Mundane pictures of the North

[farmerbarleymow]

Finished my excursion to document the really boring and tatty bits round my way - will process the pics and post shortly. Lots of mundane goodness - and plenty of men and women loitering on street corners. I'm sure of course they were merely admiring the view of the lovely buildings in the area.

 

[cyberfairy]

This window makes me snigger every time I walk past it. Poor Bob.

 

[cyberfairy]

This looks like something from cidade de deus or some other Brazillian favela.

The mean streets of South Lancaster

 

[cyberfairy]

Just had a look through my Flickr stream and found some more

Some of those look like they could be Detroit. Love the Percy one!

 

[seeformiles]

This window makes me snigger every time I walk past it. Poor Bob.

In the 90s, there used to be a pub near Leeds Market ("The Scotsman") that had a similar handwritten sign in the window advertising "Little Ray Caesar on the Hammond Organ - every Tuesday".
At that time I worked Tuesday nights so (sadly) never had the pleasure.

 

[cyberfairy]

In the 90s, there used to be a pub near Leeds Market ("The Scotsman") that had a similar handwritten sign in the window advertising "Little Ray Caesar on the Hammond Organ - every Tuesday".
At that time I worked Tuesday nights so (sadly) never had the pleasure.

Do you think he was happy with the 'little' description?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

First batch of very mundane and boring pictures of the area near where I live - it is a former industrial area, so lots of rundown places and knackered old buildings.

The first is one I like - if you look at the crappy temporary fence in the background, it is plain they didn't really think through the siting of their sign!











And the last two - a luxury city centre apartment...



...next to a delightful river:

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Need an xmas tree in June?



Maybe a classy booze-up at a pub nearby?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Rail bridge over Fairfield Street:

 

[farmerbarleymow]

The old Mayfield Station, soon to be demolished I was told by a taxi driver as I was taking photos:



Inside the shed - apologies for the rubbish photo, the flash struggled to light this space up as it was incredibly dark inside:

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Another river, cruelly constrained and begging to be freed. Might be the same one as before - not sure.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Random mundane-ness:

 

[Roadkill]

Is Mayfield finally up for demolition, then?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Kozy Knitwear, for all your knitwear needs:



And the old and the new side by side:

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Rusty pipe:

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Hairy cobbles!

 

[killer b]

might take a cycle round some quality redbrick on my way home for y'all. x

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Is Mayfield finally up for demolition, then?

According to the cab driver at least, who probably do get to hear about all this stuff. There was a huge number of black cabs waiting round this area for their turn at the main rank at Piccadilly, so they would probably hear about planned changes, as it would affect them re where they queue and stuff.

Shame, as I thought they were thinking of restoring it for a new use, and there was even some talk about possibly bringing it back into use as an extension to Piccadilly as it used to be connected to it in the olden days.

But maybe the building is so knackered after being empty for so long it is beyond saving. It certainly doesn't look too healthy in many places.

The Manchester International Festival are doing something in it shortly, as they were delivering generators and the like. A sort of pre-demolition wake.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

might take a cycle round some quality redbrick on my way home for y'all. x

Good stuff. Remember to make sure it is as mundane, boring and dull as possible.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I'll report back the number of times I'm asked 'want any business love?' - usually happens when you walk around that area.

I wasn't asked if I wanted business once. Not even once! How dare they! I must look particularly rough and podgy today

Although one woman did seem to be following me, as I kept stopping, taking pictures, and looping back on my route. She might have thought I was checking out what was on offer and was going to accost me. Or she might have thought I was from the police taking pictures of the goings on in the area and was trying to hide.

 

[Roadkill]

Shame, as I thought they were thinking of restoring it for a new use, and there was even some talk about possibly bringing it back into use as an extension to Piccadilly as it used to be connected to it in the olden days.

Yes, I read something about that too...

Meanwhile, I'm being out-mundaned here. Will have to upload a few more of my pics of the mundane, the quirky and the derelict in Hull...

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Yes, I read something about that too...

Meanwhile, I'm being out-mundaned here. Will have to upload a few more of my pics of the mundane, the quirky and the derelict in Hull...

The area round where I live is extremely mundane - definitely part of town you never see highlighted by the tourist board!

By the way, did you spot that strange thing called 'a hill' in an earlier post about Jutland Street. I know that must be a completely alien concept over on the east coast, so I can explain it to you if you want.

 

[Roadkill]

By the way, did you spot that strange thing called 'a hill' in an earlier post about Jutland Street. I know that must be a completely alien concept over on the east coast, so I can explain it to you if you want.

Oh yes, I think I've seen one of those once. Didn't like it.

 

[killer b]

there was a road with wooden cobbles just round the corner from here until a year or so ago. gutted it's gone.

 

[cdg]

The mean streets of South Lancaster

Not far off then.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Some more of Mayfield Station:

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Platform 13/14 at Piccadilly - a horrible bit of the station.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Random arches - they're bloody everywhere round here!

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Why is everything in this area painted blue?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

there was a road with wooden cobbles just round the corner from here until a year or so ago. gutted it's gone.

Just had a quick search, and it seems that these can be found all over the place, usually covered by tarmac. There was some uncovered in Manchester city centre earlier this year it seems, due to potholes exposing them. Might have to keep an eye out - don't think I've ever seen wooden ones.

One site I read about was on a street which used to run past a hospital - and the story goes that they used wooden ones to reduce the noise of the iron rims of the carts back in the day, so as not to disturb patients as far as possible. Nice bit of careful planning.