Manchester & Salford. Five MORE Historical survivors 

This may not be the place to ask this, but as I can see your enthusiasm for Manchester gone by, and it's architecture, I wonder if you would be interested to have something my mother gave me, which is a scrapbook compiled by her father around 1910, consisting of about 50 newspaper articles talking about the buildings and parts of Manchester. the articles are all written by a Mr T Swindells, described as the author of a book entitled "Manchester Streets and Manchester Men". Some of the later articles are headed "Manchester of the Past", and are said to be specially written for the paper. Titles include such things as "The beauties of the sylvan district of Ancoats". I live in Haslingden, but could probably post it to you. My mother has no idea why her father compiled this book, which is self bound, with brown paper pages, and I did have a handwritten note with the book explaining that it was made around 1910 in my mothers curlicue script handwriting. Let me know if you think it may be of interest to you. Regards Alan Partington

At some point before 1 June 1907 Bury council had claimed that half the old bridge was theirs - and demolished “their” half. The locals were upset because it was a right of way and they used it to get to the bleach works or to Radcliffe. They asked for it to be put back, but Bury council wasn’t admitting anything (or paying for it) and no other council wanted to pay up either, so it must have stayed demolished… (Bury Times 1/6/1907)

Not so much pieces of historic trivia as small nuggets of historical gold Martin. Many 🙏

Sunday with Martin, James, and five more bits of history… it’s a good day 😊 Edit: 5:01 Brilliant 😄

I deliver on Lower Chatham Street every day and I never knew about the well. Absolutely fascinating! I will be taking a look tomorrow. Thanks for sharing Martin.

I really enjoy these mini explores as much as the big ones, history is all arounds us and you help show the little signs from our past, wonderful Martin, well done to you and the guys.

I’m glad that James is a mainstay in your videos now, it’s like when Dr. Who teamed up with Maryanne, it just works. Love your work

23:02, that's the mechanism to manually set the points. At every tram (not only back in the days but modern trams as well) all have an steel "stake" to switch the points. Sometimes because the automated switching fails, sometimes because they only can be hand switched. The old(er) systems around depots were all manual switches. The rebuilt of the backwall of the depot was not only because of the new windows in it but also because backwalls of depots have a hidden feature in it. Those walls are build as "easy to break" - when a tramcar wouldn't stop in the depot, it would break through the wall/doors at the end instead of crashing into the wall. The wall was build in such way the bricks would come easily out of the wall, preventing the depot from collapsing if a tram would hit the backwall. A tram crashing into the street behind the depot would effect less casualties or damage than the collaps of the depot.

I like this guy. Enthusiasm! Passion! Knowledge!

Great to see the large weir and archimedes (arky-me-deez) screw, at Radcliffe. Also, the old pack horse route. We still have the Pack Horse pub in Royston, South Yorkshire. Our old pack horse bridge is above a long disused quarry, behind the Co-op car park. Excellent to see the original tram depot clock tower kept. More developers should take note. Caligula, Martin? Tut. Chuckle. Lower Chatham Street well - fascinating. Best of all, thanks for having a shave.👌 Let's not be going there again, okay?

Social History at its finest. Great work Martin!

You should do a video on Compstall, just over werneth low in Hyde - sandwiched between Tameside and Marple. It’s a mill town built by George Andrew in the early 19th century. One of the mills is still there and there’s a huge weir and plenty of industrial remains at the man made reservoirs that supplied the mills

Loved it. I visited Bealey's Goit some years ago and noticed (I think) that the sluice mechanism was made in Kilmarnock, so I contacted the museum there for further information. Loved the well and the bridge - not seen before. Often pass Weaste "tram depot" on my way to Weaste Cemetery, but had no idea that they only kept the front wall ! Many thanks Martin and James.

Hi Martin, Hutchinson's goit supplied water to the East Lancashire Paper Mill in Radcliffe, where I worked as Mill Chemist. It fed into the 'city tea' lodge which was just alongside Church st. I remember the 'watermen' who looked after the lodges and goits that fed the mill. They would regularly clear the weeds from the goit - happy days !! Andy.

The metallic box next to the tramtrack are the box to shift the track i two directions. The tramdriver had a long stick with a "key" that fitted into the hole. When turning it he could make the track shift from side to side...

Well said Martin … I certainly appreciate the “trivia” you’re bringing light to … thank you 🙏

i really like these ones you do like this Martin, as always good work chap, an many thanks for all your endless perseverance putting these together for us each week i do love a little bit of history on sunday, top marks :)

I am not from your area but I do love the Industrial and urban history of the British Isles, and your Anneka Rice impression, now to find the clue ;-)

Think I may start following these dudes.... never boring and, in my book, every day is a school day.... great information. Well thought out.... run, James, run... n get the tea on!

Hi Martin great video and greetings from Cornwall

Great to see more tram track. The well looks like it has a cover as there is a straight line by hole 1. Also learned that the word Goight is not just an insult used in Red Dwarf.

Excellent social history. It may be small but it's very important! 👍

Another Smashed It production by Sir Martin.I love all your work,but this truly appealed to my imagination. As you walk through Angel Meadow.I literally see the hardworking people who lived and too often died young there. You know I hate romanticizing poverty so I think honoring all of this city’s past both rich and poor is critical.Too often today people think they have it bad.and ok there is more than some acknowledge,but your work honors this city l fondly say adopted me. When I walk into Salford my first time,a bloke from across the pond,due to your incredible work I shall feel a kinship. I know it is an old promise,but yes pints are on me mate, I shall be honored to meet you when l fly into Manchester sometime in 23,and I hope it is ok to say your work and friendship from afar have gotten me through a lot. Survivors Manchester based in Salford brought me back from a rough place,and your videos have been equally of my heart. Thank you Martin,,

I know Weaste like the back of my hand as i served my time there as a Decorator over 40 years ago now but you missed one of the best parts of its history because just over the road from the bus depot across the M602 stood Henry Winterbottoms mill and that was the place i started my career as a Decorator .The old part of the mill no longer remains as its now new housing just leaving half the old site but there was even more of it before the motorway was built .Henry Winterbottoms was an associate of Karl Marx and Joseph Engels back in Victorian times ,a famous book was written something called the dark satanic mills or something like that ,my memory is fading ! the mills were the place the book described .Back in 81 as a 17 year old i would be left on my own with the keys to the whole site which had closed the year before .It was a fascinating place to explore at the time and my photographic memory can picture every inch of the place .In or about 83 i shown a BBC film crew around the place who were doing a film on Karl Marx ,i was in that film but have never traced it since .

Hi Martin, James and the crew. Some further trivia there is a capped off well in the Cruz101 club in the village. When the club first opened it was just an iron grid on top but as clubbers used it dump empty cans/bottles it was capped off with a solid capping. I am sure I can remember the Weaste tram/bus depot had opening doors on the frontage with Eccles road with tram rails running onto Eccles Road as well as on that side road. Also I am sure these double height doors were part of an attempted preservation order as they were ornate and metal? coated. Perhaps something to whet your curiosity. Cheers DougT in Mancs

So glad you covered Bealeys weir, occasionally I’ve delivered to DHL opposite, when you exit and turn right you can’t miss the weir. When there’s little water going over, it’s a beautiful structure. Loving your channel, excellent work

Martin, your use of maps is great for the story, great work. A mistake on google earth, "I can't believe it." "Run James Run" priceless.... Little stories of historic trivia are just as important as the big stories or you could say "There is nothing trivial about history." Well well well Martin this was another great watch, and your narration is full of enthusiasm. Well, time to start the BBQ. Thanks to you and your team. How long do the batteries last in the torch?

Just love this history of Manchester thanks Martin and James

Haven't even watched this yet, but I KNOW it's right down my alley! 😍

Spring Gardens and Fountain Street. Now I know where the names came from. Thanks Martin.

Another brilliant video Martin! You guys do Manchester and it’s storied history PROUD

Excellent Martin! All Five!! I live near the old bridge and when I went for a walk down there I had funny looks from the residents in the houses, so Put me off! Lol. Well done !!!

Happy New Year Martin and thanks for another very interesting video. I hope future generations watch and learn from your extensive research ☺

Love old tram lines history

Excellent historical snippets of Manchesters past. ❤️

Fascinated by the well!

just fabulous. great watching, brilliant.

Love these little finds, thanks Martin, brilliant as always.

I gotta tell ya, I’ve been watching your channel for a while now. Came across it by RU-vid suggestions while looking at mine exploring channels . I use to live in Pennsylvania, now in Florida, and have been a history buff since I was in elementary school. Pennsylvania has a lot of historical buildings and mines. But compared to the UK it’s nothing. I love the way you explain the sites you visit, not just go there and say what it is and leave. Someday I would love to visit there and just tour the country, not for the ‘touristy’ places, but for the hidden architectural things. Thank you for showing the places you do, it really brings to light how old and beautiful your country is.

The interesting thing about the weaste depot tram tracks is what they were connected to. The tracks that you showed us turned into Hessle St which was the street behind the depot. There it split into two tracks which entered the building through two seperate doors. Immediately inside was a "traverser" which was a set of sliding tracks that slid in a recess in the floor. The tram would go onto the traverser and this slid along sideways to line up with one of nine "track lanes" in the garage. The tram then drove off on to its allocated lane. In the morning the trams would drive off through points at the front of the garage though one of two doors out onto Eccles new Rd. There are pictures of this traverser, Hessle St and a garage track plan in the book Salfords Tramwasys vol 2 by Edward Grey.

I worked at Bealeys bleaching and dyeing company on Dumers Lane Radcliffe in the late 1960s and early 70s It was a very old fashioned company, using lots of river and towns water water for processing fabric. They had been very forward thinking at times - supplying their own water from the river originally - and had a steam turbine to produce their own electricity. During the 3 day week in the 70s[ due to union unrest across the country] the company were not allowed to run, even with producing their own electric, as this would have been seen as having an unfair advantage over other dyeing plants. The company closed in the late 1980 - 90s period and is now a housing estate. On the of the road was Bealeys Maternity Home. Started by the original mill owners.

Very interesting and thank you for all your work. Blackford Bridge suggests that there was a ford across the river at one time. In 1906 a man died after falling from what was described as the ruins of the bridge. I assume that it wasn't maintained after the building of the present road as a turnpike in 1827. Another ruin in that area worth viewing ( if it's possible to get near), is the Mount Sion water pump in Radcliffe

Cracking little gems! That collapsed bridge was my fav and that well, how fascinating, you wouldn't want to lose your keys or phone down there! 😳😁

Excellent vid as always,, tram tracks still visible on Bennet Street opposite Rostron avenue, leading into the old tram depot, which was the Olympic freight depot of Hyde Road.. keep posting the vids.. 👍

Another belter our kid.

And another great video buddy 👍 👏 👌 😀 thanks

Martin. Excellent mate as ever and very interesting. The wording on the points at Weaste that you couldn't clearly read, would most probably have read "Edgar Allan of Sheffield," the makers of many of the UK's tram track and points and the world's too for that matter. And yes, that box next to the track with the unclear writing on it, would operate the points with a "points iron" or bar.

A triumph! Especially the authentic Roman footings. I love this format, Martin, well done.🇯🇪

The bridge is really beautiful

Fantastic video Martin. Back in the 90s I used to pass Weaste tram depot regularly. Yes the front fascia is original. At the rear in yard, the tracks fanned out to enter the back of the depot. In later years I think it was being used for warehousing.

That was just brilliant loving the old bridge and the well, really interesting along with the old black and white pictures and maps. I enjoy Sunday nights with these historical tours around the region. Stay safe and Happy New Year.

Martin! Another first class video Thanks! Beloved and I were transfixed.

I love the industrial heritage , the dank , gloomy , and gritty past

Loved this Martin always go to that weir in Radcliffe

When you said "lower Chatham Street" I shuddered, having lived in horrific student halls there for a year almost 25 years ago. Can't believe I walked past that well almost every day.

Good to see you back. Happy New Year from Bill the Mancunian in Western Australia.

I remember the old tram lines , was having a wander round there a while ago. Smashing video again Martin, cheers, Slurp

Hi Martin, What a great series of videos, what was even more interesting to us was when you visited Blackford Bridge, where we live.. in fact more to the point , you showed a series of photos and in one of them photos, with the houses, in fact our house was in that photo, where could i get a copy of that photo. I’m not sure if you were aware but we found out that the demolished works buildings opposite from us did in fact used to be a bleach works, also it used to be a tannery, the houses we live in (in the photo) were originally built in 1842 and are addressed as ‘Old Bridge End’ and were of course, just off Manchester Old Road. Another snippet we were told was that the reason the bridge was half demolished was originally from an agreement between the Manchester Old road ran between Whitefield & Bury and it a boundary between the two areas, Bury and Whitefield agreed to demolish the old bridge, Bury did their part, but Whitefield decided not to complete their part, so hence it is half demolished.

That was brilliant Martin! Really well done on that mate.

Loving the Archimedes Screw in action, old technology brought to life in a modern era

Thankyou! Fantastic as ever!

Lovely tour again Martin, ps the goatee suits you sir 🥰

Excellent. Absolutely fascinating as always.

Great stuff, that second wierwas awesome. Keep um coming. God bless

Great double act Martin & James marvelous film

Really good Martin great watch

Thanks Guys for taking me along with you today !

Thanks you Martin for a nice video see you next week

Fantastic guys, this is great. 15 mins walk from my home have walked some of this route.. Thanks guys. Being in a wheelchair I can't walk it anymore. Keep the trivia coming

Thank for posting this, I was born in Hope Hospital in Salford & lived in Eccles, when I was 5 we moved to Wales but still have Family on my dads side so go up now & then!

Hi. The small rectanglar box next to the points is where you can switch them from.(at about 23:20) A small par is inserted into the hole on top and you can switch it one way or the other. It is only the switch blabe on the side the box is on that moves. The wheel is pushed one way of the other by the front or back sides of the blade. on the opposite side, the wheel will be in the position to go up either side, but of course is set by the wheel width to follw the same as the other side.

Happy New Year Martin and James, I’m looking forward to watching many more of your most interesting and enjoyable explores in 2022.

Glad you had a shave- you started to look like Techmoan's grandad 😲. Great video as always Martin - the well was the highlight for me as a real connection to the absolute poverty of the time.

Just found your channel.very good to watch. The part of salford where you found the tram lines and said about the landslide, the actual place we used to call the lanny , short for the landslide. We used to play there as kids. we lived at 325 great clowes street

1st class martin I'm watching this in a commercial boiler house while I'm waiting for a intermittent fault to show itself although I think I've found it ....I will see the rest tonight ... if i ever climb Into my crisp bed with my crisp filly x

Brilliant loved the film

Great video Martin like history of great of Manchester like u channel

Thanks for another great video. Have a happy and healthy 2022.

This sort of stuff is brilliant. Places you just walk by, literally under your feet, without knowing. Keep 'em coming! Love it.

Bit late to watch this one, but thank you lads, cracking upload! :)

I don't normally comment but just want to say if ind allow your videos fascinating and looking forward to what you explore this year.

Fascinating stuff as always!! I was brought up in Walkden and spent many hours wondering through the beautiful architecture and history of Manchester. It would be great to see a video of the cathedral and it's history. My father is a tour guide there when it's open and he would be privileged to show you around and share with you the fascinating stories. Best wishes and keep the videos coming.

Another excellent video, quickly becoming my favourite RU-vidr Martin. Thank you for doing these 😎

Hi Martin, thanks for the shout out 👍 glad you managed to do the goits/ weir in Radcliffe. Great video as always. Ste

Brilliant video also a good history lesson.

Thanks Martin, enjoyed that.

Nice one Martin, I liked the bit at the beginning where you sped up the video of you running, reminded me of Benny Hill. Loved the old bridge and the well was very Interesting, hope some of your fans can add more Info about It. Happy New Year.

With apologies for adding to the shoals of interesting comments on this excellent video, I'd like to add a bit about Weaste tram depot. The mystery cut-off track continuing on Hessel Street was part of a "3-point turn" triangular layout used to reverse trams. I have a photograph showing the back of the tram depot, with the tram track behind, it before demolition. The track inside the depot was like new, and we wanted to preserve it when the depot was in use for warehousing, but were told we'd have to reinstate the floor to high and unaffordable standards, so presumably the track was scrapped. We did manage to preserve the 62-ton Grand Union tram junction from "Ship Corner", near Weaste, when the M602 was being built though. The story of that junction would make an interesting episode, which I could help with. The box alongside the points on Hessel Street contains a spring toggle mechanism which holds the points in whichever position they've been set by inserting a point iron, carried on all trams, into the gap either side of the point blade. The hole in the mechanism lid is for inserting a finger or lifter to remove the lid and get at the mechanism to oil or adjust it, or to convert the points into spring-activated mode. The track paving is formed of (pothole-proof!) granite setts, commonly and insultingly referred to as "cobbles". Setts are made in quarries, and form a smooth surface. Cobbles are found in rivers or beaches and form a knobbly surface. I can supply photos to illustrate all of this.

If you think that bridge is cool Martin, you should check out Cromwells bridge at Hurst Green in Bowland, not too far from you! Amazing place with amazing history pal! Keep up the good work, best channel on RU-vid!

yet another gem of a broadcast..well done guys and thank you

You are right is the pack horse route to Bury it comes our at the bottom of the remembrance garden and there's the old horse trough still there. Lily Hill Street printers cottages 1780 built still there. Also the old pack horse pub now a gin bar still has the cobbled street in front of the door.

Wow! Another great video. That well is amazing. Keep up the great work Martin.

Happy new year Martin! These tidbits are fascinating and I’m glad you documented them. I really like the weirs and the little goits, that sort of civil engineering lasting for so long, the history of what that water meant to the story of that area north of Manchester and the factories and the people that worked at them really makes you wonder.

Hi Martin. The well was very interesting! Just a thought if you ever have another look - could try a small reflector (or even mirror) fixed to the end of a pole at an angle to reflect torch light upwards. Might throw enough light up there to get a sense of what's above! Keep up the good work - love your channel

I used to live in the Czech Republic, and in the days before the tramlines were automated the driver would hop out at junctions with a long metal stick which he would insert in the hole and change the points manually. Presumably the same mechanism was used here.

Thanks a lot for the very interesting video! I love the variety of history and heritage you have there! I really like little places like this where you can still see details of what was. Greetings from Germany! :-)

Thanks Martin, that's a good start into the new year. Well chosen snippets and good to see some related to previous clips. As usual, the old photographs and maps are brilliantly adding to the atmosphere as well as the music does. 👍

Point turning Martin 👍🏼 The conductor would use a metal bar in the hole.

Much respect and admiration for your map research etc... I collect old maps myself; especially maps of old London, NYC, and my home here in Seattle. I follow everywhere you go, as you go, in Google Earth 🌎

Wow Martin you took your life into your hands walking over the old Stonebridge