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!

St Michael's Church

Today's Sky Watch image shows Church of St Michael and All Angels, the Parish Church of Ashton under Lyne.

There has been a church on this site before the Norman Conquest, as the Domesday Book of 1088 mentions a St Michael's Church in the east of the ancient parish of Manchester. Parts of the present building date from the fifteenth century but most of the structure was re-built in Victorian times.

The church is seen from the other side of Ashton town centre's bypass. The shiny pointed obelisk is a sort of sculpture to indicate that the building behind me (the former Labour Exchange) is now an apartment block known as The Point.

The obelisk and the points on the church tower all draw the eye to the sky with its thin, wispy clouds.

(Click photo for larger version. Press Back button to return here.)

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!

Market Avenue

Today's view of the world of Ashton under Lyne is looking along Market Street towards the Market Hall. The photo was taken on Saturday when we were 'enjoying' record high temperatures for October. You can almost see the slow way that the people in the picture are moving about. It was too hot to be energetic!

Market Street was originally called Dungeon Street as there was a prison lock-up there. It was re-named in the 1820s when the market was re-located here from St Michael's Square.

See Google Street View of this location (or as near as the Google car could get).

(Click photo for larger version. Press Back button to return here.)

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

My World visitors may like to read yesterday's post about a piece of Ashton's history that has been saved for the local people.

Ashton Market in December

Today's photo shows Ashton's open market on a cold December afternoon.

The sun is already low in the sky, bathing the Market Hall in a warm light, but the market ground itself is now in shadow and the temperature is dropping!

To the right of the Market Hall can be seen the tower of Ashton Parish Church.

(Click photo for larger version.)

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


See Birds Eye View of this location.

Warrington Street

Another visit to Warrington Street, seen last week outside the old Post Office, further along. The last time this part of Warrington Street appeared here, five weeks ago, the weather was a complete contrast to the pleasant sunshine of today's photo.

Some of the shops that were familiar here years ago have gone to make way for newer businesses. It is a sign of the times that the 02 phone shop sits opposite the Vodafone shop! Out of shot to the right is Ashton's branch of McDonald's.

See Google Aerial View of this location.
See Birds Eye View of this location.

Daisy Nook Ducks

A family of ducks enjoys the June sunshine on the canal overspill in Daisy Nook Country Park.

Click photo for larger image.

See Google Aerial View of this location.
See LiveSearch Birds Eye View of this location.

Sky Watch: Ashton Market

This week's sky watch shows the view looking across Ashton's open market ground from the Town Hall steps, with the Market Hall on the left. This photo was taken in the evening, after all the stall holders and shoppers had gone home. The Market Hall tower is lit up by a low sun breaking through the clouds.

Sky Watch is the regular Friday feature on this photo blog. It will link 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!

See LiveSearch Birds Eye View of this location.

Sunday Stroll: Lily Lanes

After a week of wintry weather, what better than a snowy stroll in the sunshine?

This photo looks along Lily Lanes from the direction of Broadcarr. This part of the lane is round the back of Hartshead Pike, which is out of sight on the hill to the right.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Photo of the year 2008 "A Touch of White"

January's theme day is "Best Photo of 2008". I asked for suggestions (here and by email) for the best photo to appear on this blog during 2008 and had a wide range of suggestions. Some of the snow scenes proved to be the most popular and this photo, "A Touch of White", from February just edged ahead of others. Ironically, it wasn't actually taken in 2008 and is in next-door Mossley, rather than Ashton itself, but don't let that spoil your enjoyment!

The photo shows the frozen Huddersfield Narrow Canal at Woodend, in Mossley, just over the hill from Ashton. (Click on photo to see larger version.) It was actually snowing on that day in February 2008, but the snow melted before I could attack it with a camera, so I published this earlier photo to illustrate the day's weather.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

The runners-up were these other snow scenes:

"Ashton under Snow" on Easter Sunday, and


"Now where did I leave my lunch?" in December.

Thank you to all who sent suggestions. Please click here to view thumbnails for all participants in the January theme day.

A  Happy New Year  to you all! I hope you realise that it is exactly a year since I started this photo blog!

Mossley on Monday: Just Walking the Dog

Mossley is just over the hill from Ashton but in some ways is another world. The strong winter sunshine last week offered this image of a lady taking her dog for a walk alongside the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The scene is looking westwards from the side of Lock 13. The canal towpath is a very popular walking route in Mossley.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Yesterday's Snow

After the snow, the sunshine. Hartshead Pike, on the ridge overlooking Ashton and Oldham, looks good in all sorts of weather conditions, but I think it looks magical when there is snow about!

There has been a bit of a thaw, so that some of the grass is now visible, but much of the snow is still lying. Down in Ashton a lot of the snow had disappeared although compressed icy snow was making walking hazardous on some pavements.

A big fall of snow is forecast in the area for between 2.00 am and 6.00 am on Thursday morning, so be prepared!

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Hartshead Pike

Hartshead Pike bathed in late evening sunshine on Monday evening.
The photo is exactly as it came out of the camera and is not enhanced or manipulated in any way. It had been a fairly dull evening up up until then, with a few spots of rain, but then, at around 9 o'clock, the clouds shifted and the sun appeared, low in the sky over Winter Hill, casting an eerie and almost magical light.
[Large version, suitable for desktop wallpaper, here.]

Memorial Gardens

Ashton's Memorial Gardens in bloom in the April sunshine. At the top of the bank stands the war memorial. In the background is a block of new apartments and behind that the tower of Albion Sunday school (seen in yesterday's photo) can also be seen.

The Cats' Park

Spring is very definitely in the air in Ashton this week. The trees may still be bare but there is plenty of colour on the ground!

This is the view across the triangular-shaped gardens between Mossley Road, Penny Meadow and Cricket's Lane. In the distance is Albion Warehouse, the former Albion Sunday School.

A much larger version of this photo, suitable as desktop wallpaper, can be found here.

Sunnyside Up

Just off Newmarket Road in the Taunton area of Ashton is the delightful row of cottages known as "Sunnyside". As you can see, it really is!

Daisy Nook on ice

Another photo from last weekend showing the canal iced over at Daisy Nook Country Park, between Ashton and Oldham. The blue sky and sunshine belie the bitterly cold temperature. This was the junction of the Hollinwood and Fairbottom branches. The remains of the four Waterhouses locks are to the right.

Bowling Green

A game of bowls in the February sunshine on the bowling green at King George V Playing Field, Ashton under Lyne.

Winter Sunshine

Mid-February and Ashton residents enjoy the unseasonably warm sunshine today in the gardens between Henrietta Street and King George's Playing Fields, Ashton.