Roadside Planter

This week's view of My World shows a roadside planter at the side of Ashton's newest road, Albion Way.

Albion Way opened a few months ago and bypasses the Market area, making life easier for shoppers to get to bus stops and to Penny Meadow. To brighten the road up, the council has placed a number of metal flower boxes alongside. These are painted in the town's colours of dark blue and silver (like this website) and bear the town's name and coat of arms.

I can't show you the Google Street View of this, as Mr Google hasn't driven past here since the road opened.

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

Ashton Market Hall

This week's view of My World shows Ashton's iconic Market Hall. It is seen from the Town Hall step. The open market is off to the right of the photo.

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

High Point

This week's Sky Watch takes you to one of the high points around Ashton - the summit of Brown Edge, which overlooks Mossley.

This is the highest point on the ridge between Ashton and Mossley and the concrete object is a triangulation pillar, or "trig point" which was used in the making of maps until the recent arrival of satellite technology. It is a good spot to come to be closer to the sky!

The view is looking south-eastwards, right over Mossley to the Pennine outposts of Noonsun Hill, Alphin Pike and Buckton Moor. Out of sight to the right is a view past hartshead Pike over Ashton towards Manchester. Behind the photographer the view is towards Oldham.

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!

Albion Sunday School

This week's view of My World shows the former Albion Sunday School, situated between Crickets Lane and Penny Meadow in Ashton.

Opened in 1862, this was the largest Sunday School in England! In more recent times it has been a carpet warehouse and now an office furniture warehouse.

It is a Grade 2 Listed Building because of its splendid architecture. It is built of red brick with stone banding. As the photo shows, nearby apartments have been built in a matching style.

The photo was taken from the Memorial Gardens.

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See Google Street View of this location.

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

The Other Trafalgar Square

This week's Sky Watch shows you the other Trafalgar Square - not the famous one in London, but the one here in Ashton under Lyne's very own West End.

Ashton's Trafalgar Square doesn't have a column with a statue of Nelson, but it does boast a statue of local Victorian mill-owner and social reformer Hugh Mason, who is seen here standing out against a warm and summery sky.

Hugh Mason is looking across towards the elegant terrace of twelve Victorian houses known as the "Twelve Apostles", which he had built for those of his workers who had large families.

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!

Blue Sky Over Ashton Market!

This week's Sky Watch shows something that has not been too common this summer - a blue sky over Ashton Market!

We had plenty of hot weather (some of it very hot and sunny ) earlier in the year, but now that it is supposed to be sunny, the weather has turned changeable, with sun one minute and showers of rain the next.

Behind the tree the tower of the Market Hall points skyward, flanked by the new roof ridges of the Market Hall, re-built after being destroyed by fire in 2004.

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!