Hi George

Many thanks for the photo you posted - its fab ! I've shown it to Dad and asked him about a nick-name, but he says he doesn't remember. He's been very unwell this last couple of weeks and so, perhaps, when he is feeling a little better his memory may be clearer. I have to be honest, I don't recall him saying he had a nickname. All I can say is that he loved his football and cricket, grew up with the Oscrofts who were neighbours and spent his life in Whaley until he was 17.

Best wishes

Gnats

Edited by user 11 September 2010 20:49:13(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

This photograph, though more of a general view of Whaley Bridge, does show the Whaley Incline in the foreground, with the Buxton end of the mainline station in the right background.

So the challenge for the usual suspects is to date this, based on what buildings are "there" and which ones aren't.

buggyite attached the following image(s):

Message for George:

Hi

Regarding your posting about nicknames - my Dad is in hospital at the moment and as a conversation "piece" I asked him if he had a nickname as a child. He had a little think and then said "darkie" !!!!! When I asked him why he was called that (it wasn't the colour of his hair - he was blond) he said the "Bates boys" used to call him that. I'm not sure whether it is his confusion due to being a bit poorly or whether it is true - but if it is I would love to know why !!

George, I show him many of the photos on this website and when visiting him today my brother and I were discussing some of the postings on the website - they are very good conversation starters for us. It gives him something to chat about and we learn even more about the people of Whaley.

Thanks to all and keep posting !!

Gnats

Edited by user 18 September 2010 17:45:12(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hello Gnatalee

Sorry you dad is not well and hope he is soon better. I remember there was some one who cut hair on the bottom right of Bridge St. only because I heard people mention this when I was very young but seem to remember he was referred to by a nick name but can't remember what it was. 

Try asking him what the other buildings were next to Harold Cox's garage near the railway horse stables.

george 

I think the level crossing at the bottom of Whaley Lane has gone (if that's the one you mean), as the platform seems to extend beyond there.

The second block of houses on Reservoir Road (with bay windows at either end) look fairly new on that photo, and I suspect there is a date stone on the central one, so will go and have a look.

Orchard Road/Avenue doesn't seem to have been developed either.

George,

I have the level crossing being removed and Whaley Lane being extended to join Reservoir Road as 1896. So its definitely after then.  There are no motor vehicles in sight on any part of the photo, though I don't know that would help, unless it was an "obvious" one like an Austin 7.

Why do you date it as not after 1910, though?

Hello Shallcross,

I've had a go at enhancing and reducing, and it comes out like the attachment below. I can read nearly all of it, and you'll not be surprised to hear that I for one would like all pages putting up on here. It might be a bit "dry" for most others on here, though.

buggyite attached the following image(s):

The photograph above is taken at the Kinder Reservoir construction site above Hayfield sometime between 1908 and 1912.

Its a shame that we can't see the engine number, as one very much like this went from Stockport Corporation upon completion of the reservoir to the Poynton Colliery railway system.

The carriages had previously been used by the Mersey Railway, and were used to take the navvies to and from work, as most of them lived either in Hayfield or in a temporary village of tin huts by Booth Bridge.

One final point, linking the Kinder Reservoir project with the later Fernilee one is that one of the narrow gauge locos up at Fernilee was called "Kinder", presumably named so by Stockport Corporation, even though it never worked there.