Manchester Exchange station and Victoria bus station
People like the street scenes that we've posted, so here's another one. Any Mancunian will tell you that we are just outside Manchester Cathedral, just off the photo to the right. The picture is absolutely full of interest, so we'll pick out just a few details.
The centre of the photo is dominated by the statue of Oliver Cromwell, put here in 1875 and moved to Wythenshawe Hall in the 1980s (and by the way, its existence much offended Queen Victoria). To the right in the traffic island we see steps down to a gentleman's convenience, guarded by elaborate railings: and to the right of that we see a red Manchester City Transport bus, which has just left its Victoria railway station terminus and is one its way to Reddish.
Behind Oliver Cromwell is Salford City Transport's Victoria bus station, full of Salford's green and cream buses, just inside Salford's borough boundary across the river Irwell from Manchester, but handy for Manchester City centre. One of the buses, almost hidden behind another one and a lamp-post, handily dates the photo to 1961 or 1962 because in 1961 a couple of Salford's buses were painted in a reversed cream and green style for a municipal anniversary. To the left on Victoria Bridge Street, a Salford Leyland PD1 'Titan' bus picks up passenger on the number 9 service to Walkden.
Manchester Exchange railway station broods on the skyline - damaged in the Christmas blitz of 1940, it was unkempt but open when this photo was taken but closed in May 1969.
The cars and vans are also fascinating - we can identify at least one Austin A35, a Morris Minor, a Ford Classic and - close to the gentleman's convenience, with a lady walking behind it - that 1960s symbol, the Mini.
If you'd like to know more about the Manchester Museum of Transport and its collection of vintage buses, go to www.gmts.co.uk.
Manchester Exchange station and Victoria bus station
People like the street scenes that we've posted, so here's another one. Any Mancunian will tell you that we are just outside Manchester Cathedral, just off the photo to the right. The picture is absolutely full of interest, so we'll pick out just a few details.
The centre of the photo is dominated by the statue of Oliver Cromwell, put here in 1875 and moved to Wythenshawe Hall in the 1980s (and by the way, its existence much offended Queen Victoria). To the right in the traffic island we see steps down to a gentleman's convenience, guarded by elaborate railings: and to the right of that we see a red Manchester City Transport bus, which has just left its Victoria railway station terminus and is one its way to Reddish.
Behind Oliver Cromwell is Salford City Transport's Victoria bus station, full of Salford's green and cream buses, just inside Salford's borough boundary across the river Irwell from Manchester, but handy for Manchester City centre. One of the buses, almost hidden behind another one and a lamp-post, handily dates the photo to 1961 or 1962 because in 1961 a couple of Salford's buses were painted in a reversed cream and green style for a municipal anniversary. To the left on Victoria Bridge Street, a Salford Leyland PD1 'Titan' bus picks up passenger on the number 9 service to Walkden.
Manchester Exchange railway station broods on the skyline - damaged in the Christmas blitz of 1940, it was unkempt but open when this photo was taken but closed in May 1969.
The cars and vans are also fascinating - we can identify at least one Austin A35, a Morris Minor, a Ford Classic and - close to the gentleman's convenience, with a lady walking behind it - that 1960s symbol, the Mini.
If you'd like to know more about the Manchester Museum of Transport and its collection of vintage buses, go to www.gmts.co.uk.