Jamia Mosque

The original mosque is the smaller building on the left on the corner of Greenfield Street and Jackson Street. A large extension has been built behind it with an entrance on Corporation Street. Building work commenced in 2010 but is not fully completed.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

Kirkley House

A map from 1874 shows Kirkley House as a rather grand detached house in its own grounds roughly where Higher Henry Street is now. On an 1897 map, Kirkley Hat Works is shown between Higher Henry Street, Thornley Street and Swain Street (now Dowson Road). McKenzie's auto repairs is now at the end of Kirkley Street. This used to be Norwood's wood yard and one could walk through it onto Church View but that is now blocked off by the garage. More information can be found on the Hyde, Cheshire blog.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

St George's from the bottom of Church Brow

A recent view of St George's church from the bottom of Church Brow.

Compare it with the same view in April 2011.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

Dunkirk Lane

With the wet weather predominating, I thought I'd delve into my archives and find an unpublished photo from September.

On the left is Frederick House,the Social Care & Health offices of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.

On the right is Newton Hall.

Ahead is the steeple of St Stephen's Church (1891-2011).

Behind us the lane leads past the home of Starchaser Rockets down to the Peak Forest Canal.

For Our World Tuesday.

St George's (for Nell and Doug)

This is how St George's Church looked on 12/12/12 where I went to celebrate the life of John Douglas Grieve (1929-2012).

I've only known Doug and his wife Nell for a couple of years since they became first neighbours and very quickly firm friends. Earlier this year they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and we had a wonderful party.

Doug had the good fortune and resolution to organise his own funeral in the few weeks before he passed away under the care of Willow Wood Hospice.

He loved poetry and chose this poem to be read in church.

Remember Me

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

by Christina Rossetti.

After the ceremony Nell and her family proceeded to Dukinfield Cemetery and we met up with everyone again at Oaklands Hall - see Hyde DP Xtra.

More autumn shadows from behind St Thomas the Apostle

Two weeks ago I showed you the shadows cast across Tinker's Passage.

This photograph was taken a minute or too before that one. This time we are looking across the burial ground of St Thomas the Apostle church. Tinker's Passage lies on the other side and the previous photograph was taken just around the corner on the right.

The weather has changed since then and I doubt there'll be any more strong shadows such as these to be enjoyed for many months.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Flowery Field Church

Flowery Field Church, on Newton Street, was constructed between 1876 and 1878. The building is in the Perpendicular or Tudor Gothic style of architecture and is cruciform in shape. The connected tower rises 81 feet above street level. Flowery Field Church is an independent non-denominational Church affiliated to the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches.

For more information visit the church website.

ABC Wednesday: M is for More Tea Vicar

Another photograph from the Heritage Open Day at St George's Church.

The vicar is Jo and she was the one serving tea.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Weekend Reflections: Photograph of William Garside Phillips

One of the exhibits in St George's Church at last weekend's Heritage Open Day was this 1923 photograph of William Garside Phillips, the great great grandfather of Zara Phillips.

It isn't easy to photograph a photograph behind glass, but the bonus is the reflections of the stained glass windows.

For a view of the photograph in its wider setting and more information on William Garside Phillips see Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections.

The last resting place of Fanny Bush

On the South side of St George's churchyard lies the grave of Fanny Bush. The inscription reads

"Sacred to the memory of Fanny Bush, the beloved child of Simon and Gaiki, Bush people, born 8th day of August, 1846, on board the Brig 'Fanny', of Liverpool, Captain Wheeler, on their voyage to England. She died of consumption, at Hyde, the 29th day of September, 1849, at seven o'clock a.m."

The child alluded to belonged to some travelling showmen who came to exhibit a party of "savages" on Hyde Market Ground. Whilst at Hyde she died and was buried at St George's, the "savages" attending the service in charge of their keepers. The unusual nature of the funeral procession drew a great number of sightseers.

The Rev. Alexander Read composed a verse which is also inscribed on the tombstone:

Savage her race, and dark her hue,
Brief her career of life has been;
But in the great Creator's view,
Young, old, dark, fair, are equal seen.
By Christian hands to Baptism brought,
And dedicated thus to God,
The Saviour's heart rejects her not,
She gains salvation through His blood.

(Information c/o Thomas Middleton: History of Hyde (St George's) Church, 1911)

For an overview of the tombstone see Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Taphophile Tragics and Our World Tuesday.

ABC Wednesday: H is for Hyde's Heritage

Next weekend is when the Heritage Open Days take place. Five places in Hyde are particpating and details of when they are open can be on found the Heritage Open Day website.

Top left is Newton Hall.

Top right is Mottram Parish Church.

Bottom left is St George's Church.

Bottom right is St Thomas the Apostle.

In the centre is Flowery Field Church.

The only problem is with everything taking place mostly on the same day, it isn't easy to get to more than one or two. I'll probably only have time to visit St George's late on Saturday afternoon.

For ABC Wednesday.

ABC Wednesday: E is for Ewen Villa

The house at the top of Villiers Street is dated 1878.

The view is from the car park at Ewen Fields football ground, home of Hyde FC.

In the background is St John's church, Godley.

For ABC Wednesday.

Note: I'll be away in St Annes all this week and probably without internet access so will not be tweeting.

I've scheduled a post each day to go live at midnight BST and Julie Storry of Sydney Eye will be posting a notice to the CDPB Facebook page which is also where CDPB members can go to vote for September's theme day.

The Sign at St Stephen's

St Stephen's, the parish church of Flowery Field was consecrated in 1891, the foundation stone having been laid nearly two years earlier. The present building was the outcome of a Mission Church (an offshoot from St. Mary's, Newton, started about 1883), and was erected through the munificence of Colonel Ashton, of Newton, and Little Onn, Staffordshire. It is a fine stone building, in the 13th century style of architecture, containing nave and chancel, and boasting a handsome tower and spire of about 120 feet high. The first vicar was the Rev. T. M. Tozer.

The Church closed in July 2011 and worshippers must now attend St Mary's, Newton.

It has been deconsecrated and is for sale at around £180,000.

More photographs of the church are on Hyde DP Xtra.

For signs, signs.

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.

Sign of the Cross at Peel Street

The original Zion congregational school and chapel was opened in 1847. It consisted of two storeys with the chapel above the school and was enlarged in 1859.

A new building on Peel Street which can be viewed on Old Hyde was opened in April 1899.

One hundred years later it was replaced by the modern new Zion Church which opened in 2000.

A contribution to signs, signs.

The Weekend in Black and White: St George's Burial Ground

Earlier this week I posted a WW1 grave in St George's churchyard. Some commentators wondered why it was placed on the edge of the burial ground.

I'm not sure but this photograph depicts the other edge of the burial ground which lies at the top of the steep valley of the Gower Hey Brook. I understand that some of the older gravestones may have slid down the valley.

The coloured version of this scene can be viewed on Geograph.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

The Weekend in Black and White: From the bottom of Church Brow

From the bottom of Church Brow looking up at the tower of St George's church. A footpath leads into private allotments on the steep banks of the Gower Hey Brook.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White

The View from Hyde Central Station

Looking over the town from Hyde Central station. On the left is the Town Hall. On the right is St George's Church at the top of Great Norbury Street. The dominant building with the white roof is the Asda supermarket.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

St George's from Hyde Central Station

My contribution to Ruby Tuesday this week is a view from Hyde Central station looking over the roofs of the redbrick houses on Great Norbury Street towards St George's church.

Looking over the Shell garage

The view over the Shell garage on Dowson Road. On the right is the tower of St George's church. To the left can be seen houses on Woodend Lane. The trees between hide the deep-sided valley of the Gower Hey Brook.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.