Ye Olde Bull Inn, Llanbedr-y-cennin

According to HistoryPoints this country pub dates from the late 17th century or early 18th. It may have replaced an even earlier hostelry on the site.

The road which climbs past it was used by drovers to take livestock from the mountains to markets further east. The name is thought to relate to the bullocks which hauled carts over the upland tracks. Some were kept at a farm a little further uphill from the pub.

The fields behind the Bull Inn hosted annual sheepdog trials on New Year's Day. Competitors came from as far away as Cumbria and North Yorkshire, until entries grew so large that the competition was restricted, in 1905, to North Wales.

It is a J.W.Lees pub. For current information see its Facebook page.

A contribution to
signs, signs;
Skywatch Friday;
Scenic Weekends.

ABC Wednesday: A is for Abel Heywood

  © Copyright Gerald England and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Abel Heywood is a Hydes pub, restaurant and boutique hotel on the corner of Turner Street and Red Lion Street which opened in December 2014 after conversion from a semi-derelict building.

  © Copyright Gerald England and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

It is named after Abel Heywood (1810 – 1893) who set up a penny reading room in 1831 and had a bookselling business in Oldham Street. An active Chartist, his business published much of the reading material of the town's movement, including the Northern Star. In 1841, he was elected treasurer of the National Charter Association, as well as sitting on the executive committee. At the same time he campaigned actively for the incorporation of the city and, once this was achieved, was elected to the council in 1843. Heywood served as alderman in 1853 and in 1859 stood unsuccessfully as a Radical Liberal candidate for Manchester. His first term as Mayor was in 1862–1863, during the cotton famine. He became Mayor again in 1876–1877. A major achievement was his role in guiding Manchester Town Hall to its completion; the clock bell of the Town Hall, "Great Abel", is named after him.

  © Copyright David Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

His son, also named Abel continued the business after his death and the gable end of the building carries the words "Abel Heywood and Son".

  © Copyright David Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

According to Pubs of Manchester The Red Lion stood here from the early 19th century until the early to mid 20th century. It seems probable that the pub occupied only that part on the corner of Red Lion Street and Catlow Lane. The section to the right was once a gallery, where it exhibited sets from the BBC series, Cutting It. Catlow Lane was originally Church Lane.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and signs, signs.

U is for Unicorn Hotel, Church Street, Manchester

A contribution to
ABC Wednesday;
Wordless Wednesday;
signs, signs.

See another photograph of the Unicorn on sithenah.

Signs on Station Road, Betws-y-Coed

Coffee or ice-cream? Mind the hump!

A contribution to signs, signs.

Cock Hotel, Haughton Green

The Cock Hotel on Two Trees Lane, Haughton Green, Denton, Manchester dates back to the mid/late 19th century. There is nothing more about it I can tell you.

A contribution to signs, signs and Skywatch Friday.

Signs at the end of Hulme Road

The sign denotes that the speed limit on Manchester Road ahead is 40mph and this is the end of the 20mph zone.

The poplar trees visible in the background are in the grounds of Denton Golf Course.

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: H is for Haughton Green

Haughton Green is an ancient locality in South-east Lancashire. In 1894 it merged with neighbouring Denton.

Originally a rural area, with most of its built up areas along the main roads and in the old village, it became more built up when the Manchester (Beswick) overspill estate was located here in the late 50s behind existing housing on Two Trees Lane. There was also building of new middle class housing in and around the original village at the same time. This increased its size significantly as housing now extended down into the valley and next to wooded areas.

I first posted some photos of Haughton Green here in September 2009.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and signs, signs.

Pelican at Blackpool Zoo

Eastern White Pelicans (Pelecanus ononcrotalus) live in large colonies with up to 50,000 pairs. They spend the early hours of the morning fishing until about 9am. The rest of the day is spent preening, bathing and resting.

I came across these a year ago but have only just now got round to sorting through the photographs.

A contribution to
Water World Wednesday;
signs, signs;
Good Fences;
Saturday Critters;
I'd rather b birdin;
Camera Critters.

Only Six Allowed

I found this sign in the lift up to the coffee lounge in the New Central Methodist Church in Blackpool.

"Only 6 wheelchairs can be allowed in the coffee lounge at any one time due to health & safety and risk assessment."

So just what jobsworth decides six is safe and seven isn't?

A contribution to signs, signs.

Caroline Street, Foxhall, Blackpool

The street-name signs in the Foxhall area of Blackpool are of this interesting design.

Caroline Street is on the corner of Princess Street just up from bridge featured in my post of March 16th.

A contribution to signs, signs.

Locked in a Lavatory

Anyone remember the song about two old ladies locked in a lavatory?

It was what came to mind when I saw this sign on the back of the door in a toilet at a café in Cleveleys near Blackpool.

A contribution to signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: G is forGrand Theatre, Blackpool

The Grand Theatre in Blackpool is a Grade II* listed building.

It was designed for Thomas Sergenson by Frank Matcham, and built for £20,000 in just seven months between December 1893 and July 1894.

The three storey decorated stone corner entrance block rises to a domed roof of copper fishscale tiles surmounted by a cupola. The auditorium, with three double-curved balconies, features plaster decoration in a very ornate Baroque style, painted white and gold. The semi-circular proscenium arch is flanked by curved and decorated boxes. The painted ceiling is surrounded by panels with painted portrait medallions and garlands, and two large chandeliers hang from heavily moulded circular bosses.

A blue plaque on the Matcham Close side of the theatre reads:

BLACKPOOL CIVIC TRUST HERITAGE TRAIL

THE GRAND THEATRE
(Grade II* Listed)

The leading Victorian theatre architect, Frank Matcham, was commissioned by Thomas Sergenson to build 'the best, prettiest and cosiest theatre possible' and the Grand was opened on July 23 1894.

In 1973 the theatre was saved from demolition at a public inquiry and, in 1977, was refurbished and opened as a bingo hall.

It was bought by the Grand Theatre Trust in 1980, reopened as a theatre on March 23 1981, and two months later was officially opened by the Prince of Wales at a Royal Variety Show.

This Listed Building is one of the finest examples of Matcham's work. The Grand Theatre Trust and the Friends of the Grand have endeavoured to ensure that 'the Glorious Grand' is preserved for posterity.

Kindly Donated by Friends of The Grand

A green plaque below the name sign Matcham Court above the Grand Theatre stage door celebrates theatre architect Frank Matcham (1854 - 1920) and was placed here by the Frank Matcham Society.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and signs, signs.

ABC Wednesday: F is for theFriendship Tavern

The Friendship Tavern is on Hyde Road, Gorton, Manchester on the corner of Friendship Avenue.

Its architectural style harks back to the Victorian period although the light-coloured stonework would have originally looked very dark. The redbrick sections would be the result of early 20th century renovations. I haven't been able to find out anything about the history of the pub so this is mostly conjecture.

This view shows how it is set alongside the normally busy A57 (I managed to pick a brief quiet moment on a Monday mid-morning to take these photographs) by the Reddish turnoff opposite Debdale Park.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and signs, signs.

Blackpool Illuminations: Brilliance

West street is a pedestrianised access from the Promenade leading into the town centre and is all lit up for the annual illuminations.

A contribution to signs, signs.

Signs on the North Pier, Blackpool

A notice on Blackpool's North Pier "prohibits the filming of this attraction for public broadcast without the prior written permission of the management. This also applies to the use of stills photography"

Beneath it is a blue plaque that says "On 19th July 1948 Sooty was discovered by Harry Corbett OBE near this spot."

A contribution to signs, signs.

The Sign of The Grove Inn, Clayton, Manchester

The sign of The Grove Inn, a Joseph Holts pub on Ashton New Road, Clayton.

I usually only photograph pub signs from one side but in this case I did it from both sides. It wasn't until I looked at the two photographs that I noticed the differences.

A contribution to signs, signs.

Ashton under Lyne Metrolink Terminus

(Click on image to view full-size version)
The electronic displays at the Ashton under Lyne terminus read "For timetable information contact Metrolink Customer Services" but you'll have a long wait as services are not expected to reach Ashton until 2014.

Curiously the time on the two displays differs by 18 seconds.

(Click on image to view full-size version)
Here is a wider view of the tram station as it will be approached from the bus station.

(Click on image to view full-size version)
This is the scene in the opposite direction from Oldham Road.

(Click on image to view full-size version)
Here is how it looked from the same spot in April 2010.

A contribution to signs, signs.

Monday Murals/Doorways: The Thirsty Scholar

The Thirsty Scholar is a bar and night club situated under one of the railway arches by Oxford Road station. The area around New Wakefield Street has a lot of graffiti/street art. The council are threatening to remove it, hence the "Save our Street Art" posters.

Chrissy Brand featured one of the New Wakefield Street murals last Monday on Mancunian Wave.

This is one of a series of photographs I took on a walk last Monday around the route of the viaduct linking Piccadilly to Oxford Road making some interesting discoveries along the way. An illustrated account of that walk can be found on the Geograph blog.

A contribution to Monday Murals.

No Dogs

I'm just back from a week at St Annes or St Anne's on the Sea - it is quite acceptable to spell the name with or without an apostrophe or even as St Annes-on-Sea with hyphens and no "the" in the name.

Name pedants are not welcome; nor are dogs on the beach from the 1st May until the 30th September. The sands stretch out from here a long way. On the right is the slipway for the lifeboat.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and to signs, signs.