs Evelyn Welch on "peace day”, 3rd August, 1919.These two also built the homes and playing fields known as Newton Hurst off Victoria Street Newton. The company had a very good Cricket Team who played at Newton Hurst, there was also an Athletics Club and Tennis Courts .

OPENING OF NEWTON MILL PAVILION

Reading from Left to right, Back Row: Mr J. Owen Jacobsen, J.P. (Chairman of Directors). Mr. C.R. Seddon (Director). And Alderman Stanley Welch. J.P. (Managing Director). Middle Row: Mrs. T. O. Jacobsen, Mrs. Stanley Welch, and Mrs. C.R. Seddon. Front Row: Master Teddy Welch, son of Alderman Welch.

Picture from the North Cheshire Herald of August 19th 1922.





Newton Hurst Cricket Pavilion

Newton Hurst lost it's cricket ground and tennis courts long ago..when houses were built on the land.. some of the roads do however retain a sporting theme with such names as Perry Avenue, Mallory Road and Charlton Avenue.

Ariel View from the 1920s, The homes on Newton Hurst are still there.. but the view as changed so much... for a start.. no ICI works .

Gala Day July 2nd 1921....

If you have anything which we could add to this post please let us know.... and we will gladly update this post and included it here.

Comic Post Card

I'd be interested in seeing any more comic ones.. I seem to remember a few from my childhood but this is the only one I can come up with...

Hyde United 1986 part 2

This shot shows the pitch being relaid at Hyde United in the Summer of 1986. Note there is just an empty space where the Leisure Centre now stands. The Welbeck Road estate can be seen in all its glory!


This is taken from Tinkers Passage End. Leigh Street Junior school can be seen to the right of the picture and James North factory can be seen on the horizon along with its iconic tower. Next to the tree in the middle you can just about make out the vicarage of St Thomas's church. I used to go there every week to the Brownies! Behind that is the field which now houses Leigh Primary school. This field used to be host to Leigh St and Greenfield St schools for sports use and used to have a running track, high jump sandpit and a great pavillion.


Another view from Walker Lane end and a different view of Leight Street Junior school complete with bike sheds! Many a happy rainy day was spent in here. The boys used to show off, swinging from the bars.



My personal favourite photo.
Leigh Street Juniors behind the Leigh Street Stand. When I attended this school children were for ever hitting the rounders ball over the wall into Ewen Fields so they could climb over to retrieve it and waste time. One boy, who shall remain nameless ,once climbed up one of the floodlights ,much to the chagrin of the teacher, Mr Armistead. Ahhh Happy days!

Thanks once again to Dave and Beryl Williams for the great photos and memories .