tarboat's photos

A triumph with red Ruabon terracotta. The Brunner Guildhall in Winsford stands as a representative of proper architecture whilst facing the sixties and seventies disaster of the Civic Hall and shopping centre. The plaque to the left of the door states: THIS HALL WAS PRESENTED TO THE URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL OF WINSFORD BY SIR JOHN TOMLINSON BRUNNER BARONET MEMBER FOR THE NORTHWICH DIVISION OF CHESHIRE IN TRUST FOR THE DAILY USE OF TRADE AND FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AND FOR OTHER PUBLIC PURPOSES UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF A REPRESENTATIVE COMMITTEE AND WAS OPENED BY HIM ON THE 4TH DAY OF NOV 1899 EDWIN HAMLETT: CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL JOHN HENRY COOKE: CLERK ON THE 15TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 1898 THE COUNCIL. MR WILLIAM STUBBS. CHAIRMAN: DECIDED BY RESOLUTION TO GIVE TO THE BUILDING THE NAME OF THE BRUNNER GUILDHALL. The building now forms a part of Mid Cheshire College.

Ben Bennett Jr Ltd is one of the smaller limestone quarry operators in the Peak District. The modern plant fronts the road with old fashioned redundant limekilns forming a retaining wall to the premises.

When I started school at the age of 5 I had to travel by bus four times a day (we came home for lunch in those days). The fare was 2d each way. This is typical of the transport provided for us by the North Western Road Car Company Ltd from their Stockport, Charles Street garage. This is a Leyland Tiger Cub PSC1/1 built in 1957 with Weymann 44 seat bodywork. Of the thirty buses supplied in this batch all but this one were converted for one man operation during the 1960's. Conversion appeared to comprise fittings for a ticket machine and coin tray at the driver's side and an illuminated sign which read 'One Man Operation' below the windscreen on the nearside.

Not many years ago there were two tobacconists in Macclesfield. One was in Park Green and the other one was Chester Twemlow in Mill Street close to the Market Place. The latter business occupied this strange pastiche of a building which bears the date 1897. Today tobacconists are a thing of the past as far as this town is concerned.

Woolworths proudly offering hot deals and lottery tickets on Mill Street in Macclesfield. I wonder what other excitement and bargains lie beyond the inviting portals? The medieval street layout did not allow me width to stand back enough fit the whole shop frontage into this image.

The Chain Bridge is one of Budapest's most famous landmarks. This suspension bridge opened in 1849 crosses the river Danube between Pest and Buda. It was designed by William Tierney Clark and construction was supervised by Scottish Engineer Adam Clark.

E.ON UK operate the 2034 MW power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar.

Fiddler's Ferry power station on a moody, steamy January day.

A common denizen of the lake in Macclesfield's South Park is seen here breaking the surface after a good Friday night out for the local youngsters. Broken vodka bottles were strewn around the adjacent paths.

One of the really good things in Macclesfield is the Cheshire Cat on the indoor market. An excellent selection of cheeses and cooked meats plus oatcakes of course. A favourite in the tarboat household is the Macclesfield Blue cheese. :-)

Orange and blue - one wall oversaturated to achieve the desired effect

British Waterways were clearing up after the storms of the previous week when I visted Malkin's Bank near Sandbach. The narrowboat Malvern was being used to carry the chipped material from fallen and damaged trees. The light this afternoon was particularly good and the low sun picked out every detail.

Glint with everything including the wires as he Great Marquess runs round its train at Froghall on the Churnet Valley Railway. The sunny weather was a bonus for the running in visit by this locomotive before it headed for Scotland.

With the winter of 2006-7 being so warm we have had almost no snow at all. This view taken from Standing Stone in Macclesfield Forest serves as a reminder of what we are missing. In the centre background is the Stanley Arms pub located in the delightfully named 'Bottom Of The Oven'.

A Virgin West Coast Pendolino approaching Macclesfield across Danes Moss. The town has a reasonable train service to London and Manchester although local fares are much higher than within the Greater Manchester area. They must think that everyone in Cheshire is rich.

The Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire combines picturesque countryside with occasional industrial areas. Here 4-6-0 Ditcheat Manor departs Froghall past the premises of Thomas Bolton the long-established copper manufacturers and processors. Unusually for Britain in early 2007 the sun is shining.

At the Zhangxin Mine near Jixi there is this view over the rooftops of the old village. A thousand smoking chimneys.......... (best viewed large)

Early morning at Nanchang on the Chengzihe colliery railway system at Jixi. A loaded train heading for the interchange with Chinese National Railways.