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Mundane pictures of the North

These pics are very similar to ones of the old lino works in Lancaster (apart from a few token buildings) which were all demolished to make room for lovely Barrat housing. Well needed here with so many houses already for sale...

They would be much more sensible to convert the mills that are salvageable, as they have infinitely more character than modern houses.
 
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That reminds me an ace gravestone in a church in Uppermill, which describes in rather too much detail how the occupant met their end in a brutal murder. If I ever get the chance I'll have to go back to the church yard and take a photo. :)
 
I think one thing that even we tend to forget is that this is where it all started. Capitalism, I mean. It spread all over the globe but 300 years ago it was here that we had the first railways and factories.

Where I used to go to school, there was an old disused railway bed at one side. We used to climb over the wall and smoke there. It was the disused track from one of the very first railways. And nearby is the Sankey Viaduct, built in 1828. Another place not that far away is (was) Vulcan works. They used to make trains there and send them to India and New Zealand.

We live in the ruins of that past. We see all this industrial decay. These places feel small and provincial. But we built the modern world. We were connected to everywhere. Like soj, I really really do love the north. It is a proper complex love hate kind of thing. We have always had a stormy relationship. But that just makes me love it more.

I agree with this. The North was the centre of industry in its time, and we were incredibly important during this time, both to country and empire given our industrial might. It does seem that the south sometimes forgets this, and views the North as a lost cause or practically another country.

But we contributed a huge amount to the nation and to its global reach, and it is just now that we need some help as the industry is carried out elsewhere so many areas are struggling as there is nowt else to replace it.

Its really sad to see. :(
 
I agree with this. The North was the centre of industry in its time, and we were incredibly important during this time, both to country and empire given our industrial might. It does seem that the south sometimes forgets this, and views the North as a lost cause or practically another country.

But we contributed a huge amount to the nation and to its global reach, and it is just now that we need some help as the industry is carried out elsewhere so many areas are struggling as there is nowt else to replace it.

Its really sad to see. :(

These pictures are the modern equivalent of the Parthenon or the Colosseum: a once great region, reduced to ruins and historical references. :hmm:
 
I used to live up Chaddy way, and I'm sure I remember passing a few 'gentleman' establishments on the main road to Manchester.

One was just by the now ex-pub the Brown Cow, and its windows on the main road side were completely painted black, and the only sign by which you knew it was, ahem, open for business, was a really cheap brass-effect light that half dangled above the door. I think customers went in by the, ahem, back entrance. :D

This is the place I was thinking of :hmm:

G7S1gmn.jpg
 
This is the place I was thinking of :hmm:

G7S1gmn.jpg

That's the one!

Passed it every day for a few years, travelling to work. Strangely, either the customers were incredibly discreet, or they never had any gentleman callers, as I never once saw a soul going in or out, if you pardon the expression.*

* It is very hard difficult to talk about a knocking shop** with sounding all carry on! :D

** allegedly
 
Yeah. Fucking enormous :)

Went up one of the moors up beyond Rochdale a couple of years back when they were building turbines on the tops. They'd not got the blades on at that point, but the towers were huge. The moor was immensely windy, so perfect for a farm, and I liked the name of part of the moor - Hail Storm Hill. Whoever named that must have had a bad experience up there. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scout_Moor_Wind_Farm
 
Amazing pictures - the mundane and not so mundane. And agree, it's easy to walk past the industrial heritage and fail to appreciate that we are basically squatting in the ruins of a vanished civilisation. One which lasted for a remarkably short amount of time, historically, but had incredible global impact.
 
That reminds me an ace gravestone in a church in Uppermill, which describes in rather too much detail how the occupant met their end in a brutal murder. If I ever get the chance I'll have to go back to the church yard and take a photo. :)

I need to go there! I even have a book about graveyard epitaphs but not heard about that one (angry yet embaressed at self)
 
And I've found a youtube video about it too!



And here's a picture of it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21913923@N03/2317152718/

The video made me realise that I've walked past the site of the murder quite a few times without it dawning on me. I did notice the name of the plantation and thought it was an odd one, but the penny didn't drop. :facepalm:

Maybe we need a new thread for gruesome historical murders? I'm reading a good book at the moment about people who were executed for it between 1900 and 1929 - it's great reading the brief descriptions of the crimes! But then I am weird as I love a good gory murder. :D
 
I've just looked in the mirror, and my mundane trek today has left me sunburnt. My face is bright red!

Serves me right for wandering out in the sun for three hours on midsummer day when we actually had some nice weather for a change.

I can't sleep now. :mad:
 
I found another mundane picture from yesterday while tidying them up, and think it is suitably boring to make the grade.

To be fair, bricks are obviously used outside of the North, but the do typify a city like Manchester. And the notice is quite nice too. This makes a good wallpaper for phones by the way - I can send the original copy to anyone who wants it, so PM me if you would like a copy.

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And I've found a youtube video about it too!



And here's a picture of it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21913923@N03/2317152718/

The video made me realise that I've walked past the site of the murder quite a few times without it dawning on me. I did notice the name of the plantation and thought it was an odd one, but the penny didn't drop. :facepalm:

Maybe we need a new thread for gruesome historical murders? I'm reading a good book at the moment about people who were executed for it between 1900 and 1929 - it's great reading the brief descriptions of the crimes! But then I am weird as I love a good gory murder. :D


Can alleged ghosts and legends be included? :cool:
 
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