Scrapyard Gates – Cornbrook Manchester

The Cornbrook drains the urban area South of the River Medlock, it rises in Gorton and follows a tortous path through Manchester’s Southern ‘inner city’ suburbs and empties itself into the Manchester Ship Canal at the Pomona Docks.

28 Days Later

It’s a tram stop – primarily an interchange, though the brand new shiny residential new build has produced a brave band of brand new shiny residents in transit. Slipping and sliding ‘neath the bridge, skating over the age old accretion of filth, oil, diesel and detritus produced by the surrounding scrap yards.

The market leader is Bennett Brothers:

We are one of the first recycling companies operating in the North West, Bennett Bros was founded in 1948 by Francis William Bennett and Bernard Bennett, and remains a family-run business to this day. Bennett Bros was originally involved in loaning ponies to the many rag and bone men who collected unwanted household items and sold them to merchants, and while the recycling industry has now embraced modern technology, we are very proud of our heritage as innovators in what was then a new industry.

In 2017 I visited the area to snap the gates of their older site – as they had moved the business just across the street.

I returned in December 2023 to discover what had become of the gates.

Remnants of the drop shadow block lettering remain, beneath a palimpsest of tags and grime.

Here’s what I saw.

Twelve Car Parks – Manchester

The earliest known multi-story car park in the UK was opened in May 1901 by City & Suburban Electric Carriage Company at 6 Denman Street, central London. The location had space for 100 vehicles over seven floors, totaling 19,000 square feet. 

Wikipedia

It is estimated that there are between 17,000 and 20,000 non- residential car parks in Great Britain, including those run by councils, commercial parking companies, shops, hospitals, businesses, railway stations and airports, providing between 3 and 4 million spaces.

I have visited the Maid Marion, St James Street, Manors, Asda Stockport, Heaton Lane, Merseyway, Piccadilly Plaza, Red Rock, Central Area Flats, George Street, and Abbey Walk.

The Manchester Airport multi-storey car park  is one of the largest car parks ever built; in fact, it’s the second largest in Europe. This mega-park was designed to house a staggering 8,000 cars, split over a six-level facility that stretches out over 330 metres.

In the city centre NCP has over 13,000 car parking spaces across 43 sites

Port Street Central – M1 2EG

Arndale Car Park – M4 1AZ

Designed by Wilson & Wormersley opened in 1979 as part of the Arndale Centre shopping complex.

Good location but the access to the shopping centre is dirty. Lifts dirty – discarded soiled underwear, urine, spit and rubbish in the lifts. Car park also full of litter.

The most unnecessarily complicated ticketing system I have ever seen for a car park. Designed to fail so that the system can fine you. Beware. Better avoided for overseas visitors

Northern Quarter Car Park – M4 1LX

Immerse yourself in the eclectic vibe of the Northern Quarter, the heartbeat of art, culture, and urban lifestyle. Whether you’re heading to its vintage shops, art studios, or chic cafes, finding the cheapest, best parking is paramount.

Stairs smell of stale urine and cannabis.

Shudehill Car Park – M4 4BB

The Shudehill Interchange car park and bus station, designed by Jefferson Sheard Architects working with Ian Simpson, replaced the former Cannon Street bus station, under the Manchester Arndale; since the redevelopment of Manchester city centre, the latter has disappeared along with Cannon Street itself.

Kendals Car Park – M3 2WY

Great location but narrow roadway between floors. Pay in advance so you need to know how long you’re staying for.

£20.40 for 4 hours is expensive but you are minutes from Deansgate shops.

Only given one star because there wasn’t an option for zero. Not secure, car broken into theft of personal effects, pedestrian gate was un locked, no CCTV that I could see anywhere. Cost me over £25 to park for 6 hrs and lost over £200 of personal effects, complained to council, no response. Wouldn’t park here ever again.

New Bailey Car Park – M3 5EN

Maple gave architects Aedas RHWL the freedom to express themselves on a prominent multi-storey car park development in Salford. Their imaginative design created a great concept – the nine storey New Bailey car park appearing to be wrapped in ribbons that echo the lattice patterns and intersections in the ironwork of nearby Victorian bridges.

A good, clean and modern carpark. Easy to navigate and sensibly sized spaces. The only downsides are that it’s not cheap and getting into it from Trinity way is hard, as the traffic blocks the junction meaning it takes may cycles of the traffic lights to get across the junction.

Piccadilly Plaza Car Park – M1 4AJ

Nice central location with a large entrance so you dont have to risk scratching your car as you pull in. Found there was a lack of signage to direct to nearest pay machine or walkway exit. Also had trouble when it was time to pay. I typed in my registration and yet it wasnt recognised and so I had to estimate my time of arrival. I ended up paying £10.50 for around 3 hours, which probably is the going rate for city centre parking.

Sadly after seeing several reviews that cars were broken in to, I would certainly reconsider parking here in future. I got lucky here, I had suitcases locked in the car, with several hundreds of pounds worth of travel money.

Worst place to park on earth, we had our car broken int0, everything stolen, it’s common knowledge that the drunks in the town hang around the car park to steal and then use your cards to buy their booze

Chorlton Street Car Park – M1 3FY

Secure and easy to find while driving, struggled to get back in through side door, had to walk up the ramp.

Expensive.

Stairwell stinks like piss and I’ve seen homeless people sitting in there. Doesnt feel safe.

Great car park, security is great, right in the city centre above the bus station that goes Scotland to Cornwall, Wales to Norwich and many more, Manchester city centre literally with Piccadilly Gardens around the corner.

Q-Park First Street – M15 4FN

Architect – Ian Simpson 2015.

Great car park we use all the time in Manchester, easy to book online, no messing with cash machines. Takes your car reg by camera for easy access in and out. Plenty of spaces mainly upper floors, just tight around corners.

Charles Street Car Park – M1 3BB

The entrance is extremely narrow so watch out for your alloys when you turn in.

Ridiculous size for a modern car park – just terrible.

This car park has served me well on many occasions! It is truly wonderful as car parks go.

Terribly maintained, regularly find human faeces and worse in the stairwell.

Circle Square Car Park – M1 7ED

Fielden Clegg Bradley were concept architects while Leach Rhodes Walker were delivery architects.

A series of four × two-storey-deep lattice girders and a single one-storey girder, all measuring up to 27m-long, span over the zone where the underground pipes are located. In these parts, the car park has no first-floor level as the local water board needed a 5m ground-to-ceiling clearance in case they had to undertake any maintenance works. Consequently, the first floor is only a partial level and is set within the depth of the larger lattice girders, as is the second floor, while the third level is supported on top of these members.

Supporting a hotel would be challenging enough, however the design has also had to incorporate large bridging elements as there are two subterranean 600mm-diameter water pipes crossing the site. “It’s a very unusual design and one that was originally designed as a concrete-framed structure,” says James Killelea Senior Structural Engineer Charlie Twist. “However, the bridging parts would have proven to be too difficult to build and consequently a steel-framed solution was chosen for the car park, which in turn supports a precast concrete hotel.”

This car park is one of the cleanest and most well maintained in Manchester.

Piccadilly Station Car Park – M1 2RP

JHA Pulmann were commissioned via network rail to deliver an extension to, and re-cladding of an existing 1970’s concrete frame carpark outside of Manchester Piccadilly station.

The carpark is fine but as a lone female arriving off the train in the early hours of the morning, I felt quite vulnerable getting back there. It’s in a very quiet dark place accessed by going through a tunnel going under a bridge.

Easy to find, plenty of spaces and only a short walk to Piccadilly station – great!

Shudehill Car Park – Manchester

Shudehill Car Park – M4 4BB

The Shudehill Interchange car park and bus station, was designed by Jefferson Sheard Architects working with Simpsonhaugh.

It replaced the former Cannon Street bus station, under the Manchester Arndale; since the redevelopment of Manchester city centre, the latter has disappeared along with Cannon Street itself.

Wikipedia

Shudehill divides opinion.

The project realises a strategy for integrating city centre circulation comprising an interchange for public and private transportation. It unifies stands for buses, a tram stop and multi-level parking for cars, to provide a convenient, attractive and safe public concourse. The high-quality contemporary design establishes a new positive identity for a transport interchange that complements the heritage values of the Shudehill conservation area.

The pedestrian in a car park found it to be accessible and vaguely commodious – affording fine views across the city.

Sadly the decorative mosaic is woefully neglected, careworn and forlorn.

Kendals Car Park – Manchester

Kendals Car Park – M3 2WY

Kendals is of course long gone – absorbed by House of Fraser.

The store had previously been known during its operation as Kendal Milne, Kendal Milne & Co, Kendal Milne & Faulkner, Harrods or Watts.

The store was designed by Harrods’ in-house architect Louis David Blanc, with input from a local architect John S Beaumont, in 1938 and completed in 1939 – it is a Grade II listed building.

Great location but narrow roadway between floors. Pay in advance so you need to know how long you’re staying for.

£20.40 for four hours is expensive but you are minutes from Deansgate shops.

Only given one star because there wasn’t an option for zero.

Not secure, car broken into theft of personal effects, pedestrian gate was un locked, no CCTV that I could see anywhere. Cost me over £25 to park for six hrs and lost over £200 of personal effects, complained to council, no response. Wouldn’t park here ever again.

Get there whilst ye may.

The pedestrian in a car park presses on!

Manchester City Council is set to hand over a multi-storey car park and close a row of shops, including a Greggs and a barbers, in the hope of driving huge development in Deansgate. The multi-storey car park on King Street West, behind the iconic Kendals building, is set to be demolished if plans are passed by the council’s executive committee, with proposals to turn it into an office block.

The demolition of this car park and ground floor retailers would facilitate the redevelopment of the site, according to a report by the council’s strategic director, and will pave the way for the refurbishment of the adjacent grade II listed Kendals building, which currently has House of Fraser occupying it. Engagement with the retailers has been ongoing for some time, according to this report, with guidance being offered to them as to their next steps.

Plans were approved last year to transform the Kendals building into ‘high end’ offices with the car park to be turned into a 14-storey office block, along with improvements to the public realm. For this to go ahead the council will need to surrender the lease of the car park building, according to the report.

MEN

New Bailey Car Park – Salford

New Bailey Car Park – M3 5EN

Maple gave architects Aedas RHWL the freedom to express themselves on a prominent multi-storey car park development in Salford. Their imaginative design created a great concept – the nine storey New Bailey car park appearing to be wrapped in ribbons that echo the lattice patterns and intersections in the ironwork of nearby Victorian bridges.

The pedestrian in a car park is happy to shine its tiny light on Salford’s regeneration – and has lead a Modernist Mooch around the area named Salford Nouveau!

English Cities Fund and National Car Parks have officially launched the new 615 space, nine storey car park at New Bailey, which is due to open in early December. 

The £12 million car park, which was designed by architect Renton Howard Wood Levin Architects and constructed by Morgan Sindall has been forward funded by Legal and General and let to NCP on a 35 year lease.

This purpose built flagship multi-storey car park features a number of benefits for customers. These include state of the art larger and quicker lifts, energy efficient LED lighting and automatic number plate recognition. The online booking service includes pre booking facilities and level monitoring communicates to drivers which levels have available parking spaces. There are also direct links to the NCP customer contact centre via a number of help points throughout the car park, as well as 27 CCTV cameras for increased safety and six charging spaces for electric cars. 

The car park is also conveniently located adjacent to Salford Central train station.

Muse Developments

A good, clean and modern car park, easy to navigate and sensibly sized spaces.

The only downsides are that it’s not cheap and getting into it from Trinity way is hard, as the traffic blocks the junction meaning it takes may cycles of the traffic lights to get across the junction.

The pedestrian boldly goes – up in the lift.

Chorlton Street Car Park – Manchester

Chorlton Street Car Park – M1 3FY

Secure and easy to find while driving, struggled to get back in through side door, had to walk up the ramp.

Expensive.

Stairwell stinks like piss and I’ve seen homeless people sitting in there, doesn’t feel safe.

Great car park, security is great, right in the city centre, above the bus station that goes Scotland to Cornwall, Wales to Norwich and many more, Manchester city centre literally, with Piccadilly Gardens, around the corner.

We have been snapping here afore in the guise of Mr Estate Pubs – checking out the Thompsons Arms.

For this is a car park with coach station and boozer attached.

The pedestrian in a car park approaches cautiously – along the ramp.

Retreating the better to circumnavigate the site.

I was quickly losing light – so I called it a day.

Returning on a sunnier day.

Circle Square Car Park – Manchester

Circle Square Car Park – M1 7ED

Fielden Clegg Bradley were concept architects while Leach Rhodes Walker were delivery architects.

A series of four × two-storey-deep lattice girders and a single one-storey girder, all measuring up to 27m-long, span over the zone where the underground pipes are located. In these parts, the car park has no first-floor level as the local water board needed a 5m ground-to-ceiling clearance in case they had to undertake any maintenance works. Consequently, the first floor is only a partial level and is set within the depth of the larger lattice girders, as is the second floor, while the third level is supported on top of these members.

Supporting a hotel would be challenging enough, however the design has also had to incorporate large bridging elements as there are two subterranean 600mm-diameter water pipes crossing the site. “It’s a very unusual design and one that was originally designed as a concrete-framed structure,” says James Killelea Senior Structural Engineer Charlie Twist. “However, the bridging parts would have proven to be too difficult to build and consequently a steel-framed solution was chosen for the car park, which in turn supports a precast concrete hotel.”

This car park is one of the cleanest and most well maintained in Manchester.

What a refreshing change for the pedestrian in a car park!

As a coda my hero Bob Mould late of Hüsker Dü posted this pic this week!

I assume that he was staying in the Premier Inn which sits atop the car park.

Night all.

Arndale Car Park – Manchester

Arndale Car Park – High St Nicholas Croft M4 1AZ

Designed by Wilson & Wormersley opened in 1979 as part of the Arndale Centre shopping complex.

Good location but the access to the shopping centre is dirty. Lifts dirty – discarded soiled underwear, urine, spit and rubbish in the lifts, car park also full of litter.

The most unnecessarily complicated ticketing system I have ever seen for a car park. Designed to fail so that the system can fine you. Beware, better avoided for overseas visitors.

The pedestrian in the car park presses on – encountering structural engineers along the way, who have given the concrete construction a clean bill of health.

Northern Quarter Car Park – Manchester

Northern Quarter Church Street M4 1LX

Underused and seemingly unloved.

On the day of my visit building surveyors were measuring up the upper tier for resurfacing – the stairwells were unclean, and an air of dank neglect permeated my hesitant ascent.

Immerse yourself in the eclectic vibe of the Northern Quarter, the heartbeat of art, culture, and urban lifestyle. Whether you’re heading to its vintage shops, art studios, or chic cafes, finding the cheapest, best parking is paramount.

Stairs smell of stale urine and cannabis.

The pedestrian in the car park carries on regardless!

The sculpture is called Big Boys Toys – the work of artist Peter Freeman.

Charles Street Car Park – Manchester

Charles Street Car Park – M1 3BB

Hugging the railway viaduct twixt Oxford Road and Piccadilly stations, approximate to UMIST.

The entrance is extremely narrow so watch out for your alloys when you turn in. Ridiculous size for a modern car park – just terrible.

This car park has served me well on many occasions!

It is truly wonderful as car parks go.

Terribly maintained, regularly find human faeces and worse in the stairwell.

The pedestrian in a car park is taking you as high as is humanly possible – the upper tiers are now locked off.

Though it does remain a car park with a pub- the former Swinging Sporran now trading as Retro Bar.

Sackville Street 1902

Piccadilly Station Car Park – Manchester

Piccadilly Station Car Park Boad Street M1 2RP

JHA Pulmann were commissioned via network rail to deliver an extension to, and the re-cladding of an existing 1970’s concrete frame carpark, outside of Manchester Piccadilly station.

The carpark is fine but as a lone female arriving off the train in the early hours of the morning, I felt quite vulnerable getting back there. It’s in a very quiet dark place accessed by going through a tunnel going under a bridge.

Easy to find, plenty of spaces and only a short walk to Piccadilly station – great!

The pedestrian in a car park ventures beyond the train station, across a bridge and through a portal to another dimension.

Where once the dank dark grey mists descended, we now see only light.

Give my regards to Boad Street.

Archives +

Q-Park First Street – Manchester

Q-Park First Street M15 4FN

Q-Park First Street is a multi-storey car park within the up and coming First Street development. The safe and secure facility is a short walk away from HOME Theatre, Innside by Melia, Bridgewater Hall and the Manchester Central Convention Complex.

VIP spaces are available to book online.

Achieving Park Mark Plus demonstrates that this Q-Park car park has achieved the highest parking facility standards with exceptional customer services and ambience. Only good management can ensure that measures are in place to reduce crime and the fear of crime, enforce disabled parking for the benefit of those that need accessible bays and care for the environment at the same time.

The pedestrian in a car park ventures forth into a part of town rarely visited, discovering a clean and modern environment, affording extensive views over an ever expanding city.

The car park was designed by Ian Simpson 2015.

As part of the redevelopment of the Gaythorn Gas Works site, First Street has successfully managed to create a new thriving neighbourhood in Manchester. The development continues to seamlessly integrate cultural spaces with commercial offices, retail spaces, a hotel and multi-storey car park.

Cundall has provided multidisciplinary engineering services spanning several years and multiple buildings including, Q-Park MSCP.

It’s all a long way from the Gaythorn gas works.

Horse and Lion – Sheffield

1 Samuel Rd Sheffield S2 3UA

I jumped the tram at Sheffield Station and headed out to Arbourthorne.

Looking for a pub that is no longer a pub, it closed in 2007 – it’s now a convenience store and chippy.

It was once the star of an Arctic Monkey’s promo video When the Sun Goes Down at 1’21”.

It has become a print by Johnathan Wilkinson.

Oh how I loved this place my family drunk in here for years and years, I remember waiting outside on a weekend with a packet of crisps and a glass of coke, waiting for them to come out. I think it was the first place I had my first legal drink, loved the place hate to go past now and see it as a Premier. Anyone seen Dave and Ann lately once upon a time landlord and landlady, does anyone know how they are doing? 

Sunday afternoons karaoke and everyone sat outside in the summer – oh the memories.

I used to Drink in there around 1975/76, it was OK in those days, a local wrestler used to drink in there, his name was Alan Kilby, I saw him fight on TV a few times.

Sheffield Forum

The former pub’s striking roof is still striking – sadly the last orders bell stopped striking long, long ago.

The shop was busy and the chips from the chippy were just the job on a cold damp November day.

Changes in the demographics of the area, social trends and the general economic malaise, have ensured that many estate pubs are no longer able to thrive and prosper.

Finally and puzzlingly.

Sheffield Modernists

The outline of a presentation for Photonorth – November 16th 2023.

I was asked to talk about the photographs which Sean Madner had selected for exhibition on behalf of the Sheffield Modernists.

Illustrating a wide range of building types in and around Sheffield sheltering beneath the broad umbrella of Modernism.

By way of context the photographs are all Topographic in nature –  in which a landscape subject is photographed, devoid of people, framed orthogonally and lacking artifice or effect.

Practiced most famously by the 1970s New Topographics photographers, including Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Nicholas Nixon, and Bernd and Hilla Becher.

Bernd and Hilla’s photographs lead us to:

1 Potter Hill Water Tower

The British Water Tower Appreciation Society

2 Geography Building 1970 Sir William Whitfield

Alterations made 2022

3 Moore Street Substation 1968 Jefferson Sheard

Owen Hatherley describes it as:

A shocking paroxysm of a building, an explosion in reinforced concrete, a bunker built with an aesthete’s attention to detail, a building which is genuinely Brutalist in both senses of the term.

4 Horse and Lion Pub – Bass Charringtons

Prime example of a so-called Estate Pub.

With a hyper parabolic roof a doubly-curved surface that resembles the shape of a saddle, that is, it has a convex form along one axis, and a concave form on along the other.

Featured in the video for the Arctic Monkeys’ 2006 number one hit – When the Sun Goes Down at 1.21.

5 Park Hill – 1957 and 1961 Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith under the supervision of JL Womersley, 

Grace Owen Nursery – with two Wicksteed climbing frames

The Play Ground should not be put in a corner behind railings, but in a conspicuous and beautiful part of a Park, free to all, where people can enjoy the play and charming scenery at the same time; where mothers can sit, while they are looking on and caring for their children.

Charles Wicksteed

6 Gleadless Estate 1963 Lewis Wormersley City Architect

The Sheffield Blitz in December 1940 killed almost 700 and damaged some 82,000 homes, over half the city’s housing stock. As the city looked to rebuilding, its 1952 Development Plan estimated the need to replace 20,000 unfit homes and build a further 15,000 to cater for the natural increase of population.

Supreme, but often overlooked, achievement … is the Gleadless Valley Estate which combined urban housing types and the natural landscape so effectively that it still looks stunning, especially on a bright winter’s day.


7 Hallam Tower Hotel 1965 Nelson Foley of Trust House Architectural Department

It opened officially on 24th March 1965 and was the first luxury hotel to be built in the north of England since the Second World War. The exterior was designed to complement Sheffield’s post-war modernist developments; the interior by Colefax and Fowler of Mayfair offered warm, gay colours to contrast with the black and grey tones of the city.

8 Hope Cement Works

The plant started its first full year of production in 1929 

The plant was located at Hope, because it is at the edge of where carboniferous limestone of the Monsal Dale Group, meets Edale Shale, the two main components of finished cement.

Since 1951, when the Peak District National Park was created, most of the outbound traffic from the plant has been exported by rail.

As seen in the Channel 4 TV ident.

The same location used in Shelagh Delaney’s A taste of Honey.

9 Droppingwell FootbridgeWest Riding County Architect Colonel Stuart Maynard

Colleagues in the team included Bill Varley, Ron Bridle, Sri Sriskandan and FA Joe Sims. The team was responsible for the introduction of a great deal of new computing technology into bridge design, as well as for some of the most imaginative bridge engineering going on anywhere in the country. Their design efforts were supported by close involvement in research and testing work, for example, on half-joints and concrete hinges. All the above named engineers went on to considerable seniority, some in the Department of Transport, and Sims and Bridle in particular have published various papers and contributed to books on the history of Britain’s motorway development.

10 Beeversleigh Rotherham 1968-71 Main contractors J Finnegan 

It’s thirteen storeys high – housing forty eight dwellings.

11 Park House School 1964 Lyons Israel Ellis Gray

Listed in 2017 – then demolished.

12 Magistrates Court 1978 B Warren City Architect

13 Smithy Wood Footbridge

Built using a structure developed by EM Wincher in Pittsburgh 1930.

14 Westfield Estate Mosborough

Formerly Waterthorpe Farm Estate a rural township which was subsumed by Sheffield’s expanding housing schemes.

Tontine Car Park – St Helens

Exchange St Saint Helens WA10 1NU

Tontine car park, the 255-space multi-storey car park in Exchange Street, St Helens, has been closed since February this year for a revamp.

This has seen a new lighting system, new signage and re-lined parking spaces installed throughout following an investment by St Helens Borough Council.

In a statement, the local authority said:

Old and failing pay on foot equipment has also been replaced with brand new pay and display machines which take cash.

St Helens Star 2020

Well that there Bauhaus has a whole heap to answer for – with its curves and its concrete.

Influencing the sweeps and swoops of the car ramps and pedestrian walkways.

Concrete Chalets Again – Scarborough

Well here we are again.

Previously on Modern Mooch.

The wind, sea, rain and sand continues to erode the beleaguered beach huts.

Tynemouth Outdoor Pool – Again

Here we are again and the local community are hard at work funding the pool’s transformation.

We’re the Friends of Tynemouth Outdoor Pool and we’re aiming to transform the incredible eyesore that sits at the end of one of the country’s favourite beaches into a brand new outdoor pool that’s modern, safe and, most importantly, heated.

Here’s a record of my previous visit.

Refurbishment work is yet to begin, sea, sun, sand and wind can be unkind to concrete.

Let’s hope that the glory days return sooner rather than later.

May 1969

July 1949

Archive images: Memory Lane

At the Southern end of Tynemouth Longsands beach, on the North East coast, lies the decaying remains of Tynemouth Outdoor Swimming Pool. A concrete, rectangular, salt water tidal pool, built in the 1920s. Popular with locals and holiday makers alike for over 50 years. It began to lose favour in the late 70s with the introduction of cheap package holidays abroad, just as other British coastal holiday destinations lost out.

The pool fell into disrepair, and in the mid 90s the Local Authority demolished the ancillary buildings and bulldozed the rubble into the pool, at a cost of £200,000, before filling with concrete and imported boulders to form an artificial ‘rock pool’. 

The anticipated marine life they introduced never flourished and the pool remains an eyesore to this day.

Friends of Tynemouth Pool

Telephone Exchange – Morecambe

First stop on the Morecambe Mooch and next door to the marvellous Library.

Sound the trumpets – it’s a Telephone Exchange!

Let’s take a good look around.

Morecambe Library – Again

Central Drive Morecambe LA4 5DL

I have of course been here before, way back in 2016.

With time to spare before leading a Modernist Mooch at 12.00, I came to have another look around.

Always a pleasure to visit this gem – the work of County Architect Roger Booth and his team.

Many thanks to manager Andrew Till and the rest of the staff for their warm welcome and this display of Booth’s drawings.

Many thanks to all those merry moochers that came along too!

Telephone Exchange – Wolverhampton

Red Lion Street Wolverhampton WV1 1SR

In the 19th century, telephones were mainly used by businesses and wealthy individuals. The first telephone exchange in Europe opened in August 1879, soon followed by another in Manchester, both operated by The Telephone Company Limited. Around the same time the Midland Telephone Company opened an exchange in Birmingham on the corner of New Street and Stephenson Place.

In July 1880 the company installed Wolverhampton’s first telephone exchange in a room in the Free Library in Garrick Street. Making a call was a long-winded affair. In order to connect the telephone to the exchange, a white button was pressed. The operator would ask if a telephone call was about to be made, and the user would tell the operator the name and number of the person to be contacted. After making the connection, the operator waited for the person at the other end to pick-up the earpiece, and then told the caller to proceed. When the telephone call had ended, the caller had to inform the operator, who would then remove the connection. Although this was time consuming, there were very few users, and so it worked adequately.

The first telephone line in Wolverhampton, about a mile long, was laid between Moses Ironmonger’s rope and twine factory at 272 Brickkiln Street, and the company’s office in High Street. Moses Ironmonger, the Chief Magistrate of Wolverhampton, and Mayor in 1857 to 58, and again in 1868 to 69, was also president of the Wolverhampton Chamber of Commerce in 1873 to 74, and a friend of Alexander Graham Bell, the telephone pioneer. The Ironmonger’s telephone line was tried out by some of the local councillors, who appear to have been impressed.

Before the end of July 1880 Monmore Green and Ettingshall were connected to the exchange. By October between fifty and sixty calls were made daily. Wolverhampton’s next exchange was set up in 1903 in a large house next to the Town Hall, where the Civic Centre is today. The house had previously been occupied by John Freer Proud, a surgeon. As the number of users increased, the old manual telephone exchanges could no longer cope and so automatic exchanges were developed.

Image – History Website

In Wolverhampton a large automatic exchange opened on the 29th September, 1932 in Red Lion Street, on the corner of Mitre Fold.

Telephone Exchanges

Image 1932 – BT Archive

We first encountered the exchange on our Wolverhampton Wander.

Architects: NHA Gallagher of the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works and Clifford Culpin & Partners job architect Leslie Parrett 1971.

Image 1965 – BT Archive