ABC Wednesday: V is for Voting

The time has come to vote for the best of Hyde DP 2012.

View the twelve contenders at Best of Hyde 2012 and vote for your favourite three photographs.

Voting closes 12 noon GMT, 28th December 2012.

For ABC Wednesday.

Driving through the Water's Edge

A couple of weeks ago I was on my way back from Stockport on the bus. As we approached Pole Bank the bus slowed down. A thunderstorm had caused flash flooding where a small stream is carried under the road by a culvert which appeared to have blocked temporarily.

I was on the front seat and still had my camera round my neck (hidden under my overcoat) and I was able to get a couple of quick shots of the scene as we went through.

The other photograph can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to the November CDPB theme The Water's Edge.

The Weekend in Black & White: The Top of Treacle Brow

From halfway up the steep cobbled street that connects Stockport Road with Mottram Old Road.

See a coloured version on Geograph.

See the bottom of Treacle Brow on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

Friday Fences/Green Days: Gee Cross Play Area

This is part of the newly opened Gee Cross Play Area. It has come about as result of a campaign by the "Friends of Sam Redfern Green" who were formed in 2009.

Two more photograph can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Friday Fences and Green Days on Raindrops & Daisies.

Looking up Joel Lane

The view up Joel Lane from opposite Arnold Hill Well.

See the view downhill on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

Charles Dickens - 200 Years

Booths Well was dressed by members of Gee Cross and District Women's Institute as part of the 2012 Gee Cross Well Dressing.

"The Old Curiosity Shop" celebrates the bi-centenary of the birth of Charles Dickens.

More details on the Well Dressing with photographs of all seven wells visited this year can be viewed at Gee Cross Well Dressing 2012.

Other "C" posts can be viewed via ABC Wednesday.

With the CDPB portal still not up and running, contributions to the August 1st theme of numbers can be seen at CDPB Theme Day.

Arnold Avenue

Arnold Avenue is a little street off Slateacre Road.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday

Adamson Band at Gee Cross Well Dressing 2012

At the weekend I posted a view of the Adamson Band reflected near the Village Green Well and closer view of a reflection in an instrument.

Here the band have marched down Joel Lane and are turning into Stockport Road.

For more information about the ceremony and a series of 16 photographs showing each well see Gee Cross Well Dressing 2012.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday.

Weekend Reflections: Adamson Band at Gee Cross Well Dressing

Last Sunday saw the Adamson Band leading the procession around the now seven wells that are visited as part of the Gee Cross Well Dressing ceremony.

For more information about the Well Dressing ceremony and a full set of photographs see Gee Cross Well Dressing 2012.

See another reflection of some of the band on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections

ABC Wednesday: A is for Arnold Hill Well

Arnold Hill Well is first stop on the annual Gee Cross Well Dressing Procession.

Although well-dressing is a custom mostly confined to Derbyshire, it can be seen in adjacent counties too. Well dressing celebrations were held regularly in Gee Cross from the 1820s until 1878. The custom was revived by the local Women's Institute in 2000.

Arnold Hill Well was dressed by the children of Holy Trinity School. The children looked at inspiring people and stories from the history of the Olympic Games. They have been reflecting on Olympic values such as respect, excellence, friendship, courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

You can view 16 photographs from the 2012 Well Dressing at Gee Cross Well Dressing 2012.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Skywatch Friday: How it looked a week ago

This is how the sky looked a week ago with a bright blue sky peeking out of the clouds over the Hare and Hounds in the centre and the spire of Hyde Chapel on the right.

Now it is back to torrential rain and high winds - a typical British Summer.

For Skywatch Friday.

Storm Clouds over Gee Cross

This was taken at the same time as my recent photo of the Hare and Hounds.

It looks a little further West towards the trees below the trig point at the junction of Werneth Low Road and Cowlishaw Road.

I used a zoom lens to reach a distance of some two kilometres. The spire of Hyde Chapel is actually about a kilometre away although the cattle seem to be grazing close to.

To highlight the dramatic effect I've introduced a few painterly touches.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Weekend reflections at Pole Bank

Pole Bank was the home of the Ashton family, prominent mill-owners. The house is now a private nursing home. The grounds, however are a public open space.

I first published a photo of the pond in May 2008. In early 2010 the pond was dredged as part of renovation work which you can see here and also here.

This photograph was taken last Tuesday. It was raining heavily and I had to shelter under the trees as best I could. Another photograph from a different angle can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

A vintage view can be found on Old Hyde.

The coloured version of this can be seen on Geograph.

For reflections worldwide visit Weekend Reflections.

ABC Wednesday: P is for the Pond at Pole Bank

Pole Bank was the home of the Ashton family, prominent mill-owners. The house is now a private nursing home. The grounds, however are a public open space.

I first published a photo of the pond in May 2008. In early 2010 the pond was dredged as part of renovation work which you can see here and also here.

This photograph was taken this Tuesday. It was raining heavily and I had to shelter under the trees as best I could. Another photograph from a different angle can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

A vintage view can be found on Old Hyde.

For more P posts visit ABC Wednesday.

Skywatch Friday: Towards the Hare & Hounds

This was taken early evening last Tuesday looking over the rooftops of Gee Cross towards the Hare & Hounds on Werneth Low Road.

Visit more skys at Skywatch Friday.

Lucky horse shoes

Local farrier John Hilton was in action at Gee Cross Fete making horse shoes.

For more photos from the fete see Gee Cross Fete 2011.

Postcard from Hyde

The CDPB theme for the 1st of August is Postcard-worthy so I decided to create a four-part postcard.

Top left is an autumn scene of Captain Clarke's Bridge on the Peak Forest Canal.

Top right is Hyde Market at springtime.

Bottom left is a winter view of Market Street.

Bottom right is Gee Cross Fete this summer.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Sepia Scene: Old shop with plants

This old shop on Stockport Road, Gee Cross has been closed for a few years.

It was once a butcher's shop I think and more recently a hot sandwich shop.

It used to have a bay window frontage but that has long gone and the window space boarded up. The base has been filled with soil and turned into a flower bed and a trellis attached to the window boards for climbers.

For wider view in colour showing its also-closed neighbour see Geograph.

For more sepia scenes vist Sepia Scenes.

ABC Wednesday: A is for Acorn Hill

Old maps of Gee Cross mark the present section of Stockport Road down past the Werneth Hotel as "Acorn Hill".

The house next to The Werneth, lower down the road and opposite the bend, is called "Acorn Villa" and is dated 1879. You can see it on Hyde DP Xtra.

This photograph was taken from the top deck of the new 206 bus route that now runs half-hourly between Gee Cross and Manchester Piccadilly via Haughton Green and Gorton Lane. You can see a slide show of my journey to Manchester on the Geo-trips site.

For more A posts visit ABC Wednesday.

Booth's Well 2011

As I promised last week here is a close-up of Booth's Well as dressed in 2011.

Booth's Well on Wych Road is decorated each year by the local Women's Institue. The design for 2011 was based on the wedding of the Owl and the Pussycat. It was 140 years ago that Edward Lear published his nonsense songs.

Three other wells can be seen Hyde DP Xtra.

Information about the history and format of the Gee Cross Well Dressing can be found on Gee Cross Well Dressing 2006.