Milton Keynes

Another enforced blogging layoff. My excuse, well I’ve moved to Milton Keynes, following a new contract.

It took ages to get the new broadband connected, also I was a bit lazy with sorting it all out.

I might struggle to get interesting pictures, as much of MK looks like any other bit. There are some exceptions, but it’s certainly not anywhere near as diverse as the Manchester area.

So first things first. These pics are of my new apartment in Milton Keynes.

New bank

As the Abby National disappears, the Santander signs now replace the old logos and a new bank arrives in Ashton-under-Lyne.

This is on the junction of Old Street and Warrington Street.

New view

Here is a view of St Michael's Parish Church that will not have been seen for many years, as the buildings along Stamford Street and Stamford Arcade have recently been demolished.
It looks like the ground is being prepared for something new. I wonder what.

concrete and clay

So here is our answer: no grass, flowers or bushes. Just more meters of paving flags.

Didn’t Ashton win the North West In Bloom Competition a few times recently? Looks like this is a backward step.

Ashton-under-Lyne

T’other side of the Ladysmith shopping centre on Katherine Street, where the new Costa coffee house can be found.

Paving

Ah. I’m guessing that the ripped out bushes, are not going to be replaced by anything that grows.

Well, that’s my mind made up for the election. I’m going Green.

The Golden Mile

Bikes parade along Blackpool’s Golden Mile.

Day Tripper

Quiz. Where am I.

:-)

Saint Georges Day

The flags are flying on Ashton market for St.Georges Day.

Bush-less

So they’ve dug up our bushes all along Crickets Lane and round the Memorial Park. What are they going to do with it all now. Please not concrete.

In the background are the Wellington Court apartments, here can been seen the apartments when the bushes were still there. 

Colourful

The Pound shop on Penny Meadow. Yes, very colourful.

New Road

They’ve made a start on the new road round the back of Penny Meadow.

These views are from the Albion Street bridge, I think.

Dairy Crest

That’s right, simply avoid those pesky traffic wardens with their yellow lines by parking on the pavement.

:-)

Derby day

Derby day today. City v Utd. Ashton Market covers both flags.

Colliers Arms

I cycled up to Hartshead Pike and passed the old Colliers Arms pub. The conversion of the attached barn into a house is now complete. It’s looking mighty fine.

There are some details carved into the lintels above the doors.

On the x-pub it reads ‘The Old Colliers’ 1730 and on the x-barn it reads ‘Colliers Barn’ 2009

Also seen here is what they looked like in early 2009 when the barn was at the start of it’s conversion.

Iceland

Well, actually a view of Manchester from above the Ashton-under-Lyne golf course. But up in the sky are bits of Iceland, apparently. Although I’m not sure I can see much of it.

All UK flights have been cancelled due to ash in the air from the erupting volcano, under a glassier in Iceland. Ashton is on the landing flight path for Manchester Airport, or Ringway as I still like to call it. From my apartment window I can usually see about one flight a minute, the planes seemingly hanging in the air as they slow down on the approach to the airport.

Non at the moment though.

New Chinky

What have we here. Looks like a new chinky is about to open in Ashton. It's called the Jade Garden.
Ever since I have been here, this building has been semi-derelict. I think is was a Chinese restaurant some years back. Looks like it will be again soon.
The road is Old Cross Street, and at the bottom can be seen the Time Zone.

Computer

Finally got my broadband connection sorted out, only took six weeks! Anyway, it’s nice to have all the web pages responding quickly again. I might even check the job pages and see if I can find a new contract.

Photo of my computer to celebrate.

Heroes of Waterloo

The pub across the road from the Ladysmith Barracks has also closed.



Heroes of Waterloo.

Ladysmith Barracks

I’m just old enough to remember when this barracks was still open. Or at least I remember that there wasn’t a housing estate behind the archway. There has been for many years now. Only this arch and gate remains from the original barracks built in 1845. It finally closed in 1960.

Ashton Market

Bikes on Ashton Market.

I need a new bike, but not decided which type just yet.

Electric Car Depot

Electric Cars or trams to us. This is the original depot for the Ashton trams on Mossley Road. Closed long ago of course. Now it’s split into many different shops. Cash registers to Tropical fish. Would be nice if we get a new depot like this one for our trams, if they ever get here!

Pre-Daffodils

Well I’ve re-bought my copy of photoshop, so I can twist my photos this way and that, but even that cannot jump forward in time. Thought I’d take a snap of the daffodils in the park by Penny Meadow. I was a bit early as you can see. So, here are the daffodil buds in the park. The trees really are that bent. I didn’t twist them.

Pitt and Nelson

The redevelopment of the former pub goes on. This was the Pitt and Nelson / Bedroom. It closed a couple of years back and was left boarded up. Part of it is already a shop (the Xmas shop!) and now it looks like the rest of it is converted to a shop and ready to be let.

I remember when Ashton was the place to be on a Sunday night. The pavements were difficult to navigate with all the people visiting the numerous pubs. Now it’s very different. No one goes to Ashton for the pubs. They are mostly frequented by a few hardy locals only. Around half have close their doors for good.

Disused Vicarage

This is house in the grounds of St.Peters Church.

1 Stockport Road. It’s the disused vicarage.

There is a sign on it telling us that planning permission has been sought to extend it and turn it into offices. Well it’s better than leaving it derelict. Of course the style of the house never did fit in with the church. I’m surprised that planning permission was ever granted. Hopefully the people who are redeveloping it (St Peter Partnership) will do something to help it fit in with the old church. I wont hold my breath though.

Ashton-under-Lyne Stamford Park

Well I did visit Stanford Park but could find no trace of the monument in yesterday’s blog.

I did find some cactus plants in the conservatory.

On my recent return to Ashton after working away, the plants in my apartment were looking very sad (slightly dead) so I think cacti will be the plant of choice when I next go to the garden centre.

Small Monument revealed

While I was away, they cut all the bushes down around the Memorial Park. Hope they’re going to plant something else and not just concrete it over. Anyway with the bushes gone, a small monument has been revealed. So I strolled over to see what it was.

There is a plaque on it, a little hard to see now, but reads:

Replica of the Old Cross erected 1723 in St.Michaels Square the original of which is sited in Stanford Park.

Is it? Well I guess I’d better get over there take a look for myself.

Belle Vue Stock Cars

The Formula 1 Stock Cars rolled into Manchester’s Belle Vue yesterday.

Here’s a peek into the pits after heat 1.

Fellow Contractors

As promised, some of the guys I worked with at Aviva.

Chris, Grahame, Alan, Iona.

Norwich

My local in Norwich was this pub, The Gardeners.

But no one called it that, it was known to all as The Murderers. It has pictures of famous murderers from England and across the world up on the walls. Obviously this included Myra Hindley and Ian Brady.

When ever I go somewhere new, and they ask where I’m from, if I tell them Saddleworth (actually Grotton) they always say, oh the moors murderers. So I felt at home in this pub. Almost!

Couple of shots from the city centre.
 
 

Norwich

Well, a slow and hesitant return to the blog world.

The gods have been conspiring against me.

My broadband connection is still a month off being restored, so I’m using one of those very slow, intermittent, expensive mobile dongles.

My old laptop died a couple of days after getting home from my contract in Norwich. It did fall off the pannier on my bike while on the train back to Ashton, I thought I’d got away with it, but apparently I didn’t.

My new laptop is all well and good, but the old one died with my picture manipulating software still on it. And no, I don’t have it backed up. And also I cannot get back to the original copy as sadly that route was closed to me some years back.

Anyway, some snaps from my days in Norwich where I was working for Aviva.

This is where I stayed in Norwich, very handy as it was just across the road from work.

And this the grand front entrance to work - Aviva (Norwich Union as was).

The old Norwich Union clock.