Photo of the Year 2011

During the year, many of you have been rating the photos that have appeared on this blog using the 5-star system below each post. Having now looked at the ratings for all of 2011's posts, I have found that the clear winner was this atmospheric evening view of Hartshead Pike:



Just for a change, this is the first time that the Photo of the Year has not been a snow scene! However, Hartshead Pike is always a popular subject and last year's Photo of the Year was a snow scene that included Hartshead Pike!

Sorry, but I didn't have time to draw up a short list of photos this year and had to rely entirely on the 5-star rating system, so please don't forget to rate the photos during 2012!

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View the Photos of the Year on other photo blogs by visiting City Daily Photos.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Thank you for visiting this blog during 2011. I wish you all the best for 2012 and hope to have the pleasure of your company here during the year.

A  Happy New Year  to you all!

Old Railway Line

Today's view of the world of Ashton under Lyne shows this bridge that carries Cranbourne Road across an old railway line.

The railway line was the Oldham, Ashton and Guide Bridge Railway which opened in 1861 with stations at Ashton, Oldham Road (where Monk's Garage is) and at Park Bridge, where a 12-arch viaduct carried the line high above the Medlock Valley.

Passenger trains ceased in 1959 but the railway carried freight until 1967, after which it was dismantled. In recent years the trackbed has been given a good surface and is now a cycle way and foot path from Ashton to Park Bridge. The path starts at Turner Lane, not far from the town centre, and is a good and easy route out into the countryside.

Few of the people who drive or walk across the bridge on Cranbourne Road realise that they are crossing such a smart 3-arch brick viaduct.

I showed you a view of this bridge from the other side in 2008.

See Bird's Eye View of this location.

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

Ashton Town Hall at Christmas

Today's photo shows Ashton's Town Hall at Christmas, complete with tree and decorative lights. It is seen looking from the front of the Market Hall.

A  Merry   Christmas  to all followers of this blog! Thank you for visiting.

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Next week I will show the Photo of the Year for 2011, which will be decided by you, the visitors, according to which photos have received the most support from the 5-star rating gizmo at the very bottom of each post (just above 'Add your comment'). Please don't forget to rate the photos, especially if it is one that you like! If you are bored over the Christmas holiday, you could always browse back through the photos and rate those that you like, if you have not been doing this at the time!

Heyrod and Millbrook

Today's Sky Watch photo shows the scene looking across the Tame Valley at from Heyrod. Above the rooftops of houses in Heyrod, we see Millbrook on the other side of the valley, near the entrance to the Brushes Valley.

Near the centre of the photo is the chimney of Oakwood Mill, seen here in 2009. To the right of that, beside a pylon, Staley Hall can just be seen.

The rounded outlines of Harridge Piker and Hollingworthall Moor shape the boundary between land and sky in a satisfying way.

Heyrod is on the fringe of Stalybridge about four miles east of Ashton.

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See Google Street View of this location.

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!

Snow Angel

Today's view of the world of Ashton under Lyne shows you a Snow Angel, or rather, an Angel in the Snow. However, this is no angel shape made in the snow by someone lying on the ground, but Ashton's Angel Hotel on a snowy day!

Yesterday began with an unexpected thin covering of snow, which quickly disappeared from the town centre although, away from the roads, the white covering lingered on through the day. Today saw a thaw and most of the snow has now gone, except on the higher ground.

The Angel Hotel, seen here in more detail, was built in 1868, but this replaced an earlier inn nearby. To the left is St Michael's Square, built on the site of Ashton's original Market Place and the heart of the old town. In the background, silhouetted against the low winter sun, is the Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels.

See Google Street View of this location.

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

Winter is coming!

If today's Sky Watch image doesn't make you feel chilly....

Yes, it's a reminder that Winter really is upon us. A small number of hardy leaves still cling forlornly to the trees as we look out across the damp and chilly landscape of the Tame Valley in Mossley. Although Mossley is only 4 miles from the centre of Ashton, it is surrounded by hills, with a thin coating of snow on the higher slopes.

Just add a thin, miserable sleet falling and a chill wind and the warm days of Summer are nothing but a distant memory!

It seems to be such a short time ago that this same view was so very different. Such is the turning of the seasons....

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See Google Street View of this location.

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!

Roxy Shops

Today's view of the world of Ashton under Lyne shows you this row of shops on Queens Road at Hurst Cross.

They are known as the Roxy Shops because they stood opposite the Roxy Cinema. The cinema has long-since gone and a small Asda store now stands on the site. However, the name of the cinema lives on with Roxy Angling Supplies.

The shops were built with a surprisingly attractive frontage, featuring mock timbered gables. However, this is marred by the metal roller shutters that are probably a necessity for shops all over the country these days.

See Google Street View of this location.

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

Brick Wall

Today's view of the world of Ashton under Lyne shows you a brick wall. However, Ashton being an interesting town, you would expect this brick wall to be rather interesting.

It is the front wall of the former Wesleyan Methodist Sunday School on Mill Lane, which we saw back in October, and of which I promised to show you more.

The school was built in 1877 as indicated by the date stone and, as you would expect from a Victorian building, includes some fanciful decoration, which is in the form of inlaid stone bands, window pillars and keystones, along with arches formed from tapering bricks and stone hoodmoulds above to direct dripping rain away from the windows. The lettering "Wesleyan Methodist Schools" is carved into the stone band.

See Google Street View of this location.

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

Getting Dark

Today's Sky Watch image looks towards Mossley Library across the former Market Ground.

The gathering darkness of a late Autumn evening is highlighted by the lights shining from the windows of the library and from the three bus shelters.

To the right are the near-silhouettes of the towers of the fire station tower and of St George's Church.

One of the street bights has come on but the Christmas lights attached to the lamp posts have not yet sprung into action.

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See Google Street View of this location.

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!