Fraser Street

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Today's My World photo shows a further photo of snowy Ashton under Lyne. Today's photo shows Fraser Street, which runs along the eastern side of the Memorial Gardens, seen in earlier photos here.

Several of the streets in this area have Scottish connections. Nearby Athol and Gower Streets bear the names of a historic Pictish province in Scotland. There were a number of prominent members of the Fraser clan who were Lords of Lovat.

I don't know whether this Fraser Street was named after one of them, but you may be interested in hearing about Simon Fraser, the 11th Lord Lovat. In 1697, he kidnapped and forcibly married his father's widow, Lady Amelia Murray, daughter of John Murray, the 1st Marquess of Athol. For this he was sentenced to death. However, he supported the Government against the Jacobean uprising and was given a pardon. Later on though, he took part in the 1745 Jacobean uprising and his sentence was re-imposed. In 1745, at the age of 80, he was the last man in Britain to be beheaded on Tower Hill in London.

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"Fraser Street" is my contribution to this week's "My World" feature. Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.

Sky Watch: Wintry Sun

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Today's "Sky Watch" image shows a weak wintry sun attempting to make itself visible through thin cloud behind the tower on the summit of Hartshead Pike.

The snow in the field is not very deep but that is because the strong winds had blown it into deep drifts against boundary walls and in nearby lanes. On my walk on that particular day along the top section of Lily Lanes, I had to plunge through snow drifts three to four feet deep in places!

The black line separating the sky from the ground is actually a dry stone wall that runs along the top of the ridge.

Sky Watch is a regular weekly feature on this photo blog. It links with websites all over the world with the general theme each week of looking upwards. Please take the opportunity to visit some of these other sites. I hope some new visitors have found their way here today, watching the skies!

Under Snow-laden Boughs

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"U" is for "Under Snow-laden Boughs" and today's photo shows the steep pathway in Mossley known as Jacob's Ladder. Mossley is a small town just over the hill from Ashton.

After a heavy snowfall a layer of snow has settled on the boughs of the trees that reach out over the path. Walking down the path you hope that the snow doesn't choose the moment that you are underneath for it to slide off!

Compare today's photo with this one, showing the same location six months ago. What a difference a couple of seasons can make!

Last week we had a view of the Mayor's staircase inside the Town Hall.

The main part of the building, with its Corinthian columns, was opened in 1840, with extensions built to the left and to the rear in 1878.

"Under Snow-laden Boughs" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "U" posts from around the world please follow this link.
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Winter Comes Early

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Today's My World photo shows a wintry scene in Broadcarr Lane, on the hill between Ashton and Mossley.

There is very little snow on the house roofs, but that is because there were strong winds in the area and the snow was blown away to land in deep drifts. You can see how the snow plough has carved a way through the drifts that covered the road. You can also see that some snow has blown onto the road after it was cleared.

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"Winter Comes Early" is my contribution to this week's "My World" feature. Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.

Sky Watch: Blue Sky and White Branches

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This is a rather snowy "Sky Watch" image, but there is plenty of clear blue sky to be seen - through the snow-laden branches of the trees.

The photo is in complete contrast to the scenes of just a few days ago when a carpet of autumn leaves still lay on the ground. It was taken on Thursday and shows the unusual sight of snow in November here in Ashton!

The little park at the top of Penny Meadow features quite a lot on this blog as it a good indicator of the characteristics of each season, from golden daffodils to golden leaves!

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Sky Watch is a regular weekly feature on this photo blog. It links with websites all over the world with the general theme each week of looking upwards. Please take the opportunity to visit some of these other sites. I hope some new visitors have found their way here today, watching the skies!

Canal Basin

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"C" is for "Canal" and there are three canals in Ashton.

The scene above shows Portland Basin, the junction of the Ashton Canal with the Peak Forest Canal. The photo was taken a few weeks ago when we were experiencing snow and ice.

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"Canal Basin" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "C" posts from around the world please follow this link.

Market at Twilight

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Now that the Big Thaw has taken place it's a good time to be reminded what Ashton looks like without a covering of snow!

In the depths of Winter, darkness falls before the shops and market close so, towards the end of the day, you find scenes like that in today's photo, in which shoppers are finishing off their tour of the shops and market before making their way back to the bus or car.

As you can see from the sky, it is not quite dark yet but dark enough for aall the lights to make this image quite dramatic.

The photo shows Ashton's open market, with the Market Hall in the background.

"Market at Twiglight" is my contribution to this week's "My World" feature. Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.


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Monochrome Moment: Market Street

The Great Thaw is definitely under way and most of our recent snow is now disappearing. However, as a further reminder of the magic that snow lends to a scene, here is a photo of Market Street and the Market Hall in Ashton from a couple of weeks ago.

The fresh snow coats the evergreen bushes, the head and shoulders of The Pieman statue, the ledges of the Market Hall's walls and the branches of the trees. The scene looks striking as a black and white image. A case of less is more?

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This image is a contribution to Monochrome Weekend. Please follow the link to visit other sites taking part.

Photo of the year 2009

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Thank you to all who sent in suggestions for their favourite photo on this blog during 2009. The most popular turned out to be the picture of St James Church, Cowhill Lane, in the snow just before Christmas.

Regular readers will have already seen the original photo so, rather than simply repeat it, I give you a modified version, cropped to focus more on the church and with the telephone wires airbrushed out. I hope that doesn't spoil your enjoyment!

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You must love photos of the snow because the Photo of the Year for 2008 was also a snow scene!

Thank you for your support during 2009 - I hope you will keep coming back and perhaps let me know your favourite photo of 2010 in twelve months time!

Photo of the Year 2009 is a Theme Day for daily blogs all over the world. Please visit some of the others. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Locked-in Snow

Some of you may be getting fed up with snow pictures, but there is not much else to see at the moment. Most street scenes at the moment look a mess with slushy partly-thawed snow that has turned brown with all the grit that some people were claiming wasn't being spread.

But perhaps a lot of you are just getting fed up with having to go out and travel in the snow but are quite happy to sit in the warm and look at pictures of it!

This is another photo from last week, when the snow was fresh and deep. It shows Micklehurst Lock on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Mossley. (Sorry, Ashton, but the snow was better in Mossley, even though it's only 4 miles from Ashton!)

I'm not quite sure whether to describe it as "locked-in snow" or "snowed-in lock" but, with the ice beyond the lock so thick that there were footsteps in the snow that covered the surface, there isn't going to be anyone trying to get a boat through here for a while!

On the hill in the background you can just make out the spire of St John's Church, Roughtown.

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Monochrome Moment: Huddersfield Canal

As a bit of variety in the long sequence of snow photographs, I thought I would take advantage of the lack of colour to share a black and white image.

This photo shows the Huddersfield Narrow Canal at Micklehurst, with Wharf Cottages on the left and the canal lock behind the bridge.

According to the weather forecast, you'll be seeing snow photographs of the area around Ashton for a little while longer...

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This image is a contribution to Monochrome Weekend. Please follow the link to visit other sites taking part.

Staley Road, Mossley

Another photo of Mossley from earlier in the week. This view is looking up Staley Road from its junction with Egmont Street, Micklehurst. Not many people had ventured that way in cars that day.

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Sky Watch: Winter's Evening

A return to Broadcarr today for a view of Hartshead Pike in the snow, featuring the lovely colours of the recently set sun reflected on the clouds.

The photo was taken a few days ago. The snow will be much deeper now, after this wek's snow, but I have not been able to get up there to photograph it.

Compare today's snow image with this photo from the same spot that appeared three weeks ago.

Sky Watch is a regular weekly feature on this photo blog. It links with websites all over the world with the general theme each week of looking upwards. Please take the opportunity to visit some of these other sites. I hope some new visitors have found their way here today, watching the skies!

Station Road, Mossley

No buses were running yesterday in Mossley, and it's not hard to see why, as Station Road, Micklehurst, is one of the main bus routes through the town. The only public transport operating in Mossley was the train service and even that stopped for a while.

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Alexandra Road

Alexandra Road, leading out of Ashton from the railway station towards Henrietta Street and Smallshaw.

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Canterbury Street

Canterbury Street in Ashton is one of the routes to Hurst Cross. Driving along here has been more difficult than normal recently as Ashton has found itself under a blanket of snow. More snow is forecast overnight!

The building on the right is the Canterbury Arms public house, which opened as a beer house in 1894.

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"Canterbury Street" is my snowy contribution to this week's "My World" feature, as my world is still rather white! Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.


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Cricket's Lane

Looking down Cricket's Lane in the snow. In the distance are St Michael's Square and Ashton Parish Church.

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Hartshead Pike in the Snow

Yet another double-bill of snow photos! Today's photos were taken on Hartshead Pike. Six inches of snow did not stop people from making the journey up to this local landmark. Of course, the opportunity to have a go at tobogganing down the grassy slopes can make the journey even better.

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The second photo is looking south-eastwards from Hartshead Pike with the low sun lighting up the Pennine moors.

Wintry Waterside

Another double-bill of snow photos today - this time down by the canal. This is the scene at Portland Basin, looking across the Ashton Canal, past the historic wooden boats towards the stone bridge at the junction leading to the Peak Forest Canal.

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The second view is of the Peak Forest Canal from the entrance to Portland Basin Marina.

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White World

Ashton has turned white this week with several snowfalls over the weekend. The first picture, taken on Sunday afternoon, shows the busy Wellington Road that runs through the town centre. On the left of the picture is the Market Hall and in the centre the Town Hall.

The photo shows a bus heading out of town. Less than an hour later, First Bus recalled all its buses to the depot, leaving shoppers to get home as best as they could. Luckily for many the Stagecoach buses continued to run.

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The second photo shows nearby Cowhill Lane and St James Church. There is plenty of room to park but you might have a problem knowing where the yellow lines are!

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"White World" is my contribution to this week's "My World" feature. Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.