There’s been more than a few comings and goings along Ashton Old Road.
Where once there were fields, homes and industry arrive, as the Industrial Revolution is in full swing.
The streets to the north of Ashton Old Road are alive with shops, homes, people and prams.
Along with the occasional motor car.
The Old Road boasted some fine busy boozers.
And a splendid church and school.
The man responsible for the majority of these archive photographs is Tommy Brooks of 56 Gransmoor Road.
He is my hero, a member go the Manchester Amateur Photographic Society, cycling the streets of Manchester to produce a unique record of life in the Sixties.
The Manchester Image Collection is awash with his work.
Chapeau Tommy!
The house is no longer there – the area has recently been redeveloped, some older properties demolished, and new homes built.
Though The Gransmoor is no longer The Gransmoor.
Although it briefly became CKs
Converted to retail use 24th September 2012 after closure. This interesting Victorian building stands back from the road with what may well be a coach road in front. Inside the high ceilings and glorious plasterwork gave the impression of a gentlemen’s club. Though it previously sold cask Banks’s beers in its earlier years, its final days were seen out with only keg beers being available.
St Clements still prevails with a healthy congregation.
In 2010 several properties were removed and the land levelled.
Eleven years later old and new now snuggle up together.
The street structure is more or less unchanged.
Though sadly the wonderfully named Ambush Street is no more.
So the big wheel keeps on turning new homes, new folk and new life for East Manchester.
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