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Sunday 11 April 2010

Monochrome Moment: Clarence Arcade


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Clarence Arcade is a short covered Victorian shopping arcade of the sort that were the fore-runners of today's modern traffic-free shopping malls!

Clarence Arcade was built in 1894 and is Tameside's only covered Victorian shopping arcade. It ran parallel with Stamford Street, at that time the town's main shopping street, with a decorative entrance at each end.

For the first half of its existence it would have been a thriving honeypot for shoppers but, as Stamford Street's importance as a shopping venue waned, so did the fortunes of Clarence Arcade.

The Arcade has had a refurbishment in recent years and the former shop units are now mostly occupied by offices. While this means that this little corner of Victoriana has been saved, the Arcade which once echoed with the voices of crowds of shoppers is now eerily silent.

"Clarence Arcade" is a contribution to Monochrome Weekend. Please follow the link to visit other sites taking part.

5 comments:

  1. Fine brickwork at the end, and the balcony is lovely. I'm glad the arcade has been saved, even though those windows look less interesting than they would have done in earlier times.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Used to echo to our voices too, in the 50's. Right from the top gallery, on Saturdays after a morning at the cinema with my mates. What long-forgotten memories this photo inspires! Good to see it all again, thanks Martin.

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  3. remember this place so well,the shops were always empty,and the place had a smell.upstairs there was a dance school,my two girls used to attend back in the 60s.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Was that the Noreen Dickinson School of Dancing?

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  5. Silent by night and redeeming by day. Just like any Florida shopping centers. Would you mind sharing some daytime photos? Just like to compare something. Some sort of what’s happening when all is over, including the daytime dining. Fl malls are really extravagant! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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